Drug references in various genres of music began in the 1960s and 1970s alongside the popularization of psychoactive substances in mainstream and countercultures. With that, artists began using drugs not only in references but in the branding of their image or aesthetic. By incorporating drugs into the ideal of their aesthetic, they normalize drug use and glamorize and advertise its use. However, this does not always mean drug references in music are problematic.

Artists like Lana Del Rey exemplify a branded aesthetic portraying an idealized lifestyle involving smoking and drug use. Due to her “sadcore” music style, her young, female audience finds her relatable. As these women are mostly high schoolers through young women in their mid-20s, they are still in a formative period of their lives, meaning they are especially susceptible to replicating Del Rey’s aesthetic in their lifestyles in an effort to be like their idol.

This means that other aspects of her image, including her clothing and hairstyles, femininity, sexuality and drug use, become an idealized aesthetic that feels “cool” to the young, female audience she captures. While celebrities cannot be held entirely responsible for the actions of their fanbase, their influence remains considerable to the point that simply holding something is a form of advertisement for that item.

In the visuals for her songs and albums, she smokes, including at some concerts in front of her live audiences. Similar to how artists will only wear or hold products of certain brands that sponsor them, by just holding and interacting with cigarettes, she advertises them, specifically, as a “cool girl” relatable product that will help them achieve the idealistic lifestyle portrayed in her music.

By not disclosing any warnings or negative consequences of smoking and drug use, artists with young, impressionable fans mislead their audience into associating drug use with a glamorized lifestyle. At the same time, with the normalization of drugs in culture, it can be hard to avoid interacting with media that glamorizes drugs.

Artists like Del Rey are not at fault for how drugs came to be so prevalent in mainstream culture, as drugs have been a focal point in the media for decades, but their contributions to that culture through their branding perpetuate the continuation and normalization of drug use in mainstream content and discourse.

Despite this, it is not always inherently problematic to reference or use drugs in music, such as when there is an obvious separation of reality between real life and a narrative an artist is portraying. This concept is most common in shows and movies that portray drug use, drinking, and smoking or vaping. Often, the movie does not suggest drug use but depicts a particular story that involves such concepts or lifestyles.

An artist who achieves something similar is Melanie Martinez, who tells the story of a created character called Cry Baby in an obviously fictional world. While her albums and worldbuilding draw from reality and her own life, the characters are clearly distinct from the fictional world they live in. As such, Martinez’s references to drugs and their presence in several music videos are not an explicit advertisement of her aesthetic but a supplement to the themes in the story she tells.

Alternatively, artists like Eminem, through the character Slim Shady, tell stories about drug use, even going so far as to reflect on the detriments it caused to his life. His song “Somebody Save Me” describes what his life may have looked like if he had not stopped using drugs, including how he would have missed integral moments in his daughter’s life. This reflective song, among others, provides a warning to his audience despite previously being a user himself.

The difference between these artists and Del Rey is that they utilize characters to discuss their opinions on drugs, whereas she claims not to be playing a character but just being herself. By choosing not to play a character and portraying herself authentically, Del Rey’s drug use in her brand is a public expression of her individual choices concerning her personal health.

Decisions about personal health are personal choices for all adults, including celebrities and artists like Del Rey, but due to her influence and platform, she ethically cannot promote and especially glamorize a dangerous lifestyle.

This dynamic creates a complicated situation in which artists must be somewhat accountable for the lifestyles they promote while simultaneously attempting to remain authentic. For Del Rey, as she does not explicitly promote an addictive lifestyle, her fanbase must, in part, be responsible for having good media literacy and understanding the nuance between safe use and addictive use.

While it can still be dangerous to some viewers to portray even recreational drug use in a glamorized lifestyle, celebrities and artists are not medical professionals and therefore cannot be considered reliable sources on drug education.

As such, consumers must observe the music industry and all other aspects of culture, with the ability to separate the idealistic lifestyles they see from celebrities from their individual reality. This means carefully interacting with the opinions of artists, celebrities and public figures.

It is unlikely that drug references in branding and songwriting will ever disappear from music, but holding artists and labels accountable for how drug references are made will begin to safeguard young audiences from dangerous behaviors.