We all know the feeling of finding a song that seems to perfectly capture an experience or emotion we are going through. Within minutes, that single track makes us feel a little less alone and offers a way to process strong emotions. I have playlists for processing every sort of emotion, whether it be love, joy, anger, jealousy, or sadness. Universally, I believe the most powerful and moving songs are the ones that aren’t afraid to explore difficult emotions that we often struggle to put into words. Many of the most beloved songs in history are extremely honest about difficult emotions. Take “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen: it is brutally honest and even dark, and yet it is one of the most iconic songs ever written. “Hotel California” by The Eagles metaphorically explores the pitfalls of a seemingly glamorous but ultimately destructive lifestyle, a truth that many people struggle to confront.
Beyond listening to music, I also write my own songs in order to process and express the joys and struggles of my life creatively. Such honest emotional expression is not only personally healing, but as a Christian, it also plays a role in my relationship with God. This is the power of music: it provides an outlet for emotional honesty and fosters universal connection. Creative expression of our emotions—as listeners or composers alike—allows for personal healing, reveals the universality of human experiences, and strengthens our connection with others and with God.
This is the power of music: it provides an outlet for emotional honesty and fosters universal connection.
Although listening to music is deeply healing for me, nothing helps me digest my thoughts more than writing my own songs. When I go through something challenging, writing a song that perfectly encapsulates my experience forces me to confront my thoughts and reactions in a way nothing else can. Songwriting is incredibly rewarding because it allows me to transform my pain into something tangible and beautiful that I can treasure for my memory and share with others. But, this cathartic experience only happens successfully when I truly commit to being honest with myself. When we embrace honesty and vulnerability, we not only understand our emotions better but can connect with the feelings of others. Songwriting is a powerful and therapeutic form of emotional expression because of these two key factors: it requires honesty and it transforms our internal experiences into a creative, tangible product.
…this cathartic experience only happens successfully when I truly commit to being honest with myself.
Even more so than passive listening, confessional songwriting—a style of writing that draws directly from personal experience and emotion—demands a deep level of introspection and self-awareness. As previously discussed, many of the most moving songs are those that confront difficult truths. Writing songs that touch on uncomfortable yet universal experiences requires us to confront our flaws and process emotions, as well as wounds and scars, that are difficult to face. This level of honesty is challenging, but it is essential for emotional processing and personal growth. Sociologist Monika Ardelt and scientific researcher Sabine Grunwald detail the value of self-reflection, stating that “human development influences self-reflection capacity, awareness, and openness to self, others, and the world…self-reflection and conscious awareness foster human development and personal transformation and, ultimately, a better society” [1]. Self-awareness encourages personal transformation and improves human society overall, and thus should be something we all strive towards. Research has even shown that emotional expression [and confession] has health benefits. As a paper by Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Jeanne C. Watson states, “Expressing trauma-related feeling…has been linked to better psychological well-being, better objective functioning (e.g., grade point average, employment status), better self-reported health, and even better immune responses” [2].
Perhaps the most successful confessional songwriter today is Taylor Swift, an artist who has built her career on writing songs about her life that others then deeply relate to. When it comes to songwriting, Swift explains, “I feel the emotion that life conjures up and the songs I write get me closer to my feelings and realising who I am. It’s a natural process.” Songwriting is about truth, and pursuing truth within ourselves and our emotions is of infinite importance.
Composing music has long served as a way to process a wide range of emotions, and this can even apply to the spiritual realm of life. The book of Psalms in the Bible, one of the most ancient collections of songs, is a prominent example of this. The Psalms capture the core of the human emotional experience and the many emotions we may feel towards the Lord. As a Christian, I find the Psalms to be extremely meaningful in my relationship with God. These songs are extremely honest, even when these honest feelings are things that can be hard to admit to ourselves and to the Lord. But, through such deep outpouring of the soul, we can see that pain, suffering, and doubt are universal experiences that we should not be afraid to express to our caring and personal God.
Psalm 44 is a communal prayer from the people of Israel, likely written in a time when Israel was defeated in battle. It passes through several emotions, from praise to God and gratitude for His faithfulness in the past to anger and confusion over the current situation to trusting God again [4].
Psalm 44 begins with joyful praise:
“In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever.”
But then, we see anger and resentment toward God’s seeming abandonment of them:
“Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?”
