The people of Massachusetts can rest easy. For the third year in a row, the Boston Public Health Commission’s Start Strong Initiative has created a list of the top ten healthy songs and the top ten unhealthy songs of 2011.
The group chooses songs based on what will help model teens’ lives in a positive way and which tunes will not, according to the Boston Public Health Commission’s website.
Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships targets 11 through 14-year-olds to promote healthy relationships in order to prevent teen dating violence and abuse.
In order to help promote and support the healthy relationships, the initiative says to listen to “healthy” music and stay away from what they deem “unhealthy.”
“Backseat” by New Boyz feat. The Cataracs and Dev, with lyrics like, “Don’t say a word, just turn around and let me see/Girl you got something special, something special for me,” was voted the number-three song to promote unhealthy teen relationships.
The lyrics from the Gym Class Heroes’ song, “Stereo Heart,” featuring Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, however, made the initiative’s cut for healthy songs, placing third for tunes that promote healthy and safe relationships:
My heart’s a stereo
It beats for you so listen close
Hear my thoughts in every note
Make me your radio
Turn me up when you feel low.
This melody was meant for you.
Just sing along to my stereo
Telling girls to “turn them up” is more appropriate to Start Strong than the girls giving New Boyz something special.
The second unhealthiest song of 2011 is “What the Hell” by Avril Lavigne.
Start Strong may be worried this song will promote teen girls to be wild and crazy because of these lyrics:
All my life I’ve been good, but now
I’m thinking what the hell
All I want is to mess around
And I don’t really care about
If you love me, if you hate me — you can save me
Being a true gift from God, though, lands Blake Shelton’s song “God Gave Me You” number two on the healthy list:
God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you
But there is little doubt among the nannies at Start Strong that “Marvin’s Room” by Drake is the unhealthiest, least safe song for teens to listen to in 2011. Drake sings:
I think I’m addicted to naked pictures
And sittin’ talkin’ ‘bout bitches that we almost had.
I don’t think I’m conscious of making monsters
Outta the women I sponsor ‘til it all goes bad
Drinking, hooking up and belligerent phone calls to women late at night fall under the unhealthy category while going through hard times, lending a helping hand and rainy nights filled with promises are healthy.
The number one healthiest song of 2011, according to Start Strong, is Rascall Flatt’s “I Won’t Let Go”:
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won’t let go
Forget calorie-counting and nutritional labels, all teens need is Stay Strong’s “Sound Relationship’s Nutritional Label” to lead a healthy and safe life.
