Our musical tastes are unbelievably polarized. There are very few popular songs that take a middle ground when it comes to emotion. Why does our generation seem to enjoy incredibly depressing, intensely angry or extraordinarily happy music? There is likely no single answer to this, but there is one I feel is the most probable.
We like extremes. We frequently identify experiences as being the highest of highs or the lowest of lows. Very few things are just “OK.” We are dissatisfied with the average. While I’m not arguing that we enjoy the worst parts, we certainly seem drawn to them.
Our generation hungers for the taboo topics. We talk about depression and mental illness. We discuss eating disorders, suicide and miscarriage. We air our concerns about the political arena, global warming and the shortcomings of the previous generation.
At the same time, we talk about our successes. We don’t try to hide the good things. Social media is an excellent example of each of these poles. We are quick to post about an acceptance letter or a cool addition to our resume, but equally as eager to share a post about something depressing. This makes sense. Where’s the entertainment value in just another average day?
Based on this stigma around our social media posts, it is no wonder the idea of what is worth talking about touches our emotions. If you talk about something enough, it starts to take hold in your mind. If we only ever talk about the extremely positive or extremely negative, we will quickly start to think in the extremes. Then, we will seek entertainment that appeals to that way of thinking. Enter: the happiest, saddest and angriest of songs.
Let’s see some examples. Happy: “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. Now, I never said the happiest of songs had to be G-rated. However, the narrator of this song has had a rough past, along with the girl he’s addressing. But now, he’s so happy to be with her again, and this is all that seems to matter in the world to him. Blind ecstasy.
Sad: “Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots. The music video is quite literally based around the singer walking around a jail as a prisoner, looking at the other prisoners. He discusses the misunderstandings of those confined to a prison, be it a physical building or the confines of their mental illness. It really can’t get more depressing than trying to explain that you can’t be understood to those who think they do.
Angry: “In the End” by Linkin Park. This is the utter anthem of being pissed off. Basically, the singer is mad because he feels his efforts don’t make a difference. It’s easy to say, but very frustrating when you actually consider what this means. As millennials, we like to think that what we do is important. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling that the exact opposite is true.
When considering the popularity of these songs, the topics should not come as a surprise. Sex, feeling like work may not pay off and being misunderstood. These border on cliche, if we’re being honest. However, our devotion to and passion to the things we love is what sets us apart as a generation. Complacency is not something we have experience with. As a result, the music we like reflects that. Be happy, be sad or be angry, but be something. Feel something. We’re more human for it.
Taylor Cavaliere is a UF psychology and journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Mondays.