The Psalm ends with instilling their hope back in the Lord and asking him to help them:
“Rise up and help us;
rescue us because of your unfailing love.”
Clearly, this Psalm moves through several emotions toward God, some harder to face than others. But, again, that is what makes this Psalm so universal. There are so many times in a Christian’s life where they can recognize God’s faithfulness in the past but are struggling to see it in the moment. They may even feel angry toward God, and this can often be a difficult emotion to come to terms with. But, this Psalm shows us that even in the midst of doubt and anger, the Lord wants Christians to bring this to Him.
Psalm 13 is another example in which David questions God and His presence but ultimately returns in trust, modeling that we can engage with God in a similar way. Psalm 13 begins with doubt and suffering [5]:
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
But then, by the end, we see a choice to continue to trust God and rejoice in Him:
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
Perhaps the most powerful example of honestly expressing our emotions to the Lord comes from Jesus himself. When Jesus was hung to the cross awaiting his death, he shouted out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [6]. Jesus’ cry is a reference to Psalm 22:1, highlighting that even Jesus used the Psalms to express deep anguish to the Lord. As Christians, we can write songs in the very same way. Music can be used to cry out to the Lord in pain and suffering and also be reminded of God’s love and faithfulness.
Once the composer has truly confronted what is laying so heavily on them and exposed it for the world to see, songwriting uniquely heals through a tangible finished product. A song provides a lasting representation of an emotion or experience that can be revisited by the writer and even shared with others. I find great value and gain new perspective in revisiting songs I have written in the past. Even more so, music becomes most powerful when it is shared with others who can connect over universal experiences in which it is all too easy to feel alone. Even the Bible encourages unity through music, such as in Colossians 3:16: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” [8]. Music is a tool that allows for social connection on an emotional and spiritual level.
Emotional honesty through songwriting can help us process our struggles and bring us closer to discovering what we truly need. The Psalms demonstrate what it looks like to confront feelings and honestly bring them to God, who does not shy away from complicated feelings. Much like the Psalms help us not feel alone, we too can be honest in our experiences, allowing us to relate to others who experience the same thing. While not everyone is a songwriter or musician, everyone can use songwriting as inspiration for other forms of emotional honesty and expression.
Finding a creative medium that encourages honest emotional reflection and leaves a lasting product will allow for processing and overall growth. The most obvious example of this is writing, whether songwriting, poetry, fiction writing, or even just journaling. Simply verbalizing emotions can have significant benefits. As academic researcher Diane S. Berry and social psychologist James W. Pennebaker explain, “talking or writing about personal traumas brings about lower levels of physiological arousal and yields both short- and long-term improvements in health” [8]. Berry and Pennebaker’s research suggests that openly expressing emotions in any way promotes overall well-being mentally, emotionally, and physically. Visual art forms such as painting or sculpture can work as well. And, as discussed, music has a unique emotional power, so any sort of music creation is deeply impactful.
Finding a form of creative emotional expression can have a great impact on one’s life. Not only does it help with processing and understanding emotions, but it also fosters healing and deeper connections with others. As demonstrated through music and the Psalms, bringing honest emotions, whatever they may be, before God deepens faith and understanding of who God is. Finding a way to express our emotions truthfully is essential to personal and spiritual growth, and music is a beautiful way to do so while creating something meaningful in the process.
By Peyton Price, Contributor
Peyton Price is a freshman from Austin, Texas, studying Public Policy and Communications. In her free time, she loves playing guitar and writing songs. She enjoys writing about the intersection of pop culture and religion/morality.
References
- Ardelt, M., & Grunwald, S. (2018). The Importance of Self-Reflection and Awareness for Human Development in Hard Times. Research in Human Development, 15(3–4), 187–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2018.1489098
- Kennedy-Moore, E., & Watson, J. C. (2001). How and when does emotional expression help? Review of General Psychology, 5(3), 187–212. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.5.3.187
- AZ Quotes. Accessed March 30, 2025. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/288738
- Psalm 44, ESV.
- Psalm 13, ESV.
- Matthew 27:46, ESV.
- Colossians 3:16, ESV.
- Berry, D. S., & Pennebaker, J. W. (1993). Nonverbal and verbal emotional expression and health. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 59(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1159/000288640