What Your Music Taste Says About Your Personality,
According to Therapists
By Sammi Caramela | July 2, 2026
Music tastes can reflect personality traits, emotions, and lived experiences, but they’re not a foolproof way to understand someone.
I like to think that someone’s taste in music can tell you a lot about them as a person, though (from personal experience) I also know it can be misleading. For instance, some mornings, I’m in the mood for calming indie-folk tunes, and by evening, I might be dancing to Emo Nite bangers from my teen years. Looking at me, or even having a brief conversation with me, you might not guess that I grew up on Blink 182, The Cure, The Killers, etc. You probably wouldn’t be shocked to learn, however, that I’ve cried to Noah Kahan’s recent album. (I’m a multifaceted individual, okay?)
Whatever the case, I was curious about the correlation between a person’s taste in music and their personality. So, I did some research and spoke with a few therapists for their professional insights on the matter. Here’s what they shared.
[…]
Additionally, Moriah O’Barr, PsyD, Co-Clinical Director at Cultivating Courage Psychological Services, points out that “music is a form of storytelling.” Just as some personalities might be attracted to, say, cheesy romance novels, others might prefer psychological thrillers.
“Different personalities are attracted to different types of stories,” she says. “Some people want an escape, to get lost in a fantasy full of rich imagination. Some want to be understood and to hear their own story told back to them. Others are curious, wanting to learn about others’ way of life.”
[…]
“Music helps us grow, learn new perspectives, and feel the feelings we have no outlet for,” O’Barr says. “In doing this, music helps us step into the truest versions of ourselves. This allows space for someone to grow and evolve. Over time, that may then mean that a person’s taste in music changes.”