INFJ Musicians

[Evee]

Tom Petty is a perfect example of an INFP musician - very sensitive, personal, gifted songwriter.

Let's not lose our heads here.

 

[FemMecha]

Let's not lose our heads here.

You silly. Actually, I don't connect that personally with his music and actually dislike some of his songs, but there is depth and meaning there, and so I would still call his ability giftedness.

 

[Evee]

You silly. Actually, I don't connect that personally with his music and actually dislike some of his songs, but there is depth and meaning there, and so I would still call his ability giftedness.

I'm just indifferent to him. His claim to fame is being friends with George Harrison and Bob Dylan.

I wouldn't consider him gifted, possibly the epitome of mediocre song writer.

 

[FemMecha]

I'm just indifferent to him. His claim to fame is being friends with George Harrison and Bob Dylan.

I wouldn't consider him gifted, possibly the epitome of mediocre song writer.

Bob Dylan - I've thought he is an INFP. What do you think?

 

[Evee]

Bob Dylan - I've thought he is an INFP. What do you think?

ENFP?

He's kind of like Dr. Seuss with a guitar.

 

[Flâneuse]

Jack White
Maybe PJ Harvey. Either INFJ or ISFP.
IMO Bob Dylan is an ISFP with strong Ni.

 

[Evee]

IMO Bob Dylan is an ISFP with strong Ni.

Can you explain what you mean and how it relates to Dylan?

 

[highlander]

These are very accurate and I also base it on their lyrics. Trent Rezner is the epitome of INFJ because of his global abstract perspective combined with describing disconnection from self (which is why he is not a Fi dom)

The rest I don't know well enough, except someone please tell me Yanni isn't INFJ. He feels so vapid to me like the musical version of Fabio.

I would like to see INFJ musicians address the original question with a video response. What do you think, Highlander?

I think that's a great idea

 

[Z Buck McFate]

I suspect PJ Harvey is ENFJ, though I think she serves as a good example of the (supposed) FJ/FP difference. When she talks about the process of creating the music, it’s all about how to most effectively create an effect. It’s like her goal is to paint an accurate portrait of some aspect of the human experience–it isn’t about expressing her own experience, it’s about capturing a universal experience- and focusing on the effect that portrait creates. She mentions (interview under spoiler) doing a lot of research- reading blogs, watching documentaries and interviews of people living in war zones- to be able to convey the most universal/objective perspective (of some subjective condition) as possible. She's not trying to express something about 'herself'- she even mentions she doesn't want to have songs that sound "too self-important"- she's trying to express something about 'us'.

[The reason I say ENFJ over INFJ is because it seems to me like she’s got a tighter grip on the reigns of the beast musicians try to capture, if that makes any sense. I think that INFJs sit back and watch- the beast is bigger than them, and they sorta hide in the shadows drawing sketches of it and/or laying out traps to catch it, presenting all sorts of illustrations of ‘it’ without feeling too involved (because feeling too involved is too chaotic a feeling, we feel most grounded when it feels like we’re simply observing what’s there). But ENFJs can jump in there, slap a saddle on it and ride it like a bronco/tell it where to go. I think. And I say all this as someone who isn't a musician.]

 

[á´…eparted]

Lou Rhodes

 

[FemMecha]

Trent Reznor NIN

"Only"

I'm becoming less defined as days go by
Fading away
And well you might say
I'm losing focus
Kinda drifting into the abstract in terms of how I see myself

Sometimes I think I can see right through myself [x2]
Sometimes I can see right through myself

Less concerned about fitting into the world
Your world that is
Cause it doesn't really matter anymore
(no it doesn't really matter anymore)
No it doesn't really matter anymore
None of this really matters anymore

Yes I am alone but then again I always was
As far back as I can tell
I think maybe it's because
Because you were never really real to begin with
I just made you up to hurt myself...

These lyrics are a good example of Ni-Fe expressing an existential isolation, a longing to connect that is impossible when both Self and Other become an abstraction of reality. I think both Fi and Ni can create abstraction of others, but the abstraction of Self is very much in the domain of Ni-Fe.

 

[Flâneuse]

Can you explain what you mean and how it relates to Dylan?

Going by his writing and the interviews I've watched, he has strong intuition but it seems less focused on "what if" and exploration of multiple possibilities, and more focused on "what is", like he has a unified idea of an underlying reality in his mind that he finds difficult to articulate directly. IMO his intuition has an Ni rigidness and certainty to it instead of an Ne uncertain and hypothetical quality. I even thought INFJ at first until I realized he has far more Fi than Fe.
...But, I've been indecisive about whether I'm Se/Ni or Ne/Si lately, so any comments I make about the perceiving functions should probably be taken with a grain of salt.

