By: Hailie Melton
From family-made bands in North Carolina to virtual reality and live-streamed concerts, we are still dancing to the beat of the music as this quarantine marches on. According to NPR, in their article “From The Urgent To The Absurd, Musicians Take On The Coronavirus Through Song,” there are many more tunes about quarantine than you might originally think.
NPR explains how on March 15, around the same time many cities ordered their citizens to stay at home, Detroit Rapper Gmac Cash released a song called “Coronavirus.” Cash raps on how if you cough or sneeze, he doesn’t want to be around you. His sweetest line may be “Make sure you wash your hands with lots of love.” Cash also released other coronavirus songs, such as “At Home,” “15 Days of Quarantine” and “Stimulus Check.”
While Cash’s songs are centered around fun, not every musical artist writing quarantine tracks is like that. Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie released a batch of gloomy tracks called “Life in Quarantine.” Even though Gibbard released some not-so-happy tracks, he has been live-streaming and raising money to donate to health and relief organizations to help stop the coronavirus. All of the money that is raised, plus the proceeds from “Life in Quarantine,” is given to non-profit organizations in Seattle, like Aurora Commons, an area relief group.
The inspiration that fuels musicians is different depending on the artist. According to The New Yorker, artists like A$AP Ferg have been listening to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem, while Gibbard has been listening to a lot of “Stars of The Lid” and says he is “head over heels in love with Eluvium’s new record ‘Virga I.’”
Overall, the music industry is still glowing bright, even in this lonely and dark time of quarantine. Like Gmac Cash says, “Make sure you wash your hands with lots of love,” and stay safe.
*Photo Obtained from MEL Magazine
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