Reacción a "Pop lyrics increasingly talk about stress and are more negative, except in times of social crisisomentos de crisis social"

Music is one of the oldest and most universal forms of human expression, transcending geographical, cultural, linguistic and temporal barriers. As a form of individual and social behaviour, its study requires an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology, sociology, musicology and education. Music is part of everyday life, fulfilling different uses and functions ranging from entertainment, social cohesion, communication, emotional expression and regulation to learning, relaxation and entertainment. The digital age has radically transformed human interaction with music. The emergence of streaming platforms has redefined the listener's relationship with music by providing instant access to a virtually unlimited catalogue of musical genres and styles. This phenomenon has positioned music as a cultural asset that is immediately available, which has boosted its consumption and further integrated it into everyday life.  

In this context of mass access, analysing the type of music consumed by the population can be used as an empirical indicator to analyse consumer trends, predominant musical genres, forms of social behaviour associated with consumption, and even collective moods or social values at a given time. An example of this approach is provided by the present study. The authors applied Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to analyse more than 20,000 song lyrics that entered the US Billboard Top 100 charts over five decades (1973-2023). The study stands out for the breadth of its temporal analysis and dataset, which provides a consistent, long-term view of music consumption and listening trends among audiences. This vast longitudinal perspective allows for the analysis of the collective management of listeners' moods through music. The results support the thesis that music plays a dual role in the collective management of mood, acting both in emotional management and regulation, a role that depends on the social context and the intensity of the prevailing collective emotions. 

In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published the first global report examining the benefits of artistic interventions in improving health and wellbeing, validating the arts, including music, as treatment options in educational, therapeutic and community settings. This position is reinforced by the present research, which validates modern/popular music as a cultural indicator and a psychological tool for collective coping. These findings support the use of music therapy, an evidence-based clinical discipline, to modulate mood and stress levels, encourage emotional expression and social cohesion, and improve quality of life and overall well-being.