Try out new genres of music

I’ve been listening to a lot of BTS recently and I’ve been enjoying it quite a lot. I don’t speak or understand Korean so a number of their songs I don’t understand the lyrics, but I still enjoy the music.

I often do this sort of as a type of experiment; find new genres of music to check out or new artists that my friends recommend and check them out. It’s a great way to expose yourself to new styles of music.

The key to doing it in a way that’s enjoyable is to do it without judgement and looking for things to like. I need to go into listening to the music with the mindset of “what do I like about this song and do I want to hear it again?” This often leads me to finding things about the song that I really enjoy even if the answer to the question, “do I want to hear it again?” is, “no.”

It’ll help you appreciate more styles of music because you’re looking to enjoy it. Just that simple switch can make a big difference in your listening experience.

Approaching listening a song with the attitude of it being “not my style” is like a self fulfilling prophecy. You won’t like it because you decided at the beginning (before actually hearing it) that you didn’t like it. Change that attitude and the whole experience changes.

I suggest you try it. You might find a new genre of music you like, like I did with K-pop.

ISJ