Why Does Music Make Sex So Much Better?
Question: I feel like everyone listens to music when they bang. Why is this? Is there, like, an actual reason people get off to music?
“If music be the food of love, play on.” —William Shakespeare
Do you have a specific playlist or song that you turn to when you’re looking to get yourself in the mood? Everywhere you look, experts will tell you to put on some “sexy music” to get your sensual fires going.
But the question is: Why? Are there real, tangible reasons why we enjoy music during sex?
It turns out that there are many science-backed, legitimate reasons why the combination of sex and music is so thoroughly entrenched in our social fabric. In a 2011 study, Morten Kringelbach, a professor of neuroscience at the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, and colleagues, described how music can awaken the same pleasure-seeking parts of the brain that are stimulated by sex.
Most of us know the stuff that gets us going - especially when it comes to music. We each have unique erotic footprints, but most of us respond to music in a sexual way.
Here is everything you need to know about how music impacts our brains and bodies to create a perfect storm of sexual desire. Rock ’n’ roll to get your rocks off, mate.
Why Music Makes Us All Hot and Bothered
Our very complex (and very cool) brains are designed for auditory processing. A significant part of the human brain is devoted to the intake and comprehension of language. Why? Because it takes a ton of brainpower to process sounds and turn them into comprehensible words.
During sexual arousal, it’s not just the genitals that are online. Sexual audio cues are taken in by the brain and processed into positive sexual messages. These are interpreted as a signal that we are turned on and should become physically aroused.
Research shows that common erogenous zones like the nipples, feet, and neck are sexually responsive due to the sensory cortex in the brain. Through a complex network of nerve endings, the brain and body shoot messages back and forth through the body’s messenger system: the spinal cord.
When you hear sexual-sounding music, this is what happens: A signal is sent to the brain, letting it know you’re to begin the sexual arousal process. The brain registers these sounds as a response to sexual stimulation. It then sends a corresponding signal to the genitals. Thus, sexual arousal can occur (or increase). Research shows that experiencing other people’s arousal often elevates one’s arousal. And sex music often contains lots of whispering, moaning, yelling, and other very sexy noises.
Feel-Good Hormones Are Released When We Hear a Good Banger
Feel-good hormones flood the brain and body both when we hear our favorite music and when we’re experiencing sexual pleasure. Music can relieve stress by activating the brain’s reward system ( the same thing that happens with orgasm, btw). All of these things are necessary for setting up the right, sexually enhanced context for good sex.
Music is to sex what cream is to an Oreo.
What’s more, when we hear sexy music, sounds, etc. during sexual play, we begin to breathe more rapidly, which activates the central nervous system, a key player in sexual arousal.
A White-Hot Playlist to Get You Started
With the help of my amazing taste, some choice experts, and my sex-positive community, I curated a special, sexy playlist just for you. Who better to create your spark than someone whose job it is to be a sex expert, eh?
The Erotic Energy playlist on Spotify features songs from Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Ginuwine, Floetry, and more. While this can be a fun place to kick off, don’t be afraid to make your own playlist. As we know, everyone is different and different music tastes are a normal part of being a person.
Different strokes for different folks. Get after it, pals.
XOXO Gigi
A version of this article originally appeared on TheBody.
Order the book: All The F*cking Mistakes: a guide to sex, love, and life.