Shazam’d by DLT on October 7, 2022.

Listener Ratings…
DLT: 4.75. TG: 3.75. Overall: 4.25.

DLT: Are you familiar with this song from the animated Spiderman: Into the Multiverse movie? It’s one of those songs that I instantly liked upon hearing it for the first time!!! BUT…I can’t seem to pinpoint WHAT it is that I enjoy about this song?! Is it the beat? The rhythm? Can’t say it’s the lyrics because I haven’t a CLUE as to what they are saying other than, “you’re a sunflower.” So…what makes this song so cute and light and fresh to me?

TG: Obviously, there’s any number of reasons we love the songs we love. But I too was taken by this song upon hearing it—and so I shall take wild a stab at answering your questions.

A few factiods: “Sunflower,” performed by rapper/singers Post Malone and Swae Lee, was released as a single from the soundtrack to the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and is also on Post Malone's 2019 studio album Hollywood's Bleeding. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, and was nominated for two Grammys in 2020.

Firstly, I’m a big fan of the Spider-Verse movie, and I even recall the scene(s) that feature this music. But I had no idea of the song’s general popularity. And being an old-head, I even admit having no idea who the performers are. But enough about my old-schoolness…

The most notable aspect of the song is its light, airy easiness mixed with a hip-hop vibe. Which makes the song very unique, refreshing, and as you say, “cute.” Also the best pop songs have simple chord/key changes, with something hooky running over the top of them. Here, that’s the rhythmic and bouncy, yet soothing, delivery of the vocals.

Even though you may not have a clue what the lyrics are saying, the fact that the vocals sound so good is what draws you to them anyway. And the handful of lyrics you do catch cause you to subconsciously focus even closer on the delivery. It’s the whole fun of discovery. I guarantee, upon each new listen, your brain will understand a few more words than before…sinking you even deeper into the song.

The Benevolent Cycle

On a subconscious level, music listening is highly participatory and addictive. It usually starts with a catchy hook/melody, which gets your brain’s attention. You’re now in “active listening” mode. From there, your brain invites other parts of your body to the listening party. Head bobbing. Finger snapping. Toe tapping. Bouncing. Swaying. Then full-on dancing or singing along. The more you listen, the more your whole body—not just your attention—is actively drawn in. And before you know it, you’re all up in the groove.

What’s the reason for this “benevolent cycle”—this subconscious “call & response” that makes listening to a song so addictive? I don’t know, I’m no scientist. Everything I’m writing is just from my perspective/experience as a music lover and listener. (In other words, I could be totally off-base.) But I feel that our bodies are simply made for music. By default, physical movement is a confirmation and celebration of life—and what better way to keep our bodies in motion than to introduce a great song into the air?

The Art of the Subliminal

There may also be subliminal elements to why the song got you. If you heard this playing on a store speaker somewhere, it was probably just a snippet of the song; meaning you may have left the store with that catchy vocal delivery lingering in your head, wanting to hear more. This just increased your affinity for the song.

For me, “Sunflower” takes me back to the scene(s) of the Spider-Verse movie that feature this music—which will likely, at some point, make me want to go watch the movie all over again. So there’s also the built-in nostalgia aspect.

Aside from that, this song puts my mind at ease. It’s very chill. It calms me. I didn’t expect that. When I first heard the Shazam sample, my thought was, “I do recall this from the movie—but outside of that scene, why would I wanna listen to another poppy kids’ song?” (I can still be somewhat of a music snob.)

But when you texted this morning, asking me to help pinpoint what makes the song so addictive, my ego took over. I went back to the Shazam sample, then to the song’s video on YouTube. After listening to the full song about a dozen times—which went by surprisingly fast—I too was “hooked.” I’d caught the vibe and the groove.

By 7pm—after a full day of running errands, doing chores, etc.—I’ve now listened to “Sunflower” about 50 times! It’s become the peace-inducing soundtrack to my Saturday.

For Further Reading…

As stated above, I’m not a musicologist, audiologist, sociologist, or neurobiologist—just a lifelong music lover, like you. But I have read two excellent books on the topic of how the brain reacts to music:

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin (2006)

The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature by Daniel J. Levitin (2008)

Also, I just started reading This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers (2022). Ms. Rogers, a now-famous music engineer, music educator, and actual neuroscientist, is one of my favorite Prince collaborators, having engineered some of his most famous songs of the 80s. This is going to be a treat!

I’m looking forward to the ensuing discussion in the Comments section…