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Soundz01:
The benefits of melancholic art for coping are scientifically proven.

Reba McEntire, a country music singer, claimed in a 2018 tweet that singing sorrowful songs "has a way of healing a situation" for her. It brings the pain into the open, into the sunshine, and out of the shadows."
McEntire's statements touch on a paradox that has been dubbed "one of the most intriguing topics in the history of music scholarship" by psychologists. Why do people like sad music, for example? Many of the world's most popular songs, from Beethoven to the Beatles, are sad. People have a specific fondness for sad movies, mournful books, and other types of melancholy artistic expression, and this tendency is not limited to music.

But why is that? According to studies on what some scholars refer to as "pleasurable sadness," people love sad art for a variety of reasons. "Feelings of being moved or touched have been highlighted in several recent research," says Jonna Vuoskoski, an associate professor in the Department of Musicology at the University of Oslo in Norway.

According to some of Vuoskoski's findings, those with high degrees of empathy are the most moved by sad music or films, and that this emotion is linked to greater enjoyment. "It appears that elements of empathy connected to sentiments of compassion and strong identification with fictitious characters in novels and films are the greatest predictors of sad music appreciation," she says.

Somber music and other kinds of art, she discovered, generate emotions that many people regard as delightful, in addition to their potential to move people. "Nostalgia, peace, and wonder were also clearly obvious" in response to sad art, and many individuals like these emotions, she and her study colleagues said.

You want to keep yourself update with latest music? Check out 13stream

Another view is that a person's sorrow can be alleviated by experiencing something sorrowful. The musical preferences of patients diagnosed with severe depressive illness were investigated in a 2019 study from the University of South Florida. It's commonly known that depressed people gravitate toward "sad stimuli," such as music, according to the authors. According to some experts, this is a type of maladaptive attraction that maintains or intensifies people's feelings of sadness. The USF team, on the other hand, was not convinced by this theory. "Rather than any desire to create or maintain sad sensations, the significant appeal of sad music to persons with [depression] may be connected to its calming benefits," they stated.

"A piece of art or a song that a person may relate to can bring solace without the added burden of social interaction with another person."

Others who examine the appeal of sad music claim that listening to it might help people cope with sadness and loss. "We have built-in psychological, hormonal, and physiological systems that help dealing with [these feelings]," says Tuomas Eerola, a music cognition professor at Durham University in the United Kingdom, adding that music stimulates these systems.

While chatting to a well-intentioned friend or family member might bring consolation and a shoulder to weep on, Eerola believes that listening to a break-up music can provide a deeper level of relief. "In moments of loss and despair, the fact that the music or art is non-interactive is actually an advantage since there is no judgment, no questioning." A piece of art or a song that a person may relate to can bring solace without the baggage of social interaction."

Another possible explanation for the attractiveness of sad art was investigated in a 2011 study with the title "Let it Be," which was inspired by the Beatles song. The study looked on the process of accepting negative feelings rather than ignoring or suppressing them. The study's authors concluded, "Somewhat paradoxically, avoiding negative emotional experiences may be associated with negative outcomes whereas accepting negative emotional experiences may be related with favorable outcomes." Their findings back up the theory that watching sad movies or listening to sad music can be a type of therapeutic acceptance for some people.

If a tragic song, film, or other work of art holds a special place in a person's heart, it may bring a unique form of catharsis. "There have been several studies demonstrating how specific individually meaningful pieces of music have brought comfort and peace in situations involving unpleasant emotions," Eerola explains.

Sad songs, novels, and films, rather than extending grief, appear to provide relief and pleasure — and perhaps even a stronger sense of emotional connection to other people. Who couldn't use a little more of that?

Credit: 13Stream

I don't feel better. It makes me focused. Sad songs remind me of the pain of rejection from past lovers, betrayal from friends, the pain of disappointments, failures and past mistakes. I simply leverage on that feeling of pain to get things done.

