Patricia L. Sabbatella

Position

University professor of teh area of music at the University of Cádiz and researcher at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences (INiBICA)

Institute of Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences of the Province of Cadiz (INiBICA), University of Cádiz

Topics

music, education, psychology

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

mental health

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

SMC Spain

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals an increase in simplicity, negativity, and stress-related words in pop song lyrics in the United States over the last few decades. The authors also conclude that this phenomenon was attenuated in times of social crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which ‘highlights the role of music in both shaping and reflecting moods.’ The data included more than 20,000 songs from the US charts between 1973 and 2023.