Why does some music affect you so much?

[FlutteringFlipFlop]

Listening to classic fm pet thing tonight and they just played a track from Bridgerton, love is a choice, OMG it has just stopped my soul.... It's affected me so deeply on such a level, unbelievable, why and how does music do it this?

I wonder this too. And the reason why sometimes it's really crap, disposable pop that moves me rather than "great" pieces. And it's so individual for each person.

Isn’t there a name for people who are moved by music? I’m sure my DH told me about because it’s a running joke that I cry at everything!
I do, however, cry every time I hear Wings by Little Mix. No idea why! Think it’s the lyrics and the particular melody/harmonies at a certain point in the chorus.
Also the last song in Six the musical which I used to hate.

I was going to say it’s when an artist / composer captures part of the human experience and you instantly relate to it. But then I saw that some PPs feel moved by seemingly crap pop songs too?

Sometimes I think a song can take you back to a time or place as well. Which in otero can be emotional!

It's such an interesting question and I think it can happen with a number of things, e.g. lyrics that hit the spot for you, or a piece that reminds you of a particular moment, like Proust's madeleine.

I listened to that Bridgerton piece and I think there are a few things that create an emotional 'tug'. The left hand line moves slowly down the scale, which I think feels sympathetic, especially the little aural clashes it sets up, which are then semi-resolved. I don't think the first simple major chord happens for about thirty seconds, so your ear is in suspense until then, waiting for it. It's quite gently repetitive, and familiarity is nice, and I wondered if the pulse is similar to a slow heart rate. The strings are gradually scored higher for the repeat, which adds interest and "drama" (hard finding the right words) and I think the little cello tune towards the end is effective.

Wasn't Expecting That makes me cry, so does Love The Way You Lie. Neither are the kind of music I listen to on a regular basis, (the first one used to play at work all the time and I hated it because I'd start crying.)

Without Fear, Lost Lullaby and Purify are songs by Lacuna Coil that make me cry, Missing, Breathe No More and The Last Song I'm Wasting On You by Evanescence, Somewhere and Memories by Within Temptation, Higher Than Hope and The Islander by Nightwish. I think the link I have with these songs are death, abusive relationships and ending relationships/lost love, things that I can relate to.

Just thinking back to that track from Bridgerton makes it me spooked. Completely soul stirring.
I hate it, hate how it is makes me feel but I love it as it's such a masterpiece

I was thinking about this the other day...there are quite a few of Adele's songs that really affect me. I'm not a massive Adele fan, the songs don't have any particular meaning for me, but I end up in tears pretty much every time. I was wondering if there's a musical 'formula' or something that means certain songs have this effect.

I cannot listen to music because it makes me depressed. I don’t own any music and have to switch the radio off whenever I travel in DH’s car. I hate it.

God that song in the Danish Girl lili's death always makes me weep

My son is a composer and there are definitely techniques you use to convey certain emotions.

There was a a programme on not so long ago a on radio 4, a series of them, which broke down pieces of music and why they did what they did (and also spoke to people in the orchestra about why they did what they did). Was fascinating for understanding kinds of things including why music makes you feel the very the way you do. I cry at music too, proper sobbing at things

I agree! It’s not just sad songs for me. I love Hamilton and “The Battle of Yorktown” has me in tears of, I don’t know even really what the emotion is, like, joy/sorrow/hope? Surely Germans have a word for this?
Other songs affect me because of specific memories - I can’t listen to “Get here” (you can reach me by sail boat) because it was around when my husband was away in the Gulf and it’s just unbearably poignant now.
Similar with a Michael Bolton song called “Back on your feet again” (I think) as I heard it when my grandma was in hospital with a stroke and it’s just so much of that time. I have plenty like that, but some where the music just stirs the depths of my soul.

I can't think of a specific example right now, but some music gives me the shivers and makes me feel so overwhelmed. At times it makes me feel so alive and feeling the world is just wondrous. At other times it is so unwelcome as it makes me weep when I really don't need to do. Like in work 🙄.

It's very rare that music has this affect on me but it occasionally does, never pop music though only classical.

Poetry does far more frequently though & it's a recent enough phenomenon for me but a beautifully written poem will have me in floods of tears in nanoseconds!!