Should We Listen to Sad Music When We’re Not Sad?
Chris K is back for another timely think-piece on whether we should listen to sad or emotive music when we feel happy.
For every sad moment in our lives, we always have that playlist full of downtempo or sad songs. As listeners, we tend to relate to the moody, introspective or even angry message that an artist conveys in their music. Regardless of mood, it’s completely okay to listen to those “in my bag” type of songs when you’re high off life.
For example, a person can be happy and still play songs like SZA’s ‘Drew Barrymore’ or ‘Prom’. These tracks are showcasing SZA’s insecurities, broken-hearted situations and raw emotion in song form. There is no concrete prerequisite to listening to songs made for a ‘sadboy hours’ playlist.
If a person posts a Bryson Tiller track on their socials, it does not always mean that they are in their feelings. It could just infer the particular song in question is aligned with their personal vibe and energy.
If you play Drake’s ‘Doing It Wrong’, it does not always correlate to a person having relationship drama. You get the idea. Sometimes high energy music from the likes of an Outkast, A$AP Ferg or 50 Cent isn’t what we, the audience always want. Switching up our listening habits to something more low-key can be a much-needed palette cleanser.
We shouldn't always have to reduce to these slow-paced songs to ‘heartbreak music’ or tracks to when we're going through something. Self-reflective hip-hop and R&B deserves more credit than that.
Quite often, downtempo or lowkey R&B tunes like Summer Walker’s ‘Girls Need Love’ can stimulate emotional clarity. Music that can be perceived to be sad or sentimental can be thrown on when a person is studying or even cleaning the house on a Saturday morning.
Playing artists like Brent Faiyaz, 6LACK or even Frank Ocean can be considered the cornerstones of sadboy R&B, but as said earlier, this is very reductive. Often the music coming from a Summer Walker or a Drake is incredibly relaxing. As a collective, we have to stop the stereotype that listening to a sad or slow tempo type song means we are unhappy.
A track like Ari Lennox’s ‘I Been’ can be engaging purely off the production and stellar vocals alone. The audience might not even focus in on the fact that the song is about Ari issues getting over relationship drama. Ari explains throughout the song that she smokes weed as a mental distraction to block out her ex-partner from her mind.
Towards the end of the track, you can hear her have a conversation about being honest with yourself and being content with your life. She speaks about getting away from those who are draining you physically and emotionally.
Ari summarises by saying it is fundamental to care about your well-being and how you are feeling. I Been is an important example because it shows an optimistic sentiment on a track that could be lumped in with heartbreak music.
Ari says; “Please don't be in a situation where that person's tearing you down mentally, emotionally and physically. We've heard it a million times. I think emotional abuse is way worse than physical, sometimes. Cause that just messed up your whole mind. You could develop whole disorders like that.”
R&B songstress Baby Rose could help you study. A Kiana Ledé’ album could help someone get through a tough hump day. Songs with dysphoric qualities can be dreary for some and relaxing for others.
Listeners may identify with a song because it could mirror their past life experiences. For some, listening to sad songs is their favourite pastime for cloudy weather. This is not too dissimilar to a rainy day and a television movie.
In summary, the correlation between our emotions and sad music needs to be broken down. Your mood and song choice is entirely personal and interchangeable at any given moment. Who cares if you blast Bryson Tiller's 'Don't' at a party?
For more of Chris K’s work, check out the podcast ForTheHomies hosted by Chris K, Dre and Rocky on Spotify here. Also, follow his Instagram account.