There are many music genres available for our ears to enjoy. There's hip-hop, pop, blues, country, gospel, and the list goes on. There is rock which has sub-genres like alternative, metal, classic, etc. The possibilities of music types to enjoy are endless, yet people choose to only listen to certain types.
Many things dictate how people choose their favorite music. For example, the area they grew up in can have a great impact on the styles of music we like. I grew up in a small, country town where people predominantly listen to country or rap music. Nothing more, nothing less. If you confessed to listening to other genres, you were looked down on. If you said you didn't like country, you might as well prepare for a riot because people were going to be pissed.
With all of the great possibilities out there, I can't understand why you would choose to limit yourself to what music you like. Personally, I enjoy many types of music. I like to listen to old country, alternative, pop, rock, rap, and many, many more. I feel that broadening your taste can open doors. You can meet new people and learn things about yourself. You can have new songs to listen to when you're sad or happy because we all know certain genres only target certain emotions. You can't rely on country music to make you feel better when most of the country songs now just talk about meeting a girl, drinking a beer, and driving a pickup truck. Also, if you're sad, hard core metal may not be the best option to uplift your spirits. However, to each his own.
The kind of music a person listens to can say a lot about who are, but it doesn't necessarily define them as a person. If your significant other or friend tells you to search a song, don't automatically assume you won't like it because of the genre. Maybe they don't even like the genre, but that song spoke to their inner feelings and maybe that's the only way they can express them.
People assume there are certain types of people that typically listen to certain genres of music. If you like country, most people assume you wear boots and enjoy mudding. If you like rap, people assume you smoke marijuana and act like a thug. Those stereotypes aren't necessarily true, however. I'm an awkward 18-year-old college student that enjoys the occasional rap song and even some metal every now and then. The point is, we all like different genres of music but we all should open our ears to the genres we haven't given a chance.
No one is going to like every song they hear or one song from every genre. However, I will never understand why people don't try to branch out to new genres. What if a song could change your life and it's hidden in a genre of music you've never explored?
