“Why’d You Have to Have Such A Damn Good Taste In Music?”: How Music Curates Intimacy
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
The associations we make with music in our personal relationships are an undeniable factor in our society. From a curated playlist to a cryptic song lyric on your story (come on, we’ve all been there) sharing and relating to music is a way that many people express affection. Although custom mixtapes and a boombox on your shoulder are a bit outdated, music continues to play an important role in enhancing relationships and showing love, whether it be through sharing music that you enjoy, listening to meaningful songs together, or even composing music about your significant other. The intensity of relationships increases when music is shared in this manner due to the physiological effects and strong connections many have with their favorite songs.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
Let’s talk about intimacy. It’s been psychologically proven that music can increase arousal and make the components of sexual stimulation feel more intense. Listening to a song with someone together aligns your heart rates and blood pressure, making you feel more intertwined. Music can also curb the nervousness that often accompanies physical intimacy, leading to decreased stress levels and higher releases of dopamine. It can also lead to increased assertion, such as initiation of contact and higher levels of physical activity. Not only does music have the power to put you “in the mood”, but it can also turn your partner on to you more. A study by Music Crowns says that 59% of people said that they are more attracted to their partner when listening to music that they both enjoy.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
To many, music is so much more than just something we listen to for enjoyment. It’s a way for people to feel connected to art and can extract emotions that we don’t even know we have. When people share their favorite songs, it opens up new levels of vulnerability. To give someone insight into what kind of music you listen to gives them a window into what catalyzes and curates your feelings. Bonding over these types of songs can take your relationship to a deeper level, increasing the intimate nature of it.
Image Courtesy: Pinterest
Music has a funny way of creating attachments due to the deep intimate bonds that come from the role that it plays in relationships. Music makes us remember things better due to the brain engagement that occurs while listening. Multiple parts of our brain are stimulated when music is added to the equation, so listening to songs from specific times in our lives will spark memories of where we were and who we were with. When there are strong emotional connections associated with these memories, the feelings that arise can be very painful. The close relationships that were cultivated adjacent to these songs are re-lived in a sense when the music is revisited; the intimate imprints of the relationship are apparent.
Ultimately, music is a tool to help intimacy flourish. The music we share and the way it makes us feel have ways of bringing people together, allowing people to communicate and relate to each other, and reminding us of the love that we’ve shared.
Strike Out,
Writer: Sarah Bourloukas
Editor: Blake N. Fiadino
Tallahassee