British musician Tom Odell may not be a household name for some, but his song from the 2012 EP ‘Songs from Another Love’ has recently surged in social media feeds worldwide. At its release, the song didn’t make significant waves in the global market. Fast forward a decade, and the narrative has shifted dramatically.
On June 17, 2022, a TikTok user named Emma, known for her content dedicated to Odell, uploaded a video from his European tour. The clip featured Odell at the piano, accompanied by a chorus of fans singing lines from ‘Another Love’:
And if someone hurts you, I want to fight But my hands have been broken many times So I will raise my voice, show courage Words, they always win, but I know I lose And I will sing songs that are only ours But I will sing to another heart And I want to cry, learn to love But all my tears are spent Another in love, another in love But all my tears are spent Another in love, another in love
Emma’s video quickly went viral on TikTok. By August, ‘Another Love’ had surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. Shortly thereafter, it climbed into the top ten year-end charts in Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The song’s YouTube music video has amassed over 94 million views. But what sparked this sudden resurgence?
In 2022, Iran was rocked by protests following the death of Kurdish woman Masa Amini, who died in police custody after allegedly violating the hijab policy. Iranian women began posting videos of themselves cutting their hair in a show of solidarity for women’s freedom. The common thread in these viral videos was the haunting melody of ‘Another Love’.
The line, ‘And if someone hurts you, I want to fight,’ transformed from a mournful love ballad into a battle cry against injustice. Women worldwide began using the song to express solidarity with the Iranian women’s movement. On September 26, 2022, at a concert in Germany, Odell dedicated ‘Another Love’ to “the brave people protesting in Iran,” stating, “Though we are far from Iran here in Hanover, Germany, I believe I speak for everyone in this room when I say we stand with those fighting for human rights and women’s rights.”
‘Another Love’ has become a universal protest anthem, not just for the women’s movement in Iran but also against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Across platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, the song underscores montages of the Ukrainian conflict, symbolizing an anti-war stance.
The song’s adoption by ‘Gen Z’—those born between 1997 and mid-2012—highlights how this generation, raised with smartphones, communicates and protests differently.
Music has long been a beacon of hope and unity during war, conflict, and crises. In the era of social media, music’s role has evolved. Brad Schreiber, a popular music journalist, told The Telegraph that musicians now wield greater socio-political influence than ever before, thanks to social media’s reach. They can raise awareness on issues like the situation in Ukraine, even if they don’t typically engage in political discourse.
Schreiber’s point is that while artists like Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Sting, U2, Azam Khan, and Fakir Alamgir were once expected to produce politically charged music, today’s artists can inspire change through simpler, more sentimental songs that resonate universally. Tom Odell’s ‘Another Love,’ with its emotional appeal, has become an anthem for justice, transcending political complexities.
Another Love Lyrics
And if someone hurts you, I want to fight But my hands have been broken many times So I will raise my voice, show courage Words, they always win, but I know I lose And I will sing songs that are only ours But I will sing to another heart And I want to cry, learn to love But all my tears are spent Another in love, another in love But all my tears are spent Another in love, another in love