Katelyn Benschoter-

Music is often thought of as an escape and something meant to uplift us but when asked what type of music I listen to, I am quick to answer “sad music.” It really encompasses all that I listen to, from Taylor Swift to boygenius. I know that I am not alone in this love of sad and emotional music. Being a 19-year-old girl who has not lived through all that much, I have yet to go through deep hardship. But when you are 19, everything feels like a big deal. So, I inevitably find myself scream-singing every lyric to gut-wrenchingly sad songs like “Waiting Room” by Phoebe Bridgers or “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo. Why is it that we always run back to sad songs? Of course, people are attracted to songs that they can relate to, but I find myself even at my happiest listening to soul-crushingly sad music. This idea can be reflected in the top artists who are currently dominating the charts. From Noah Kahan to Billie Eilish, sad music is popular. Is the world just that sad? Just what has caused this sad music epidemic?

When I go about describing my relationship with music, I often use words like” comforting”, “an escape”, and “uplifting.” Music has helped me get through everything and anything that I have endured throughout my life. Yet, when I look at what I listen to, it is all deeply sad music. Even if it is a song with an upbeat melody, the lyrics are often very depressing. How have these songs made me feel comforted? Well, I think on a base level, humans love anything that feels relatable. Now, I am not saying that the entire world has suddenly entered a period of depression, but humans love to feel. At the end of the day, all humans feel emotion, whether it is the greatest joys of their life or their lowest lows. And while listeners may not relate exactly to what the song is singing about, the depth of emotion is something that everyone can relate to. Sometimes, it just feels good to sing out “Lay on the horn to prove that it haunts me” from Gracie Abrams “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” Do I relate to the exact words I am singing? Not necessarily. But I believe sitting in those emotions can be deeply powerful. Perhaps you felt those emotions at some point in your life, listening to these songs can be a way to heal and self reflect. There have been sad songs I have related to, but when listening months later, I had gained a whole new perspective on the ideas being reflected in the song and how those fit into my life. Listening to sad music seemingly would not be a comforting act. When we are sad, we want to be uplifted and not feel sad anymore. Sadness is an emotion we try to avoid. But, when we listen to these songs, we are given the place to reflect and understand that others have also felt low. This is where the comfort comes in. And as mentioned, even if you do not relate directly to these songs, scream-singing out your favorite sad lyric (perhaps from Chappel Roan’s unreleased song “The Subway”) can simply feel good. Scream-singing has been proven to release stress. My point here is, even if you are not deeply sad, listening to this music can be a great aid in releasing heavy emotions and thus be very comforting.

I think one of the best examples of the rise of sad music can be seen with folk-pop singer Noah Kahan. Kahan has been releasing music since 2017 but has recently blown up in 2022 with his song “Stick Season.” He has gone on to have other viral hits, collaborate with artists such as Post Malone, and even appear on SNL. It is an understatement to say that he has reached fame. In the fast-moving world of pop music, it is fascinating just how Kahan’s music blew up to the extent that it has. He creates lyrical-based songs with a folk style. Contrasting starkly with other popular artists such as Sabrina Carpenter or Chappell Roan. An excellent example of a popular song that is immensely soul-crushing can be seen in his song “Growing Sideways.” The song discusses the feeling of being stuck and, rather than moving forward, merely growing sideways. He also delves into the idea of therapy and lying to appear better. The song is raw and personal, and to put simply, poetic. The wide range of emotions he sings about attracts a wide audience. And as mentioned prior, you may not have to feel as low as the emotion that Kahan details but listening to the emotional stories that he details is addicting. It once again brings in this idea of relatability. Knowing that someone else out there has felt that sheer amount of emotion is comforting. Even when I am at my happiest, I still find songs like this comforting. Perhaps, one could even call them inspiring; if I felt this low at one time, look at what I overcame. We as humans are also by nature very empathetic and want to serve as good listeners. This being said, Noah Kahan is a great example of why we love sad music. 

Music is one of the best ways to express emotion and how one is feeling. In particular, humans love sad music. We are not necessarily a world of immensely sad people, but rather a world of deeply empathic and caring people. These sad songs help us find comfort and grow out of hardship. You do not have to relate exactly to what is being said to find comfort in the song. There is a reason I bawled my eyes out at the Gracie Abrams concert. Music moves people, and in recent history, there has been a resurgence of sad songs topping the charts. So, excuse me while I listen to my sad indie girl playlist, despite being quite happy.