Music Styles and Personalities
Our personality is what makes us who we are. But how do we define that? And is there a universal way to do so?
Well, there are many theories on how to measure one’s personality. For instance, in early psychology, we’ve got the four temperaments, suggesting that our personality depends on the proportion of different fluids in our body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. On the other hand, if you ask Chinese physicians, they’d tell you that you are who you are based on the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. And if you’re familiar with neither field, just go on Facebook to see how wildly popular personality tests are.
While there are many conflicting ideas and opinions surrounding personality, it's hard to deny that our daily routines make up for a part of us—and that includes the typical music that we listen to. In this blog, we’ll be exploring different music styles and personalities.
DISCLAIMER: This is based on studies and experiences upon meeting people who are fans of particular genres and may not exactly hold true for everyone. Furthermore, this does not aim to reinforce stereotypes. If anything, we’ll even be tackling some common misconceptions from people outside particular fandoms.
ROCK
Cheers to our fellow headbanging, rock-loving friends!
Rock is a blanket term for its numerous subgenres, including alternative rock (Muse, Radiohead, Nirvana), heavy metal (Metallica, Slipknot, Led Zeppelin), and punk rock (Green Day, blink-182, The Offspring). Accompanying these subgenres are a broader range of stereotypes that people mistake rock fans for. Sure, rock can be quite popular, especially among teens in their angsty stage and tough-looking men, but that’s not all to it that there is!
Moreover, the music style is one of those with the most misconceptions about its fans. It’s worth noting that not because you’re a rock fan, does it mean that you’re:
- Someone violent – though your music preference accounts for a piece of your personality puzzle, that doesn’t mean that you’re someone capable of terrible things.
- A male – haven’t you heard Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams?
- A worshipper of Satan – just no.
- Sad and depressed – correlation does not imply causation.
- And a lot of other things!
A study has shown that rock fans have a gentle nature, a stark contrast to the fast, loud beats they love. Moreover, they tend to be shy and somewhat introverted. Some seek solace in the rawness of the lyrics of rock songs, as it lets them know that they are not alone in their struggles.
- POP
Whether you’re a "Swiftie", "Arianator", "Little Monster" or someone who’s still a "Directioner" six years after the boy band split, a common denominator is that you’re into pop music.
Though some people argue that there’s not a lot of variety when it comes to pop music, we’d like to think that its fans are the opposite. Unlike those from the previous genre, pop fans are on the extroverted end of the spectrum and are most likely people persons. They’re what you can consider the “life of the party” and have no trouble mingling with strangers. However, true to other people’s arguments about the music they listen to, the fans themselves are said to exhibit little creativity.
- K-POP
Though this technically falls under the pop category, popular is an understatement as K-pop is a force to be reckoned with. With hundreds of millions of global fans and fanbases that continue to grow each day, it surely deserves its solo spot on this list.
K-pop fans are generally full of life, ones who actively support their idols both online and offline through different means, such as streaming music, buying merchandise, and attending concerts. They are often highly sociable and can easily make friends with people with whom they share similar fandoms. Many are also talented, perhaps a result of imitating the dance choreographies of their beloved Korean groups.
- DANCE
People who are fans of this musical style gravitate towards being extroverted, too, like pop fans. It explains why they’re so comfortable attending music festivals or going to clubs where their favourite genre often plays loudly. Aside from this, researchers have stated that fans of dance music can be quite assertive and have a “go with the flow” kind of attitude, as they are shown to be more open to new experiences.
If you have ever gone to a club, you’d also understand why research has shown that fast-paced EDM (electronic dance music) fans aren’t quite as gentle as others. They’re great, sure, but with loud dance music and flashing lights all over (not to mention the influence of alcohol), it’s easy to get lost in the moment and be the opposite of gentle.
- CLASSICAL
This one is for people who enjoy the soothing melody of classical music.
Though the times have changed, and more people are onto newer styles, you can never go wrong with classical. And we guess it might be making a bit of a comeback with the hit Netflix series Bridgerton showcasing a few works from the renowned classical musicians Mozart and Beethoven themselves. If those aren’t your thing, listen to the pop-to-classical renditions of Girls Like You and thank u, next, also from the show’s official playlist. Allow Vitamin String Quartet to change your mind and find yourself basking in the glory of classical music.
Anyway, all these to say, fans of the said style can be compared to the music they listen to, in the sense that they tend to be creative and laid back. They also prefer their own company to being around people, but that’s not to say that they aren’t confident as they actually have high self-esteem.
Well, that’s it for March! Do you identify as a fan of any of the five mentioned music styles? If so, do you agree with our thoughts? If not, let us know what your favourite genre and we’ll come back next month with that included for the second part of this post!
Like the mentioned artists? Though we specialize in rock music, we can produce your music for a reasonable price—whatever music style it is. Tell us about it at (02) 9053 8766, and let’s work together!