Manuela del Caño Espinel, neuroscientist: “Reggaeton is the music that activates the most parts of the brain”

Few debates spark stronger opinions than music. Some people swear by rap, metal, rock, pop, blues, classical music, k-pop or reggaeton. There is a genre for every taste, and no one will ever definitively settle which style is “better.”

The brain activating music

But researchers may have discovered which genre activates the brain the most – and, to the surprise of many, the answer is reggaeton. “It’s not as bad as people think,” said Manuela del Caño Espinel during a talk at the University of Burgos, where she teaches in the music department.

During the lecture, the neuroscientist discussed the benefits of reggaeton despite its reputation, though she drew a distinction between the music and the lyrics. “I’m not going to defend the lyrics in any way, but I will defend the music,” she said.

“People assume the rhythm can’t be very interesting for the brain. You compare a reggaeton score with a Bach sonata, and naturally you think, ‘No, Bach must be incredible for the brain because it’s so complex,’” the expert explained.

However, Del Caño pointed to scientific studies suggesting the genre has a surprisingly powerful effect on neural activity. “Scientists placed people inside MRI scanners and played them different kinds of music, and we were surprised to find that reggaeton activated the greatest number of brain regions,” she said.

Why the brain likes predictability

The neuroscientist also explained that the human brain is fundamentally built around prediction. “We know the brain evolved to predict, because that allows it to prepare for what’s coming next,” she said. “What the brain needs is to anticipate what may happen afterward so it can get ready for it.”

That idea, she argued, helps explain the difference between reggaeton and classical music.

The difference between reggaeton and Bach

Del Caño compared reggaeton with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, arguing that reggaeton follows patterns the brain can easily anticipate, while Bach constantly disrupts expectations.

“With Bach, when you think you’re in one key, suddenly it changes to another, then shifts from minor to major, and the rhythm changes completely. It’s impossible to predict,” she explained.

“When the brain realizes it can’t predict what comes next, it disconnects,” the scientist concluded.

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