Apparently, listening to your old favorite music can help you to find yourself again

Have you ever revisited songs you used to love when you were younger?

You know, the songs you’d play every time you got home from school in 5th grade. The ones you found online and gatekept in 8th grade. The songs that helped you through rough times in college. Idk—you name it.

Or maybe you were part of a fandom—an artist, a band, or a group that felt like home.

I’ve come to realize that the songs, albums, and artists you listened to during different phases of your life say a lot about who you are—it shaped who you’ve become.

My 6-year-old self was obsessed with Naruto’s soundtrack. It stuck with me because I watched it every day and got excited to talk about the latest episode with my friends the next day at school.

My 9-year-old self was into McFly—a band that became one of my comfort artists and my introduction to music, just because my brother kept overplaying their songs.

My 12-year-old self discovered Bring Me the Horizon. It felt so different and new—it made me feel rebel, while actually it’s all only in my head.

At 16, I got into John Mayer. The phase that really changed and shaped the way I see music.

And when I was 20, I fell in love with Queens of the Stone Age—something heavier, but somehow still beautiful and meaningful.

And the list still goes on.

Sometimes it’s funny to think about our younger selves through the music we used to listen to. Most of them is cringe-worthy though.

But recently, I realized that it’s actually a good idea to revisit those songs when life starts to feel weird. You know, the times when you’re unsure of yourself, feeling lost, or questioning who you really are.

It’s not just for nostalgia—well I guess that’s part of it—but more importantly, it’s about remembering who you really are.

It’s about reconnecting with your past self. Maybe life was simpler back then, or maybe it was complicated. But somehow, going back to that music feels comforting.

Try picking up that one song, album, or artist you haven’t listened to in a long time. You might find yourself singing along to the lyrics subconsciously even though you haven’t heard it for years.

Or maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll find that spark again, it becomes your mood booster.

And apparently, listening to your old favorite music can help you to find yourself again—a lot.

P.S. I just want to share the song that makes me think of this post. It’s a song from my sophomore year in college, by my 9-year-old favorite band.