When you listen to a song, what's the first thing you pay attention to?

[DanielsonTHAGOAT]

I think for me the drums are the number one thing I pay attention to. Also the keys of a song if they were produced in Minor or Major and if its a loop. I also listen to chord progression and after my first listen of a song, I play it again to listen to the music. What about you guys?

[Settee]

Lyrics. I like the music I listen to to have a message. I hate music that repeats the same senseless line a dozen times over.

[Ace]

The overall beat & if the singer(s) sing to the beat

[Kein]

Good bass line, catchy tunes. Lyrics are one of the last thing I pay attention to.

[Westcoastvibes]

Lyrics are important but the very first time I hear a song its all about the overall feel of the song, do the bass and drums work together, do the guitar and vocals mesh well. After that I will dive deeper into a song. I instantly throw away any song with repetitive hooks though. If its the same synthesized beat repeated or the same lyrics hook played constantly then its not worth it. I want music that has a meaning to the artist, something they put time and emotion into. Plus, not a big fan of songs with "featuring" artists.

[Everlong]

Yeah i'd agree with WCV in that I pay more attention to the lyrics after the second or third listen. The first time I'm just looking for good-sounding music. Something that tries to be different, or at least doesn't sound really cliche. Good musical talent. Autotune is always an instant turnoff, but I don't really listen to any genres in which it'd be used haha.

[The Legend]

It's all about the lyrics for me. I like to sing along either in my head or out loud depending on the situation and I need good lyrics to go along with.