Human beings are complex, and sometimes it’s hard for us to articulate how or what we’re feeling. Whether we need to crank up our party playlist to have a good time or play some sad songs when having a good cry, we often use music to express our emotions.
To fully understand the impact that songs have on people, the language learning site Preply took to Reddit to find the percentage of emotions discussed in certain songs, with the study revealing how those artists’ songs truly make us feel.
Music That Evokes Anger
Not surprisingly, 8 out of the top 10 spots for evoking anger go to artists of the rap and hip-hop genres. Unlike traditional uplifting pop songs, rap and hip-hop tracks include more drums and bass in their beats, making the songs sound angry. Their lyrics often talk about darker themes as well. For example, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pop song about drug use, while many rappers often talk about their experiences with substances in their music.
The artists that evoke the least happiness are Cardi B, with the number one spot, followed by Megan Thee Stallion in second. These leading ladies shot to fame in what has been a male-dominated field of rappers and hip-hop artists, as many of these artists rapped about women, objectifying them.
However, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B have been breaking those stereotypes by rapping about the same things that those male artists do, although from a different point of view. Their songs, while empowering women, still feature the rough beats of rap and hip-hop, often evoking anger in their fans.
Ladies like Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande are the top artists who bring out the least anger in people. These musicians also create songs that empower women, such as Ariana Grande’s song “NASA”, which talks about taking some time and space away from men. Still, while their lyrics correlate with those of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, their music doesn’t feature those same hard beats, making their fans less angry.
Music That Makes People Sad
Out of the list of top 10 artists most likely to make fans feel sad, rock musicians take up half of those spots. The number one spot goes to Panic! At the Disco, which could be surprising for some, as many of their songs are featured on party playlists. However, if you take a good look at their lyrics, you’ll notice that the themes they discuss are often sad, such as talking about a chapter in life coming to an end.
Sometimes, artists’ real lives frame their music, which adds to the sadness of their songs for their fans. For example, Linkin Park’s lead singer, Chester Bennington, penned pain into the songs he wrote that stemmed from the mental health challenges he struggled with. That pain can resonate with people who struggle with those same problems. Like most people, these artists often turn to music to help express their emotions.
On the other end of the spectrum, artists like Dua Lipa, Pink, and Camila Cabello cause their fans to react with the least sadness. If you don’t know who these artists are, you’ll surely recognize their songs from the radio and other places. These ladies keep their music and lyrics fun and uplifting, causing more joy in their fans than sadness.
Music Causing Happiness
Out of artists most likely to make fans feel happy, pop stars take up 7 out of the top 10 spots. Ed Sheeran enjoys the happiest fanbase, caused by hits like “Perfect” and “Shape of You.” These classic love songs left his fans smiling and full of joy.
Demi Lovato’s fanbase is the most loving, which can be explained by the fact that Demi has come out and avidly supported the LGBTQ community. When your favorite artist makes you happy and also shows love to all people, you can’t help but do the same.
Hip-hop and rap artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B rank near the bottom of this list, as their songs tend to draw out more anger than happiness in their fans, as mentioned previously.
Language analysis study ranks the angriest U.S. politicians on Twitter(Opens in a new browser tab)
Final Thoughts
As humans, our emotions are often complex and hard to articulate. That’s where music can come in! Whether the music is angry or happy, it can still draw out various emotions from within and allow you to better process and deal with however you’re feeling.
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