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MUJ | Culture

Soundtrack of Our Lives

Niamat Dhillon Student Contributor, Manipal University Jaipur
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MUJ chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Soundtrack and memory are like peanut butter and jam—two things that don’t just go well together but, once combined, become inseparable. You hear a song, and suddenly, BAM! You’re not in your current, responsible (ish) life anymore. You’re thirteen, at a school dance, sweating through your Dress to Impress outfit, praying your crush will just make eye contact across the dimly lit room while some DJ blasts “Bleeding Love” at full volume. Why does this happen? Why does music have this almost supernatural ability to time-travel us back to emotions, places, and even specific scents (hello, nostalgic waft of adolescent body spray)?

Science, as always, has answers. But let’s make it fun.

Your Brain: The Ultimate DJ

Your brain is constantly on the aux, and let me tell you, it loves a good throwback. The connection between music and memory is all thanks to some MVPs in the brain: the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the auditory cortex.

  • Hippocampus (the Archivist): This is your brain’s memory keeper. It’s the part responsible for storing and retrieving all your greatest hits—where you were when you first heard a song, what you were feeling, and why it still makes you want to cry in a supermarket aisle in 2025.
  • Amygdala (the Drama Queen): This little almond-shaped thing processes emotions, and let’s be honest, it’s a bit overdramatic. It hears a song from your past and immediately goes, Oh wow, let’s feel ALL of that again. Right now. Intensely.
  • Auditory Cortex (the Sound Engineer): This part processes music itself—melody, rhythm, lyrics, and all those little details that make a song iconic. Without this, everything would sound like a particularly bad kazoo cover.

Together, these three create the ultimate emotional mixtape—one you didn’t even know you were making until it plays at the worst (or best) possible moments.

Why Music Hits Different

Unlike normal memories, which fade into obscurity like a forgotten TV remote, music-encoded memories stick hard. It’s because music activates so many different areas of the brain at once. Listening to music is like a full-body experience for your neurons. Scientists have even found that music triggers dopamine release—the same happy chemical that spikes when you eat chocolate or finally find the WiFi password in a café.

And that’s not all. Music isn’t just stored in one place in your brain; it’s everywhere. That’s why even people with severe memory loss—like those with Alzheimer’s—can still recall songs from their youth when everything else is a blur. It’s the closest thing we have to a “Save Game” function in real life.

The Nostalgia Factor: Why That One Song From 2010 Still Slaps

Ever wondered why the songs from your teenage years hit harder than anything else? Scientists have an answer, and it’s honestly kind of poetic.

During adolescence, your brain is in hyper-recording mode. Your amygdala and hippocampus are developing at full speed, meaning emotional and sensory experiences from this time become deeply ingrained. That’s why a song from your school years feels like an instant time portal, while something you heard last week might already be a vague memory.

It’s called the “Reminiscence Bump,” which sounds like a questionable dance move but is actually a psychological phenomenon where people recall more memories from their teenage and early adult years than any other time. Scientists say it’s because this is when we experience many of our “firsts”—first love, first heartbreak, first wild sleepover where you genuinely thought you might get grounded for life. And music was there through it all.

Why Sad Songs Hit Too Hard

Have you ever wanted to be in your feels? Like, actively chosen to listen to a song that will wreck you emotionally even though you were fine five minutes ago? That’s your brain being dramatic again.

Music has the ability to mimic human emotions, and we actually enjoy feeling deep, complex feelings—especially when we know it’s in a safe, controlled environment. It’s called musical catharsis, and it’s why Adele could single-handedly bring you to your knees even if you’ve never been through a break-up in your life.

Sad music also triggers the release of prolactin—a hormone that helps soothe grief. So when you’re listening to something heart-wrenching, your brain is actually working to calm you down while you’re crying in your bedroom. Bit of a toxic relationship, really.

Earworms: When Your Brain Won’t Let Go

And then, of course, we have earworms—those songs that get stuck in your head and refuse to leave, even though you don’t want them there. Turns out, this happens because your brain is trying to finish something.

If a song has a catchy melody, simple lyrics, or repetitive patterns, your brain holds onto it like an unfinished puzzle. The more you try to resist it, the longer it stays. That’s why you can’t escape Baby Shark no matter how much you wish you could.

Healing Through Music

It’s not just nostalgia and emotions—music also has real, tangible healing properties. Ever wondered why lullabies work on babies? It’s because music can literally calm your nervous system, slow your heart rate, and reduce stress levels.

