Music is not a universal language — but it can bring us together when words fail
#universal language#musicology#cultural unity#AI era#human connection#Patrick E. Savage#Comparative Musicology
📌 Key Takeaways
Music is not truly universal but can unite people across cultural divides
Music continues to connect people despite AI-driven technological isolation
Examples include Rosalía's multilingual album and Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance
Music may offer insights into language origins and serve as humanity's antidote to AI inhumanity
📖 Full Retelling
Musicologist Patrick E. Savage from the University of Auckland and Keio University published an essay on February 23, 2026, exploring whether music serves as a universal language capable of uniting humanity in an increasingly AI-dominated world. As societies emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic's social isolation, people craved genuine human connection, yet found themselves surrounded by generative artificial intelligence programs featuring hallucinating chatbots and deepfake songs. Despite this technological backdrop, Savage argues that music from diverse sources continues to unite people globally, pointing to examples such as the animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters, Spanish singer Rosalía's multilingual album Lux featuring 14 distinct languages, and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny's Spanish-language performance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. The essay examines whether music could indeed be humanity's 'universal language of mankind,' as poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described it in 1835, and potentially serve as an antidote to the inhumanity of the AI era. Savage, author of 'Comparative Musicology' (2026), suggests that our varied experiences with music might offer insights into the origins of language itself, while noting that the nature of music remains a subject of intense scientific debate.
An AI boom is a period of rapid growth in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The most recent boom originally started gradually in the 2010s, but saw increased acceleration in the 2020s. Examples of this include generative AI technologies, such as large language models and AI image generators...
This article matters because it explores music's unique role in fostering human connection, especially after periods of social isolation like the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examines whether music can serve as a counterbalance to the impersonal nature of advancing AI technologies.
Context & Background
Music is debated as a potential universal language
The article references historical views like Longfellow's 1835 quote
Examples include global artists like Rosalía and Bad Bunny
The piece connects music to the post-pandemic desire for connection
It questions music's role amid the rise of AI
What Happens Next
Further research and discussion will likely continue exploring music's evolutionary origins and its capacity to unite people across cultures. The debate over music as a universal language may influence how societies use music in education and cross-cultural communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the author of the article?
Patrick E. Savage, a musicologist at the University of Auckland and Keio University.
What examples does the article give of music uniting people?
It mentions KPop Demon Hunters, Rosalía's multilingual album, and Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance.
What is the main argument about music and AI?
The article questions if music can be an antidote to the inhumanity of the AI era.
Original Source
ESSAY 23 February 2026 Music is not a universal language — but it can bring us together when words fail Societies, animals and even machines have music in common. Our varied experiences of it might tell us about the origins of language. By Patrick E. Savage 0 Patrick E. Savage Patrick E. Savage is a musicologist at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and at Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan. He is the author of Comparative Musicology (2026). View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Email Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X As humanity emerged from the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, people craved human connection. Instead, we got generative artificial-intelligence programs , complete with hallucinating chatbots and deepfake songs. Yet, music from diverse sources does find ways to unite people around the world, from the animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters to Spanish singer Rosalía singing in 14 distinct languages on her album Lux and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny performing in Spanish at the half-time show of the 2026 American Football Super Bowl LX. Could music be the “universal language of mankind”, as poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow noted in 1835? Might it even be humanity’s antidote to the inhumanity of the AI era? The nature of music is a subject of hot debate. Don’t talk science, play science: translate your data into music to improve its reach
