British singer Adele won six Grammy Awards on Sunday night, including one for her aching ballad "Someone Like You." What is it that makes a song like hers such an emotional powder keg?
You know the feeling. It's one like this: "Your hair's standing up on end, shivers going down your spine, a lump coming into your throat, even tears running down your eyes," says John Sloboda, a professor of music psychology at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Sloboda has studied physical reactions to music and found that one musical ornament in particular triggers a strong emotional reaction.
