Song Lyrics Matter When Managing Your Mood, Study Says

Key TakeawaysLyrics matter when it comes to choosing music to manage your moodPeople during the COVID-19 lockdowns turned to music with words that reflected their emotionsTop songs contained lyrics dealing with loss, life and death, belonging or soul.MONDAY, May 19, 2025 (HealthDay New) — Looking for a little uplift from Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” or “Happy” by Pharrell Williams?Or perhaps you’re in a reflective mood and would rather hear “Forever Young” by Alphaville or “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.People turn to music to cope, and a new study focused on the COVID-19 lockdowns reveals that lyrics matter as much as melody when grappling with the feels.Listeners turn to lyrics to reflect their internal states, whether to process sorrow, feel less alone or give themselves a boost, researchers report in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.“This research offers a new perspective on how people use music not just for entertainment, but as a meaningful tool for emotional self-regulation,” researcher Roni Granot, an associate professor of musicology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, said in a news release.“Lyrics embedded in music often give voice to emotions that are difficult to express — grief, remembrance, and hope among them,” she said.For the study, researchers relied on data gathered from an online poll of more than 5,600 people between June and November 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic.The people came from 11 countries severely affected by the epidemic — Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S.As part of the survey, people were asked to name the song that helped them cope most during lockdown.About 2,800 responses pointed to songs with lyrics, which researchers analyzed to find patterns in the words chosen by artists.“The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore, in a real setting, the link between coping songs and mood regulation across a large number of songs and individuals,” researchers wrote.“The stress, anxiety, and loneliness experienced by millions called clearly for implementation of emotion regulation strategies, wherein music listening served an important function,” they continued.Songs containing lyrics about loss, life and death, belonging or soul were consistently selected by people who said they were struggling with sadness, loneliness or a desire for personal reflection, researchers found.People seeking distraction from crisis were more likely to choose songs with a theme of loss, such as “Still Loving You” by the Scorpions, researchers said.On the other hand, those trying to alleviate their loneliness were attracted to lyrics that evoke belonging, such as “Happy” or Abba’s “Mamma Mia,” results show.The most popular coping songs came from the Latin, Pop and Rock genres, with the strong presence of Spanish-speaking participants boosting the Latin category, researchers said.Among the top coping songs were “Happy,” “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd. Top artists turned to for emotional support included Queen, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Coldplay, The Beatles, The Weeknd and Imagine Dragons.While music in general helps people cope, lyrics carry particular psychological weight, the researchers concluded.“This is the first large-scale empirical study to link lyrical content to emotional coping strategies,” senior researcher Renana Peres, a professor of marketing at Hebrew University, said in a news release. “At a time when many are dealing with personal and collective trauma, understanding the emotional power of lyrics can help us better support mental health — both individually and as a society,” she added.More informationThe Jed Foundation has more on music and mental health.SOURCE: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, news release, April 21, 2025 .What This Means For YouThe music a person chooses for their mood depends as much on the lyrics as on the tune, researchers say..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter