Everything indicates that our skin suffers when we are anxious. Indeed, stress increases the production of sebum, which contributes to the appearance of imperfections and accelerates skin aging. It also alters the complexion and barrier function of the skin, causing tightness, irritation and itching. But then, what connection with music? A large number of studies showed its anxiolytic power. Music even leads to a reduction in the subjective sensation of stress, by stimulating the reward circuits.
“Moonlight” by Ariana Grande, the most soothing song
Brand experts Beauty Pie wanted to determine which songs were the most beneficial for our skin. To do this, they analyzed 1.4 million songs hosted on Spotify, paying particular attention to those included in playlists containing, among other things, the words “skincare”, “calm” and “well-being”. They were thus able to establish a ranking of the 25 most “relaxing” titles to listen to during your beauty routine.
The first place is taken by “Moonlight” by Ariana Grande. This ballad, which appears in the singer’s third album, “Dangerous Woman”, has the particularity of having a very slow rhythm. Dr Michael Bonshor, professor of music psychology at the University of Sheffield (England), says its calming effect results from its changes in tempo. « The song ‘Moonlight’ by Ariana [Grande] has a rhythm of 102 beats per minute (bpm) if we listen to the 4 beats of the same measure. However, if we focus on the loudest first and third beats of the measure, we ‘feel’ the rhythm of the music as two slow beats in each measure, giving us a restful rhythm of 51 bpm,” a- he explained in a statement.
SZA’s “Good Days” and Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White” are second and third on the chart, respectively. The R’n’B phenomenon, Frank Ocean, also appears in eleventh position thanks to his introspective title, “Lost”. But the artist who dominates this ranking of the most relaxing songs is none other than SZA. The American rapper alone occupies three different places: second, fourth (with “Kill Bill”) and nineteenth (with “Normal Girl”).
Most of the musicians appearing in this top 25 have become known in recent years, with the exception of Norah Jones. The American singer launched her career in 2002 with the release of her first album, “Come Away with Me”. But the song that earned him eighth place, “Sunrise,” comes from his second album, “Feels Like Home.” According to Dr. Michael Bonshor, it is particularly relaxing. “The repetitive melody that emerges from ‘Sunrise’ [de Norah Jones]combined with calming lyrics and regular rhythmic patterns, makes it a song that one can easily immerse themselves in,” he explained in the same press release.
Ranking of the ten best soothing songs to listen to during your beauty routine
1 – “Moonlight” by Ariana Grande
2 – “Good Days” by SZA
3 – “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean
4 – “Kill Bill” by SZA
5 – “Telepathía” by Kali Uchis
6 – “See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)” by Tyler, the Creator
7 – “Die For You” by The Weeknd
8 – “Sunrise” by Norah Jones
9 – “Breathe” by DTO
10 – “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
The entire ranking can be viewed on the Beauty Pie website.