I’ll never forget the first time I was told to “just wait for the drop” in a song. Drop? What’s a drop? The upbeat electronic song continued on, and was followed by a build up… Seconds later, I experienced my first “drop” – basically, the rest is history.
I started listening to EDM (otherwise known as electronic dance music) during my senior year of high school, when I guess you could say it was relatively new. Sure, I listened to it in my car and at social gatherings with friends, but never realized how much I loved this kind of music until I went to my first concert.
The feeling I get listening to my favorite songs live with thousands of strangers is one I can’t put into words. It’s a feeling of pure bliss and carelessness. In that moment, nothing else matters in the world. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you are, because in that moment you’re all there for the same reason: EDM.
I wasn’t aware of the drugs surrounding the EDM culture until I got to college…. And I was in for a huge wake up call. I was constantly asked if I was “rolling” (for those who don’t know what that means, it’s doing molly) and when I said I wasn’t, I was questioned about that too.
“Why not? It’s awesome. There’s no way you’ve been to that many shows without trying it once!”
To many people’s surprise, I hadn’t tried it. I couldn’t understand why people needed a substance to feel the things I felt when I attended the concerts without doing drugs. I felt pressured to take part in the drug culture surrounding the music, even though it didn’t seem the slightest bit appealing to me. 
Before I knew it, there were songs, shirts, hats, etc. with phrases like “PLEASE HELP ME FIND MOLLY” and “WHERE’S MOLLY” popping up everywhere. It almost seemed to me as if EDM was embracing the concert-goers’ use of the drug, which only made me more upset. While I understand that DJs have little/no control over the state in which people attend their shows, I think that the genre endorsing it as a whole is only going to make the problem worse.
And I was right. The drug usage began to explode, which led to hospitalizations and even deaths at several EDM concerts and festivals. Security was forced to make several changes during these events to crack down on the drugs, but let’s face it… It’s never going away.
Despite these improvements, I still can’t help but feel a stereotype surrounding my decision to go to EDM concerts. Whenever I tell someone it’s something I like to do, I’m questioned about “which drugs I like best” or what my “best trip ever” was. I personally take offense to these accusations, especially since I have never even tried any of the “EDM drugs,” nor do I plan to in the future.
I’m not looking to change my ways, and I don’t expect others to either. Whichever drug you do or don’t do is your own personal preference, and doing so responsibly is essential for ensuring the safety of both yourself and the others around you. I will continue to go to concerts simply for the reason that I love the music and the atmosphere surrounding it, and I can only hope that the majority of the people in the culture surrounding EDM are doing the same.
The World As I See It 