Discussion Why do humans like music?

The original reason is probably that we're mosty made of water, and sound does stuff to water. Read up on cynematics if you're interested, or watch this. This isn't made by a computer program, it's just a colorful lamp, a speaker, and water.



Lots of animals enjoy music, and lots of animals 'sing' together, even ones you wouldn't expect, like fish for example. They sound a lot like birds with the right recording devices. And I myself have gone in the woods to sing with some friends, only to have a wild bird join in and peep to the rhythm. It's way older than we are. Music might not express itself the same way in different creatures or even different people, some will like this and others will like that, but it's a fundamental part of life on Earth.

 

Since you're more musically inclined, I wanted to ask a question.

I had a discussion with a friend who did her undergrad/grad studies in the US but went back to Asia to live and work. It's been years, and she's a audiophile who is still REALLY enamored with western songs. Her point was effectively that western (US/black/white) lyrics are much better than CN ones. Even though I know she's well-versed in both languages.

I know ... that's a really broad generalized statement she made.
In a certain CN dialect, they'd call such people "those who like to eat potatoes" (euphemism for westward learning asians)

Do you agree with that?
Summoning @Wujigege @lychee ... and whoever else might actually be an audiophile.

I personally thought it was the complete opposite, that most western lyrics were generally too simple and failed to convey the complexity of the song.
I'm not much of an audiophile although I listen to pop songs of both languages, even hispanic ones too. When you study the lyrics of either Chinese, Hispanic or even Japanese songs, I find them way more meaningful.

You know the kind ... where some singer is croning his entire damn life story (hispanic ballad), or the complex emotions he/she is going through with pretty abstract words (Jap), or just hard to understand ones like Jay Chou's "Blue/White Porcelain" (CN).
Compared to say ... US top 40's Jonas Bros "What a Man Gotta Do", or BTS "Black Swan"

EDIT: Before people start throwing stones, I do acknowledge that there great songs and songwriters ... "Empire State of Mind", some stuff from Kendrick Lamar, Adele, etc.

 

...?

Didn't just say I don't give a fuck about the lyrics? So most modern works are literally wasted on me cause a lot of its value is in the words.

I'm a classical musician. I perform with an orchestra. I pay attention to how a piece is structurally built and how the instruments have been set up to bring out the most in the piece. I look at the subtle displays of skill when a world class player plays that brings the piece to life and puts it on a level that can never be achieved digitally.

What I'm saying is, when I listen to music I look at the words and the music separately. The lyrics are like poems to me, and I'm not really a big fan of poems. But I am a fan of just music, so I just look at the unique melody that the composer has come up with and how they expanded upon it to create a complete piece surrounding that melody or chorus.

To understand the value of words in a song you need to ask my high school literature teacher.
Damn was she passionate about words.

 

Animals like music too.