Why music moves us, even if we don't like it

[WORLD] Music has a powerful, almost mystical, ability to influence our emotions, thoughts, and actions. It can lift us up, soothe our souls, or even make us feel intense emotions. But perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of music is how it can make us move, even when we don’t particularly enjoy the tune. Whether it’s tapping your feet, swaying to the beat, or even dancing spontaneously, music triggers a physical reaction that seems to bypass our conscious control. But why does this happen? Why do we feel an undeniable urge to move, even to songs we might not like?

In this article, we explore the science behind why music makes us move, even when it doesn’t strike a chord with our personal taste. We’ll dive into the research, expert opinions, and psychological theories that attempt to explain this fascinating phenomenon.

The Groove Factor: What Is It?

One of the most fascinating features of music is something called "groove." Groove refers to the rhythmic elements of music that compel our bodies to move in time with the beat, often without us consciously choosing to do so. The physical urge to move to a song’s rhythm is a universal phenomenon, and it has been studied for decades by psychologists and neuroscientists alike.

According to Isaac Romkey, a researcher at Concordia University, groove is the aspect of music that makes you want to move your body in response to the rhythm, even when you’re not particularly emotionally connected to the music. “The way we respond to rhythm is so ingrained in us that even people who don’t enjoy music still find themselves moving to the beat,” says Romkey in a recent study. This response is automatic and rooted deeply in our neural and physical processes.

The Surprising Role of Movement

It might seem odd that we can move to music even if we don’t like it. After all, most of us think of enjoyment as a prerequisite for dancing or even tapping our feet to a song. However, the study found that even people who do not enjoy music on an emotional level still feel the physical urge to move. This phenomenon can be understood through the interplay of brain regions involved in movement control and reward mechanisms.

When we listen to music, the auditory processing centers of our brain are activated, but so are areas responsible for movement coordination. Interestingly, these same brain regions also play a role in reward processing. So, when we move in time with the rhythm, even if we’re not enjoying the music itself, the act of moving generates a sense of satisfaction and reward. It’s this feeling of reward from movement that might be driving us to dance or sway, regardless of our emotional connection to the song.

In the study by Romkey and his team, they found that people with "musical anhedonia" — those who don’t experience the emotional enjoyment that most people get from music — still experienced physical movements like tapping their feet or nodding their heads. This shows that the urge to move is a separate phenomenon from the emotional enjoyment we often associate with music. "Even though people with musical anhedonia don’t get emotional pleasure from music, they still can’t stop moving," says Romkey.

Evolutionary Roots: Why Did We Evolve to Move?

Why do we feel this biological compulsion to move to music? One theory suggests that our response to rhythm and movement is deeply rooted in evolution. Early humans likely used rhythmic patterns in music as a form of communication, bonding, and even survival. In tribal societies, rhythm was often used in rituals, dances, and other communal activities that helped strengthen social bonds and reinforce group unity.

Researchers speculate that rhythmic movement helped synchronize group actions, such as hunting, gathering, and ritualistic ceremonies. Moving in sync with others would have been advantageous, creating a sense of unity and cooperation within a group. As a result, our brains may have evolved to respond automatically to rhythms, making us more likely to move in tune with the music and others around us.

This evolutionary view suggests that the physical urge to move to music is hardwired into our brain’s circuitry, as it would have played an important role in social cohesion and survival. Even today, whether we realize it or not, our bodies instinctively respond to rhythm, which might be a vestige of this ancient evolutionary trait.

The Neural Mechanisms at Play

The neural mechanisms behind our response to music are complex and involve various brain regions. Research has shown that when we listen to music, the brain’s reward system — specifically the striatum — is activated. The striatum is responsible for processing pleasurable stimuli, and it plays a central role in motivation and motor control. When the brain anticipates a reward or experiences satisfaction, such as when we synchronize our movements with the rhythm of the music, this area of the brain becomes active.

Furthermore, the motor cortex, which controls movement, also plays a crucial role in our response to rhythm. This area of the brain is involved in planning and executing movements, such as tapping your foot, nodding your head, or dancing to the beat. These neural processes occur automatically, bypassing conscious thought. So, when music plays, your body may respond almost instinctively, regardless of whether you like the song or not.

Romkey’s study provides an interesting perspective on this: “The brain circuits involved in moving to music are very old. They predate our ability to enjoy music emotionally.” This insight reinforces the idea that our response to music may be more about our physical biology than about our personal taste or emotional connection to the music.

Music and the Social Aspect of Movement

Another aspect of music’s ability to make us move, even against our preferences, has to do with the social and cultural aspects of music. Music is often experienced in social settings, such as concerts, clubs, or parties, where moving to the beat is part of the shared experience. In these environments, we may feel compelled to move in order to fit in with others or simply because the collective energy in the space encourages it. This social component adds another layer of complexity to our response to music.

Even in situations where we don’t particularly enjoy a song, the collective energy and the presence of others who are enjoying the music can trigger our own physical response. This is particularly evident in group settings where synchronized movement, such as dancing, becomes a social activity in and of itself. The desire to be part of the group or to share in the collective experience may override any resistance to the music itself.

The Connection Between Rhythm and Emotional Release

Another reason music might compel us to move, even when we don’t like it, lies in the emotional release that movement provides. Physical movement, particularly rhythmic movement, has been shown to release endorphins and dopamine — chemicals in the brain that are associated with pleasure and reward. This means that, even if the song isn’t your favorite, the act of moving to the rhythm can provide a sense of pleasure and emotional release.

In many cases, this release of emotions is part of the reason why people may feel “caught up” in the music, even when they initially don’t like it. The movement itself becomes a form of emotional expression or catharsis, allowing us to experience a sense of well-being and relaxation, even in the absence of a deep emotional connection to the music.

In the end, music’s ability to make us move — even when we don’t like it — is a fascinating phenomenon with deep roots in both our evolutionary biology and our brain’s neurocircuitry. As Romkey’s study shows, even people who don’t experience emotional pleasure from music still feel compelled to move to the rhythm, indicating that the physical response to music is independent of personal taste. This urge is not only ingrained in our biology but is also influenced by our social environments and the emotional release that movement provides.

So, the next time you find yourself tapping your feet or swaying to a song you’re not particularly fond of, remember that this physical urge is much more than just an expression of enjoyment. It’s a deeply ingrained biological and social response that connects us to our evolutionary past and our brain’s wiring for rhythm, movement, and reward. Music doesn’t need to be something we “like” in order to move us — sometimes, it’s simply the beat that takes control.