Half of us lie about the music we like according to a survey conducted by Deezer which found that 42% tell ‘musical mistruths’ about the songs and artists they’ve listened to. In a global study of 8,000 adults, Deezer research uncovered why people are hiding their true music preferences. It found that small white lies lead to musical discovery, with over two thirds (70%) listening to the song they claimed to know.
The study looked across Brazil, France, Germany and the US and found 42% of people tell white lies about songs or artists they like or listen to. The primary reason why we pretend is to avoid hurting someone’s feelings (40%). Despite almost half of respondents admitting to stretching the truth, a musical white lie can become a pathway to discovery and over two thirds (70%) go on to listen to the track they were dishonest about.
The participants revealed their ‘musical mistruths’ involved pretending to like an artist or song they’d never heard or didn’t like (19%) or claiming to dislike a song or an artist when they actually loved them (12%).
The top 5 situations to tell ‘musical mistruths’
- To not hurt someone’s feelings when they play you a song (40%)
- Avoid embarrassment on a first date (21%)
- Appear more sophisticated in front of work colleagues (14%)
- Discontinue a conversation when asked about music you haven’t heard (13%)
- In front of children or family members when lyrics are obviously rude or explicit (10%)
Frédéric Antelme, VP of Content and Productions at Deezer, commented, “Our music taste reflects who we are. It shouldn’t matter if our friends don’t like the same songs or artists. We’d love people to be more open and honest the next time your colleague or friend says they’re not a fan of your favourite artist. You never know, you might even change their mind!”
Deezer connects 14 million monthly active users around the world and is available in over 180 countries worldwide.
