Music is a part of almost everyone’s lives. It’s there for your every mood and in all kinds of situations. Does your music change with your mood and surroundings? Rampage surveyed GCHS readers and found patterns in their listening habits. 

While everyone has their own taste and listens to a variety of music, Rampage found that when people are feeling happy, they tend to listen to more upbeat music. Grayslake Central Senior Kendall Scott listens to reggaeton when he’s in a good mood. Some popular artists under that genre are Daddy Yankee, J Balvin and Bad Bunny. Junior Ella Halverson listens to techno or soft pop. Songs in genres like these are more fast-paced and danceable, which puts people in a better mood. 

Many people put classical music in their homework playlists. Senior Hannah Peterson said, “I usually listen to songs that don’t have words that would distract me.” Soft, lyricless music is helpful in focusing on work while eliminating the dull white noise.

When you’re about to cry, people tend to listen to softer music or songs that they can relate to. Favored by GCHS listeners is the pop band Cigarettes After Sex, which was listed by both Halverson and Peterson as a go-to for down moods. Songs by this artist really emphasize the emotions you feel, with lyrics such as “When you’re all alone, I’ll reach for you. When you’re feelin’ low, I’ll be there too” which appears in Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex. 

This also was similar to what people would listen to on rainy days. GCHS Junior Hazel Dodds listens to “Gotta Get Back” by P1Harmony and Pink Sweats. Senior Lia Dirks listens to the indie folk artist, Sufjan Stevens. Many of the songs listed were more chill, R&B ballads.

Rap seemed to be a popular music choice when people were feeling frustrated. One artist mentioned by a freshman at GCHS was Agust D. Agust D makes a lot of hardcore rap that can range from diss tracks to more R&B-and-ballad-focused songs. One of his lyrics from the song D-Day is “Future’s gonna be okay. Okay, okay, look at the mirror and I see no pain. I’d die for real ’til the D-Day. But it’s gonna be okay.”

When people are crushing, romantic love songs are a given. Halverson, for one, listens to her token “Valentine’s playlist.” Peterson listens to an artist named Beabadoobee. Beabadoobee became even more popular this year with the release of “Glue Song” on Valentine’s Day. The single had everyone single or taken especially emotional. Dodds also said she listens to a song called “Dar+ling” by Seventeen that has a similar impact. with lyrics like, “And I gotta let you know, You got my heart like it’s yours, Don’t wanna say goodbye.”

No matter what you’re feeling, there’s likely a song or type of music that’ll go along with it. It could calm you, emphasize your emotion, or help manage your mood. Music taste is subjective and may not work for everyone, but it’s good to find what resonates with you and has the potential to help you with your well-being. So next time, try turning on some music and see how it helps or affects your mood.