Finding New Music is a Niche art

People often gravitate toward familiar music rather than unfamiliar sounds. Looking for comfort and relaxation in songs they know well. However, this preference raises an interesting question: if we tend to enjoy music we’re already familiar with, why is everyone always on the hunt for new music? Rachel Ament, a writer for the New York Times, NPR, Oxygen, Teen Vogue and Paste Magazine, writes in The Paris Review, a highly prominent literary magazine, “the enjoyment of discovering new music is in its ability to stimulate the brain, creating an intellectually engaging experience.” This article suggests that, by exposing ourselves to new sounds, we can challenge our mental faculties and enjoy the stimulation that comes from processing new information. However, this argument rides on the premise that people enjoy actively engaging in their freetime. The opposite is, in fact, closer to the truth: the large majority of the public agrees that listening to music should be a leisurely and enjoyable pastime.

Therefore, listening to new music is an unpleasant experience for those just listening for enjoyment. Most people rather gravitate towards the comfortable familiarity of music they know well. At its core, music is often used as a tool for relaxation, mood enhancement, and emotional expression. Psychology Today states that music serves as a “valuable companion, offering comfort and a way to release emotions, while also contributing to stress relief.” and that “Music provides a positive mood, offers a valued companion, and allows us to express emotions.” It is meant to be an enjoyable, relaxing experience that allows people to unwind. Most listeners aren’t looking to engage in a mental exercise when they put on their headphones. Rather, most people are looking for background music, where the music complements their mood and provides a brief respite from daily stressors. The argument that music should always be an active and stimulating experience contradicts this more widely-held view of music as a simple, pleasurable pastime. For many, listening to new music can feel more like a chore than a treat, as it often demands more mental effort than familiar tracks do.

When people encounter unfamiliar music, we may struggle to process it at first. Our brains are more hardwired to respond positively to sounds it recognizes, which is why we tend to find comfort in the familiar. New music, on the other hand, can be jarring or disorienting, requiring more concentration to understand and appreciate. This can be particularly frustrating when the goal is to relax or unwind. Music that feels unfamiliar or difficult to engage with might inadvertently add stress to a situation rather than alleviate it. For instance, personally, I always turn to new music when I am trying to study out of the fear that I will get too caught up in the music I know and get off track. However, this is not the case. Familiar music creates a sense of relaxation and will blend into the background much better than new sounds that require a lot of thinking to decipher the new stimuli and thus can actually create a more stressful environment. So while listening to music actively may be a pragmatic hobby for the few with extra time on their hands, incorporating unfamiliar music in everyday life can lead to a sense of even more busyness and stress, rather than taking that away.

This distinction between active and passive listening is important when we consider the average person’s relationship with music. While some people may enjoy the intellectual stimulation of exploring new genres or artists, for most people, music is more about emotional resonance than cognitive engagement. The Paris Review makes the case that unfamiliar music stimulates the brain, however, this argument assumes that all listeners approach music with the same mindset of active engagement and looking for a mental challenge. For most, however, music is far more personal and emotional. It’s a reflection of a person’s identity and experiences. Familiar songs often carry a sense of nostalgia, bringing memories to the surface and creating a deeper emotional connection. They may evoke feelings tied to specific moments in a person’s life, helping to define their identity. Unfamiliar or new music, on the other hand, lacks a personal connection. It might sound interesting or even exciting, but it is unlikely to evoke the same emotion as a song tied to one’s memories and experiences. For example, listening to a favorite childhood song might bring back vivid memories of home, friends, or family, all of which contribute to the emotional power of the music. A new song, even if it’s technically brilliant, has not yet had time to connect to emotions. Without this emotional resonance, the experience of listening to unfamiliar music can feel detached or impersonal.

The emotional connection people have with familiar music is not just a matter of personal preference, it also serves as a coping mechanism for dealing with stress and difficult emotions. Music can act as a form of self-soothing, helping people navigate their feelings without requiring intense mental effort. When life feels overwhelming, putting on a familiar song can provide comfort, reminding listeners that they are not alone in their emotions. This emotional bond is difficult to replicate with new music, especially if it is by an unfamiliar artist, that they don’t resonate with yet. For most people, music’s power lies in its ability to connect them to their inner psyche, offering a sense of familiarity and reassurance, rather than providing a challenge or a mental workout.

It’s also important to recognize that the pursuit of new music is not inherently wrong or undesirable, but it is a niche activity that appeals to a specific type of listener. There are certainly people who enjoy the challenge of discovering new sounds, exploring new genres, or diving into the unknown. For these listeners, new music offers an exciting opportunity for mental stimulation and intellectual growth. However, this is not the average person. For the majority, music is not something that needs to be actively “discovered” or intellectually engaged with. Instead, it is a tool for relaxation, emotional expression, and connection.

In conclusion, while The Paris Review offers a compelling argument about the intellectual benefits of exploring new music, this view does not fully account for the broader role music plays in most people’s lives. Music is often more about emotional comfort, rather than mental stimulation, and familiar songs provide the sense of relaxation and connection that unfamiliar or new music cannot. For most people, music is a form of leisure and relaxation that should not require active effort or engagement. While the search for new music can be fulfilling for some, it remains a niche pursuit rather than a universal one. Most people have an everyday relationship with music and will find enjoyment in the comfortable familiarity, rather than the great unknown. 

References

5 Reasons Why We Listen to Music | Psychology Today

“5 Reasons Why We Listen to Music” Shahram Heshmat Ph.D. Psychology Today, 14 October 2021. 14 November 2024.

How to Really Listen to Music – The Paris Review

“How to Really Listen to Music” Rachel Ament. The Paris Review, 22 August 2019. 14 November 2024.