In eighth grade, many people thought I was weird because I listened to music in different languages. On my playlist, you can find songs in Korean, Ukrainian, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. While nowadays, more songs in non-English languages are played on the radio, people often side-eye you if you tell them you listen to music in a foreign language.
I asked my friends why they won’t listen to music in languages other than English, and they shrugged. They did not give me a proper reply other than, “I do not understand what they’re saying.”
Although understanding lyrics may be an issue for some of us, listening to music in foreign languages is good. Here are just five of them:
1. It helps you learn foreign words and phrases.
When listening to music in a foreign language, you sometimes learn new words and phrases. Many hip-hop and rap artists incorporate local slang into their songs. So, if one of your goals is to learn a new language, consider listening to music in that specific language. You may be able to pick up more words than expected. And when you travel to a country that speaks that language, you’ll be able to understand local slang.
2. You can familiarize yourself with another country.
Even if inspired by a Westernized music genre, foreign language music can help you learn more about another culture. Take K-pop, for example. When PSY released “Gangnam Style,” the internet went wild. Within 159 days, over one billion people watched the music video. The song taught us some things about South Korean culture and society. For example, Gangnam is known as a wealthy district with famous and expensive shops. Like “Gangnam Style,” foreign language songs can introduce you to different regions.
3. It teaches about different instruments and musical styles.
Artists around the world diversify their songs in different ways. For example, the Hu, a Mongolian heavy metal band, uses throat singing and traditional Mongolian instruments throughout their songs. Though only seven million people speak Mongolian, you can learn more about different types of instruments and vocals. It can also expand your musical taste.
4. You can diversify your playlist.
Ever get bored of your musical playlist? Change things up by adding songs in foreign languages to your playlist. This helps you to discover new artists and keep an eye out for other music releases.
5. It helps you to discover new musical interests,
If you’ve been only exposed to two or three musical genres, why not listen to songs in foreign languages? These songs can help you discover new musical interests, as every artist continuously has their own musical inspiration. For example, if you listen to K-pop, you may like the choreographic element added to the songs. And if you listen to Spanish music, you may fall in love with reggaeton. You can also discover more about different genres specific to that language.
It’s always good to discover new music, and a way of doing that is by listening to music from a different language. You never know what you’ll end up finding out and preferring. Maybe you will also learn a new language through the songs. After all, music is a way of traveling and exploring different cultures.
Featured image via cottonbro studio on Pexels
