People who come to therapy after experiencing a difficult breakup often mention that they have been turning to music as a source of emotional release. They sometimes ponder questions like: “Why am I ...

Sadness is generally seen as a negative emotion, but we tend to find it pleasurable in an aesthetic context. What is the nature of pleasure that people experience from listening to sad music?

My constant rotation of music includes “Apocalypse” by Cigarettes After Sex, “White Mustang” by Lana Del Rey, and “Reflections” by The Neighbourhood. Occasionally, “Privilege” by The Weeknd is thrown ...

For as long as I can remember, I have always preferred sad music. As a child, I used to force my mom to listen to me belting along to karaoke tracks of “My Heart Will Go On” and “I Will Always Love ...