Why We Like Torch Songs

By: Kasper Owen

Whether we call it sad girl music, a “going through it” playlist, or anything else, we’re always drawn to torch songs. We seem to crave melancholy, loss, unrequited love, and heartbreak as expressed through artists and their lyrics. But why? What draws us to artists that make us sad?

Turns out we're not alone in the modern generation. Torch music, as it was dubbed In the 1930s and 40s, has always been a crowd favorite. 

Derived from the phrase “to carry a torch for someone” (or love them unrequitedly), this type of musical content has long been a staple in American Jazz history. 

Throughout the years, the genre-wide influence of the torch song has changed. No longer just jazz songs about unrequited love, it found its new niche in our modern era and has evolved to include the broader themes of heartbreak and loss in general. 

“We only said goodbye with words

I died a hundred times

You go back to her, and I go back to black”

-“Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse

The iconic Amy Winehouse built her career on torch songs like “Back to Black” and “Love Is A Losing Game.” Her discography was often built around these themes of loss and heartbreak that resonated with fans worldwide. The late singer’s songs continue to be catchy and easy to belt out while shedding light on raw emotions. Winehouse was not the only one to do this.

Throughout the 21st century, artists like Adele and Billie Eilish have made the torch song their own. “Someone Like You” by Adele was inescapable in the early 2010s and likewise with Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” in the latter half of the decade. Specifically, Billie Eilish is a musical darling amongst the angsty.

Whether consciously or not we are drawn to these themes repeatedly. The reason being?

While I am no scientific expert on the psychology of torch songs, something is comforting about sharing someone else’s pain and catharsis. Most of us have been where Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Billie Eilish have been at some point in our lives. Ironically enough, their sadness is often an outlet for our own. We use their pain to process ours. I even have a whole playlist of torch songs myself. On a less personal level, torch songs are simply fun to belt out. There's a certain power and timelessness to them that keeps us circling back around regardless of how we feel at any point in our lives. I think it's for this reason that the torch song continues to evolve to match our current struggles with love and loss. The torch song is communal, raw, authentic, and honest. In scary times like this, we all need the torch song to carry us through sometimes.