A single song can amplify our current mood or transport us to an entirely new realm of feeling. Wallowing in self-pity on your bedroom floor? Deepen your blues with some blues. Pulling yourself out of your misery to jump-start a night on the town? Bump top-40 pop hits. Dancing your troubles away? Loop trippy EDM tracks ‘til dawn.
The field of ear, but the element of surprise is what keeps people listening.