The morning is dark and rainy, with barely any sun streaming through the window. A student wakes up the morning after a rough breakup and automatically plays “Happier” by Olivia Rodrigo. They already woke up in a sad mood and the weather is only making it worse. Although thoughts of the heartbreak is taking over their mind, they feel some sort of peace knowing that they aren’t alone in feeling like this, the lyrics represent exactly how they feel. Relating to songs can really influence a person’s mood, for better or worse.
Music plays a big role in the lives of many people’s mental state. People listen to music to cope with emotions, to escape reality, to feel more confident or to simply enjoy it.
“If I’m just feeling down already and I want to like, help process that emotion or like someone giving words to what I’m feeling, then I’ll listen to some sad songs,” Strings teacher Meredith Reber said.
For some individuals, negative emotions draw them towards sad and relaxing music. Music reflects one’s mental state. Instead of ignoring their emotions, music helps people cope with what people are feeling inside.
“When I’m annoyed, I do tend to gravitate towards sad music,” Sophie Zahner (12) said.
Often, when someone is feeling a certain emotion, they are drawn to music that represents their emotional state. Hearing a song that conveys their mood can help them cope or name the feelings they’re experiencing. In that case, if they are in a happier mood, they tend to gravitate towards more upbeat music.
“I feel like it gets me ready for the day, like when I’m getting ready in the morning, I just feel better about myself when I listen to upbeat music,” Morgan Pompilio (12) said.
While upbeat music helps to put the listener in a positive mindset, listening to sadder songs can validate someone’s feelings. Many people, especially teens, experience a range of emotions that they feel alone with. Having a song put one’s thoughts into words not only helps someone process them but also affirms their emotional experience.
“When I was younger, I used to use music as a distraction, to escape reality,” Reber said.
Music has a way of finding people at their lowest. Listening to music, just for a little bit, can help people forget about all their problems and get them out of their heads. It provides a way to calm the thoughts that take over their mind. Relating to certain lyrics of a song can help a person through situations and assure them that they are not alone and that people have been through the same scenario before.
“I use music to like tune out things around me if I don’t want to hear them,” Zahner (12) said.
For a lot of people, music is a barrier to their thoughts and reality. Headphones can create a personal space where stress, worry, doubt, sadness, anger, hurt and loneliness just disappear for a certain amount of time. Blocking out what is bothering someone can also give the brain a break from thinking 24/7. Although music can’t fix problems directly, it helps cope with emotions and helps understand certain feelings.
“I listen to a bunch of girl artists when I’m upset, but when I’m in a good mood, I listen to country, hip hop, R&B,” Pompilio (12) said.
While certain music can contribute to a negative or sad mood, overall music improves one’s mindset and clears perspective. Music serves numerous purposes, including helping to process emotions, being relatable, escaping reality, and purely for enjoyment.