Music therapy is used in hospitals, mental health care, and even with war veterans to help with PTSD. The reason? Music can access memories and emotions in a way words simply can’t. It bypasses logic, digs straight into the emotional core, and helps us process things that feel too big for conversation.

It’s why people make playlists for grief, for joy, for motivation. It’s why road trips need the right soundtrack and why every major life event feels like it’s begging for a background score. Music isn’t just entertainment—it’s a companion.

Your Brain, Your Playlist, Your Life

At the end of the day, the science of music and memory isn’t just about neurons firing—it’s about us. About the way we, as humans, attach meaning to sound. About how a song can make us laugh, cry, dance, or suddenly feel like we’re right back in a moment we thought we’d forgotten.

So the next time a song comes on and your whole body reacts—let it. Let yourself be transported, let the memory flood in, and most importantly, let the music play. Because whether we realise it or not, every song we love is just another track in the soundtrack of our lives.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just heard a song from 2012, and I need to go stare dramatically out of a window.

Nostalgia in a Chord: Why Music Transports Us

There you are, minding your business, scrolling through life, and then—bam. Three notes into an old song, and suddenly, you’re not here anymore. You’re in your childhood bedroom, face-down on your bed, absolutely devastated over some life-altering tragedy (like your mum not letting you stay up past 10 PM). Or maybe you’re on a road trip in 2016, screaming lyrics into the wind, the taste of roadside chai still fresh on your tongue.

How does this happen? How can a single melody override years of personal growth and self-respect to make you feel exactly like you did way back when? The answer, my friend, lies in nostalgia—music’s sneakiest, most powerful magic trick.

Why Nostalgia Feels Like an Emotional Ambush

Nostalgia is like that one friend who only texts you at 2 AM with “hey, remember when—” and suddenly, you’re drowning in emotions you didn’t ask for. But why does music trigger it so intensely?

A lot of it comes down to how deeply music is wired into memory. Unlike random facts (like the periodic table, which you probably forgot the second your chemistry exam ended), songs are stored alongside emotions, senses, and even physical experiences. This is why you don’t just remember hearing a song—you remember how you felt when you heard it. The sweaty palms. The butterflies. The absolute drama of it all.

And because music is stored in multiple parts of the brain—including the hippocampus (where long-term memories live) and the amygdala (our personal emotional DJ)—a single song can unlock a flood of sensory details instantly.

The “Oh My God, I Forgot About This Song” Phenomenon

Ever had a song pop up out of nowhere, and suddenly, a part of your soul reboots? Maybe it’s a ringtone from your first phone, a Bollywood track your parents played on road trips, or a dance anthem that ruled your teenage parties. Whatever it is, the second it starts playing, you’re gone.

This happens because of something called associative memory. Your brain doesn’t just store the song—it stores everything around it. The smell of your mum’s cooking. The feel of a school uniform. The sheer horror of a Nokia 3310 falling on your foot. It’s all in there, waiting for a trigger.

The Teenage Time Capsule Effect

If you feel like no songs hit as hard as the ones from your teenage years, science says you’re absolutely right. Studies show that our emotional connection to music is strongest during adolescence. This is when our brains are practically hyper-recording everything—love, heartbreak, rebellion, friendship, and the deep feeling that nobody understands us (except that one artist who just gets it).

Psychologists call this the Reminiscence Bump, which sounds like a dance move from the early 2000s but is actually a real thing. It explains why the songs we loved between ages 12 and 22 feel iconic forever. Your brain was in emotional overdrive, and those songs? They became the official soundtrack to your coming-of-age montage.

  • That one sad song you played on repeat, feeling the weight of the world on your little dramatic shoulders.
  • The hype-up anthem that made you feel invincible before a big event.
  • The song you and your best friend claimed as “ours” and still text each other about.

Even if you cringe at your old music taste now, you can’t deny the power those songs still have over you.

Why Even Cringe Music Still Hits

Speaking of old music taste—why do embarrassing songs still feel so good? The boyband era. The cheesy pop phase. The emotional, eyeliner-heavy rock ballads. Even if your current Spotify Wrapped screams sophistication, all it takes is one throwback hit and suddenly, you’re screaming lyrics you swore you forgot.

