One of the things I’ve found most interesting throughout my life is the absolutely incredible effect that music can have on one’s emotions. Everyone knows this. Sad songs make you sad, vice versa for happy songs. It’s one of the reasons music is so prevalent in culture. Indeed, it’s why music is so crucial for other media such as television and film. If the right song is chosen or composed for the right scene, the music alone could evoke the emotional response the producers are seeking. (Look to oppositional videos such as “Harry Potter as a Teen Comedy” for evidence of this if you don’t believe me.)
This is one of the reasons musical artists very rarely release albums filled with one emotional type of song. To release a song full of only sad or happy songs would eliminate a large portion of the target market who may like the style of music, but not seek out songs of that emotional charge. I think back to Secondhand Serenade. Sure, maybe not all of his songs were explicitly sad, but they all had a certain sad/somber emotional charge to them. As such, his songs were great for those who sought music for angst purposes, but were avoided by people who wanted exciting, upbeat music.
Many great artists manage to write songs that have a sort of duality when it comes to emotional charge. The song, for those feeling or wanting to feel a certain way, will have one emotional charge. For the others, the opposite. I think of Sia’s song Chandelier. It has the amazing ability of functioning on both a party playlist and a wallow playlist. Indeed, quite a few songs on her album 1000 Forms of Fear have this ability, though obviously not all. This sort of aural and interpretive versatility is one attribute that makes many songs so phenomenal.
The power of this emotional charge of music should not be forgotten. Some people utilize it to further enhance their emotional state, others to work against it. These are both valid approaches. Seeking sad music to wallow is beneficial for emotional release, but it’s important to not spend too much time reinforcing negative emotions. A short wallow/mourning period is beneficial, but an extended one can damage your overall emotional health. I think everyone should start their day with songs that improve their mood. (Lately I’ve been listening to Uptown Funk in the mornings.) It’s amazing how much this affects your mood throughout the day! It’s kind of like breakfast for you mind/mood. (That being said, breakfast is a great time to do this listening!) I’d encourage everyone to give it a try. You can let me know in the comments how it worked for you, if you noticed a difference or not.
Until next time (and I really do promise I’m going to try to keep up with this),
I’m Michael, and this is my life.
