Embracing Sad Music
Spotify recently announced that, among Gen Z, the most popular search term is ‘sad’. One of their most popular playlists is "Bummer Summer." I love sad music (shout out Jason Isbell), but what does liking sad music actually mean? And what might Spotify’s pronouncement mean for us as a whole?
First, let’s make sure we have the context right. This article which cites data from this Substack (and includes some Taylor Swift analysis) provides evidence that the most popular music is getting sadder. The most popular songs are more frequently in minor keys and at slower tempos. As someone approaching the age of 50, I appreciate that.
So, does that mean we are sadder? It turns out sad music doesn’t make us sad, and we might listen to sad music even when we’re not sad. Sad music makes us feel sad for the song’s protagonist while making us feel better about ourselves. We’re not sure why. One option is that we feel better about ourselves because it could be worse—we could be in the protagonist’s plight. But I don’t buy this relative superiority argument. There’s another option, one that I agree with more.
I think we like sad songs because we are empathetic and feel less alone when we share our troubles with others. It turns out that people who enjoy sad music are more empathetic. While more empathetic people might be prone to feeling sad after listening to sad music, I think we can think about this finding differently: correlation is not causation. Potentially, listening to sad music might increase empathy. Greater empathy might be needed to enjoy sad music, and our preferences for sad music might also signal a more empathetic world. The world needs more empathy, and young people listening to sad music might be a step in the right direction.
The research points to how sad music might build empathy. While happy music makes us more alert, sad music helps us focus. Sad music also makes us more introspective. When we listen to slower, sadder music, we might be getting a break from the mad chatter of the outside world and doing the hard work of thinking about our own personal betterment. While the world is increasingly clamoring for our attention through our devices and our constant connectedness, sad music might help us turn inward, have downtime, and become a better person as we empathize with the protagonists of each song.
This embrace of sad music might help us in other ways. People who like sad music are more imaginative. They also are more patient and think longer-term. Sad music doesn’t just build the capacity for empathy, it also cultivates some other important traits. Empathy, creativity, strategic thinking: these are essential for thriving in the current world. Perhaps listening to sad music is how we develop these abilities.
I wouldn’t wish anyone a bummer summer, but the popularity of sad music might not be a bad thing. Maybe, it means we’re learning to disconnect from the frenetic outside world and become more introspective, more empathetic, and more creative. While our media has transformed over the past couple of decades, music has remained a constant, even if we think more about playlists and less about cassettes. So, let’s embrace a playlist of sad songs and recognize it as a reason for optimism.
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This writing may not be used for generative artificial intelligence without express written consent of the author. Image created by the author using Midjourney.
