SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being
- 2022-12-05
- Janna Degener-Storr
Indie pop about mental health
In his debut album 'Olympia’ the solo artist Betterov from Thuringia sings about difficult issues with ease.
Because of Covid-19, he would sit at home for hours, doing nothing at all. Meanwhile the swimmers in the Olympic Games shown on TV changed their lives within just a few seconds by setting a new world record. This is the situation that inspired the title track of the debut album. Betterov, whose real name is Manuel Bittorf, named himself after a minor character in a comedy movie about a crook.
His lyrics are ear-catching. They are thought-provoking, heart-felt and never lose their lightness, even when they address difficult issues that are often overlooked, not only in music: Betterov sings about lonely hours, sleepless nights, fear of old age, depression and suicidal thoughts.
In an interview on , the 28-year-old singer, who has a degree in acting, talks about having undergone psychological treatment due to severe depression, and how this prompted him to start making music: ‘I had the desire to turn a very destructive emotion into something beautiful.’ His success shows that he reached this goal.