Study Reveals the Genres and Artists Most Likely to Leave Fans Feeling Body-Positive

Alesso and Avicii are the top dance music artists whose songs leave fans feeling cool and confident.

In the world of wellness, there has been a concerted focus on identifying the healing and otherwise therapeutic qualities inherent in music.

Music has a way of working magic in ways we are still trying to fully understand. Taking a step back, however, Within Health sought to answer how music also impacts one's normal everyday perceptions—specifically with regards to body image.

The organization, which supports people who suffer with eating disorders, identified a segment of body-positive themed playlists on Spotify and also surveyed 1,000 music listeners to gauge which artists and genres they generally turn to for a confidence boost.

In the electronic dance music category, fans reported that music by Alesso, Avicii, Daft Punk, Seven Lions and Tiësto was most likely to leave them feeling comfortable in their skin. Meanwhile, dance music as a whole was represented on 91% of body-positivity themed playlists on Spotify. 

If you're an electronic music enthusiast looking to uplift your spirits, chances are you've also turned to Daft Punk and The Weeknd's "Starboy" at some point in time, according to results from the study. 

The data also revealed that while there are specific musicians and certainly songs that are generally more conducive towards positively affirming one's self-perceptions, music videos generally do not achieve the same effect. Overall, 37% of respondents reported that music has facilitated their body-positive thinking, while simultaneously 28% of respondents said music videos are a net detractor from body-positive thinking.

Check out Within Health's full study here.