“To Be A Man” by the country rap artist Dax was Canada’s top-selling single last year. The portrait it paints of the glories and struggles of masculinity resonate not just in Canada, but throughout America and the West at large.

Dax navigates a careful course throughout the song. Avoiding both the pitfalls of a melancholy self -sympathy, and an embittered anger, his message shines through simply: Men have been neglected. Culturally, politically, even emotionally, the idea of being a man is greeted with scorn from many corners. Amid remaining expectations that men will continue to provide as they have, even as respect and gratitude, the impetus for continuing such a precedent quickly is becoming nonexistent. “Got so much weight you’ve been holding, but won’t show any emotion,” Dax sings. “As a man we gotta pave our way, our only function is to work and slave.”  

“To be a Man” struck a chord in many hearts after its initial release, with the original track being certified gold in the U.S. and platinum in Canada. A remix featuring American country artist Darius Rucker topped charts in the U.S. achieving the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Country digital sales chart. 

At just three stanzas in length, “To Be A Man” condenses the hopes and concerns of an emergent generation into the space of a few minutes. The tone of the song isn’t triumphalistic, but neither does it eschew the honor naturally associated with suffering that so many men experience in our day. “I can’t hide myself/ I don’t expect you to understand,” the song’s chorus starts. “I just hope I can explain/ what it’s like to be a man.”

“To Be A Man” is a masterpiece of honest narrative. It’s realistic without lacking hope, and remains stoic and constant while relaying the real turmoil of one man’s inner life to an audience of millions, many of whom feel similarly. It is in this sense that its truest impact can be felt. The current “crisis of masculinity” is, in many ways, an effect of a culture that has lost its cultus, and in so doing, lost the twin habitus, respect and gratitude, that when combined fuel men to build civilization. 

As “To Be A Man” draws to a close, its catalyst emerges. “Don’t give up, keep fightin,” Dax sings, “It’s not about what we feel, but what we provide inside that home.” This sentence, the last of each refrain, as well as the final line of the song, crystallizes his message throughout. The struggle men face is real. It’s not easy to confront. But, it remains worth doing, for the sake of those whom you love.