Why We Love Some Singers’ Voices but Not Everyone's

Music is dynamic, diversified, mysterious, and greatly inspirational. But how do we develop our sense of likeness towards some specific voices only? Let’s find out.

Music is one of those creative art forms that can captivate all kinds of people, and in this world, it is quite hard to find a person who does not like music. Music is like a universal language that not only speaks but also creates communication among global music lovers. However, it is also true that the listening interests differ from one listener to another. While listeners can have different preferences for genres, it is often noticed that some singers’ voices are loved more than others.

Famous singers seem to have a distinctive voice that can be easily distinguished, or maybe they became famous in the first place because they have a distinctly different voice from the rest. Many scientific studies took place in order to determine how listening preferences are created. Although researchers surveyed based on attributes like pitch accuracy, tonal quality, tempo, and others, there are no certain statements that a type of voice can be addressed as the best. There are many differences in the choice of listening. However, there are some similarities in the average liking ratings, which showcase why some songs have the tendency to go viral while others do not.

“There’s more to a person than meets the eye,” and it is particularly true in the case of the voices of the singers or rappers. Voice is capable of evoking deeper emotions, and that is why modern apps and AI-powered tools are focusing on NLP (natural language processing) and natural voices to let users interact with engagement. You might have noticed that modern dating apps and social media platforms have introduced the feature of adding voice to listen to others’ voices and influence people. Listeners seem to detect “an unexpected range of characteristics from a voice, including the dominance, cooperativeness, emotional state, and even the body size of the speaker,” which was revealed in a study in 2017.

How does a voice become likable from the others?

Likability is a broad spectrum of inner emotions, and a listener can like a singer’s voice for many reasons. A voice can have many kinds of appeal, and it can be romantic, sexual, platonic, and even strictly professional. But mostly it has to have some emotive appeal that can connect with the audience, whether through happiness or sadness.

Due to a voice’s ability to influence others, “music therapy” and ‘singing therapy’ are utilized to cure patients who are suffering from neurological or psychological issues. And the best part is that such therapeutic music cannot only cure humans but also cure other wild animals that are suffering from depression and loss. It is mainly used for stroke victims or people with anxiety or stress to help them ease their symptoms by training the undamaged part of the brain. It can also be used for Alzheimer's patients to help them recover their memories related to music. Let’s find out how music and voice influence us.

• Music Makes Us Happy

Music has the ability to make us happy, and that happens due to a biological response. When a person listens to their favorite music or voice, the happy hormone dopamine is released from two distinctive parts of the brain. One of the parts is involved with intense pleasure, while the other one focuses on anticipation. This is one of the reasons why people love music so much, and even poignant music tends to soothe the hearts of the listeners. So, music can definitely make you feel better.

• Music Can Put Us in Sync with Others

According to a music psychologist at the University of Connecticut, Ed Large, “When people get together and hear the same music—such as in a concert hall—it tends to make their brains synch up in rhythmic ways, including a shared emotional experience”. It is true and noticeable in this age of live performance and music tours where people share unity and joy through music, even though there are linguistic barriers. Perhaps music can put us in sync with others who shared a humane experience.

• Music Paves Emotional Travel Time

Scientists are not able to create a machine for time travel yet, but what can transcend you in real time is music. If you are asked to recall a memory from your high school, you might take some time to think of all the incidents, but when you listen to a song from the same era or time, it can instantly take you back in time with vivid memories. That is why music can make us nostalgic quickly, and this emotional transportation is quite subtle. Oftentimes, people tend to think and embrace their lost and loved ones through music as it helps to be close to them even if just cerebrally.

• Music is a Drug!

Say no to drugs, but definitely say yes to music, as music is that drug that you can never overdose on, even if you try. It is like a daily medicine that helps us keep going on in our lives despite all struggles. Just like drugs can be used as a stimulant or an escape from reality, music can do the same and help listeners get in the zone where they can find their better selves. It can help to enhance performance for the listeners and allow them to channel their emotions better.

• Music Helps in Stress Response

According to a recent study by Harvard, music can be described as “auditory cheesecake, an exquisite confection crafted to tickle the sensitive spots of … our mental faculties.” Listening to relaxing and ambient music can help to reduce anxiety rapidly for patients, and sometimes it is even more effective than medications.

Bottom Line

Music definitely has a huge influence on human lives, and it can be an integral need for living, even if the person is not a professional music artist. But is it still not definite or certain which voices of singers will get the most attention? It is safe to say that we like voices that speak for us, and there will always be a song about you!