Music has long been recognized as a universal language that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, influencing human emotions, cognition, and behavior. Its therapeutic potential spans physical and mental health domains, with distinct genres like R&B, jazz, and rock offering unique benefits and challenges. This paper synthesizes empirical evidence to explore how these genres shape well-being, emphasizing their roles in emotional regulation, cognitive enhancement, and social connectivity.

Music activates brain regions associated with emotion, reward, and memory, including the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. Listening to music reduces cortisol levels, alleviating stress and anxiety. For example, intentional music listening decreases depressive symptoms and agitation in individuals with dementia, while shared musical experiences, such as concerts, enhance social bonds and mood in older adults.

• R&B: This genre emphasizes emotional storytelling, often addressing themes of love, resilience, and vulnerability. Artists like H.E.R. and Frank Ocean use soulful melodies to create safe spaces for discussing mental health struggles, reducing stigma and fostering community. However, one study found R&B listeners reported worsened mental health outcomes, potentially due to its focus on introspective or melancholic themes.

• Jazz: Characterized by improvisation and complex harmonies, jazz stimulates theta brain waves linked to creativity and relaxation. Regular jazz listening correlates with a 25% reduction in depression and improved verbal memory. Its syncopated rhythms also enhance problem-solving skills by promoting theta-wave activity.

• Rock: While rock music is often associated with aggression and risk-taking behaviors in adolescence, it also serves as an emotional outlet. Fans report reduced pain perception during medical procedures when listening to rock, attributed to its distracting, high-energy rhythms.

Active musical engagement, such as playing instruments or singing, improves executive function and memory. Group singing enhances cognitive health in older adults and those with mental health conditions by fostering social cohesion.

• Jazz ensembles require real-time collaboration, strengthening auditory-motor integration and empathy.

• Rock/metal communities provide peer support, mitigating feelings of isolation among fans despite higher rates of adolescent drug use.

Music therapy lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. For instance:

• Postoperative patients listening to self-selected music required fewer opioids for pain management.

• Stroke survivors showed improved motor recovery when paired with rhythmic auditory stimulation.

Dance-based interventions using music improve mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and obesity. Rock music’s steady beats facilitate motor coordination, while jazz’s fluid rhythms enhance balance.

R&B’s lyrical focus on personal narratives empowers marginalized groups, promoting self-esteem and cultural inclusion. However, its association with higher depression scores in some studies suggests that prolonged exposure to melancholic themes may exacerbate negative emotions in vulnerable listeners.

Jazz’s improvisational nature engages the prefrontal cortex, enhancing creativity and problem-solving. Its slow-tempo compositions (60–80 BPM) improve sleep quality by activating delta brain waves.

Adolescent rock/metal fans exhibit higher aggression and substance use, but these behaviors often decline by adulthood as music becomes a coping tool. The genre’s high-energy beats also boost cardiovascular health by triggering endorphin release.

Music’s impact on health is mediated by genre-specific characteristics, listener psychology, and engagement type. R&B fosters emotional resilience through storytelling, jazz enhances cognitive flexibility, and rock provides an energetic outlet for stress relief. While correlations exist between certain genres and mental health risks, music predominantly serves as a therapeutic tool when used intentionally. Future research should explore personalized music interventions tailored to individual needs and cultural contexts.