"If music be the food of love, play on" - Shakespeare
Ah, music. Food for the soul. Is there anything music can’t fix?
Everybody has specific genres of music they like, and some they don’t. I’m not here to judge what you like or don’t. Well actually, I kinda am. Let me explain.
What music you listen to says a lot about you. Different genres mean different things to different people, and music is an outlet to express what you happen to be feeling at the time. I’m here to tell you that your taste in music explains a lot about your personality. Maybe I’ll hit it spot on, or maybe I’ll completely miss, but here is what I think the type of music you listen to says about your personality.
1. Pop
Pop, AKA the music genre everyone listens to. And don’t hit me with that, “no way, I hate pop” crap. Let’s be real here. This is the music everyone jams to in the car with their friends, or the music you listen to when looking back at your nostalgic days. This was the music of our childhood.
Some people still love pop, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It isn’t my forte but there are some great people who still love the genre. And those people are the life of the party. You can’t tell me there isn’t someone you know that listens to pop music that isn’t a crazy, fun, energetic person. Just like the EDM style drops and repetitive rhythm in pop songs, they’re a bundle of back and forth energy that knows how to keep the party going.
These are the people that want everyone to have a good time all the time, and make sure that everyone is enjoying themselves. They love a good beat, and are usually the ones shouting all the lyrics to the songs.
You can find these people jamming out to songs without a care in the world, because they don’t care what people think. You kind of have to not care, especially when everyone you come across says “pop isn’t even music.” These are the fearless ones, the “love life and forget the rest” types, and they are proud to be this way.
2. Indie/Alternative
Oh, the mellow ones. Indie/alternative is a great genre for those people that just love to chill. The smooth vibrations, and slow beats are great for people who always like to keep a relaxed environment.
This is the music for the artist, the visionary. Indie music helps the creativity flow, and the people who like to keep a calm, relaxed environment appreciate the melodic sounds of indie music to help inspire them on their next project.
If you aren’t an artistic person and still love indie, then you use this music to let the day-to-day pressures of life slip away. This is the music you close your eyes to and lay in bed, dreaming of what it’d be like to be somewhere far away.
This music is for the dreamer. Whether you’re dreaming of living a different life where your current problems don’t exist, or reminiscing on your past when life was just so much easier, everyone can find a bit of inspiration in indie music. That’s why indie is one of the most versatile genres out there.
There’s no one true definition of an “indie person” but what you can say is, it’s not just some hipster drinking chai tea in their too-tight skinny jeans and oxford slippers. Indie music is about freedom, release, and harmony. It’s the music you feel in your soul. For those who love indie, they are the true definition of soulful. They are pure, beautiful individuals who appreciate the “alternative” of life.
3. Rap/Hip Hop
This person is chill as well, but different than the boho, hipster chill that indie listeners are like. Rap listeners love the witty rhymes, quick banter, and heavy beats that come with rap.
Rap, excluding the fun, inappropriate lyrics, is actually a unique genre of music. Certain types of rap try to invoke a more powerful message than just the fun of life. It empowers whoever listens to it to consider issues that range from politics, to race, to day to day issues everyone faces.
Rap enthusiasts are vocalists. They, like their favorite music, know the power behind words. They understand what kind of message can be said given a catchy beat and a passionate individual.
Listening to rap invokes a sense of understanding in these individuals. It helps them make sense of the world around them, and if that world is falling apart, what they can do about it.
Rap is also about being as passionate and as angry as you can be when life doesn’t go your way. It’s about helping someone relate to those feelings if they happen to be going through the same thing.
If you listen to classic rap, odds are you’re a passionate individual. You believe in having a voice through music and the importance of reaching audiences about the issues plaguing society now.
Now, if you listen to mainstream rap, there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re just a person who likes to have some good, catchy beats to party to or listen to while driving. Rap is a unique genre and is more than just the music you choose to party to. It can convey powerful messages, gain strong support, and even help bring people together.
4. Classical
You’re classy AF. Enough said.
But really, you have an intellect beyond words and a graceful demeanor nobody can match. Your taste in music is refined, mature, and unbelievably rich. You know what it means to appreciate fine music, and that makes you an amazing individual.
Keep listening to what you love, no matter what people say about classical music. Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven would be proud.
5. EDM
You know what I said about the pop listeners being the life of the party? Well EDM lovers are the party itself!
EDM listeners are wild. They appreciate a good electronic beat better than anyone out there. They know what music makes people want to dance, drink, and have a great time. These are the people responsible for throwing amazing parties everyone loves. They just know how to make everyone have a great experience.
EDM lovers are inspirational. More often than not, they have some experience themselves in making EDM and that helps fuel their passion for the music even more. They are artists in their craft, and that is why they put their heart and soul into the music they love.
6. Rock
The rebels. Born and raised to defy authority, pave their own path, and achieve what they dream of.
Rock listeners are unique individuals. They strive to be different, to put forth something in the world that nobody has ever seen.
They are the voice of the crowd. Rock lovers are people who appreciate and believe in the message rock bands are conveying. They want to change the world someday, and they believe in their hearts they can do so.
Rock is a genre as old as time and the individuals that love the music are no different. They’re usually wise, prone to anger sometimes, but nonetheless passionate individuals that love life to the fullest (no matter how angsty their music makes them feel).
Rock enthusiasts are one of a kind, just like the music they love.
Now I know there are more genres of music than the six I listed here, but if I’d taken the time to describe every genre’s personality, at least ten new ones would come out before I finished.
Music is, to me specifically, a strong part of my identity. It shapes how I feel, how I see the world, and how I experience life. Undoubtedly, it does that to everyone in different ways.
Although I explained the personality types attached to each music genre, my descriptions are based merely off general stereotypes. What that specific genre does for you is only for you to know. Who am I to say you love a certain genre because you’re a specific type of person? Music is unique to everyone and is usually a reflection of the experiences someone has been through. Music helps us heal, enjoy, love, relax, wonder, reflect, and most importantly, live. Nobody can define what a genre does for you. Music is, in fact, food for the soul. But what you choose to consume (and why) is entirely dependent on you.
