Happy Earth Day! This is an album about climate change (I think).

    Today is Earth Day! First observed in 1970, Earth Day initially sought out to force environmental issues onto the national agenda, through a nationwide protest which mobilized 20 million people, and earned itself the title of 'largest secular day of protest in the world'. Although I can't be sure if that superlative is Guinness Book-official, I am sure of this- the way we celebrate Earth Day now is drastically different. Look no further than your social media platform of choice for evidence. How many of your friends posted a picture featuring the planet or its inhabitants? How many people are participating in demonstrations to bring climate change and environmental issues back to the national agenda? I have no clue what any of those actual numbers are, naturally, but I don't need the numbers to know that the celebration of Earth Day is changing, moving away from its roots in collective action, and towards individual-based reflection. 

    If Earth Day celebrations really have changed, then it seems very unlikely that a present day movement would be able to mobilize 20 million people (about 10% of the U.S. population at the time) as it did in 1970. And if mass protests and collective action are no longer popular or productive ways of getting Earth back on the agenda, how else can such a large number of people be motivated to take action? 

    The answer is Vampire Weekend of course. More specifically, their chart-topping 2019 record, Father of the Bride. I take pride in overanalyzing music, and making abstract connections that only have meaning to me, but this album's connection to the Earth is very, very clear. Just take a look at the cover:

    During the week of its release, this album boasted some 23 million streams, and has only been accumulating more listeners in the time since. Although participating in a demonstration and streaming an album are significantly different actions with wildly different effects, both are are still ways of mobilizing people. Participating in a demonstration can create an attachment to a political cause that leads to a lifetime of activism. Listening to really, really good music can have similar effects. Here are some examples of music changing the way people live and act, from my #awesome roommates:

KC: A boy sent me the song 'To Die For' by Sam Smith, and told me that it reminded him of me. Listening to this song convinced me to be more open with my emotions, and communicating them with other people. 

Anna: I decided to break up with my first boyfriend when I was doing dance improv to the song 'Lover Please Stay' by Nothing But Thieves.

Bri: 'Do Not Wait' by Wallows was a song I shared with a former best friend, and associated with love and friendship. When I listen to this song now, after our relationship has ended, it makes me think of her in a different way- I relate it more to letting go and moving on.

    Father of the Bride is an album that, I think, can change the way people think about their relationship with the environment, and maybe even mobilize inspired listeners to take action to protect it. But if I can't convince you that this is an album about the environment, hopefully this excerpt from an interview with VW frontman and lyricist Ezra Koenig can:

 Of course, no one can actually be motivated to take political action solely because of an album's cover art (or maybe they can- I've seen weirder things). Ezra Koenig's dense, sprawling lyrics is where the true substance is.