Winning a Grammy is a difficult task for any famous singer, let alone for those who are lesser-known. A 25-year-old Iranian singer, Shervin Hajipour, not only did this but also created an entirely new award for the famed Grammys, Best Song for Social Justice, with his newest song “Baraye.”

“Baraye” was posted on September 28, 2022 and was an overnight sensation, earning over 40 million views in just two days.

The song focuses on the relentless mistreatment of Iranians and is a way to express the hardships they face on a daily basis. Due to this, the song was given the very first award for “Best Song for Social Change” on February 5.

First Lady, Jill Biden, even made a special appearance, announcing the award for the Iranian singer, although he was not there to receive it in person. 

The inspiring song was composed of different tweets written by Iranian citizens who were expressing their own feelings towards the injustice faced by the Iranian people. Many of the tweets focus on the maltreatment of women and the economic depression that has been impacting Iran since 1979. 

The song is said to have become the unofficial anthem for the women-led protests in Iran, after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was killed by Iran’s Guidance Patrol.

The Guidance Patrol in Iran is similar to that of the police in America, seeing as their job is to enforce Sharia (Islamic Law).

“They [Iran] had all kinds of uprisings [in response to the death of Amini],” said Jamie Hendi. Amini is said to have broken the law by not wearing a hijab to cover her hair and loose clothing across her body, which is required for all women by the Iranian government.

This song not only inspires the citizens of Iran but also educates others around the world. According to Linganore freshman Isabella Tiger, the song is a great way to enlighten teenagers on social media platforms that they care about: Spotify and Instagram.

Sadly, this astounding song was forced to be taken down less than 24 hours after its initial release on Instagram, due to the imprisonment of Hajipour. Luckily though, the song is available on Spotify; however, there is currently no version with English lyrics on the platform.

Hajipour was arrested, September 29, 2022 after being accused of “propaganda against the system” and “inciting people to violent acts.” On October 4, 2022 he was released on bail but is not allowed to leave the country. 

For those who wish to hear the inspiring song themselves, listen to it with English subtitles on Youtube or go to Spotify to hear the original.