By Sophie Scannell, Music Editor
‘If music be the food of love, play on!’ demands Shakespeare in his opening of Twelfth Night. In light of the SU’s annual S.H.A.G. Week, and it’s got us thinking: can music satiate sexual appetites in the same way as well… sex does? Not totally, unfortunately, but there is ample research to suggest that musicality can increase chances of attracting suitors and that, when getting down to it, playing your favourite tunes can result in more pleasurable sex.
Having a bit of background noise whilst doing the deed can be beneficial for a number of psychological reasons: elevation of mood, distraction from insecurities about body or performance, heightened bonding with your partner (especially if you guys have a particularly synced music taste). But is there any empirical evidence to back it up?
‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’: Evolutionary theories of sexual selection and music as social bonding
The Darwinian take on it all will come as a surprise to no one, hinging on ideas of natural selection and evolution. He suggested that music developed as a result of its use in mating displays and ‘charming the opposite sex’ - think birdsong or whale song!
He went on to suggest that language subsequently derived from these ‘previously developed musical powers’. These powers of musicality, the biological ability to perceive and produce music, have been observed to be, at least in part, genetically inherited. So, whilst the search for a mate has had the knock-on effect of making us more musically inclined over time, our musical ability has in turn become an attractive trait given its potential genetic benefits! Something to think about when the next ‘aspiring DJ’ is preying on you in the Thekla smoking area.
‘Love On The Brain’: A shared neurological basis for music and sex
A study in Canada found that listening to your favourite songs activates the very same endogenous opioids (brain chemicals) as drug-taking, gambling, and, the pièce de resistance… having an orgasm. These opioids are neurotransmitters that modulate reward responses in the brain. That is to say, the pleasure felt during sex is chemically the same as when you hit play on your favourite tune.
Although your favourite song alone can’t instantaneously result in orgasm (a shame, as that would make things a lot easier), the fact that it’s the same pleasure receptors being provoked by both music and sex is enough to suggest that it could be helpful in getting you there.
‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’: optimal BPM for getting it on
Someone has actually taken the time to figure this one out. Collating which songs appear most across 413 playlists titled around ‘sex’, ‘sensuality’, or ‘seduction’, and then averaging each song’s beats per minute, researchers have concluded that 119 bpm is the ‘definitive’ titillating tempo.
Songs of this tempo include: weirdly a lot of Lady Gaga’s discography, most notably ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Just Dance’. Fittingly, ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis & The News and, not so fittingly, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. Make of that all what you will.
Can music make me better at sex?
Short answer: No. If you want to be ‘better at sex’, your best bet is talking to your partner and definitely not reading this article for song recs. Having said that, a 1973 study seemed to show that music might help you to have a better time. Traditional sexual dysfunction therapy tends to focus on anxiety reduction in the bedroom, but doesn’t get down to the meat and potatoes of the issue: sex drive. These researchers pulled no punches.
Every socially acceptable method under the sun was employed: patients were shown images and videos of heterosexual sex, were read erotic literature, and, crucially, were played music. Admittedly, one of the main tape recordings played was ‘Japanese Sounds of Sex’, a compiled vocal cacophony of the female orgasm, which does feel like cheating a little to deem it music.
However, patients were encouraged to play music such as Indian evening ragas, Reggae, or even Ravel’s ‘Boléro’ to accompany sexual play, and it was found that this was often just as effective as the erotic material shown to participants, and significantly more effective where no stimulation was added.
So, music can’t make you a better shag. Sorry. But it can increase stimulation for both parties, so a step in the right direction maybe?
Anonymous
Luca Woodruff
After taking a look at many studies, and calling bluff on some more than others (i.e. counting on Michael Jackson to save your sex life), it seems pretty conclusive overall that music, although not a sole contributor to better sex, can certainly get things moving in the bedroom to ensure more fun.
Give it a go, but do use Lady Gaga sparingly so as not to scare off your partners completely.
Featured Image: Epigram / Sophie ScannellDo you play music in the bedroom?
