I Don’t Just Listen to Music – I Feel It

Music isn’t necessarily always about the way it sounds—it’s about the emotions the sound evokes in you. That’s something I’ve always believed, maybe because real life can feel so flat, so noisy, so emotionally heavy. But music gives me a place to exist and express without judgement.

I’m constantly asked or judged by family members, “why do you always have headphones in”, “you’re addicted to music”. what they don’t understand is that some days, all it takes is one song to shift my whole mood. It can have the power to almost instantly change your mood, like a small reset button for my emtions. starting the day with a good song can set a positive tone, helping me face challenges with a little more energy or calmness, or letting me fully feel a negative emotion, (often times anger or sadness), before work, so I'm able to fully decompress before clock in.

The right beat in the morning can make me feel lighter, like maybe I can handle the day. Other times, it’s a soft, sad melody that gives me space to feel without pressure. Music isn’t always just background noise—it’s emotional architecture. It builds something inside me that didn’t exist before. It lifts, softens, reflects, holds.

I remember one night, headphones in, lying in bed while everything around me felt like too much. People talking at me, expectations I didn’t ask for, the kind of silence that doesn’t feel peaceful. But a song came on—and it was like the world paused for three minutes. I didn’t need to speak. I didn’t need to defend myself. The music understood me when no one else did.

It’s like a good breakup song. When you’re going through a breakup—you just want to scream the lyrics and let everything out because it perfectly resonates with you or your situation. That feeling of “someone else gets this”—it’s powerful. It’s validating. You don’t even have to know the artist personally. They’ve already said the thing you couldn’t find the words for, and suddenly you don’t feel so alone, you have a sense of being truly understood, and that moment in itself can be healing.

That’s the thing about the right song—it doesn’t have to have perfect vocals or polished production. It just has to hit something true in you. I love when a song feels like a slow exhale. When the lyrics match your thoughts. When the sound makes you feel like you’ve gone somewhere else, even if you’re still stuck in the same situation. It's amazing how a simple melody or rhythm can shift the way you think or feel, even if its just for a moment. The way a song can trigger a memory in someone, or trigger an assoctiaon with a specific person or situation.

And it’s not just about escaping either—music connects us with others. Sharing a song with someone, carpool karaoke, or both loving the same album, can be like speaking the same emotional language and gives us a way to bond with one another. Even when words fail, music can build a bridge between people. It's like music has this universal language that speaks directly to our hearts, transcending differences and bringing people together to share the love of something in common. You feel seen not just by the artist, but by the friend who gets why that track matters to you. The community an artist or song can provide for you can feel fulfilling.

For me, music is survival. It’s not about pretending everything’s fine—it’s about having something that belongs only to me. Something that helps me process what I can’t always say out loud. That’s why music is sacred. It gives me freedom in moments when I have none.

So no, music isn't just sound. It’s a companion through life's ups and downs, a way to express what can't be said. It lets you feel emotions, whether you want a dance or sing-a-long with friends, or you want to sob unctrollably and let everything out, and that's a powerful comfort.

note: AI was used to help brainstorm and edit parts of this article, but all ideas and personal voice is mine.