Move aside love ballads. Get ready to boogie to music that lifts your spirits with no strings attached. 

There is something deep within us that instinctively tells us how certain songs make us feel: some music makes us cry, others bring back fond memories of a lost loved one, but the best music is that which makes us feel a sense of true harmony. Music that lifts our spirits, allows us to feel loved, and gets us out on the dance floor or even just tapping our feet.

The happiness we feel when listening to certain music actually has scientific reasoning. A Pfizer study outlined how listening to music ‘increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions’. It is even believed that dopamine is released when we hear particular songs, which ‘triggers sensations of pleasure and well-being’. This idea of ‘pleasure’ links to desire and then you’re only one jump away from romance.

As humans, we have romanticised romantic love through happy-go-lucky love songs. This type of love has become something we are all expected to desire without any consideration for what our dopamine release is actually signalling – joy. Joy can come to us in so many ways and romantic love is one of them, but people seem to believe it is the ONLY one, which is simply not true.

This is a collection of artists and songs that sing to our inner joy, telling stories and encouraging positivity, with no romantic expectations, just true happiness.

ABBA – An oldie but a goodie

The Swedish supergroup began in the early 70s but their global impact has become timeless. Through their historic Eurovision win, stage musical and blockbuster film musicals, along with having some of the best-selling albums across multiple decades, ABBA have become solidified in the music industry as one of the greatest pop groups of all time.

Although many of their songs are based on romantic love because of the group being made of two married couples, ‘Dancing Queen’ stands tall among the rest. The lyrics tell the story of a young woman on a night out having the time of her life. There is a brief mention of a male love interest, but the song focuses on enjoying your youth as you dance the night away.

Coldplay – Teaching us to live life since 1997

Coldplay takes the spot as the feel-good band of the 21st century with hypnotic lyrics and upbeat tracks that only feel right screaming with a thousand people around you and Chris Martin jumping around on a stage like a child that’s had too much sugar.

The British band have an array of joyful songs that leave romantic love behind in its dust, especially in their appropriately named album, Everyday Life, with songs like

‘Orphans’ and ‘Arabesque’. However, the popularity of ‘Paradise’ has come from its uplifting storytelling and ability to get everybody singing (even if you don’t really know the lyrics). The song tells the story of a young girl sinking into her mind as life ‘gets so heavy’. It is about chasing one’s dreams, no matter how far out of reach they may be or how bleak things may get – our dreams can carry us through the darkness.

AJR – Sometimes you need to play your violin

As much as these suggestions are to encourage one’s experiences of joy, the world is not always sunshine and rainbows. It is impossible to acknowledge and appreciate positivity without adversity and the contrast of negativity: we need to feel both to feel at all. This is why AJR’s song, ‘World’s Smallest Violin’ fits perfectly into this bracket of seeking un-pressured joy.

It compares mental health struggles to the physical activeness of firefighters and war veterans using the metaphor of playing a tiny violin. But by the end of the creatively upbeat song, the voice takes note of the importance of talking about one’s problems, no matter how small the issue may be.

Lizzo – In case nobody told you, let Lizzo remind you that you’re special

American rapper and singer, Lizzo, is known for her songs of empowerment, body positivity and self-love. Her music proves time and time again that all people really want is to have a good time with those they love – including themselves.

Particular songs of note use groovy, disco beats to get people dancing and feeling free. This includes, ‘About Damn Time’ in 2023, which lead to Lizzo becoming the first black female singer since 1994 to win Record of the Year at the Grammy’s. Other disco songs, like ‘Juice’ and ‘Pink’, had similarly large impacts with the latter featuring as an original song for the biggest film of 2023; Barbie.

Ellie Dixon – The grass is always greener where you water it

Ellie Dixon is a British artist focused on bringing joy to others by encouraging listeners to be kinder to themselves and not take life too seriously. She uses witty lyrics, unorthodox instruments and Lizzo-like grooves so you always feel like you’re dancing in your bedroom. In a world of embarrassment and missteps, Dixon has created a sound of her own that springboards off these moments of trouble, making them positive and joyous – and most of all, human.

Her EP, Crikey! It’s My Psyche, does exactly this as she sings about the joys of getting lost in your own head, doing nothing other than watching TV, and creating your own positivity in life. The song ‘Green Grass’ plays on the phrase ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ whereas Dixon decides that life can actually be green wherever we want it to be, as long as we water it by taking care of ourselves first.

Meghan Trainor – You’ll feel better when you’re dancing

Self-love takes the front foot again in Meghan Trainor’s music as the American singer-songwriter has always been an advocate for body positivity and female empowerment. The Grammy award-winning artist began making music from a young age and quickly became a star pairing the unique influences of the 1950s and her powerful vocals.

‘All About That Bass’ acts as the threshold for Trainor’s known success in promoting body positivity. She acknowledges the commodification of the female body with lines like, ‘I see the magazines working that Photoshop’ and ‘I won’t be no stick-figure silicone Barbie’. Trainor encourages women to love their bodies no matter their size and to love themselves before letting somebody else love them.

Listening to music affects the level of dopamine in our bodies – but that dopamine can be interpreted in different ways by our minds. It is your choice to formulate it into desire and romantic love or a love for life and the joy that comes with it. No matter what form joy comes in, it is ours alone to create, receive and give out. So put on your headphones and go find your joy with no pressure or regrets.