Mike Shinoda and Alessia Cara are among a star-studded list of celebrities set to participate in the second annual suicide prevention and mental health awareness campaign, I’m Listening.
The Linkin Park vocalist and Here songstress will lead the multi-platform initiative, organised by radio network Entercom, in a two-hour broadcast special, airing live on 9 September (18) to mark the launch of National Suicide Prevention Week.
The duo will be joined by a host of other music luminaries including Charlie Puth, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, 30 Seconds to Mars’ Jared Leto, Bebe Rexha, Stephan Jenkins from Third Eye Blind, Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, rock band Stone Temple Pilots, singer-songwriter Brantley Gilbert and Nothing But Thieves’ Conor Mason.
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, former NFL player Barret Robbins and a panel of psychologists and experts in the field will also participate.
Following the broadcast, the year-long campaign will feature suicide prevention public service announcements, on-air promos and a designated website with materials and information focused on ending the stigma around mental health discussion.
In a statement to Billboard, Mike, 41, said he represented a “journey of grief and darkness” with the recent release of his debut solo LP, Post Traumatic, which followed in the wake of his bandmate Chester Bennington’s suicide in 2017.
“In most parts of the world, suicide claims more lives than war, murder and natural disasters combined,” the Numb hitmaker shared. “I hope that sharing my personal story, in music and conversation, helps open up the door to new discussions and awareness about mental health.”
Meanwhile, Alessia, 22, feels she has explored “being lost and lonely and stuck inside (her) head” in her upcoming LP, The Pains of Growing.
“I’ve recently dealt with anxiety – and understand what it was,” she revealed. “I definitely want to reach as many people as I can, and will do so by partnering with Entercom and so many influential names connected to the cause. Hopefully, if I talk about mental health, it’ll help other people to talk about it… we’re all a lot more similar than we think we are.”
For news as it happens follow Noise11 on Facebook
Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio
