Music has historically been integral to motivating and messaging various causes. In the battlefields, during demonstrations and rallies, even amidst some of the most notable coup d'é tats. Various songs and even genres signify the moment in time where socio-political dynamics shifted and solidify the causes to be passed down for generations to come.

Shervin Hajipour’s song ‘Baraye’ holds a similar value as it perfectly captures what the Iranian public is yearning for. The song’s lyrics is a culmination of various ailments and concerns voiced through the hashtag #Mahsa_Amini #مھساـامینی. What makes this song a standout among others is that each verse is directly what has been vocalized as a concern, though in an online post format. The beauty of the piece lies in the simplicity of what it is seeking. The right to live, for a better life, for the opportunity to express love, and many more. It signifies what has always been at the core of Woman, Life, Freedom Movement; yearning for freedom and dignity.

The boundlessness of music has also helped boost the visibility of the cause, gaining international attention and further spreading the message, to fight for freedom and to want better for the nation. As argued, “Since its release, the song has become the single most covered protest song in Iran’s history. Within a few short weeks after Hajipour composed the music for it, musicians across Iran and beyond its borders have sung it verbatim in their own voices, translated it, and sung it in other languages—and even universalized the lyrics for a more global audience.1”

It is especially meaningful that the movement’s message is shared through music, given the Islamic Republic has long held a hostile stance in regards to music. So much so that at the initial stages of post 1979 Revolution, music was shortly banned in Iran. Today, women’s singing and the hip hop genre are some of the musical bans implemented in Iran. As expected, those criticizing the Islamic Regime have ensured to utilize both as ways to protest. Women singing and chanting slogans and poetry for their rights and the Woman, Life, Freedom goes viral almost on weekly basis across both Persian, and the global spheres of social media.

Similarly, Hip Hop as a genre has been instrumental, especially for the younger generation of Iranians, to voice their discontent with the regime’s oppression. Toomaj Salehi’s ‘Rathole’ and other tracks such as ‘Normal’ and ‘Turkmenchay’ are perhaps the best examples of this. This is while, “Independent Rap-e Farsi as a music genre never received an official permit from ministries of the Islamic Republic. But it was not muted after all. It was recharging and collecting itself, gathering its multitudes and finding its resolve. No other modern genre has mirrored and boasted Iran’s truly diverse human mix, through its masterful rhymes and rhythms, as has Iranian hip-hop.2”
 

1 Siamdoust, Nahid. "Why Is Iran’s Regime So Afraid of This Song?" Foreign Policy, 26 Oct. 2022; https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/10/26/baraye-music-threatens-iran-regime/Links
2 Siamdoust, Nahid. 2023. "A Global Rap-e Farsi Rises to Speak Truth to Power in Iran." Hot
Spots, Fieldsights, June 29. https://culanth.org/fieldsights/a-global-rap-e-farsi-rises-to-speak-truth-to- Power-in-iran