Music is personal, but is it ever just personal? The songs on our playlists can reveal our moods, memories, aspirations, and perhaps even the kind of people we are. So, when someone says they love heavy metal, old-school Bollywood, K-pop or country, do we instantly form an opinion about them? In this opinion segment, we ask: Do you judge people by their music taste?
VZN, Singer, Songwriter
No, I don’t judge people based on their music taste, but, you know, I do gel along better with people who have similar music tastes to me. If someone likes music that I don’t necessarily vibe with, it doesn’t mean, you know, they’re a bad person or a lesser person. Any music is music at the end of the day.
But if it happens that someone’s top three favourite artists are very similar to mine, that means, we›re just going to have a lot more things to talk about or gel along with, or even when I am working on music, we’ll have the same ideology. But at the same time, if someone listens to music that I don’t listen to, they might also bring in a lot more flavour to my music. That happens a lot as well.
When it comes to my core team, I do prefer having a team of people who listen to very similar music, similar genres but with favourite artists of their own. When it comes to my friends, I really don›t care what kind of music they like. I don›t judge, but I do have preferences.
Priya Neupane, Entrepreneur
Maybe, for a second. But then I listen. I believe music is too personal to judge someone by. You never really know what a song means to another person. Maybe they are sad, happy, missing home, remembering someone, or simply connecting with a feeling.
Sometimes, I think music can even be a quiet way of asking, “Does anyone notice what I am feeling?” A sad song on someone’s post can make people stop and ask, “Are you okay?” Perhaps they couldn’t say it themselves, so they let the song speak for them. I am the same. When I am sad and need to let my emotions out, I’ll play a sad song and let myself cry. But when I am already feeling low and don’t want to stay there, I’ll put on a dancing song and let it change my mood.
My playlist can go from Yesto Pani Huda Raixa to Mai Morilai Lina Pardesi Aauxa Re, depending entirely on my mood. Since I write and sing too, I have learned that music doesn’t always tell you who someone is; it tells you something they feel. So, do I judge? No. I listen. Because behind every song, there may be a story we haven’t heard yet.
Sanisha Bhattarai, Actor
Not really. I feel like music is too personal to judge someone by. The songs we listen to can depend on our mood, our memories, or even a particular moment in our life. Sometimes a song says something about how we feel, but it doesn’t necessarily say who we are.
Of course, if someone has the same music taste as me, I might instantly feel a little more connected to them. And if our tastes are completely different, I might find it interesting and want to know what they love about their music.
But at the end of the day, I don’t think a playlist can define a person. I would rather know someone through their actions, their heart, and the way they treat people. So, I may judge a playlist a little, but never the person behind it.
Garima Shrestha, Content Creator
Honestly, I would be lying if I said I never judge someone based on their music taste. I definitely do, but not in a bad way. I feel like you can actually tell a little bit about someone by what they listen to. If someone shows me their playlist, I am probably going to make a quick assumption about their personality, their vibe, or even their aesthetic.
I am the same way with my own music. I listen to pretty much everything, and it really just depends on my mood and what I am feeling that day. If I want to turn up my energy and just want to feel myself a little, I’ll probably put on some toxic rap or chill hip-hop. But if I actually want to feel something, I’ll go for old classics, R&B or love songs. Sometimes I’ll even listen to sad songs when I am completely fine, just because the song hits.
But I don’t think any type of music is better or cooler than another. Everyone connects with music differently, and I respect that. So yes, I’ll probably judge your music taste for a second, but I am not judging you. I am just trying to figure out your vibe.