The feeling that no one else understands your condition adds to your sadness. Listening to sad music gives you the sensation that the vocalists are aware of your distress, which is why sad songs are appealing, especially during times of distress.

What do oyibo do when they want to stop Covid-19? Oyibo injects a similar virus into people's bodies to teach them how to live with Covid-19. Somber music teaches the heart to cope with sadness.

Soundz01:
The benefits of melancholic art for coping are scientifically proven.

Reba McEntire, a country music singer, claimed in a 2018 tweet that singing sorrowful songs "has a way of healing a situation" for her. It brings the pain into the open, into the sunshine, and out of the shadows."
McEntire's statements touch on a paradox that has been dubbed "one of the most intriguing topics in the history of music scholarship" by psychologists. Why do people like sad music, for example? Many of the world's most popular songs, from Beethoven to the Beatles, are sad. People have a specific fondness for sad movies, mournful books, and other types of melancholy artistic expression, and this tendency is not limited to music.

But why is that? According to studies on what some scholars refer to as "pleasurable sadness," people love sad art for a variety of reasons. "Feelings of being moved or touched have been highlighted in several recent research," says Jonna Vuoskoski, an associate professor in the Department of Musicology at the University of Oslo in Norway.

According to some of Vuoskoski's findings, those with high degrees of empathy are the most moved by sad music or films, and that this emotion is linked to greater enjoyment. "It appears that elements of empathy connected to sentiments of compassion and strong identification with fictitious characters in novels and films are the greatest predictors of sad music appreciation," she says.

Somber music and other kinds of art, she discovered, generate emotions that many people regard as delightful, in addition to their potential to move people. "Nostalgia, peace, and wonder were also clearly obvious" in response to sad art, and many individuals like these emotions, she and her study colleagues said.

You want to keep yourself update with latest music? Check out 13stream

Another view is that a person's sorrow can be alleviated by experiencing something sorrowful. The musical preferences of patients diagnosed with severe depressive illness were investigated in a 2019 study from the University of South Florida. It's commonly known that depressed people gravitate toward "sad stimuli," such as music, according to the authors. According to some experts, this is a type of maladaptive attraction that maintains or intensifies people's feelings of sadness. The USF team, on the other hand, was not convinced by this theory. "Rather than any desire to create or maintain sad sensations, the significant appeal of sad music to persons with [depression] may be connected to its calming benefits," they stated.

"A piece of art or a song that a person may relate to can bring solace without the added burden of social interaction with another person."

Others who examine the appeal of sad music claim that listening to it might help people cope with sadness and loss. "We have built-in psychological, hormonal, and physiological systems that help dealing with [these feelings]," says Tuomas Eerola, a music cognition professor at Durham University in the United Kingdom, adding that music stimulates these systems.

While chatting to a well-intentioned friend or family member might bring consolation and a shoulder to weep on, Eerola believes that listening to a break-up music can provide a deeper level of relief. "In moments of loss and despair, the fact that the music or art is non-interactive is actually an advantage since there is no judgment, no questioning." A piece of art or a song that a person may relate to can bring solace without the baggage of social interaction."

Another possible explanation for the attractiveness of sad art was investigated in a 2011 study with the title "Let it Be," which was inspired by the Beatles song. The study looked on the process of accepting negative feelings rather than ignoring or suppressing them. The study's authors concluded, "Somewhat paradoxically, avoiding negative emotional experiences may be associated with negative outcomes whereas accepting negative emotional experiences may be related with favorable outcomes." Their findings back up the theory that watching sad movies or listening to sad music can be a type of therapeutic acceptance for some people.

If a tragic song, film, or other work of art holds a special place in a person's heart, it may bring a unique form of catharsis. "There have been several studies demonstrating how specific individually meaningful pieces of music have brought comfort and peace in situations involving unpleasant emotions," Eerola explains.

Sad songs, novels, and films, rather than extending grief, appear to provide relief and pleasure — and perhaps even a stronger sense of emotional connection to other people. Who couldn't use a little more of that?

Credit: 13Stream