This Is Why That Catchy Song Just Won’t Get Out Of Your Head

If you find yourself singing the same song on repeat, or humming along to an ad on the TV, it could all be down to the shape and size of your brain. According to science, some brains are more susceptible to music takeovers than others, and it’s all down to the thickness of the brain. The new study, published in scientific journal Consciousness and Cognition, found that people who regularly find it difficult to shake that catchy tune have more grey matter in the areas of the brain responsible for auditory perception, musical memory, and pitch memory. Known as involuntary musical imagery (INMI), scientists from Goldsmiths, University of London also found that people who find the habit of picking up tunes annoying are more likely to have a bigger temporal lobe – the area of the brain most related to emotions. So how do researchers suggest you push that song out of your head? Apparently all you have to do is find something else to do to take your mind off the project in hand. The only catch? The new task needs to ‘challenge’ your brain. So next time Taylor Swift knew someone ‘was trouble when they walked in’, pull out that Sudoku. Stat.