Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/330635 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Cultural Economics [ISSN:] 1573-6997 [Volume:] 49 [Issue:] 3 [Publisher:] Springer US [Place:] New York, NY [Year:] 2025 [Pages:] 603-637
Publisher: 
Springer US, New York, NY
Abstract: 
This article explores whether the lyrics of songs influence their success in a national song contest. We constructed emotional arcs from over 6.763 song lyrics and examined their impact on contest performance. Our findings reveal that these emotional arcs echo established behavioral phenomena such as the 'paradox of negative emotion' and the 'peak-end rule'. Typically, songs characterized by sorrowful plots and endings receive higher scores than those with more joyful emotional themes. Furthermore, such songs are more likely to be awarded points initially. Despite this, contestants often choose songs with positive endings for their performances. To isolate the effects of lyrics from other song characteristics, we utilized Spotify metrics, including danceability, energy, and tempo. This methodology allows us to differentiate the influence of musical and lyrical elements on listener decision-making. This study contributes to the growing literature on the behavioral aspects of music and its impact on decision-making.
Subjects: 
Music contest
Cultural economics
Econometric analysis
Success factors
Narrative structure
Spotify data
JEL: 
Z10
Z11
D12
D70
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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