This is because music is tied to identity formation. When you were younger, every song you loved was a declaration of who you were at that moment. And even if you’ve changed, those songs still represent the person you used to be—the one who wore questionable fashion choices but felt everything so deeply.

Why Music Feels Like a Time Machine

Ever noticed that nostalgia isn’t just about remembering the past—it’s about feeling like you’re there again? That’s because music engages more than just memory; it taps into the senses and emotions that made that time so vivid.

  • A childhood song? Instant time-travel to lazy summer afternoons.
  • A uni party song? Back to sticky floors, neon lights, and the unmatched energy of being young and reckless.
  • A heartbreak song? Suddenly, you’re 16 again, overthinking a text message.

Music doesn’t just remind you of the past—it recreates it, emotions and all.

The Double-Edged Sword of Nostalgia

As powerful as nostalgia is, it can be a bit of a trickster. A song that once brought joy might now sting with loss. A track that felt like your anthem may remind you of a version of yourself you’ve outgrown. Nostalgia is beautiful, but it’s also bittersweet—a reminder of how much has changed.

And yet, we chase it. We make throwback playlists, we go to ‘00s-themed nights, we send “OMG remember this?” texts to friends we haven’t seen in years. Because deep down, we like the feeling of being transported, even if it’s just for a moment.

The Songs We Haven’t Heard Yet

While nostalgia makes us hold onto the past, music also reminds us that our playlist is still growing. There are songs out there waiting to become new favourites, new emotional time capsules, new soundtracks to moments we haven’t lived yet.

So yes, blast your old anthems. Let yourself get lost in the time-traveling magic of music. But don’t forget to make space for new tracks, because one day, today’s music will be the song that takes you back to this very moment.

Wait wait, before the next section, I just heard a song from 2014, and I suddenly need to stare into the distance like I’m in a coming-of-age film.

Life’s Playlist: How Songs Define Milestones

There are moments in life that don’t just happen—they soundtrack themselves. You don’t plan it, you don’t consciously choose it, but suddenly, a song attaches itself to an experience so permanently that the two become inseparable. You hear it years later, and bam—you’re right there again.

Your first concert. Your graduation. The best road trip of your life. The worst heartbreak you ever survived. Every milestone has a song playing in the background, waiting to be rediscovered.

Music isn’t just entertainment—it’s the playlist of our existence. And whether we realise it or not, we’ve been curating it our whole lives.

Songs as Memory Markers

Life doesn’t come with a narrator, but it does come with background music. And for some reason, the universe (or your subconscious) always picks the perfect song to cement a moment in time.

It’s why you can hear a single note and immediately remember:

  • The first time you truly felt free.
  • The summer that changed everything.
  • The way your heart raced just before something big.

Music doesn’t just accompany life’s milestones—it preserves them, like little audio time capsules.

The Firsts That Deserve Their Own Soundtrack

There’s something about firsts that demand a theme song. They’re messy, magical, and often completely overwhelming, and music has a way of soaking up all that emotion.

Your First Concert- The energy. The lights. The bass vibrating through your chest. That moment when the crowd sings in unison, and you realise—this is a core memory now. It’s one thing to listen to music through your headphones, but your first concert? That’s the moment you feel it in your bones.

Your First Love- No matter how it ended (beautifully, chaotically, or in a series of ignored texts), the songs you listened to during that time? They belong to that person forever. Even if you cringe now, even if you swear it meant nothing, let’s be real—the second that one song plays, your heart still does a little oh no.

Your First Heartbreak- There’s something almost cinematic about heartbreak songs. You could be perfectly fine, then one lyric cuts just a little too deep, and suddenly, you’re staring out of a window like you’re in a slow-motion montage. Music makes pain poetic, which is both a blessing and a curse when you’re just trying to move on.

Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan hug during the grammys 2025
Francis Specker/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting

Milestones That Deserve a Playlist

Not all big moments are glamorous, but they’re still soundtrack-worthy.

Graduation: The Sound of Endings and Beginnings

Graduation music is so deceptive. The official songs are all triumphant and inspirational, but the ones that really get you? The ones that played during your last-ever lunch break, your final group hangout, the silent car ride home when it hit you that everything was about to change.

Road Trips: The Sound of Infinite Possibility

A road trip without music is just driving. A road trip with the right playlist? That’s cinema. Whether it’s a reckless adventure with friends, a solo journey to clear your head, or a late-night drive with someone special, the songs you play will forever belong to that road.

