Prolactin

At the biological level, sad music is linked to the hormone prolactin. which is associated with crying and helps to curb grief (Huron, 2011). Sad music tricks the brain into engaging a normal, compensatory response by releasing prolactin. In the absence of a traumatic event, the body is left with a pleasurable mix of opiates with nowhere else to go. Prolactin produces feelings of calmness to counteract mental pain.