What we listen to can say a lot about us, but does it define us? Music can be a reflection of one’s mood, even if it’s from loud rock songs to sad songs. Now, is music taste shaped by who one is, or is someone the way they are by their music taste?

Freshman Jay Kelly, who’s always up to date on the latest hyperpop beats, says that, “It makes me feel like I’m part of something that’s moving culture forward. Not just following what’s established, but influencing what’s next. And it’s cool to support something that hasn’t been fully commercialized yet.”

Music is more than noise; it’s emotions. Many students turn to their playlists in moments of stress or sadness, using music to help them cope with and process their feelings.

“I like listening to The White Stripes when I’m sad,” Freshman Sienna Powers said, “It helps me feel seen.”

Songs don’t always fix a bad mood, but they can reflect it. For some, hearing a more delightful song at the wrong time can feel more like misery.

“If I’m upset and I listen to an upbeat song, I’m not gonna automatically get happy. Sometimes it even makes me angrier, like if ‘Happy’ by Bruno Mars comes on during a bad day? I’ll want to crash,” Freshman Camryn Cataldo said.

For some, music can be a key part of their self-expression, expressed in either fashion, mood, or identity.

“I’m into a lot of upbeat music, so I like dressing really colorful. You’ll never see me in dark clothing. And sometimes I like dressing from like one time period song, like mostly the 80s or 70s,” Freshman Andy Alliance said.

People can feel pressured to like popular music, even when it’s not their thing. Also, songs can be on repeat a lot because of social media.

“TikTok music, they can be good, but it gets overplayed… I had to stop listening to some songs because they were being overplayed,” Alliance said.

Not only that, but people can also judge others for what they listen to. Some may not be accepting of others’ musical tastes.

Freshman Samara Apuy feels a sense of discrimination because she is a musical enthusiast,

“People hate on me all the time for listening to musicals.”

Not only that, people can lack bonding with others in their social group due to their highly different tastes in music.

“I listen to Laufey… I don’t have any friends who listen to the same artists as I,” Freshman Justin James said.