THE PLAYLIST OF OUR TIMES
BY: LEXI COYLE MCDONALD
LIFESTYLE HEAD
(All sources linked to images)
Music is one of the most powerful things we, as humans, can harness. Even without language, lyrics, or words, we can communicate with each other in this medium that surpasses any divisions in society, whether gender, race, class, or anything else. In a time like COVID-19, music is now more important than ever, as it can give us an outlet for our emotions and a way for us to express ourselves. In a groundbreaking analysis of 400 music studies, it was discovered that listening to music can reduce anxiety, fight depression, and have many other neurological and immunological benefits. There are even music therapists who prescribe music to clients as a part of their treatment process. During the pandemic, the music industry has changed and may become altered forever, but not necessarily for the worse.
A chart from Therabeat Mental Health Therapy on how music affects the brain.
There is no doubt that although the concert industry is on pause and it is unknown how long it will remain in this frozen state, but there has been a whopping 55% increase in Google searches for Apple’s Garageband in the weeks after concerts were put on hold. Garageband is a popular DIY music creation software that is currently seeing record levels of interest, with nearly 13 million downloads since February! There have also been hundreds of thousands of free trial downloads of apps similar to- but more serious than- Garageband, named Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X. Not only are online download rates growing exponentially, but the physical instrument sales are as well, such as USB microphones, audio recorders, and both new and used instruments.
A picture of new and used instruments for sale on MaxSpl Music, a company that offers lessons, instruments, recordings, and more.
Reverb’s company director of business development stated that the company has been “seeing extraordinarily high order volumes, outpacing even the amount of orders [seen] during the busy holiday season, several of the music shops that sell gear on Reverb [say] that March was one of their best months ever.” So, with all of this purchasing of tools for production, what is being created?
This NPR Spotify playlist is tracking new music that has been released during the quarantine. This includes artists and bands across all genres, including the notable Charlie Puth, Charlie XCX, Bad Bunny, Khalid, Twenty One Pilots, Dua Lipa, and more.
Charlie XCX and Dua Lipa both released new songs during quarantine titled "forever" and "Break My Heart", respectively.
The band Twenty One Pilots also created the song "Level of Concern.”
Many of these famous creators are also donating percentages of the revenue they rake in from their music to various COVID relief foundations. These musicians have not only postponed or cancelled tours for the safety of the public but are providing music videos, live streams of performances, and resources to provide aid to the communities that have been devastated by the virus. These celebrities include Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Metallica, Billy Ray Cyrus, Shakira, Eminem, Cardi B, Halsey, Elton John, and Shawn Mendes.
A tweet from Lady Gaga on her support to America’s Food Fund.
It is amazing that in spite of the world forcing creators apart physically, it has not stopped people from coming together to do what they love. The isolation we all feel has actually been positive in some aspects by inspiring more collaboration as we feel a need to interact and recognize how much we value each other. People’s interest in music, at both the producer and the consumer ends, is expanding. People are learning to experiment and then are able to share their creations by utilizing the digital formats of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
There are intense global economic effects from the pandemic, but many music-lovers are finding themselves in possession of a new opportunity to expand their creative mind and promote productivity past COVID-19 and into post-quarantine.
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