It’s not you, it’s your music… Is your music taste holding you back from getting more dates? As you turn on your music do you actually turn off prospective partners? Read on to find out what The SALT Music and Attraction Survey 2024 reveals about our user behaviour on the topic of music and attraction.

Why your Spotify playlists might be the reason you’re single

With Spotify’s 2024 Wrapped being, well, unwrapped, and with Bumble’s latest Global dating trends citing sharing playlists amongst the ‘micro-mance’ smaller gestures that singles agree shows how we express love and interest now, SALT decided to face the music and delve into its plethora of dating insights – and into the playlists of its users. We set out to find out which music genre attracted the most likes and matches. Do music and attraction have any correlation?

The Results

The data from 109,000 SALT users was crunched, and there was a clear winner, with Indie music fans coming out as the dominant favourites at the top of the most popular singles list, with a higher ratio of likes to swipes than Christian singles who like other genres, closely followed by K-Pop, Pop, Latin and Folk music lovers.  At the bottom of the scale, by contrast, singles who like Big Room, Drill and Dubstep are significantly less popular.

In terms of individual artists, users who like Upperroom, Lauren Daigle, NEEDTOBREATHE reigned supreme with the highest proportion of likes, with fans of Andy Mineo and Skillet at the bottom of the list. But is it really our music choices that deter rather than attract? Or do our playlist preferences say more about us than we think? Indie and Upperroom fans are the most attractive, yes, but what are they like, what do they value, and what do they have in common? 

Music and Values

SALT dug a bit deeper and looked at the underlying values, the characteristics that resonate and rank most highly with the most popular profiles. Sense of Humour and Emotional Maturity top the list of traits that Indie fans value, either in themselves or in a partner, closely followed by Honesty, Empathy, Compassion and Faithfulness. Lauren Daigle and Upperroom fans also ranked these highly.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular character traits overall, across all music fans, were Commitment, Faithfulness and Compassion.

With so much in the news to dishearten and discourage, and uncertainty about the future impacting who we are and how we date, it’s really not hard to see how these characteristics are sought after and are attractive in a potential partner. If you’re interested in finding out what else might attract someone on your profile, read this post and download SALT to try out the tips.

Music, too, has the power to stir emotions and to bring people together, undoubtedly. But how aligned should our music tastes be? We know that compromise is required in all long-term relationships – and this most definitely extends to the playlists we choose! In it for the long journey (or just going on one) though, it helps to be on the same track.

And the overall takeaway perhaps? If you’re single and want a date, listen to more Indie and K-Pop. Stop listening to Dubstep and Drill if you want to optimise your chances of finding love? Or, to coin Shakespeare’s famous quote from Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on” – but just think twice about what you’re sharing.

Key Takeaways

Genres

• Indie music fans came out on top as the most popular singles
• The next most popular were K-Pop, Pop, Latin and Folk music lovers
• At the other end of the scale, singles who like Big Room, Drill, Dubstep, Hardcore and Metal are significantly less attractive 
• Big Room was ranked at the bottom, and had a profile like ratio of one-third of that of Indie music fans

Artists

• In terms of individual artists, users who like Upperroom, Lauren Daigle, NEEDTOBREATHE get a higher percentage of likes to swipes
• Upperroom fans are the most popular on SALT
• Fans of Andy Mineo and Skillet are the least attractive

Genres + Values

• Almost every music fan values compassion, honesty, commitment and faithfulness
• Indie fans value sense of humor more highly than any other value
• Sense of Humour and Emotional Maturity came out on top of the list of traits that Indie fans value, either in themselves or in a partner, closely followed by Honesty, Empathy, Compassion and Faithfulness
• Faithfulness is the most frequently valued trait, appearing in 34 of 38 genres
• Commitment follows closely, showing up in 33 genres
• Honesty appears frequently but is often ranked lower compared to the top traits
• Calmness and Ambition are also recurring traits, especially in genres ranked lower in popularity

Artists + Values

• Nearly all music artist fans value faithfulness, compassion and commitment
• NEEDTOBREATHE, Rend Collective and Switchfoot fans are most likely to have/value a sense of humour
• Faithfulness is the most frequently mentioned characteristic across nearly all the artists, appearing in the top 5 for 34 out of the 37 artists. It is often ranked as the most important characteristic
• Compassion is another widely valued trait, showing up frequently in the top 3 for most artists
• Commitment and Honesty are also common, suggesting a strong emphasis on reliability and integrity among users
• Fans of UPPERROOM, the most popular artist, prioritise Emotional Maturity as their top trait, a unique ranking compared to other artists
• NEEDTOBREATHE fans rank Sense of Humour highest, differing from the general trend and possibly indicating a lighter, more fun-loving audience
• Ambition is highlighted by fans of artists like Kanye West and Andy Mineo, reflecting a focus on drive and determination

Full List of Results

Most Popular Users by Genre shows the popularity of music fans on SALT based on their favourite music genres. Users are ranked from the most popular (those with the highest ratio of likes to swipes) to the least popular (those with the lowest ratio).

Most Popular Users by Artist shows the popularity of music fans on SALT based on their favourite Christian artists. Users are ranked from the most popular (those with the highest ratio of likes to swipes) to the least popular (those with the lowest ratio).

Each list also reveals the top 5 most important character traits for fans of those genres / artists, in frequency order from 1st to 5th position, with no. 1 being the most-commonly selected trait by fans of that particular music genre/artist.

Most Valued Character Traits provides a full list of the values selected by music fans as being important to them, ranked according to overall popularity of the trait, from the most-selected (no. 1) to the least-selected (no. 106). Numbers of music fans choosing that particular value are included for reference.

Most Popular Users by Genre

1. Indie
   1. Sense of humour
   2. Emotional maturity
   3. Honesty
   4. Empathy
   5. Compassion
2. K-Pop
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Honesty
   4. Emotional maturity
   5. Empathy
3. Pop
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Honesty
   4. Empathy
   5. Emotional maturity
4. Latin
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Honesty
   4. Empathy
   5. Emotional maturity
5. Folk
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Emotional maturity
   3. Compassion
   4. Sense of humour
   5. Honesty
6. Country
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Honesty
   4. Compassion
   5. Loyalty
7. Christian
   1. Commitment
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Compassion
   4. Honesty
   5. Calmness
8. Soul
   1. Emotional maturity
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Commitment
   4. Honesty
   5. Compassion
9. Jazz
   1. Commitment
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Emotional maturity
   4. Ambition
   5. Honesty
10. Gospel
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Honesty
    4. Emotional maturity
    5. Compassion
11. R&B
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Ambition
    3. Honesty
    4. Commitment
    5. Good communication
12. Contemporary Country
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Calmness
    5. Honesty
13. Acoustic
    1. Commitment
    2. Calmness
    3. Faithfulness
    4. Compassion
    5. Charisma
14. Soft Rock
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Commitment
    4. Compassion
    5. Sense of humour
15. Classical
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Calmness
    4. Compassion
    5. Emotional maturity
16. New Romantic
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Attentiveness
    4. Charisma
    5. Calmness
17. Dance Pop
    1. Commitment
    2. Calmness
    3. Ambition
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Charisma
18. Alternative Rock
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Calmness
    4. Compassion
    5. Honesty
19. Pop Rap
    1. Ambition
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Commitment
    4. Calmness
    5. Honesty
20. Dance
    1. Calmness
    2. Commitment
    3. Ambition
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Attentiveness
21. EDM
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Ambition
    3. Honesty
    4. Commitment
    5. Calmness
22. Rap
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Ambition
    3. Honesty
    4. Commitment
    5. Calmness
23. Blues
    1. Commitment
    2. Calmness
    3. Ambition
    4. Compassion
    5. Faithfulness
24. Celtic
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Calmness
    5. Honesty
25. Easy Listening
    1. Calmness
    2. Ambition
    3. Commitment
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Bravery
26. Funk
    1. Commitment
    2. Ambition
    3. Calmness
    4. Compassion
    5. Faithfulness
27. Punk
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Sense of humour
    4. Compassion
    5. Commitment
28. House
    1. Ambition
    2. Calmness
    3. Commitment
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Honesty
29. Bluegrass
    1. Commitment
    2. Calmness
    3. Ambition
    4. Compassion
    5. Faithfulness
30. Electro House
    1. Calmness
    2. Ambition
    3. Commitment
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Attentiveness
31. Hip-Hop
    1. Ambition
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Calmness
    4. Commitment
    5. Honesty
32. Trap
    1. Ambition
    2. Calmness
    3. Faithfulness
    4. Commitment
    5. Charisma
33. Alternative Hip-Hop
    1. Ambition
    2. Calmness
    3. Commitment
    4. Charisma
    5. Attentiveness
34. Metal
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Commitment
    4. Compassion
    5. Loyalty
35. Hardcore
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Calmness
    3. Compassion
    4. Commitment
    5. Honesty
36. Dubstep
    1. Ambition
    2. Calmness
    3. Commitment
    4. Faithfulness
    5. Compassion
37. Drill
    1. Ambition
    2. Calmness
    3. Faithfulness
    4. Charisma
    5. Bravery
38. Big Room
    1. Calmness
    2. Ambition
    3. Attentiveness
    4. Bravery
    5. Charisma

Most Popular Users by Artist

1. UPPERROOM
   1. Emotional maturity
   2. Good communication
   3. Faithfulness
   4. Compassion
   5. Sense of humour
2. Lauren Daigle
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Honesty
   3. Compassion
   4. Commitment
   5. Emotional maturity
3. NEEDTOBREATHE
   1. Sense of humour
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Compassion
   4. Good communication
   5. Honesty
4. Kari Jobe
   1. Commitment
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Compassion
   4. Emotional maturity
   5. Honesty
5. Elevation Worship
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Compassion
   4. Honesty
   5. Emotional maturity
6. Phil Wickham
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Compassion
   3. Commitment
   4. Honesty
   5. Sense of humour
7. Maverick City Music
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Good communication
   3. Emotional maturity
   4. Commitment
   5. Compassion
8. Brandon Lake
   1. Faithfulness
   2. Commitment
   3. Compassion
   4. Honesty
   5. Ambition
9. CAIN
   1. Compassion
   2. Faithfulness
   3. Commitment
   4. Calmness
   5. Ambition
10. Hillsong United
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Honesty
    4. Compassion
    5. Emotional maturity
11. Hillsong Worship
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Honesty
    4. Compassion
    5. Emotional maturity
12. Cory Asbury
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Good communication
    5. Emotional maturity
13. Rend Collective
    1. Sense of humour
    2. Honesty
    3. Compassion
    4. Kindness
    5. Faithfulness
14. tobyMAC
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Good communication
15. for KING & COUNTRY
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Good communication
16. Switchfoot
    1. Sense of humour
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Emotional maturity
    4. Compassion
    5. Commitment
17. Jeremy Camp
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Honesty
    4. Compassion
    5. Loyalty
18. Bethel Music
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Emotional maturity
    5. Calmness
19. Carrie Underwood
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Calmness
    5. Honesty
20. Casting Crowns
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Emotional maturity
21. Worship Central
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Loyalty
22. Lecrae
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Good communication
    4. Compassion
    5. Commitment
23. CeCe Winans
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Ambition
    5. Honesty
24. Zach Williams
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Compassion
    4. Commitment
    5. Loyalty
25. MercyMe
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Compassion
    3. Commitment
    4. Honesty
    5. Loyalty
26. Jesus Culture
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Emotional maturity
    5. Calmness
27. Chris Tomlin
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Calmness
28. Danny Gokey
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Calmness
29. Michael W. Smith
    1. Commitment
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Calmness
30. Anne Wilson
    1. Commitment
    2. Calmness
    3. Ambition
    4. Compassion
    5. Faithfulness
31. Newsboys
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Commitment
    4. Compassion
    5. Loyalty
32. Crowder
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Commitment
    3. Compassion
    4. Honesty
    5. Loyalty
33. Kanye West
    1. Ambition
    2. Faithfulness
    3. Commitment
    4. Calmness
    5. Compassion
34. Amanda Cook
    1. Attentiveness
    2. Calmness
    3. Ambition
    4. Commitment
    5. Availability
35. Skillet
    1. Faithfulness
    2. Honesty
    3. Compassion
    4. Commitment
    5. Loyalty
36. Andy Mineo
    1. Ambition
    2. Commitment
    3. Attentiveness
    4. Calmness
    5. Bravery
37. Andrew Ripp
    1. Calmness
    2. Attentiveness
    3. Ambition
    4. Bravery
    5. Availability

