Play these albums and get down to some dirty dancing:
FIRST-TIME SEX
The scenario: This is finally happening!
Play: Your first-date soundtrack.
The reason: Familiarity is relaxing. In a study from Long Island Conservatory, participants who listened to familiar music that they enjoyed had lower anxiety levels and blood pressure than those who listened to music they didn’t like. “The emotional response triggers a profound physiological response,” says George Stefano, lead author of the study. “It’s a feel-good system that allows us to relax.”
QUICKIE SEX
The scenario: She’s purring and your favourite show is coming to a commercial break.
Play: Up-tempo indie rock like The Killers or Arctic Monkeys.
The reason: Press play to speed up her body’s physiological response. Italian researchers found subjects’ ventilation, heart rate and arousal levels increased when they were exposed to music with a quick tempo and simple rhythmic structure.
Bonus: you burn 146kJ in 20 minutes of sex.
EXPERIMENTAL SEX
The scenario: There’s a gleam in her eye - and cuffs in her room.
Play: Punk or hard rock like Green Day or The New Pornographers.
The reason: In a study of varsity students, those looking for physical stimulation and an adrenaline high listened to more punk and hard metal. “People who are sexually promiscuous are more likely to engage in sensation seeking,” says Dr Rob Weisskirchm, an associate professor of human development at California State University.
CASUAL SEX
The scenario: You’ve known her for two beers and the drive home.
Play: Suggestive hip hop and pop like the Black Eyed Peas or Outkast.
The reason: In one study, women who listened to sexually provocative lyrics placed an emphasis on the sex appeal of potential partners. “They had been ‘primed’ to think about sexuality and were more likely to view everything from that perspective,” says Dr Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, the lead researcher.
