While some empirical studies and surveys link exposure to aggressive or misogynistic lyrics with short-term increases in aggressive thoughts or behaviors, other researchers argue that these findings are heavily confounded by listener predispositions and racial stereotypes, with some experimental work suggesting music can serve as a healthy emotional outlet.
The retrieved literature contains conflicting evidence regarding whether music genres featuring violence (such as rap or heavy metal) directly cause real-world violent behavior. Some studies (e.g., Anderson et al., and specific experimental work on aggressive lyrics like [3] and correlational findings like [4]) suggest a positive link or short-term priming effect. Conversely, other scholars and recent experimental studies (such as [6] and [9]) emphasize that third-party variables, preexisting listener predispositions, and cultural/racial stereotypes heavily shape these perceptions, and that music may actually serve adaptive emotion-regulation functions rather than causing violence. Because there is ongoing methodological debate regarding causation versus correlation and the role of third factors, the balance is best characterized as CONTESTED.