Music can get you hyped up, and music can get you down. Depending on the mixture of rhythm and lyrics, artists can deliver a story or an emotion. Now, there might be a song for almost every situation and every emotion. However, among the most sought-after pieces of music are those that can calm a person down.
While it might sound subjective at first, a team of neuroscientists have conducted tests to identify the most calming music pieces to listen to. These songs played as participants tried to solve puzzles, monitoring their bodies in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rates.
To start managing your daily stress, here are ten of the most calming music pieces, according to science.
10. "We Can Fly" by Cafe del Mar
It ranks last in this list of calming music probably because its effect is not as profound as the others. "We Can Fly" starts off with a solemn band instrumental, with a guitar solo standing out. A little past the one-minute mark and it starts to introduce the drums and the horns, giving off a jazzy, outlandish vibe.
9. "Canzonetta Sull'aria" by Mozart
Composed by the boy genius of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This song appears in the historic opera "The Marriage of Figaro." The duet between two sopranos evokes the lavish halls of 18th century Vienna. Also, the "little song" actually is an invitation to a plot between the two singing cast members. It is generally light, with no heavy operatic movements. Its sopranos only seem to add that angelic touch to the piece. All these make the "Sull' aria" a classic among calming music pieces.
8. "Someone Like You" by Adele
Adele's "Someone Like You" might appeal to emotions of hopelessness after "The One" gets away. However, the magic behind Adele's Grammy Award-winning tearjerker is actually measurable. In a Daily Mail article, Damien Gayle writes that "Someone Like You" contains twenty lines specifically designed to break you into tears. It also uses a musical tidbit called an "appoggiatura" - that one note that induces dissonance by conflicting with the rolling melody.
7. "Pure Shores" by All Saints
Whether the English-Canadian vocals in harmony add to the soothing effect of this weirdly calming music, it is a soft electronica track with dream pop and ambient elements fused to it. Without belting notes or overbearing instrumentals, "Pure Shores" evoke a droll afternoon at "The Beach" - the same Leonardo DiCaprio movie this song was featured in.
6. "Please Don't Go" by Barcelona
One of the basic tricks in the music and emotion playbook is that "major key is happy, minor key is sad." This song takes advantage of it, written in a minor key and coupled with slow lyrics delivery. Even its instrumental serves the same purpose, using the upper half of the piano in its accompaniment across its 4:35 length. It's not necessarily sad overall, it just has that effect of slowing everything down and watering down the listener's feelings - leading to a calmer, more carefree state.
5. "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay
Coldplay has a list of anthems for a variety of listener moods - from the revolutionary "Viva la Vida" to the assuring "Fix You." However, science favors another Coldplay track in the relaxation race - "Strawberry Swing." In the study conducted by Mindlab International, this is the most relaxing music with lyrics - and rightfully so. Its low-key singing somehow neutralizes the upbeat tempo not normally associated with rest.
4. "Watermark" by Enya
The Irish singer-songwriter Enya is perhaps best known for the chant and trance-inducing "Only Time." But for listeners looking for a tune to reduce stress and boost thinking, scientists suggest her "Watermark." It is mostly a soothing piano solo with choice accents from a subtle chorus of people chanting.
3. "Mellomaniac (Chillout Mix)" by DJ Shah
This one has a different approach to improving your physical and mental state. It is something closer to the island feel rather than the soft pillows and sheets feel. Its guitar reverb alternates with percussion, inviting the mind to a beach escape. It gradually leads the listener to a slightly tense refrain near the end. Finally, it calms down to the familiar calming music vibes you get from an island afternoon.
2. "Electra" by Airstream
It comes really close to the top calming music as neurologists found out. "Electra" uses beats that match the ideal heart rate of 60 to 65 beats per minute. It has a slow, droning beat, without the use of low chest-thumping beats. This pattern creates an ambiance that calms both the body and mind. While it is an electro hip-hop beat, it uses the slower, calmer patterns. As a result, you enjoy that soothing, freeing effect.
1. "Weightless" by Marconi Union
This one was not an accident. The British ambient act Marconi Union worked with sound therapists to come up with "Weightless." As for its title, apparently, it's what listeners feel after the 8-minute track. It begins with the optimal heartbeat rate of 60bpm. It later takes you down to some 50 beats per minute. As the rhythm slows down, your body subconsciously matches the beat, resulting to up to 65% reduction in stress levels.
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