Cheeky Science: What House Music Does to Your Brain
There’s something about a good beat that makes the body move before the brain even catches up. That’s what I wanted to explore when I put together Cheeky, a house music mixtape that’s equal parts groove and neuroscience experiment.
Because we talk about music as “therapy,” but what happens when we simply listen… No guided session, no clinical intervention, just you, your nervous system, and a bassline sitting comfortably around 120 beats per minute?
The science of the beat
Listening to music engages almost every major neural network, from auditory areas and motor circuits to reward pathways that release dopamine. Even without lyrics or melody, rhythm alone can synchronise oscillations in regions linked to attention, movement, and emotional regulation.
Systematic reviews consistently show that music listening reduces stress, anxiety, and even blood pressure, while supporting sleep, mood and memory across different groups of people. And although most studies focus on older adults and those with a diagnosed clinical condition, more recent evidence suggests benefits extend to mid-life too, even for those of us who just like a cheeky bit of house.
PS If you want your own copy of Cheeky, just click on the “download” link above. My gift to you. 100% free.
The tempo matters
House music typically lives between 115 and 130 bpm, which is cute because it almost mirrors our heart rate during light movement. This tempo range has been linked with increased wellbeing, positive mood and motivation. Faster beats activate motor networks and reward circuitry. Slower ones soothe. House sits right at that sweet spot, energising without tipping into overwhelm.
Dancing, even in your mind
Of course, the movement part amplifies everything. And don’t just trust me. Google around and you’ll find plenty of studies showing that dancing, or even mentally simulating movement while listening to rhythmic music, enhances the integration of senses and motor functions in the nervous system, boosting mood. So, that sassy rhythm doesn’t just make you want to move… it rewires how your body and brain co-regulate.
That’s why I call Cheeky a mixtape for rewilding your nervous system. Oh, and it’s not “a productivity hack”. I’m so over those “brain performance” miracle cures. It’s about permission to feel, to move, to let the beat remind your brain that you’re alive and not just thinking.
A playful prescription
I wouldn’t claim that listening to house music slows ageing, although one popular headline recently did, but it’s fair to say that it helps us feel younger, looser, more open. So next time you’re stuck in your head, try a sonic reset. Press play on Cheeky, turn up the volume just enough for your heartbeat to sync with the bass, and let your brain dance a little.
That’s neuroscience, too… just a cheekier kind.
With love and a good beat,
Dr Miguel 💛🎶
Cool reading
Blood, A. J., & Zatorre, R. J. (2001). Intensely pleasurable responses to music correlate with activity in brain regions implicated in reward and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(20), 11818–11823. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.191355898
Tal, I., Large, E. W., Rabinovitch, E., Wei, Y., Schroeder, C. E., Poeppel, D., & Zion Golumbic, E. (2017). Neural Entrainment to the Beat: The "Missing-Pulse" Phenomenon. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 37(26), 6331–6341. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2500-16.2017
Jordan, C., Lawlor, B., & Loughrey, D. (2022). A systematic review of music interventions for the cognitive and behavioural symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (non-dementia). Journal of psychiatric research, 151, 382–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.04.028
de Witte, M., Spruit, A., van Hooren, S., Moonen, X., & Stams, G. J. (2020). Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses. Health psychology review, 14(2), 294–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1627897
Romeiser, J. L., Smith, D. M., & Clouston, S. A. P. (2021). Musical instrument engagement across the life course and episodic memory in late life: An analysis of 60 years of longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. PloS one, 16(6), e0253053. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253053
Zatorre, R. J., & Salimpoor, V. N. (2013). From perception to pleasure: music and its neural substrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 10430–10437. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1301228110
Bläsing, B., Calvo-Merino, B., Cross, E. S., Jola, C., Honisch, J., & Stevens, C. J. (2012). Neurocognitive control in dance perception and performance. Acta psychologica, 139(2), 300–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.12.005
Cheeky: Tracklist
Massiande, Moodena Dancing Stuff (I Love the Way) - Moodena Remix
The Kollective, Jo Paciello Return To The Classic - Jo Paciello Deep Mix
Hatiras - Bogota
George Cynnamon Happy Groove - Extended Mix
Scruscru - Fool 2 Luv U
Zepherin - Saint Betty
Jonny Pena Love & War - Club Mix
Lizzie Curious Higher - Extended Mix
Shabi - I get deep, What!
Floorplan - You’re a shining star
Demuir - Pull Up On Meh
Naked Music NYC, Joshua It's Love - Joshua's Mo' Musique Vocal
Never Dull - Everyday
Bonus: Andronicus Make You Whole (Freshly Squeezed Mix)
