Ahead of releasing Music Is the Medicine, Ghana-born, Western Sydney-raised Blessed Samuel Joe-Andah posted a handwritten note and phone number on Facebook, asking fans to text him. “I want to start a conversation about music, about how it helps to soothe the soul...and the escapism it provides those with past and present trauma.” As planned, it sparked candid, intimate conversations with listeners, which served as the perfect lead-up to this release, an equally intimate outpouring of his own innermost thoughts. The mixtape—which is a kaleidoscope of woozy melodies (“27 Club”), booming 808s (“Bonnie Killed Clyde”), and emotional punk (“Mr. Nobody”)—is a testament to BLESSED’s multidimensional sensibilities as he wields a guitar and bares his soul. On lead single “Something to Believe In,” he writes an emotional response to the Black Lives Matter protests that took place around Australia and the rest of the world. “I don't sit down, I just man up/Not a class clown but I'm a stand up (stand up),” he sings on the classic 4/4 beat. “Man's got shot down with his hands up (hands up).” From stadium pop-punk (“Bled Me Dry”) to the hopefulness of "Follow Your Heart"—a triumphant salvo dedicated to his haters—BLESSED offers a scattering of emotions that ping-pong in a messy yet hypnotic flow.