I suspect PJ Harvey is ENFJ, though I think she serves as a good example of the (supposed) FJ/FP difference. When she talks about the process of creating the music, it’s all about how to most effectively create an effect. It’s like her goal is to paint an accurate portrait of some aspect of the human experience–it isn’t about expressing her own experience, it’s about capturing a universal experience- and focusing on the effect that portrait creates. She mentions (interview under spoiler) doing a lot of research- reading blogs, watching documentaries and interviews of people living in war zones- to be able to convey the most universal/objective perspective (of some subjective condition) as possible. She's not trying to express something about 'herself'- she even mentions she doesn't want to have songs that sound "too self-important"- she's trying to express something about 'us'.

[The reason I say ENFJ over INFJ is because it seems to me like she’s got a tighter grip on the reigns of the beast musicians try to capture, if that makes any sense. I think that INFJs sit back and watch- the beast is bigger than them, and they sorta hide in the shadows drawing sketches of it and/or laying out traps to catch it, presenting all sorts of illustrations of ‘it’ without feeling too involved (because feeling too involved is too chaotic a feeling, we feel most grounded when it feels like we’re simply observing what’s there). But ENFJs can jump in there, slap a saddle on it and ride it like a bronco/tell it where to go. I think. And I say all this as someone who isn't a musician.]

Agreed on xNFJ -- that is no Fi-dom. I think the widespread mistyping of PJ Harvey as ISFP is a good example of how misleading and inaccurate it can be to type a musician by their lyrics without actually hearing about the process behind them. (The most common argument I hear for her being ISFP over NF is basically "her lyrics are literal/particular rather than metaphorical".) I'm still leaning towards I over E because of things I've read in other interviews, but I have to admit her approach to making "Let England Shake" was unusually externally-focused and Fe-heavy for an INFJ.

....................................................................................

For people who don't watch the entire interview:
- She says when she was writing "Let England Shake", she wanted to create something that was "uplifting, energizing, unifying, communal" that had a sense of "a gathering together as people". The melodies had to be something "conducive to sing along with", like an anthem. (Fe over Fi, all the way)
- She wanted to write about war as if she were the "officially appointed song correspondent".
- She talks about wanting to leave room for people to insert their own ideas and feelings into the songs. She didn't want to put too much of herself into them.
- As a writer, she "always comes back to the way human beings relate to each other."
- The record had to have a quality of being "indefinable and not rooted". (sounds Ni-ish)

 

[Flâneuse]

More possible INFJs:
Alanis Morissette (xNFJ at least)
Danielle Dax (ditto)
I think the consensus for Feist is INFJ, but I haven't seen any interviews so I can't say for myself.
[MENTION=22109]silvery sleeves[/MENTION], which INFx do you think Jeff Mangum is?

Tom Petty seems ISFP rather than INFP. And I'm not sure why so many people type Bjork as INFJ instead of Fi-dom.

 

[Evee]

[MENTION=22109]silvery sleeves[/MENTION], which INFx do you think Jeff Mangum is?

I'm not sure.

What do you think?

 

[á´…eparted]

Maxi Jazz

 

[lulabelle]

Trent Reznor = INFP

Some other INFJ musicians include Morrissey, Billy Corgan and Thom Yorke.

morrissey and thom yorke are very INFP. in their own worlds of pure, raw feeling.

 

[lulabelle]

Jack White
Maybe PJ Harvey. Either INFJ or ISFP.
IMO Bob Dylan is an ISFP with strong Ni.

i don't think bob dylan is an ISFP. his lyrics are so dreamy and absurd and full of meaning and full of nothing at all. ISFP lyrics tend to be quite literal. dylan is quite knowing, and is cutely ironic in the way INFPs often are. he's both detached and could not be emotionally closer.

 

[lulabelle]

Trent Reznor NIN

These lyrics are a good example of Ni-Fe expressing an existential isolation, a longing to connect that is impossible when both Self and Other become an abstraction of reality. I think both Fi and Ni can create abstraction of others, but the abstraction of Self is very much in the domain of Ni-Fe.

trent reznor reminds me of every INTJ i've ever known. the pain is so pure, so fi. i was just listening to his song where it goes 'there is no you, there is only me.' it reminded me of how every Fi user kinda contains their own universe inside of them, and it's kind of aligned with buddhist philosophy of the self being the only thing that exists and also how it doesn't exist at all.

he has a VERY INTJ demeanor... INFJs just have such a different feeling about them. he is too hard and fragile at the same time. INFJs don't come off cold in quite the same way.

 

[RedAmazoneFriendZone]

he has a VERY INTJ demeanor... INFJs just have such a different feeling about them. he is too hard and fragile at the same time. INFJs don't come off cold in quite the same way.

I have never crossed a cold INFJ They can seem unreachable, fragile... but their insight on their deep feelings is a real strength.
It seems that INTJ and INFJ have the same demeanour when talking of a subject they like. However, their look is so very different. I know some INFJ artists much more than INTJ (most of them enjoy research and are not fond of art). Once INFJ can master their feelings, they are often great. I have a very good example around me...

 

[atlascatcher]

2Pac

Joel Plaskett

Ólafur Arnalds