Why do we love one type of music or another?

Our musical taste is not a random choice, but a result of our brain's work, which seeks pleasure and connection with the surrounding world.

When we listen to music, our brain is actively working. It predicts the next notes and rhythmic movements of the melody. If these expectations are met, the brain's reward system is activated, producing dopamine — a neurotransmitter that causes feelings of happiness and pleasure. This explains why a favorite song can evoke euphoria. Different areas of the brain are responsible for different aspects of music:

This synchronous work makes music a powerful stimulus for the development of cognitive abilities.

Genetics cannot determine whether you will love classical music or rock, but it can influence musical abilities and a tendency towards rhythm. Research has found a connection between certain genes and traits such as sense of rhythm, perfect pitch, and the ability to feel emotions from music. For example, DNA studies of Beethoven showed that he had a low genetic predisposition for rhythm synchronization, demonstrating that genetics is only part of the puzzle, and personal effort and environment are equally important.

The music we listen to in childhood shapes the primary neural connections in our brain, affecting our future perception. Children often adopt their parents' musical tastes, as they are the main source of sounds at an early age. This can be classical music playing at home, songs sung by parents, or the radio station they listen to in the car. These early impressions lay the foundation for what we will consider "native" and enjoyable music.

In adolescence, music becomes an important tool for social identification. Our musical preferences are closely related to our circle of friends and peers. We often listen to what is popular in our group to feel a sense of belonging and find common topics for conversation. Choosing a particular genre can be a symbol of belonging to a certain subculture.

The culture we live in determines which musical genres and instruments are common, and what is considered "correct" or "good" music. Our cultural environment shapes our expectations regarding melody, harmony, and rhythm. For example, in Western culture, major and minor scales are often used, which are associated with certain emotions. Studies with tribes isolated from Western music show that their perception of dissonance and consonance differs significantly, as their brains are trained to different musical structures. This factor emphasizes that music is not only a universal language but also a culturally conditioned experience.

Our musical taste is closely related to personality traits studied in psychology. For example, people with high openness to experience often choose complex and diverse genres such as jazz, classical, or indie music. Extroverts usually prefer energetic and rhythmic music, such as pop, hip-hop, or dance tracks. People with high levels of neuroticism may prefer sad or emotionally rich music that helps them process and express their own feelings.

In the modern world, saturated with technology, the way we discover music has radically changed. Whereas we once relied on radio, television, or cassettes from friends, streaming services and social media now play a key role in shaping our preferences.

Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube are powerful tools that actively influence our taste. Their algorithms analyze every step we take: what we listen to, what we add to playlists, and what we skip. Based on this data, they suggest similar artists and tracks. This creates what is known as a "filter bubble": We constantly see content that confirms our existing preferences and rarely venture beyond them. This is convenient, as we always find something we like, but at the same time, it limits our ability to discover new, unexpected genres.

TikTok and Instagram have become the new "radio stations." Short videos with popular tracks can make a song go viral within hours, regardless of its commercial success. Taste is shaped not just by the song itself, but also by the context in which it is used (for example, for a trend or a meme). This changes the psychology of music consumption: we more often consume individual "viral" tracks instead of entire albums, and music becomes part of visual content, significantly affecting its perception.

Thanks to the availability of tools for creating music and global collaboration, we are witnessing a boom in hybrid genres — combinations of electronic music with folk or hip-hop with jazz. This shows that our tastes are becoming more eclectic.