music

A Psychologist’s Case for Expanding Musical Horizons

A Psychologist’s Case for Expanding Musical Horizons

There is nothing wrong with enjoying popular music. Artists like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, or Bruno Mars make great music that is culturally relevant and fun. The issue arises when we fail to move towards a deeper understanding of why we like certain music. Rather than engaging with new music, we tend to put our favorite (or more likely the most current) pop tunes on repeat. When asked why we like these songs, an easy answer is to say, “They just sound good”, or “I pretty much like everything”. Fortunately, psychological research can help teach us why we find popular music more instantly pleasing than more musically complex genres, and guide us past our current listening habits in order to take control of our own musical tastes.