For many of us, the moment we wake up, the first thing we like to do is press play on a personally curated playlist. And for centuries, music has been an important part of storytelling and redefining art. As the world has evolved, the demand for and influence of music have only grown. Music has become less about genres and more about vibes. Music is more than just sounds; it is an expression and a form of art that varies with every language, but is spoken just the same by all. Concerts, festivals, and studios are just a few places where we see the unifying effect of music on full display. So, it is easy to say that music has a very deep effect on everyone. We listen to endless playlists while commuting, studying, working, eating, and even falling asleep. Music, once a sacred ritual of listening, has now become the soundtrack to our constant distractions. But here's the question: are we actually listening anymore? Or are we simply escaping?
For many of us, music is more than just entertainment; it's therapy. A sad playlist for when we're heartbroken. When we're feeling overwhelmed, we turn to a lo-fi beat. A powerful anthem for a big day. A motivational hit for when we’re hitting the gym. Music allows us to escape, not from the world, but from aspects of ourselves that are too heavy to carry in silence.
There is a comfort in pressing the play button. The right song can wrap around our anxieties like a soft blanket, providing a rhythm to breathe to. In this sense, music serves as a haven, a place where emotions are understood rather than judged. The melodies express what we are unable to articulate. The renowned writer Aldous Huxley once said, "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." But is this how we truly want to see the one thing we love the most? Like the double-edged sword, this same comfort can also be a crutch. When we are uncomfortable, lonely, or simply bored, we reach for the next song, the next distraction. We drown our thoughts before they surface. As a result, music transforms from a mirror to a mask. There's a fine line between listening and purposefully using noise to avoid silence. The modern relationship with music frequently leans towards the latter. Streaming platforms provide us with an infinite number of playlists tailored to each emotion, mood, and weather pattern. "Chill vibes for studying." "Beats to relax." "Songs to cry to." We no longer have to choose how we feel; an algorithm does it for us.
This deluge of noise is both a blessing and a burden. On one hand, we have greater access to diverse music than previous generations. On the other hand, we are seldom alone in our own silence. We use music to avoid overthinking, podcasts to avoid loneliness, and ambient noise to fill the silence. However, while silence may be uncomfortable, it is not our enemy. It is where reflection occurs. It is where feelings take shape and healing begins. When we replace all silence with sound, we sacrifice depth for distraction. Music, which was once a means of connecting with our emotions, has become a barrier that keeps them hidden.
According to neuroscientists, when we listen to music deeply, our brains release dopamine, which is associated with love, learning, and pleasure. The brain activates not only auditory areas, but also those associated with memory and emotion. Music makes us feel alive. So perhaps the goal is to escape into music- consciously, rather than compulsively. It’s okay to use music as a way to dance your way out of a bad mood or cry your heart out to a melancholic tune. What matters is not why we listen, but whether we come away from it feeling more present, rather than detached. Global artists like Billie Eilish, Prateek Kuhad, and Lana Del Rey have all discussed how their music can serve as a safe emotional outlet for listeners who are unable to express their pain. As Prateek Kuhad once stated in an interview, "Music makes you feel less alone because it tells you that someone else has felt exactly what you're feeling right now." This connection, which is a shared emotion through sound, is the essence of listening, not escape.
So, is music for listening or escaping? Perhaps it is both. Perhaps it's our method of escaping just enough to go back to ourselves. In a society where people are always talking, music teaches us to listen, not just to sound, but also to quiet, emotion, and the gaps in between, the moments when words fail us. Because after the song stops and the final note fades, what remains is not the escape, but the echo. Sometimes, the echo is where we finally hear ourselves again and reconnect.
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