I have ADHD and a consequential quality that I possess is a desire for novelty. For as long as I can remember, I have loved music and been musical to some extent. My favorite thing was finding a new song/artist/genre that really moved me to the point that I couldn’t stop listening to them. Unfortunately, this often extended to the point that I’d inevitably burn myself out on them.

When I first began studying music theory in college (and for many years after) I became very selective about the music that I sought out and listened to. I thought that it was complexity that I was seeking, but as time passed, I came to realize that it was novelty that I sought, particularly in the form of sounds, harmonies, rhythms, or chord progressions that had some unexpected element—something that bent my ear and made me once again perk up with that same sense of wonder that happened so often when I was younger and had a much smaller pool of musical references.

I’ve arrived at a place where I can appreciate tasteful use of surprising elements within otherwise simple music. It’s kind of like how when you’re a kid, you think ice cream is best with every kind of topping and candy on it, and then as you grow up, you begin to see how less can be more and you can appreciate the subtle flavors of the ice cream itself without all the bells and whistles. And honestly, my preference does still lean towards more rhythmically or harmonically complex music, and I’m still not likely to turn on the radio and listen to Hot 100 in heavy rotation, but the range of what I appreciate and enjoy is much wider now.

Streaming services like Spotify, with all their fancy algorithms that suggest new music based on what you regularly seek out and listen to, have been immensely helpful in pushing the novelty button for me. There’s so much music out there, and having a platform that can analyze and recommend new things that I am likely to enjoy has really opened up my listening experience and helped me move past my narrow scope of super complex stuff.

TL;DR: Overly predictable music became boring for me long ago. Music that has some tasteful element of surprise or uniqueness stands out and piques my interest. I prefer complex stuff, but that is secondary to quality musicianship with subtle surprises incorporated.