Moving Away: The Sound of Growth and Goodbyes

Packing up your life, leaving behind everything familiar, and stepping into the unknown—there’s a song for that. And when you hear it again, years later, it won’t just remind you of the place you left. It’ll remind you of the version of yourself who was brave enough to leave.

Why Some Songs Just Belong to Certain People

Sometimes, a song doesn’t remind you of an event—it reminds you of a person.

  • The song your sibling played on repeat during a phase they swore they’d never grow out of.
  • The song that made you and your best friend look at each other and scream in sync.
  • The song that reminds you of someone you don’t even talk to anymore, but for a moment, you kind of wish you did.

Music doesn’t just capture what happened—it captures who was there when it did.

The Songs That Stay With You Forever

We don’t always realise when we’re living a milestone. Some moments feel ordinary until a song brings them back years later, making you wish you could freeze them in time.

And in a way, you can.

Because no matter how much life changes, no matter how far you go or how much you grow, some songs will always be there—waiting to remind you of the journey.

So press play. Let the music keep telling your story.

Soundtrack of Love and Heartbreak

Love has a sound. It’s the quiet hum of a song playing in the background during a first date, the way a certain melody lingers in a shared silence, the chorus that feels like it was written for your relationship. And heartbreak? Well, heartbreak has a whole playlist—and it plays on shuffle when you least expect it.

Some songs feel like they belong to two people. Others become the theme music of loss. And no matter how much time passes, those songs remain—the emotional bookmarks of a love story that was, or almost was, or shouldn’t have been in the first place.

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Patrick Wymore/Netflix © 2022

Love Songs That Weren’t Meant to Be Love Songs

Not all couples get a traditional love song. Some love stories are soundtracked by the wrong genre entirely—a random indie track, a song from a meme, or something that played at a bizarrely specific but meaningful moment.

“Our Song” Energy

There’s always that one song—the one that wasn’t planned, but somehow became yours. Maybe it was playing when you first met, maybe it came on during a perfect moment, or maybe you just heard it so many times together that now, it’s impossible to separate it from them.

It doesn’t even have to be romantic. Some of the strongest love songs are the ones that make no sense to anyone except the two people they belong to.

Songs That Sound Like Falling in Love

Some songs don’t need lyrics to explain what they mean. They feel like love. They start slow, build up, and suddenly, you’re in the middle of something bigger than yourself. That’s love, isn’t it? The way a melody sweeps you up, the way a key change feels like butterflies in your stomach, the way a final chorus soars—it’s almost ridiculous how much a song can mimic the feeling of catching feelings.

The Songs That Become Goodbye Letters

And then, of course, there’s the other kind of song—the ones that become the unofficial soundtrack of heartbreak.

The Accidental Break-Up Song

Sometimes, a song starts as yours—as in, the couple song, the one that made you both soft, the one you swore would play at your wedding. Then, well, life happened. And now? Now it plays in a supermarket, and you suddenly forget what you were shopping for because you’re too busy standing there like the main character in a devastating film montage.

The Song That Explains Everything

You know the one. The song that, somehow, puts into words exactly what happened—whether it was a slow fade, a messy end, or a love that almost worked but didn’t. Maybe you didn’t even notice the lyrics before, but now every single line feels like a personal attack.

Some songs don’t just remind you of heartbreak. They are the heartbreak.

The One You Keep Skipping

There’s always a song that you refuse to listen to anymore. It doesn’t matter if it’s a certified banger—if it’s tied too deeply to someone who’s gone, it hurts. And so you skip it. Every time. Even if it’s playing in the background at a party, even if it comes on the radio. Maybe one day, you’ll listen again. But not yet. Not today.

The Healing Playlist: When Music Patches the Cracks

Heartbreak songs wreck you, but they also put you back together.

  • First, the sad ones—the ones you need to cry to.
  • Then, the angry ones—the ones that make you roll your eyes and think, Wow, I was delusional.
  • And finally, the freedom songs—the ones that remind you that you survived, that you’re still here, and that one day, some other song will make you smile again.

Music doesn’t just accompany love and heartbreak. It helps heal them.

Some Songs Are Forever

Love fades. People leave. But songs? Songs stay.

So whether you’re in the middle of a love story or the aftermath of one, just know this—one day, a song will come on, and it won’t hurt anymore. It won’t remind you of what you lost. It’ll remind you of who you were, of what you felt, of the fact that love—no matter how it ends—is always worth the soundtrack.

