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Why is music taste attractive?

Music evokes emotion and expresses values. Lyrics send social messages. Thus, listening to particular musical styles may say something about the listener's values. On top of that, when we find out that someone shares our musical interests, that increases how much we like them.

olimpusmusic.com - How we are attracted to people based on music taste - Olimpus Music

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Imagine meeting someone that ticks all your boxes and then finding out they like ‘Despacito’. It may be harder to digest than that last packet of biscuits you ate. Now for the age-old question: do opposites attract? How about when it comes to music? Olimpus, Malta’s go-to music shop, has taken a look at the debated link between music taste and attraction.

Identity

Before getting to attraction, what does our music taste say about our own personality? According to researchers, more than we think. While there’s much more to us than our music preference, our taste certainly reflects aspects of our personality. With international stereotypes including heavy metal lovers being aggressive and rebellious, while intellectuals being drawn to classical and jazz. Many people, especially during their teenage years when they are finding their identity, define themselves based on what music they listen to.

Values

Discovering the music that tickles a person’s eardrums seems to reveal a lot, not only about their personality. A study in the Psychology of Music found that music is also a good reflection of our values, which is why we are drawn more to people who have the same taste. Rock is often correlated with rebelliousness and individuality, while pop is connected to values related to conforming. Music evokes emotion and expresses values. Lyrics send social messages. Thus, listening to particular musical styles may say something about the listener’s values. On top of that, when we find out that someone shares our musical interests, that increases how much we like them. This research suggests that often, we are curious about people’s musical preference because their taste serves as an easy indicator of whether we are likely to be similar which in turn, will influence how much we like them.

Attraction

Research also shows that your taste in music can actually have an influence on how attractive others perceive you. According to a study published by ‘Communication Research’, what affects attraction in one gender may not necessarily apply for the other. Curiously, while women did not seem affected by whether a man shared their taste in music or not, men were strongly attracted to women who liked the same music they did. However, there is consensus according to this study, in that being a country music fan reduces the sex appeal of both genders. Whether or not finding people more attractive based on their taste in music applies to you, one thing is sure. You will spend more quality time and have more opportunities to bond if you frequent the same bars and music festivals together. Music evokes emotion, and with Valentine’s day around the corner, there is no better time to test whether you and your partner are compatible, at least musically. So whether you are all loved up with a fellow human or your main passion is music, head to Olimpus – leading music shop in Malta, where you can find whatever your heart desires this Valentine’s, be it musical instruments, equipment or simply inspiration. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates!

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What kind of person listens to heavy metal?

Fans of contemporary heavy metal tend to share a dislike of authority and a bit of a self-esteem problem, one study finds. You can tell a lot about someone from their taste in music. Especially if they have a penchant for contemporary heavy metal.

popsci.com - The Psychology Of Loving Heavy Metal | Popular Science

You can tell a lot about someone from their taste in music. Especially if they have a penchant for contemporary heavy metal. Researchers at the University of Westminster in the U.K. recently turned their scientific attention toward heavy metal music, examining what makes a connoisseur of metal, psychologically speaking. They found that many heavy metal aficionados shared a particular pattern of personality traits. In a study published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, a total of 414 participants, almost half of whom were college students, listened to 10 songs from bands like Overkill, Enslaved, Disturbed and Cradle of Filth and rated how much they liked them. They also answered surveys measuring how they matched up with the Big Five personality traits, their need for uniqueness, their self-esteem, attitudes toward authority and religiosity. Somewhat predictably, heavy metal fans were more likely to be male, to dislike authority, and to feel a need to be unique. Enjoying heavy metal was also correlated with openness, possibly because people with more open personalities would be drawn to music that is “intense, engaging, and challenging,” as metal can be, the researchers write. Interestingly, the metal fans in the study tended to have relatively low self-esteem. “The catharsis afforded by heavy metal may, in turn, help boost self-worth and promote positive self-evaluations among those with otherwise low self-esteem,” the study postulates. Sure, these results could be only applicable to these few hundred British people. But more broadly, they “may help scholars to more fully understand why some individuals are attracted to nonmainstream music,” the researchers conclude. “Rather than stereotyping fans as deviant, antisocial, or violent, it may be more fruitful to understand the psychological needs that contemporary heavy metal fill for some individuals.”

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