MUMBAI: Music is often considered an effective conversation starter or even mile-markers in dating. Music bonds us beyond barriers or differences. As single Indians look for creative and unique ways to date IRL, 43% of daters on Bumble surveyed say they want to attend gigs and performances for their first in-person dates now.

This World Music Day, couples who found love on Bumble share how music helped them connect with their partner on a deeper level based on similar as well as distinct music tastes.

Sanya shared, “Utkarsh and I have completely opposite tastes in music. While he prefers techno, I’m more of an R&B and Disney music kind of person. However, we have learnt to enjoy each other’s music now. He sits with me to watch every Disney movie and sings along, too, while I have started going to all techno fests that he enjoys. We have attended multiple gigs – from jazz to techno- and have loved exploring different genres. I have realised that as long as the person can accompany me and enjoy my preferences, that’s all that matters and strengthens the bond.”

“Interestingly, music helps me guess one’s personality through the songs they listen to. On our second date, Kishan and I bonded over Tamil music, virtually, and that’s how our story progressed. I was brought up in Chennai, but I was surprised when I learned that Kishan knew AR Rahman’s pettai rap word to word. We still play that song once a week in the car on full volume and sing to it like our lives depend on how loud we sing. We call it "our song", from playing it while preparing dinner to dedicating it to each other during karaoke nights. Music has been an essential element in our friendship that turned into a relationship, and now our married life,” expressed Deepti.

Shubhangi said, “One of the first things Mayank and I noticed in each other’s profiles on Bumble was our current playlist and we were surprised to see that our music taste was extremely similar. We both are fans of Rock n Roll- classic and Indie music, and it was interesting how we have been learning about new music through each other’s playlists. While the music was an ice breaker for us, we went on to play our favourite songs during our long drives, morning walks and even jam together, since both of us sing and play the guitar.”