What distinguishes a Future listener from a Taylor Swift fan? One screams to “Throw Away” while the other cries to “Cardigan.” Music is more than a simple melody— it’s a mirror. The most trendy songs on social media might influence what we listen to, but they are still not random.
Music exposes something beyond mere preferences: It reveals the thoughts we don’t dare say, the emotions we can’t express, and the words we can’t speak. Taylor Swift fans might find her melancholic and intense lyrics comforting and relatable. In contrast, a Future fan might be captivated by his lyrics that exude confidence and detachment.
Psychology can often explain one’s music taste. For example, the “Big Five” personality traits, often referred to as OCEAN, are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Lana Del Rey fans are considered more likely to rank high in openness; they are receptive to new ideas, experiences, and feelings with a curious and adventurous outlook on life. The lyrical themes of nostalgia, tragedy, and romance appeal to many young women who deal with complex or unfulfilling ventures of life, especially romantic experiences. These realistic and raw lyrics help convey rich feelings that may not be easy to express with simple words. The euphonious melodies with beautiful poetry allow us to craft a self-image around emotional depth, nostalgia, and melancholy.
Music’s impact goes beyond personality, as it also helps form communities. Favorite genres, artists, albums, and songs all enable people to make connections with others. Forming bonds over shared music taste creates friendships both online and in real life. These connections range from Mitski fans bonding over how much they relate to the tragic poetry of “First Love/Late Spring” or the creative lyricism of Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids.” Regardless of what kind of music is in question, having a common ground allows people to understand one another better. Finding people who also align with a certain genre or artist allows people to find others who think the same, act the same, and even experience the same. Music doesn’t just reflect who we are; it also brings us together.
Similarly, music and nostalgia are undeniably connected, and together they shape our identity. Starting from a considerably early point in our lives, we begin encountering nostalgia, a bittersweet yearning for what once was, as familiar sounds, smells, and sights take us back to fleeting moments. Hearing the beat you grew up listening to for the first time after years sparks a trip down memory lane of childhood echoes. The ability to sing along to a song from years ago illustrates the imprint of melodies. Even songs in other languages can incite feelings of nostalgia and belonging. In this way, music goes beyond pure entertainment. Music transforms into a record of who we were, who we were and are, and who we aspire to be.
So, whether you blast Arctic Monkeys at midnight or listen to Mozart while studying, your music taste reveals something fundamental about who you are. It reflects your emotions, goals, values, and memories, as well as the people you surround yourself with. Music isn’t just for hollow amusement but rather identity in motion. A motion we can not always control, however, is still an authentic mirroring of unfeigned emotions, not to mention necessary exploration through life.
Maybe that’s why the songs we cherish feel so personal and intimate to us—because, in a way, they are us.
