Real issues get a rhythmic twist

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Justin Roberts, a bespectacled man playing the guitar and singing songs about relationships and facing rough patches of life, is now a rage among teenagers across the globe. He makes the hard truth of life sound as simple as nursery rhymes, and writes songs about topics with social relevance.
The musician with his unique songs is already a rage among tweens, and even those who are past their teen years are following him with equal enthusiasm.
So, what is it about this artiste that appeals to young turks? Akshya Dwivedi, a student at Kirori Mal College feels Justin’s songs are a hit with all ages because they are about things that trouble teenagers. He says, “His style of music is contemporary and touches listeners. I am into music as well, and I think his style is very original and kind of funny too. His music has more counter cultural influences and he uses candy coated lyrics. The conventional phrasing and composition techniques used in his songs make his music simpler.”
The singer has written songs about broken families and teenage angst, which youngsters instantly connect with. Prachi Shrivastava, an engineering student says, “I feel his songs are popular because he makes complex things of life sound relatable. In most of his songs he talks about having a positive approach in life and that is very helpful when you are going through a rough patch. I like songs like Stay At Home Dad and Airplane Of Food. In the beginning, when I heard him I thought he was a rookie, but later I got hooked on to his songs.”
Though Justin’s songs are not aired on TV channels, for the net-savvy GenY reaching this American artiste on a regular basis is not difficult, as all his songs are available on the Internet.
Sarthak Kush, a 16-year-old says, “When I surf the net, I usually search for good songs, and I came across this artiste because he is quite popular on YouTube. After I listened to him, I liked his videos more than his songs. They are quite colourful and seem like they are meant for youngsters. He looks like a nerdy teacher telling stories about life, and how to overcome hard times without losing faith in ourselves.”