1. K-POP
From Girls’ Generation to Blackpink to NewJeans (or NJZ, as they are now known), K-pop has endured in popularity for decades on the back of addictive melodies, slick choreography, and envelope-pushing visuals. Now, as it turns out, K-pop might be good for your mental health too.
A study examining the effects of boy band BTS on its fans’ (known as ARMYs) mental health and wellbeing found that being part of the fanbase gave them a sense of belonging and support. Additionally, engaging with the group and the fanbase fostered a sense of connection, making fans feel less isolated.
Meanwhile, another study on the relationship between being an avid K-pop fan and positive psychosocial outcomes found that K-pop fanship was a significant predictor of increased happiness, self esteem, and social connectedness.
2. HIP-HOP
Interestingly, one study found that when participants tapped along to hip-hop beats, their perception of time changed depending on the cognitive load and musical metre.
In terms of cognitive load, it meant that participants felt time passed more quickly when they had to do a task and listen to hip-hop music concurrently. As for musical metre, tapping to the beat in larger intervals (like half notes) made time seem to pass faster than tapping in smaller intervals (like eighth notes).
“These results suggest that our perception of time can be influenced by how much attention we allocate to the tasks and how we physically interact with music,” said Dr Heng of the study.
One might also infer that we can focus better on the task at hand when listening to hip-hop.
3. LO-FI
Lo-fi playlists catering to all kinds of moods and functions (studying, working, chilling, you name it) have taken Spotify and YouTube by storm, and you likely already have a go-to livestream.
Beyond relaxation and focus, we now have evidence that it could also significantly reduce state anxiety. Not to be confused with trait anxiety (which defines one’s personality), state anxiety is essentially anxiety you feel when you need to do something (e.g., a presentation, a task), Dr Heng explained.
In a pilot experiment which investigated if lo-fi music could reduce anxiety associated with completing difficult tasks, participants had significantly decreased anxiety levels after listening to it for five minutes.
Citing the study, Dr Heng said this could be due to a few reasons, namely lo-fi’s musical properties (drum beats, synthesisers, and ambient sounds), steady beats of a slower tempo that can potentially calm the body, and its ability to block or divert worrisome thoughts.