by The Cowl Editor on September 3, 2020
Arts & Entertainment
by Grace Whitman ’22 A&E Staff
While the rest of the world sat at home during quarantine, watching Netflix, baking banana bread, and sleeping until noon, did you really think that the world’s biggest artists were doing the same? Well, of course not.
Although quarantine has deprived us of intimate contact, many people have found other ways to connect with one another and to find inspiration through their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first big quarantine love song arrived on May 8, courtesy of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. ”Stuck With U” tells a story about being with loved ones throughout quarantine. The lyrics read, “So, lock the door and throw out the key / Can’t fight this no more, it’s just you and me / And there’s nothin’ I, nothin’ I, I can do / I’m stuck with you, stuck with you, stuck with you.”
If this life is the new normal, at least spend it with the people you love. All sales and streaming revenue from “Stuck With U” have gone to The First Responders Children’s Foundation, which supports grants and scholarships for children of essential workers during the global pandemic.
OneRepublic also released a song in late March called ”Better Days.”The band wrote this song while they were quarantined together in Los Angeles after returning from their European tour. A portion of the proceeds from “Better Days” will be donated to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund through September 2020 to help artists whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic.
One of the biggest artistic pieces released during the pandemic was Taylor Swift’s surprise album folklore. The black and white cover art on Swift’s eighth album features her lost in the woods, demonstrating the sense of isolation many have felt in 2020. The album is not a classic summer pop album, but one filled with original stories and mature lyrics. This album, in addition to the rest of her discography, demonstrates Swift’s remarkable and versatile songwriting talent.
Country singer Luke Combs took quarantine inspiration to a new level with his viral song “6 Feet Apart.” In the song, he discusses how there was only bad news on TV back in March. He describes how everything will get better when we do not have to social distance and be six feet apart anymore.
On top of all of the new music released over the last six months, some previous favorites have managed to earn more airtime due to their relevance to the coronavirus pandemic. Some examples include Soulja Boy’s ”Kiss Me Thru the Phone,” “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer, ”How to Save a Life” by The Fray, and ”SICKO MODE” by Travis Scott.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic took away many of the things that we love, music was there to unite the world.