January 10, 2025

Khondoker S. Alfe 

11th Grade

The Young Women's Leadership School of Queens 

Music has always peered into the hearts of those willing to listen, whether it’s a background track to an elderly couple’s slow dancing or a source of comfort to a person experiencing hard times. Most modern songwriting revolves around universal themes, allowing songs to relate deeply with listeners while connecting with a large audience. Central themes to songwriting typically include love and loss, self-discovery, emotional struggles and mental health, empowerment, nostalgia, and social commentary. The lyrics of popular songs tend to resonate with people, with the rising star and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Lacy’ as an example. As Rodrigo conveys her jealousy of the seemingly perfect namesake of her song, there’s an ever-present relatability to her envy and insecurity. On the brighter side, the songwriting of Taylor Swift’s ‘Daylight’ conveys unconditional love towards the ‘light’ of her life. The infectiousness of Swift’s contentment can both connect to those who feel the same and those who wish that one day they will. Despite their differences, both songs are popular among the masses and are highly prevalent on social media. The songs’ ability to connect to such a large audience demonstrates that what makes a song “a smash hit” goes further than just a strong melody and a steady beat.

Songwriting is a craft; songwriters knowingly can trigger feelings within their designated audience that they may have been unaware of. Songwriting can be inspiring or uplifting, revealing or relatable. Songs have the power to alter how people view themselves, the world, and even interpersonal relationships. According to Chelsea Latorre, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology attending West Virginia University, the tempo or lyrics of “sentimental” music can affect people, acting as a “friend” and “relieving pain” for those who have been hurt. For many, the sharpest stings come from those close to you: from family members, close friends, and even significant others; it is understandably difficult to take action regarding your feelings for fear of how it will impact the relationship. Through the relatability of emotional songwriting, listeners can be supported and encouraged through the music, pushing them to address the issues head-on. This can mean sitting down and having a long, honest heart-to-heart about difficult topics, and altering or even dissolving relationships for the best of the collective. Despite how unbearable it may be, the lyrics of music can push people towards positive change. 

Music can also be a key aspect in forging deeper emotional connections. For example, studies have revealed how neurotransmitters play a role in forming relationships. Endorphins, a natural “pain-reliever”, and dopamine, the “happy hormone” for the positive emotions it fosters in the brain, cause people to bond with each other as they sing along to music together.  By engaging in this activity, humans create shared memories. When they hum along to or sing the lyrics of their favorite song, they spend time with the other party while creating warm feelings towards them. For example, a favorite among the youth recently has been “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, which currently has one hundred seventy million views on YouTube thus far for its rhythm, flow, and diction which appears to capture many in a trance. Likewise, another one of Eilish’s songs, known as, “What Was I Made For” has recently been gaining additional traction on social media because of a parody of it known as “Sad Cat Meow Song”, also referred to as “Meow Meow Meow Meow Song”, which many now consider to be a meme and post about. Unknowingly, while singing along to the lyrics of these songs –whether it's the real or cat version– people are creating or strengthening the bonds they share with those around them, portraying the profound impact of music. 

The chords that make up a song also heighten the emotional engagement of the audience. Major chords tend to evoke happiness and other positive emotions, while minor chords channel feelings of sadness or moody contemplation. Suspended chords can add tension, and dissonant diminished chords can stir unease or drama. These subtle musical elements, incorporated with evocative lyrics, create a powerful experience that triggers the makings of emotional earworms.

Music connects with everyone—it’s something that’s always there, a constant companion that endures through any and every emotional encounter. Lyrics soothe when audiences are upset, amplify happiness in times of celebration, and vocalize frustrations when anger arises. These elements, in their entirety, play a pivotal role in how listeners foster their relationships, regardless of their level of intimacy. Whether through neurochemistry or simply relatable lyrics, music holds the power to capture hearts and transform emotion.