Written and produced specifically to support young peoples’ mental wellbeing, “Bagels” uses musical elements identified by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) neuroscientists to relax the nervous system, modify brain activity and ease feelings of anxiousness.
Neurological testing on teenagers and young adults found listening to “Bagels” lowered levels of “state anxiety,” which is the type of short-term anxiety experienced in stressful situations. The track also calmed brain activity in the frontal and parietal lobes – the areas often associated with regulating emotions and the fight or flight stress response.
As a big believer in using music to cope with her mental health challenges, BENEE was excited to work with producer Josh Fountain and AUT scientists to learn about why music impacts anxiety.
BENEE says, “I’ve always seen music as a kind of therapy, but it was fascinating to learn why certain sounds move your mood. ‘Bagels’ was a totally different creative process for us: every aspect, from the beat, the natural soundscape and harmonies, to the subtle message in my lyrics, ‘you are not alone,’ is designed to take away feelings of anxiousness.”
She continues, “I’ve huge respect for Youthline’s work, so it’s been awesome to partner on this track, to show young people that it’s ok to talk about mental health, and to provide them with another tool to try when stressed. We all need to find what helps us, and one way I find calm is swimming at the beach and having a bagel – I’ve made a nod to this in the song, and obviously its title ‘Bagels.’”
As well as advising on the musical principles behind “Bagels,” AUT Associate Professors Daniel Shepherd and Mangor Pedersen designed tests to measure the song’s impact on anxious feelings. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) imaging of brain activity, their research found “Bagels” was the most effective in easing anxious feelings and relaxing the brain of all music tested.
Associate Professor Shepherd says, “Our testing of ‘Bagels’ shows its effectiveness for managing anxious thoughts and shifting young peoples’ bodies and brains into a significantly calmer state, shown through their lower heart rate, patterns of brain activity, and reduced perspiration.”
“I’ve studied the psychological effects of music for 15 years and jumped at the chance to be part of this ground-breaking project. Powered by more than 10 billion data points mapping a detailed representation of brain activity, our research into ‘Bagels’ is an unprecedented study of how music can regulate anxiety, and I’m excited to see it help our youth.”
“Bagels”’ soothing melodies and natural soundscapes come to life in the animated music video which floats viewers through a series of playful, organic worlds. Anxiety-reducing principles woven into the video include smooth color transitions and hypnotic swaying of organic forms, a technique to move our eyes repetitively from left to right. This strategy is a feature of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming (EMDR), a therapeutic tool used to help with anxiety.
