We try to remain away from sadness in our daily lives so why is it that sadness is profoundly enjoyed and celebrated in arts and songs. Our enjoyment of sad music is self-contradictory. This has puzzled the researchers as well that has led them to delve into the way we enjoy music.
New studies have discovered that some of us like listening to sad music more than other genres and that it is mainly related to empathy. Studies also show that depressed people preferred listening to sad music over romantic or happy music. This suggests that sad music works as a therapy for those suffering from emotional problems.
Sad songs playlist
If you are keen on listening to sad songs and elevating your mood, visit PopCultureMadness, the one-stop location for popular music, culture, trivia, jokes, and a bunch of other stuff. Their playlist of more than 100 sad songs can be like happy songs that are like an upcoming desire or hope of climbing out of that sadness. They also offer a playlist of both Oscars and Grammy-awarded songs. Log onto their website to listen to the sad songs chartbusters and get the feel of complete relaxation.
What do people experience while listening to sad music?
The experience of listening to sad music falls into different categories. For some, listening to sad music intensifies and amplifies feelings of loss and sorrow. These are emotions that are related to personal memories and events that are far from pleasure and hence, truly portray sad feelings.
For others, sad music is like experiencing melancholic feelings, the kind of emotions one might have on a rainy day when your favorite team has lost.
How does sad music affect our mood?
Sad music has been found to offer a range of emotions like feeling relaxed or being moved. The key to the enjoyment of listening to sad music is empathy which means the feeling of compassion, tenderness, and sympathy for oneself. This means that people listening to sad music have been reported of having strong emotions like being moved.
Studies showed that participants who felt moved reported feelings of intense, pleasure, and sad emotions at the same time. They also scored high on empathy. Those who were less emphatic hardly reported being moved by sad music.
All these emotions and feelings are purely psychological and biochemical. We experience a sense of relief and calmness after crying our hearts out. This is due to the oxytocin and prolactin hormones that induce feelings of warmth, comfort, and soft pleasure in us. The hormones are more potent when you feel sad after listening to melancholy music.
Researchers say that there is nothing to feel bad about turning on your favorite sad jam as they can be the genre that can fuel our dreams to become a reality. Sad music can be compared to a powerful drug that is used for rehabilitating individuals with emotional disorders like low self-esteem and depression. Allowing yourself to be immersed and transported in a musical journey of melancholy music can be the best way to keep your mind in shape.
