Researchers from Brigham Young University in the United States examined how romance is portrayed in popular songs and what those portrayals reveal about relationship styles. Their analysis found a pattern where the central partners in many love-themed songs tend to behave in ways that suggest unreliability or inconsistency. The work was published in the Psychology of Music journal.
The team evaluated 87 tracks that appear on Billboard magazine’s Top 100 Songs of 2019 list, including widely known hits such as Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD and Sunflower by Post Malone. The selection was designed to capture contemporary themes and how they are framed in mainstream music.
Lyrics were categorized based on emotional and behavioral signals related to attachment. Texts expressing insecurity, deep longing for a partner, self-doubt, or a belief that life would stall without a romantic partner were grouped as anxious attachment, with examples like statements that imply a partner must not be forgotten. Lyrics that advised a partner to leave, to run away, or that voiced distrust were labeled avoidant attachment. These two patterns were used to identify anxious-avoidant dynamics when both were present within a song.
Songs showing both anxious and avoidant cues were labeled anxious-avoidant attachment, while tracks that avoided such language and depicted positive relationships or shared activities were categorized as secure attachment. For instance, lines that suggest mutual empowerment and commitment, such as a pledge that love is available if the partner is ready, were assigned to the secure group. If a song described romance without enough context to determine an attachment style, it was marked neutral.
Quantitative analysis revealed that about 86 percent of the songs conveyed insecure attachment in some form. Within this, avoidant attachment accounted for roughly one third of cases, anxious attachment followed closely, and anxious-avoidant patterns also appeared at a substantial level. A smaller portion illustrated secure attachment, and a handful of tracks fell into the neutral category where attachment quality could not be clearly inferred from the lyrics.
The researchers note that messages of insecurity and avoidant behavior in popular music can shape how young listeners imagine and pursue romantic relationships. These songs may set expectations about responsiveness, closeness, and the acceptability of vulnerability, potentially influencing real-life dating norms and emotional strategies among listeners.
Historically, there has been interest in how musical narratives relate to mental well-being. Earlier work that explored music-based approaches to mental health emphasized common features across effective interventions, highlighting how music and lyrics can reflect, reinforce, or challenge emotional patterns. This broader context helps explain why studies like this one appeal to scholars, clinicians, and educators who aim to understand cultural signals around relationships and emotional health.