Often times when I’m upset, I end up listening to sad music such as Death Cab for Cutie or Elliott Smith. I recently started really thinking about why I do this to myself. There are a lot of reasons that I figured out on my own, and looking into it, I realized that I’m not the only person who does this and it’s actually a very common thing.

One of the biggest reasons I discovered is that when I’m upset, I want to listen to something I can relate to. The term “misery loves company” applies here. I end up finding solace in other people’s sadness, as terrible as that sounds. It’s the same way when I’m feeling down and need to talk to someone. It doesn’t mean I’m happy that the musician is depressed, but I’m happy knowing I’m not alone and that other people are going through the same or similar things that I am.

I’ve realized that when I’m feeling somber, I don’t want to listen to upbeat, uplifting music. I get annoyed, don’t like the catchiness, and almost get jealous of their happiness. Even if it’s a favorite song of mine, if it’s too cheerful, I do not enjoy it. I’ve heard this from other people as well.

“Sad music is the best music because every song has a deep message behind it and makes you look at things in different perspectives,” junior Lauren Wood said.

Evidently, I’m far from the first person to consider this. Many psychologists have done studies on it and there’s even “music therapy” for people going through painful situations. In music therapy, people learn to express emotions and feelings they wouldn’t normally be open to express through music. In a way, artists who write sad songs are involved in their own music therapy. They express their thoughts and recount their memories to their fans, and their fans use this music as a way of coping, knowing that there are others who are going through the same things.

Melancholy music is perfect for those depressing days. It really just embodies everything the listener is going through and wraps them up into a song that sounds like it is written just for you. That’s why I will always listen to sad music when I’m down.