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Why our musical tastes are stuck at the age of 30
We can conclude that musical paralysis is the body's natural mechanism to stay sane and on the safest path.
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Steal the show: Boyband Dewa 19 perform in a concert titled A Night At The Orchestra in Surabaya, East Java, on April 19. Dewa 19 is among the country’s most-loved rock bands. (Antara/Moch Asim)
I
magine this scene: You are a person aged 30 who often listens to music on Spotify or other streaming platforms. When you first open the app, you are offered countless music choices. There are tons of music playlists, either compiled by app algorithms or by human curators.
However, you end up ignoring all of the recommended music. You don't want to see what music is in the “Discover Weekly” or “Release Radar” lists. Instead, you prefer to listen to music on your personal playlist. You only want to listen to music that is familiar to your ears, music that you have listened to since you were a teenager.
You might ask: Why can't I try listening to new releases? It's my fault, I guess. My mind is too short-sighted and reluctant to accept new things.
For example, in the 2000s you were still a teenager. Back then, the music that you were close to included Dewa, Sheila On 7, Padi or Jamrud. Decades later, in 2023, you don't want to listen to younger and new generations of musicians, such as Isyana Sarasvati, Kunto Aji .feast, or Hindia.
Back to the statement above: Is this my short-sighted mind that is reluctant to accept new things?
No. It's not our fault. This is something human. Most people experience this incident: Their taste in music is stuck at the age of 30 years.
Based on research conducted by a French streaming music service, Deezer, this phenomenon is known as musical paralysis. It is a condition when a person stops listening to new music and listens to the same music over and over again.
