I listen to 'cringe' songs to calm down and I’m not guilty about it

There was one particularly bad day at work when everything that could go wrong, did. A meeting fell flat, I sent a message I instantly regretted, and I spent the commute home replaying it all in my head. The moment I shut my bedroom door, I blasted my chaotic playlist almost out of frustration. And somewhere between singing along (not well, I must admit) and tapping my feet to every beat, the tightness in my chest began to ease. Nothing had really changed about my situation, but I felt lighter, like I managed to interrupt my own spiral.

Over time, I’ve realised that these songs force you to feel something—loudly. There’s no room for quiet overthinking when Justin Bieber’s 'Baby' is blasting in your ears. You’re either fully in it or not at all. And when you are, your body starts to relax in a strange, unexpected way. Your shoulders drop, your breathing shifts, and suddenly the stress doesn’t feel quite as heavy.

There is also a deep sense of nostalgia attached to songs like 'Dard-E-Disco', Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' or One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful'. They remind me of school functions, random dance performances, weddings, and that very specific era of pop culture that did not care about subtlety. Listening to them now feels like revisiting a simpler time, even if just for a few minutes.

"Campy, high-energy tracks can feel safe because they are known, nostalgic, and emotionally uncomplicated, allowing the brain to disengage from stress while still being stimulated momentarily. The music may be loud, but it can help neutralise internal overwhelm by rekindling memories from a simpler, happier time. They interrupt rumination and create a kind of sensory reset," she adds.

Desai opines that this behaviour might not be inherently good or bad, and that it is fine as long as it is not used as the only coping tool. What makes these songs so calming is that they permit you to be a little unhinged. To sing loudly even if you can’t sing, to dance badly without caring, to feel dramatic without apologising for it. In a world that constantly asks us to be composed and put together, this feels oddly freeing.