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Shall We Call it The Lana Del Rey Paradox?

Why do we like art and music that makes us feel sad?

By Asterion AvocadoPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Shall We Call it The Lana Del Rey Paradox?
Photo by Nainoa Shizuru on Unsplash

Music. Do you know anyone who "despises" music? I'm sure they like at least one type, several songs, or one song in particular. A song.

Music. It allows us to be aware of our emotions while also regulating them.

Indeed, you may recall instances when you used peaceful music to rest before an important event, or cheerful music to start a party, or when you produced a playlist (on a CD if you were a music-obsessed adolescent in the early 2000s like me) as a gift for your crush.

So, why, oh why, do we seek out melancholy music?

The Sadness Paradox, often known as (lies, just from now) Lana Del Rey's Paradox

Perhaps it isn't a paradox after all! Let's take a closer look at this argument.

A paradox is often defined as a paradoxical statement. Lana Del Rey's songs, for example (some, but not all), are so melancholy that they make me happy. So, why do we think sadness is such a bad thing?

Catharsis is the purification or purging of emotions, primarily via the medium of art. Catharsis is a term used by Aristotle in Poetics to describe the responses of spectators to actual tragedy. The word katharsis originates from the Greek word for "purgation" or "purification."

According to the hypothesis, the spectator's internal problems are pushed outward by vicariously feeling fear in a controlled environment and by sympathetic connection with the sad protagonist. Perhaps listening to melancholy tunes, like watching a sad artwork or movie, is just a means to make sense of the complexities of our emotions. Sober pondering and pensiveness, after all, are vital and appealing traits, as Christopher Robin argues. To experience true joy, one must first experience grief. The importance of contrast and perspective cannot be overstated. Without the sour, we can't taste sweet. It's also okay not to be alright.

By Travis Yewell on Unsplash

In a study of 65 people, researchers (see reference list at bottom of page) uncovered a variety of recurring causes and motives for doing so, including

  • A memory trigger aids in the remembering of memories, allowing nostalgia to be felt. Both the lyrics and the music demonstrate a link to the story or message. They employed music to serve them at numerous events.
  • 'Cognitive' sophisticated thought — putting things into perspective, for example, melancholy is a common, shared feature of humanity, feelings of empathy and not being alone, and so on.
  • Sad music served as a distraction from the silence, which would otherwise be filled with overwhelming or horrible thoughts.

In summary, melancholy music is cathartic and might assist us in regulating our emotions. Similarly, visual arts frequently cause my emotions to...explode.

Melancholy

As I already indicated, everything about sadness appeals to me. It's how an ethereal poet may appear. It is the energy of human existence, just as astonishment and love are.

Is depressing, yet there's also nostalgia and a tinge of horror. Not different to the sublime's beauty

Melancholy is an artistic work. Is he ruminating about life for no apparent reason? It's a cloudy day outdoors.

By Paola Chaaya on Unsplash

Darlin’, darlin’, darlin’

I fall to pieces when I’m with you

I fall to pieces

My cherries and wine, rosemary and thyme

And all of my peaches

Are ruined

My rose garden dreams

Set on fire by fiends

And all my black beaches

Are ruined — Lana Del Rey, Cherry

Many people believe that favouring grey-toned emotions over brighter ones like joy, excitement, and wonder is unhealthy. But it is in my melancholy that I have discovered a reason to control my terrible character, manage my depressive symptoms, write, and give meaning to an otherwise pointless pain.

As a result, I listen to sorrowful music. Why I listen to Lana Del Rey, in particular. Whether paradoxical or not, her honest voice is a potion of reality for me, a method of organising and identifying my sentiments, my humanity, and, at times, simply feeling brutally sad. Since it's okay to not be okay, because that's how life may be at times.

humanity
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About the Creator

Asterion Avocado

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