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MpVpRb t1_j89kxbd wrote

Headline is wrong and backward

Pop songs are carefully constructed by teams of experts to sound good in the first few seconds. They are often tested on focus groups before release. It's by design

More complex and interesting music often requires many listenings to understand, even for fans of the band or style

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doctoreldritch t1_j89nf3n wrote

That's not exactly right either; by default we tend to decide if we like something in the first few seconds, which is precisely why pop music producers spend so much time and effort perfecting that first part. Once the opinion is formed, it's mentally more work to change it than to affirm it, and casual listeners aren't going to want to bother putting that effort in.

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makesomemonsters t1_j8dpp9b wrote

And anyway, if you decided you were enjoying something the first time you listened to it, why would you exert effort to figure out ways to stop enjoying it?

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Disastrous-Carrot928 t1_j89qdd7 wrote

But by that point do you like the song or is it just seared into your memory?

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SubatomicSquirrels t1_j8ahmyu wrote

There is something called the mere exposure effect, and it basically means that when something is familiar to us we like it more

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bobsmith93 t1_j8axred wrote

I've actively observed this in myself many times. Even for music. Makes me wonder sometimes if I like a song because I like it or because I'm familiar with it

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swat1611 t1_j8cufyj wrote

It doesn't go into your memory unless you absolutely love it, hate it or have to memorize it for some important reason.

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snailbully t1_j8a09af wrote

I think there's a range of frequencies/vibrations of sound that our brains naturally enjoy. We know right away whether it sounds good or bad to us, the same way that we do with how food tastes. We can develop our taste and understanding of music, but we'll always have a starting palate of sound preferences.

"More complex and interesting" is subjective. Pop music is music that appeals, sonically and thematically, to the broadest spectrum of listeners. That requires its own genius to achieve.

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sllewgh t1_j8ai9k7 wrote

How long does it take you to figure out which is which? Not long. Whether the music is simple and catchy or complex and noisy, you still know what you like and whether this is it pretty quickly. I like a lot of music I didn't fully get right away, but I immediately knew I liked it enough to give it another listen.

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platoprime t1_j8arhf7 wrote

This is like food you have to "acquire a taste for".

I'll stick to enjoying things I actually enjoy instead of things I have to suffer through until they're good.

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