And if nothing else, at least heartbreak gives you an excuse to make the most dramatic playlist of your life.

Cultural Echoes: Music as a Collective Memory

Music is a time machine, but not just for individuals—for entire generations. A song isn’t just something you listen to; it’s something that belongs to a moment in time, to a culture, to a people. It’s the sound of movements, of revolutions, of Friday nights at your parents’ favourite dive bar before they became your parents. It’s the songs you never chose to love but somehow ended up knowing every word to anyway.

Some music is ours—a deeply personal anthem tied to a single memory. But some music is everyone’s—a melody woven into the fabric of history, passed down like folklore, playing at every wedding, every protest, every childhood road trip.

The Soundtrack of a Generation

Every generation has a sound. You know exactly what I mean. The songs that define an era, the ones that instantly tell you who grew up when.

Play Bohemian Rhapsody, and watch an entire crowd—across different ages—instinctively belt out every word. Play Wannabe by the Spice Girls, and suddenly, the room is full of people choosing whether they’re a Sporty, Scary, Baby, Posh, or Ginger.

These aren’t just songs. They’re collective memories. They mark the when and where of an era, and even if you weren’t there when they first played on the radio, they still reach you—through parents, through older siblings, through that one friend who insists you have to hear this classic.

Music as a Family Heirloom

Some people inherit jewellery. Others inherit vinyl collections.

You don’t realise it as a child, but the songs your parents play on repeat, the ones they hum absentmindedly while cooking, the ones they insist are “real music”—they’re not just tunes. They’re pieces of their past, echoes of their youth.

At some point, it happens to you too. You catch yourself singing along to a song you never chose to like but somehow absorbed through sheer exposure. It’s not just a song anymore—it’s the sound of car rides with your mum, or your dad’s questionable dance moves, or the music your grandparents played on their old radio when you visited.

And then, without thinking, you’re the one passing it on—playing it for someone younger, making them listen, making them feel it.

Music That Protests, Speaks, and Stays

Some songs aren’t just entertainment; they’re revolutionary.

Music has always been at the heart of change. The protest songs of the ‘60s, the punk anthems of rebellion, the hip-hop tracks that told stories mainstream media ignored—music is a megaphone for voices that refuse to be silenced.

When people march, they sing. When people grieve, they sing. When people celebrate, they sing.

The music of a movement doesn’t fade—it lingers, carried forward by the next generation. The struggles may evolve, the world may change, but the songs remain, reminding us of what was fought for, of what still needs to be fought for.

The Immortality of Certain Songs

Some songs never die.

They belong to no single decade, no single artist, no single culture—they exist everywhere, constantly being rediscovered. Think of how every generation somehow finds its way to Take on Me by a-ha, or Dancing Queen by ABBA. Think of how classical compositions, centuries old, still find their way into films, adverts, and even lo-fi study playlists.

Some melodies refuse to be forgotten. They adapt, evolve, resurface in remixes and covers, in movies and TikTok trends. They remind us that music isn’t static—it’s alive, moving, always finding new ears to call home.

A Chorus That Never Ends

Music is a bridge between past and present, between generations, between cultures. It’s proof that no matter how much the world changes, we will always share something—melodies, lyrics, beats that make us feel something together.

So the next time an old song plays and someone says, “Oh, this one’s a classic,” don’t roll your eyes. Listen. There’s history in that sound. There’s life in it. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll be one of the songs that gets carried forward, sung again decades from now, by people who haven’t even been born yet.

Because some music isn’t just ours. It belongs to everyone.

Personalised Playlists: Crafting Your Own Soundtrack

Life doesn’t come with a built-in soundtrack—but if it did, you’d be the DJ. Every playlist you’ve ever made—whether it was an accidental masterpiece or a chaotic mix of moods—has been more than just a bunch of songs. It was a chapter, a mood board in musical form, a time capsule of who you were at that exact moment.

Think about it. You don’t just listen to music; you collect it. You curate it like an artist arranging paintings in a gallery. And with every playlist, every saved song, every impulsive queue addition, you’re writing the score to your own story.

Why Playlists Matter More Than We Realise

Ever scrolled through an old playlist and suddenly been hit with all the emotions you felt when you first made it? That’s because playlists aren’t just a mix of sounds; they’re a mix of memories.

There’s a reason why your “Summer ‘21” playlist feels different from your “Late Night Feels” playlist. You weren’t just picking songs—you were picking experiences. You were crafting the perfect background music for car rides, study sessions, workouts, heartbreak recoveries, or that specific moment when you needed to feel like the main character in a coming-of-age film.

It’s the same reason why we dedicate playlists to people—our best friends, our first love, our childhood selves. Music helps us define our relationships, our moods, and even our identities.

The Art of Making the Perfect Playlist

A good playlist is like a carefully constructed novel—every song plays its part. It’s not just about throwing together bangers (though, let’s be real, that’s also important); it’s about creating a journey.

1. The Opening Track: Setting the Tone- The first song is the handshake, the welcome mat, the “you’re in for something special” moment. Whether it’s an instant banger or a slow-build masterpiece, it tells your brain: This is where we’re starting.

2. The Rising Action: Keeping the Flow- No one wants a playlist that feels like a car with no brakes. The best ones flow—each track complementing the last, keeping the mood consistent, or shifting in a way that feels intentional.

3. The Emotional Peak: The Standout Track- This is the song you built the playlist around—the one that means something. Maybe it’s the song that makes you scream the lyrics, or the one that makes you stare dramatically out of windows. Either way, this is the core of the journey.

4. The Cooldown: The Perfect Ending- A great playlist doesn’t just stop—it lands. The last few songs should ease you out, give you that satisfied exhale feeling, like the credits rolling on a really, really good film.

Playlists as Personal Time Capsules

One of the best (and most emotional) things about playlists? They age with you.

That playlist you made for your first heartbreak? It still hurts, even years later. That playlist you made when you moved away from home? It still makes you feel seventeen. You may not even listen to them anymore, but you can’t delete them. Because deleting them feels like erasing a part of yourself.

And sometimes, revisiting an old playlist is like re-reading an old diary entry—you get to remember who you were, what you felt, and how far you’ve come.

The Playlist You Haven’t Made Yet

At the end of the day, crafting playlists is one of the simplest but most powerful ways we document our lives.

So go make one. Make a playlist for the version of you that exists right now. Name it something absurd. Fill it with songs that make you feel something. Because one day, you’ll stumble upon it again, and it’ll remind you of exactly who you were in this moment.

And that? That’s the magic of music.

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Charlotte Reader / Her Campus

Silence vs. Sound: When Music Speaks Louder Than Words

There are moments in life when words fail us—when no sentence, no carefully chosen phrase, can quite capture the depth of what we feel. And yet, somehow, music does. A single melody can express what entire novels struggle to articulate. A lyric, barely a whisper, can resonate louder than a thousand conversations.

It’s why people turn to music in their happiest moments and their darkest days. Why we blare songs to celebrate victories and sink into them when our hearts are broken. Music bypasses the messy, over-analytical part of our brains and goes straight to the feeling. It doesn’t describe emotion—it becomes it.

Why Music Transcends Language

Music has the unique ability to communicate beyond words. Unlike spoken language, which is bound by vocabulary and grammar, music operates on instinct. It’s primal. It’s universal. A single chord progression can make you feel nostalgic for something you’ve never even experienced. A shift from major to minor can bring tears to your eyes without a single lyric being sung.

And the best part? It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the language. You don’t need to speak Korean to feel the raw intensity of a BTS ballad. You don’t need to know Italian to be moved by an opera. You don’t need to be fluent in Hindi to get the aching beauty of an old Bollywood classic. Music doesn’t ask for translation—it speaks directly to the soul.

The Power of Instrumentals: When Words Aren’t Needed

There’s something almost supernatural about instrumental music—how it manages to tell entire stories without a single spoken word. The swell of an orchestra, the soft pluck of a guitar, the echo of a piano in an empty room—these sounds paint emotions in ways that words never could.

Film scores, for example, are built entirely on this principle. Imagine Jaws without that iconic two-note motif. Imagine Interstellar without Hans Zimmer’s cosmic organ masterpiece. The best movie scenes aren’t just seen—they’re felt, and music is what makes them unforgettable.

And it’s not just movies. Lo-fi beats help us focus when our minds are too cluttered. Classical compositions calm our nerves when words of reassurance don’t work. Even complete silence can be filled with imaginary music—because our brains, wired as they are for rhythm and emotion, expect a soundtrack.

Songs That Say What We Can’t

We’ve all had those moments when someone asks, “What’s wrong?” and we know explaining won’t do it justice. So instead, we send a song. A link. A playlist.

Sometimes, it’s easier to say, “Listen to this,” than to try to untangle the mess in our heads. It’s why we dedicate songs to people we love. It’s why we post lyrics when we can’t quite put our feelings into words. It’s why heartbreak playlists exist—because sometimes, it’s not about moving on just yet. It’s about being understood.

And sometimes, music says what we didn’t even know we needed to hear. The right song at the right time can feel like a direct message from the universe, a reminder that whatever we’re feeling—joy, pain, longing, love—someone else has felt it too. And they turned it into sound.

Spotify Blends & The Art of Shared Playlists

If music is a personal language, then sharing it is the closest thing we have to telepathy.

Spotify Blends have tapped into something so beautifully human: the idea that our music tastes—the things we listen to when no one’s watching—are little fragments of who we are. When you blend playlists with a friend, a sibling, or a partner, you’re essentially creating a musical middle ground, a space where both your emotions and memories coexist. It’s proof that music, as personal as it is, is also meant to be shared.

Making playlists for others is an art form. You’re not just picking songs; you’re curating an experience. Whether it’s a “Songs That Remind Me of You” playlist or a chaotic road trip mix, every track is a message. A feeling. A moment waiting to be relived.

And maybe that’s why music speaks louder than words. Because it doesn’t just tell a story—it invites us to be part of it.

Why Music Will Always Be the Soundtrack of Our Lives

At the end of the day, music isn’t just background noise. It’s not just something we hear—it’s something we feel, something we live. It’s woven into every milestone, every heartbreak, every late-night thought we can’t quite put into words. It’s there in the songs that make us cry, the beats that make us dance, and the melodies that transport us back to moments we thought we’d lost.

Music is memory. It’s connection. It’s proof that we are never truly alone in what we feel—because somewhere, someone turned that exact feeling into a song. And whether we hear it tomorrow, years from now, or in some distant future where our old playlists resurface like forgotten treasures, we’ll remember. We’ll feel it all over again.

So keep playing your soundtrack. Keep making playlists like they’re love letters. Keep letting music say what words never could. Because no matter where life takes you, the right song will always find you at the right time.

For more such fun and intriguing articles, visit HerCampus at MUJ
And for a tour in my corner at HCMUJ, visit Niamat Dhillon at HCMUJ!

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit."

Niamat Dhillon is the President of Her Campus at Manipal University Jaipur, where she oversees the chapter's operations across editorial, creative, events, public relations, media, and content creation. She’s been with the team since her freshman year and has worked her way through every vertical — from leading flagship events and coordinating brand collaborations to hosting team-wide brainstorming nights that somehow end in both strategy decks and Spotify playlists. She specialises in building community-led campaigns that blend storytelling, culture, and campus chaos in the best way possible.

Currently pursuing a B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering with a specialisation in Data Science, Niamat balances the world of algorithms with aesthetic grids. Her work has appeared in independent magazines and anthologies, and she has previously served as the Senior Events Director, Social Media Director, Creative Director, and Chapter Editor at Her Campus at MUJ. She’s led multi-platform launches, cross-vertical campaigns, and content strategies with her signature poetic tone, strategic thinking, and spreadsheet obsession. She’s also the founder and editor of an indie student magazine that explores identity, femininity, and digital storytelling through a Gen Z lens.

Outside Her Campus, Niamat is powered by music, caffeine, and a dangerously high dose of delusional optimism. She responds best to playlists, plans spontaneous city trips like side quests, and has a scuba diving license on her vision board with alarming priority. She’s known for sending chaotic 3am updates with way too many exclamation marks, quoting lyrics mid-sentence, and passionately defending her font choices, she brings warmth, wit, and a bit of glitter to every team she's part of.

Niamat is someone who believes deeply in people. In potential. In the power of words and the importance of safe, creative spaces. To her, Her Campus isn’t just a platform — it’s a legacy of collaboration, care, and community. And she’s here to make sure you feel like you belong to something bigger than yourself. She’ll hype you up. Hold your hand. Fix your alignment issues on Canva. And remind you that sometimes, all it takes is a little delulu and a lot of heart to build something magical. If you’re looking for a second braincell, a hype session, or a last-minute problem-solver, she’s your girl. Always.