Guilty Pleasures
Because We all Need a Break Sometimes
I must confess — I love a good music reaction video. Especially after a long, challenging day when my brain feels fried and I just need a low-stakes diversion.
If you’ve never fallen down this YouTube rabbit hole, music reaction videos are exactly what they sound like: people filming themselves listening to a song —sometimes a classic or a cult favorite — for the very first time. They hit play, and with eyes closed, head nodding, they pause dramatically, and say things like “Ohhh, that drum fill is sick” and “listen to that bass — it's so thick, and filthy — I love it!!”
Before I ever watched one, I remember thinking: Why on earth would I want to watch a stranger react to a song I’ve already heard a thousand times? It sounded ridiculous. And now? I hate to admit it — I have a favorite reactor. Okay, maybe three.
There’s actual science behind why these videos are so engaging — something about mirror neurons and empathy — but honestly, the validation just feels oddly comforting.
My favorite reactors are usually musicians because they often have interesting insights into a piece — things that I might never notice: a drummer reacts... or a classical composer reacts.... and I get weirdly excited when they finally hear that gloriously complex Yes track that I've been waiting for them to discover. Yes, it’s a whole thing!
Here’s one of my favorite reactions to arguably the greatest progressive rock song of all time:
And this one showed up on my feed just a couple of days ago — it’s so much fun, it had me laughing and singing after a particularly hard day — perfect vibe for the holiday weekend:
✨Happy Summer — Hope you’re having a great weekend with friends and loved ones!