Why It Mattered is a new video series by Happy Mag discussing and celebrating albums that changed the world.
We are proud to announce that we’re releasing weekly videos based on our long-running article series Why It Mattered, showcasing significant albums that have shaped the world around them.
For the first episode of Why It Mattered, we chose Alanis Morissette’s era-defining masterpiece, Jagged Little Pill. In the almost 7 minutes-long video, you’ll take a deep dive into the tumultuous circumstances of Morissette’s life following her debut album, and how her feelings coalesced into this incredible record.
Each video features interviewees from around the globe, from musicians and producers to journalists, artists, writers, engineers and more. The interviewees and host discuss an iconic album and the artist/s that created it, giving viewers the ability to learn and relate to a piece of work on a whole new level.
In the first episode, we interviewed musician Abby Sage and writer and broadcaster Benjamin Law, both of whom delved into their deep wells of knowledge about the Canadian singer’s massively iconic album.
Abby Sage reflected on learning more about Alanis Morissette through her new documentary:
“She’s experienced a lot of sexual assault when she was at the young age of 15 which is crazy. Listening back to the album after hearing that information, it’s an angry album.”
“It holds a lot of power.”
“What Alanis Morrisette did was bring those conventions of the angry intelligent woman to commercial FM radio” Benjamin Law stated.
Throughout the video, you’ll hear all about the journey of a true artist, and how their work changed communities and cultures for years to come. Benjamin gushed over his musical memories:
“Jagged Little Pill for me was a gateway to Tori Amos, to Björk, who led me to Kate Bush and PJ Harvey and Madonna and Joni Mitchell… so you see where I’m going right? Jagged Little Pill was like opening a door to very good music.”
Not only does Why It Mattered give you insight into some of the most important and influential albums of all time, but it’s also incredibly inspiring for aspirational musicians and creatives. It’s inspiring to everyone really, because who isn’t even just a little bit creative?
You can expect a new Why It Mattered video every week until the end of the year.
Watch the very first episode below:
