Weightless (Ambient Transmission Vol. 2) by Marconi Union
Mindlab set out to validate claims that the track âWeightlessâ by Marconi Union is especially relaxing and to compare its effects with a professional massage and a selection of other tracks commonly rated as relaxing. The results were combined to show an overall “relaxation percentage score” with “Weightless” coming in at 73%.
Give it a listen and try it out!
CONTENT WARNING: This song below references suicide and may be upsetting to some readers/listeners.
SzomorĂș VasĂĄrnap by RezsĆ Seress
“Gloomy Sunday” in English
“Gloomy Sunday: did the “Hungarian suicide song” really create a suicide epidemic?”
Also known as the âHungarian Suicide Song,â is a song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer RezsĆ Seress and published in 1933. The original lyrics, titled VĂ©ge a vilĂĄgnak (The World Is Ending), expressed despair caused by war. Poet LĂĄszlĂł JĂĄvor later wrote his own lyrics, SzomorĂș vasĂĄrnap (Sad or Gloomy Sunday), in which the protagonist considers suicide after the death of a lover. The song was first recorded in Hungarian by PĂĄl KalmĂĄr in 1935, and by the 1940s it had been translated into several languages. Over the years, many famous artists recorded the song, including Billie Holiday, Genesis, Ray Charles, SinĂ©ad OâConnor, and Sarah Brightman.
It became known as the âSuicide Songâ because, according to legend, some individuals who died by suicide were found with the sheet music in their hands or referenced the song in notes. While these cases were rare, they contributed to widespread fear of the song. The BBC even banned broadcasts of it until 2002. Research shows there is no evidence that the song directly caused a suicide epidemic; broader social and economic hardships of the 1930s, along with individual mental health struggles, were far more likely factors. The legend of this song demonstrates how music can powerfully reflect and influence human emotion, highlighting the complex relationship between music and mental health.
We’ve included the song below for those who wish to listen. May it offer a moment to consider the experiences of those who were moved by it.
Seress, RezsĆ ‘SzomorĂș vasĂĄrnapâ aka âGloomy Sundayâ (1933).â SoundCloud, uploaded by ditb, 16 Nov. 2014, https://soundcloud.com/kiwiplaneteer/rezso-seress-szomoru-vasarnap-aka-gloomy-sunday-1933
Stack, Steven et al. âGloomy Sunday: did the “Hungarian suicide song” really create a suicide epidemic?.â Omega vol. 56,4 (2007): 349-58. doi:10.2190/om.56.4.c
Enduring chart topper born from challenging life experiences â Mr.Brightside by The Killers
The Killers. âMr. Brightside (Official Music Video).â YouTube, uploaded by The Killers, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE
âMr. Brightsideâ by The Killers has become one of the most enduring modern anthems of emotional resilience and heartbreak. It is especially iconic in the UK and Ireland, where it has remained on the Top 100 charts for over a decade and Spotify dubbed it “the most streamed song in the UK” which reflects how deeply listeners connect with its themes of jealousy, anxiety, and the effort to stay optimistic. Many fans describe the song as cathartic because it lets them channel spiralling thoughts into something communal and up-lifting. This shows how music can transform intrusive emotions into shared release.
Culturally, it has been described as the “Millennial Stairway To Heaven.” It is a song people belt out together at parties, pubs, weddings, and sporting events. Its repetitive structure mirrors obsessive thinking, which may be part of why it resonates so strongly on a psychological level.
Lead singer Brandon Flowers wrote the lyrics after walking into a bar and seeing his girlfriend with another man, sparking an intense mix of jealousy and paranoia. Reflecting on that moment, Flowers explained, “I used to rent a room from my sister. I paid $200 a month to live at my sister’s house and my bed was was meant for her daughter and it was, you know, it looked like some kind of princess single bed. And a girl broke my heart. And this is before we had our cell phones and we were all, you know, because now you can write notes on your cell phone, so I actually had pen and paper and I sat there and wrote that.”
What he later described as one of his lowest moments being heartbroken and writing lyrics on his nieceâs princess bed, became the foundation of one of the most iconic rock songs of the 2000s.
It raises the question of why so many defining songs emerge from a musicianâs moments of emotional struggle, reminding us that creativity and mental health are often intertwined. Music can become both an outlet and a mirror, turning private pain into something universally felt.
Paine, Andre. âThe Killersâ Mr Brightside Revealed as Biggest Single of All Time Yet to Reach No. 1.â Music Week, 9 May 2024, www.musicweek.com/talent/read/the-killers-mr-brightside-revealed-as-biggest-single-of-all-time-yet-to-reach-no-1/089737.
âBrandon Flowers on How Sleeping in a Kidâs Bed and Having His Heart Broken Inspired Mr. Brightside.â CBC Radio Q Blog, 20 June 2017, www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/brandon-flowers-on-how-sleeping-in-a-kids-bed-and-having-his-heart-broken-inspired-mr-brightside-1.4478364.