New resarch shows that a pump-up playlist isn't necessarily the solution for a bad day.
Don’t turn to upbeat songs next time you’re feeling down—instead, tune into ballads that match your melancholy mood.
The biggest reward turned out to be that sad songs
allow you to feel sadness without any of its “real-life implications.”
In other words, you can safely explore what it’s like to be a little
blue without experiencing the intense grief of mourning a loved one, for
example.
“Emotion regulation” was another important reward. Many respondents said
that when they were in a bad mood, experiencing sadness through music
made them feel better afterwards and provided an emotional boost. That
may be because the songs help them to express and release their
emotions, Taruffi noted.
"Sad music promotes and creates a space for reflection and reappraisal
of personal experiences, thoughts and feelings," she added.
The reward of “imagination” allowed listeners to feel as though they could express themselves as richly as the mournful music.
The “empathy” reward made the listener feel good by allowing him to share the sadness of another human being through the song.
The researchers then found that the most important reward of sad
music was the ability to experience sadness without any “real-life”
implications—when the song is over, you haven’t had any actual loss or
distress. Participants also experienced strong feelings of empathy after
listening to sad music, and could sympathize and relate with the
singer.
