We all have those moments that call for an extra boost of confidence, when we need to stand tall and feel our most assertive.
At my first job out of college, I was in a lot of meetings where I was the only woman surrounded by a conference table full of men in suits, all of whom had years of experience. I was so afraid of misspeaking or somehow looking silly and ruining the meeting.
No matter how much I prepared, I knew my confidence still needed a boost. My solution was to go to the bathroom a few minutes before the meeting began and listen to a song that would help me find the stronger, more confident version of myself.
These songs were often rap songs because they had strong bass lines and gave me a strong, confident sense of drive, even though often times the lyrics were not very positive or conscious (which I did not love.)
I always felt a little silly sharing this tip with others.
But, it turns out my music listening methodology wasn’t so silly. Recent science supports the use of heavy-bass music as an effective confidence hack…and researchers say that the lyrics are not necessarily what makes us feel dominant—it’s the strong bass lines.
So for this month’s DARING theme, look no further than your own headphones. When you’re looking to make a good first impression, raise your head high, turn your chin up, pump up the bass…and let the music empower you to do great things.
Here are some bass-boosted tunes I’ve curated to get you started. Tune into the playlist below and follow the CS music channel to access all our playlists organized by theme and activity.
Jamie Pabst is the CS Music Editor, NYC-based DJ and music-tech entrepreneur.
