Song longevity and Emotional attachment.

Following the reveal of Lux Eterna, the first single from Metallica’s most recent album 72 Seasons a few years ago, I found myself discussing the songs merits with someone who did not share my enthusiasm. While I thought the song was a good representation of where the band stood musically at the time of its release, my acquaintance argued that it was merely mediocre and that my elation to the material was purely because of my emotional connection to the band and their songs. Although I stood by my assessment, the discussion nonetheless brought up an interesting thought on why certain songs manage to form an emotional attachment with the listener and why they are able to retain their relevance years or even decades later. While there is probably a more informed answer to the question as to why certain songs manage to illicit strong responses as well as to remain identifiably relevant, I believe that there is a correlation between a song’s authenticity, its thematical and musical content and its ability to stay relatable to the listener.

Dependent on the situation, we experience a multitude of emotions on a daily basis and whether they are feelings of sadness, happiness, stress, relief or anger, there is sure to be a mood for every occasion just like there is sure to be a song for every mood. This is perhaps best demonstrated when someone who is in good spirits hears a song that is indicative of having a good time and subsequently forms a connection to that song because it reflects the frame of mind that they are in when they listen to it. Alternatively, when someone who has recently gone through the dramatic experience of bereavement, discovers a song that is not only about loss but that also describes the helplessness, anger and frustration that is normally felt in such situations, then that person will form an attachment with the music that they have just heard.

As all music, regardless of genre, usually has some form of cathartic effect on the listener as it manages to establish an emotional connection that they are reminded of whenever they hear the song, the relatability of the music might therefore change, but its ability to resonate years after it was first heard remains. Even though the original meaning of the song might no longer be the same, the listener is still able to identify with it because he is reminded of what it represents.

This in turn could potentially be the reason as to why it is not uncommon to hear that a particular piece of music, album or artist has been affective in helping people through difficult times with many stating that a band’s music had a hand in saving their lives. While it might sound overly pretentious, there is no denying that music can serve as a powerful device for coping with situations of personal strife by providing the listener with a sense of hope or a source of strength.

As such, music has the ability to encourage the listener to get through difficult times with the more authentic the art, the higher the probability of its continued relevance. Like most art that tends to stand the test of time, music is able to continuously retain its relatability if it possesses a certain amount of authenticity as it is at its most resonant when an artist infuses that which they created with personal experiences that the listener can identify with.

At the end of the day, whatever the case might be, the most important thing is that the music exists at all, that it enriches our lives, helps us in times of trouble or provides us with a source of happiness. Conclusively it does not matter if there is a scientific explanation as to why we form emotional connections to certain songs, because as long as music is authentically written it will always find a way to resonate with those needing it most.