By SAvannah MAnwaring
“Music is the soundtrack to every good and bad time we will ever have.”
Have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of joy, excitement, sadness or frustration, but didn’t have anyone nearby to express those feelings with? What did you do? Did you simply keep those feelings inside and process them internally? Or did you do what many others do when they want to further express these emotions: turn to music? Music can be such a powerful tool for people of all ages to process and regulate the emotions that they may be feeling.
When listening to music, people often align their song choice with their mood. This is because music evokes strong emotional responses, that then lead us to correlate those songs with specific feelings. Because of this emotional response, we select songs depending on the mood that we are in, so we can match our mood to the vibe of the song. A 2011 research study tested this theory by having participants rate how likely they were to listen to specific pieces of music in different emotional contexts (Thoma et al., 2011). The results of this study concluded that humans do indeed have a calculated taste in music, often matching their song choice to their current emotional state.
Positive Song Selection
With this deliberate song selection process, it is common for people to play songs that will help them further express the emotions they are feeling. When someone is experiencing feelings of immense joy or excitement, they often turn to music that helps fuel this positive attitude. Usually these songs tend to be under the “pop” category. Some of my personal favorites when I’m in need of a good jam session are “HOT TO GO” by Chappell Roan, “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj, and “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry. It is important to note that not everyone will have the same taste in music. For me, I enjoy basic pop songs when I’m happy, but many people mayfind these three songs to be “too girly” or simply not their vibe. However, that is the amazing thing about music, there is so much versatility in it that there is something for everyone.
Branching slightly away from the basic, but essential, positive jam sessions leads us to another one of my favorite categories: the nostalgic era. Let me paint the picture. It’s 2013 and you’re on a long summer road trip out to the beach with the windows down and the radio blasting. Is there a specific song that comes to mind? For me, and I assume for possibly some others, “Riptide” by Vance Joy has a strong tie to that memory. Now I know this song has come and gone, but every time I hear it, I can’t help but just be happy and recall the good ol’ days. This is because songs under this umbrella of nostalgia are often linked to positive and cherished memories or emotions that lead to a strong feeling of reminiscence. This music-evoked nostalgia is a great way to bridge the gap between the present and the past, thus allowing people to reflect on their experiences. Doing so has been linked to many positive psychological and emotional benefits such as enhanced self-esteem, improved social connectedness, and a greater sense of meaning in life (Sedikides et al., 2022).
The Somber Side of Music
Now, not all music is so sunshine and rainbows. It is time now to shift to a bit more gloomy field of music. These are the songs that you can always count on to give you a good cry or get you in “your feels”. The majority of the time, sad music is also the genre that many people will choose to listen to when they are already feeling down. You may be thinking though, “why in the world would it be good to listen to music you know will induce feelings of sadness”. The answer to this question corresponds with a study conducted by Van den Tol and Edwards (2013) that examined survey responses from individuals answering the question of why they choose to listen to sad music. The results indicated that most people choose to listen to sad music when in asomber state in order to regulate and process negative emotions or gain comfort (Van den Tol & Edwards, 2013). Do these results correlate with your possible reasoning for listening to sad music? I don’t know about you, but it is spot on for me.
In times of distress, sad music helps me better understand the emotions that I am feeling. When I’m driving in my car or lying in my bed just listening to the words and tunes of more negative feeling songs, I have time to process why I am feeling that way. Additionally, I often find songs that I can relate to in that experience. This sense of relatability to the music gives me a feeling of comfort and allows me to form a connection with the music. In one of my high school classes a couple years back, one of my teachers was telling us about his experience at an Olivia Rodrigo concert with his daughter. He said, “what in the world happened to all of those girls to make them scream these lyrics from a place so deep within?” He simply could not comprehend why these young girls and women (and some guys) resonated so powerfully with the artist’s song lyrics. Every girl had their different reasons, but that concert was their time to let it all out. Together, a unifying connection was made between each of those fans, allowing them to feel seen and understood.
How you can Draw on the Power of Music
As discussed above, music can be utilized in many ways to aid us in this difficult and complex journey of life. We can use it to boost our mood or remind us of beloved past experiences while also using it to process the difficult emotions we feel deep inside. There are so many more emotions that we did not cover here, but the same principles can be applied to really any mood someone may be in. An important question to consider though is how can we truly utilize the empowering effects of music? Listed below are just a few ways that you can do starting today to ensure you are receiving the valuable benefits provided by music:
Create playlists for all sorts of occasions and moods (chill, happy, late night drives, in your feels, etc.)
Listen to music with others: Doing so can foster a sense of connection between listeners.
Journal while listening to music: The joint process of journaling while also listening to reflective music may help magnify emotional insight.
Let yourself have a good cry occasionally: If you’re feeling stressed, sad, worried or any other negative emotion, don’t bottle it all up. If all you need is a good cry, then let it out. Listen to music that you can relate to. Let your mind process what you are feeling and what has happened.
Take time to relax and simply listen to music while focussing on nothing else: Sometimes, all you need is a moment for yourself to sit and process your thoughts and feelings.
Want to learn more about understanding your emotions? Check out the mindfulness module on My Best Self 101!
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
References
Sedikides, C., Leunissen, J., & Wildschut, T. (2022). The psychological benefits of music-evoked nostalgia. Psychology of Music, 50(6), 2044-2062. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356211064641
Thoma, M. V., Ryf, S., Mohiyeddini, C., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2011). Emotion regulation through listening to music in everyday situations. Cognition and Emotion, 26(3), 550–560. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595390
Van den Tol, A. J. M., & Edwards, J. (2013). Exploring a rationale for choosing to listen to sad music when feeling sad. Psychology of Music, 41(4), 440-465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735611430433