Why do some songs ‘force’ us to dance?

It is unavoidable. We hear that song on the radio, in the car or at the club and, almost without realizing it, we begin to dance. That irresistible impulse of moving to the rhythm of certain songs, known as grooveis a phenomenon known to many, but the reasons behind this reaction have not always been clear.

Recent research has begun to unravel the mechanisms underlying that rhythmic sensation that pushes us to move through a specific musical rhythm, suggesting that the secret lies in the rhythmic structure of music, specifically in the degree of syncopation.

The ‘magic’ of the groove

Specifically, syncopation refers to rhythmic patterns where accents occur in unexpected momentsmaking the rhythm less predictable. In other words, it is a compositional strategy that somehow breaks the regularity of the rhythm. And this aspect of music plays a transcendental role in our motor response to sounds.

Now, a recent study led by cognitive neuroscientist Benjamin Morillonof the Aix-Marseille University (France), has revealed that a medium level of syncopation is the most effective in triggering the desire to dance. The results have been published in the journal Science Advances.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers conducted a series of experiments with more than 60 participants. Specifically, Morillon and his team exposed the volunteers to 12 different melodies. with variations in the degree of syncopation.

“We created melodies with different degrees of rhythmic predictability (syncopation) and asked participants to rate their desire to want to move (groove)”, explain the authors, clarifying that both concepts are correlated.

The results revealed that the participants felt increased need to move with melodies that had a medium level of syncopationcompared to those that turned out to be too predictable or surprising.

Therefore, experts have determined that neither a completely regular rhythm nor an excessively chaotic one provokes the same desire to dance, but rather a moderate degree of ‘rhythmic predictability’.

How the brain processes rhythm

To better understand how the brain converts music into movement, Morillon and his colleagues measured the brain activity of 29 people using magnetoencephalography while listening to music. They discovered that the auditory cortex of the brainresponsible for processing auditory stimuli, mainly follows the rhythm of the melody.

On the other hand, the dorsal auditory pathway, which connects the auditory cortex to the movement areas, aligns with the basic rhythm. So, researchers believe that the impulse to dance or groove arises in this pathway and is then transmitted to the motor areas of the brain as a movement signal.

Furthermore, the study also used mathematical models to represent their findings, showing an inverted U curve where the greatest desire to move was at a medium level of rhythmic predictability. A modeling that suggests that with a moderate level of syncopation, our brain can extract the periodic rhythm of melodies, thus facilitating rhythmic movement.

Rhythm and movement

But it is not the first time that the relationship between music and movement has been the subject of study. In 2014, a study conducted by scientists from the Aarhus University (Denmark) and the Oxford University (United Kingdom) found that the music with complex rhythms, but that still allowed beat prediction, was more likely to induce the desire to dance. In addition, that work also showed that moderately complex rhythms were the most effective in generating a motor response.

In this sense, research published in 2016 by scientists from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), analyzed how different musical genres affect our propensity to move. They found that electronic dance music (EDM)with its repetitive but slightly variable rhythmic patterns, was particularly effective for induce dance movements in the listeners. What’s more, with this study they reinforced the idea that moderate predictability, combined with a certain variability, is key to stimulating the motor response.

Other apps

Be that as it may, the truth is that understanding why certain songs ‘force’ us to dance has implications beyond mere scientific curiosity. Experts believe these findings could influence both the way we approach music therapy as in the movement disorder treatment.

For example, people with diseases such as Parkinson’s often have difficulty coordinating their movements, so music with the right level of syncopation could be used to improve their ability to move rhythmically.

Furthermore, these findings could facilitate the music experience design more attractive in various contexts, from the entertainment industry to exercise and wellness programs.

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