When your day is going well, you might want to listen to some upbeat pop music to keep your good vibes going. If you’ve had a long day at work or are apprehensive before an exam, you may de-stress and relax by listening to tranquil, pleasant music. Many people listen to fast, cheerful music to get energised and inspired to work out when they go to the gym.
Music’s effect on the mind, brain, and behaviour is still a puzzle that music psychologists and neuroscientists are attempting to solve. Its enormous range of effects is as varied and intricate as the genres and styles it covers. It’s no surprise that taste in music is extremely subjective, whether you’re a performer, composer, or listener. It has a lot to do with the fact that it’s so closely linked to memory and emotion.
We frequently control our mood by listening to our favourite music. Some people listen to music to improve their mood, while others do so to relieve depression, sadness, or emotional distress. When listening to sad music, individuals experienced not only sad emotion but also heightened passionate emotion. Listeners were thought to be in an ambivalent emotional state when they listened to sad music.
When people wish to boost their mood, they listen to upbeat music since the elements contained in it entertain us and enhance our emotional condition. Still, Sad music draws us in and elevates us up. In fact, sorrowful music is said to be associated with some of the most beautiful and meaningful listening experiences. For decades, music psychologists have been perplexed by this subject, but the paradox of “pleasurable sadness” has yet to be addressed.
But Why do we find ourselves drawn to music that makes us sad?
Sadness isn’t a pleasant sensation (for most people), so why do we seek it out so frequently? And what odd, bitter pleasure do we get out of it?
From the biological point of view:
- Sad music can occasionally be enough to cause an endocrine reaction (prolactin release) that helps to alleviate the mental sorrow associated with loss. Dopamine is involved in music-induced enjoyment.
- The calming effect occurs after listening to sad music. The calming effects of prolactin and oxytocin are known to be connected with sobbing, feelings of social support, and bad moods. Both oxytocin and prolactin are known to limit the production of sensations of relaxation, well-being, and consolation.
This theory is still up for debate. According to another study, sad music does not enhance prolactin levels. Other research has suggested that prolactin and oxytocin may have a role in making sad music feel nice.
Also Read: The Strange Case of Onecoin, the World’s Biggest Crypto Scam
Being Moved:
The findings suggest that “being moved” influences the pleasure gained from sad music, just as it does from sad movies. When events that enhance interpersonal connection or moral acts are sufficiently intense, they result in a good sensation described as “being moved,” which includes tears, goosebumps, and a warm feeling in the chest.
People with high degrees of socially responsive abilities, such as empathy, are more likely to be moved. Empathy is a broad term that refers to the process of understanding and feeling what another person is going through. Stronger empathy appears to be linked to more intense sadness generated by music, as well as greater appreciation of sad music.
Prosocial behaviour is shown to play a significant effect on the sentiments of being moved. Sadness and grief are likely to generate social support and assistance from others. It’s also possible that listening to sorrowful music elicits a pro-social emotion like empathy or being moved.
Beauty of Sad Music:
Simply because of its aesthetic, sad music is regarded as enjoyable. When listening to sad music, the listener might “disengage from the distressing circumstances and focus on the beauty of the music”. Sad music causes more self-reflection and meta-awareness than cheerful music.
Nostalgia and Memory Trigger:
Sad music aids in the recall of memories and the careful savouring of feelings. It also has different emotional regulation effects such as seeking connection, recalling memories, confirming or re-experiencing feelings, and providing consolation. People listen to sad music for a variety of reasons; the most common triggers are autobiographical recollections and significant life events (breakups, deaths, etc.) when people have specific needs to regulate their moods.
Fictional Agents:
We can imitate the experience of numerous types of events, emotions, and behaviours by immersing ourselves in fictitious settings and placing ourselves under fictional agents. Simulating fictitious situations can help us understand those who are different from us and increase our capacity for empathy and social inference. The song’s lyrics and music contribute to the creation of a fictional event in people’s minds. As a result of empathy, people are more likely to listen to sad music.
Also Read: Why NFTs are so valuable?
Perception of a reward:
We experiment with pain from time to time in order to increase the contrast with future experience and hence generate future pleasure. We create situations in which the thrill linked with the period immediately following the release of pain is strong enough to offset the unpleasant aspects of the original suffering. Mount Everest is scaled by mountaineers despite great challenges because of the joy they experience when they reach the summit. So the bite of a hot bath is worth it because of the delightful peace that comes when the temperature is exactly perfect. The mouth burn of a spicy curry is worth it because of the respite you get when you drink some cold beer.
In this context, how do such mood-restoration strategies actually work?
The listener’s attention is drawn to the lyrics, which give voice to emotions or perceptions that one may not be able to express. Furthermore, songs that resonate with the listener’s individual perspective add to the song’s special meaning and comforting effect. Music seems to provide a kind of social connection, a social surrogacy, in which listeners enjoy the mere existence of a virtual person depicted by the music. The mere presence of some other individual who is in the same mood as you can help you cope with negativity.
Song lyrics may provide a means of transporting oneself into another space or narrative. They may allow the listener to form a connection with the musician. Transportation and identification are intended to allow audiences to enjoy themselves and forget about themselves.