Most Valued Character Traits

1. Commitment – 65195
2. Faithfulness – 62949
3. Compassion – 50798
4. Honesty – 48334
5. Calmness – 46712
6. Ambition – 45033
7. Emotional maturity – 42992
8. Good communication – 34952
9. Empathy – 34809
10. Attentiveness – 34364
11. Loyalty – 34008
12. Charisma – 33080
13. Sense of humour – 30468
14. Kindness – 27878
15. Family focus – 26262
16. Bravery – 25521
17. Creativity – 25204
18. Availability – 24204
19. Courage – 23452
20. Dependability – 20683
21. Consistency – 20356
22. Approachability – 20262
23. Discipline – 20136
24. Humilty – 19577
25. Gentleness – 19227
26. Charm – 19031
27. Forgiveness – 17600
28. Easy going – 17499
29. Charity – 17421
30. Boldness – 17057
31. Respectfullness – 16469
32. Friendliness – 16338
33. Determination – 15539
34. Prayerfulness – 14468
35. Trustworthiness – 14322
36. Hard work – 14284
37. Joy – 13673
38. Wisdom – 12933
39. Integrity – 12705
40. Patience – 12704
41. Courtesy – 11860
42. Discernment – 11692
43. Genuineness – 11637
44. Maturity – 11532
45. Generosity – 10969
46. Romanticism – 10933
47. Gratitude – 10718
48. Worshipfulness – 10039
49. Artistry – 9448
50. Curiosity – 9431
51. Positivity – 9043
52. Decisiveness – 9003
53. Conscientiousness – 8992
54. Thoughtfulness – 8422
55. Warmth – 8063
56. Open-mindedness – 8020
57. Contentment – 7880
58. Drive – 7319
59. Truth seeking – 6612
60. Community focus – 6279
61. Responsibilty – 6215
62. Fairness – 5963
63. Enthusiasm – 5805
64. Peacefulness – 5785
65. Self-awareness – 5487
66. Articulation – 5272
67. Optimism – 4863
68. Self-control – 4715
69. Honor – 4582
70. Diligence – 4321
71. Helpfulness – 4314
72. Self-confidence – 4218
73. Modesty – 3817
74. Self-discipline – 3801
75. Sensitivity – 3795
76. Spontaneity – 3623
77. Flexibilty – 3538
78. Constructiveness – 3528
79. Ethicalism – 3306
80. Unselfishness – 3268
81. Justice – 3240
82. Hospitality – 3220
83. Discretion – 3162
84. Independence – 3062
85. Obedience – 3039
86. Endurance – 2781
87. Entrepreneurial – 2574
88. Tradition – 2552
89. Resilience – 2400
90. Politeness – 2318
91. Logic – 1870
92. Imagination – 1707
93. Tolerance – 1586
94. Relaxation – 1514
95. Punctuality – 1283
96. Planning – 1108
97. Reverence – 884
98. Resourcefulness – 861
99. Productivity – 748
100. Perceptiveness – 680
101. Progressiveness – 675
102. Self-reliance – 653
103. Observation – 622
104. Pragmatism – 398
105. Thriftiness – 352
106. Methodicalness – 67