"Music might be the greatest mood enhancer in the world: it's certainly hard to think of another art form that can so effectively tip a feeling of happiness into euphoria or create a suitably gloomy space in which to wallow in melancholy."
"Liz Pelly's 2025 book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist suggests that Spotify's seeming obsession with mood-based playlists is linked to its focus on what it calls lean-back consumers."
"These playlists exist as a latterday equivalent of muzak, designed to be as unobtrusive, unsurprising and unadventurous as possible, to seamlessly play in the background without really being noticed."
"It's a world away from the human connection involved in someone experiencing a reaction to a piece of music and suggesting that you might, in similar circumstances, feel the same way."
Music serves as a significant mood enhancer, capable of transforming feelings of happiness into euphoria or creating a space for melancholy. Recent trends show a growing interest in the connection between music and mood, with streaming services like Spotify offering numerous mood-based playlists. These playlists, often user-generated, cater to various emotional states. However, concerns arise regarding the implications of algorithm-driven playlists, which may lack the human connection inherent in personal music experiences, suggesting a shift towards background music rather than active engagement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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