Music Releases During Corona

By Annika Hauser, June, 2020

Amongst the chaos of the coronavirus outbreak, musicians are still finding ways to bring us together through song. While for some, COVID-19 has meant delays on release dates, for others this is the perfect time to release their music to the world and allow their fans to escape for a while. Social media platforms such as Instagram have played an incredible role in releasing covers and originals to the world and it has brought people together when there couldn’t be more things keeping us apart. Here are six artists who haven't let the coronavirus outbreak stop them from creating beautiful melodies:

1. Skylar Astin - "Home Keys"

You might know Skylar from movies like Pitch Perfect, where he sings among the a cappella group “The Treblemakers,” but he himself has never released his own album. Instead, he shares his artistry through Instagram and the coronavirus pandemic was the perfect opportunity for him to start a revolution. He started a series called “#Home Keys,” where he posts a cover every day of quarantine. It’s a place where fans can listen to his voice from the comfort of their own home and still feel connected to the singer. He began this series in early March, urging people to stay home and enjoy music themselves. He even has posted some originals that no one has heard yet. Home Keys essentially went viral, with people posting their own covers or adding harmony to his. People were creating fan art and posting thank you’s to his page. At one point Astin even gave out his personal phone number so that people could text him ideas of songs to cover. So far he has posted over 43 videos of him singing! All of this fandom gave Astin an idea. Why not create a Home Keys album? That is exactly what he is doing right now with recording equipment in his own home. He has been recording and creating tracks for the album throughout quarantine and plans to release his album after quarantine is over. What a beautiful way to bring people together!

2. Ben Platt - Netflix Special

Platt released his hit album Sing To Me Instead in March of last year and since then has been busy on TV series. His album was a crazy success; people loved how vulnerable Platt allowed himself to be and the emotions within each song were so raw it hit home for a lot of people. He did a small tour in 2019 but nothing huge, until now. On May 20th, Netflix released a special pertaining to his performance of his album at Radio City Music Hall. It goes behind the scenes as you watch him backstage, creating music, and you get to see him perform his songs live on stage. At the same time, Ben released the extended version of the album which includes these live performances plus his new song he released amidst the pandemic entitled, “So Will I.” This was a perfect way for people to get to see him perform without having to worry about coronavirus or ticket prices. He also recently appeared on the new NBC show Songland, where songwriting hopefuls try to impress judges to get to perform their song. Platt enjoyed David Davis’ song so much that he not only helped him tweak it but he performed a cover of it himself which Songland then released on Spotify. Quarantine cannot stop Ben Platt.

3. Run The Jewels 4 (RTJ4)

Run the Jewels is a hip hop duo consisting of Killer Mike and El-P. Their 4th album, consisting of collaborations with 2 Chainz, Pharell Williams, Greg Nice, and DJ Premier, was released two days early as the protests for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor began. They released it free of charge on their website and on all music streaming platforms as a way to talk about police brutality honestly and truthfully. They themselves have both been extremely vocal about their support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and this was a perfect way for people of all backgrounds to gain perspective when it comes to privilege and police brutality.

4. Ester Dean - "Freedom" Single

Ester Dean also gained popularity from movies like Pitch Perfect, and soon continued that line of work behind the scenes. She is multi-talented, working as a songwriter for artists like Beyonce, Selena Gomez, and Nicki Minaj, creating her own singles, and producing records. She still releases her own music and is currently working as a producer and judge on Songland, that Ben Platt is working on too (these people are all connected in one way or another!) She recently released her single “Freedom,” the cover of which is covered with George Floyd’s last words, “I can’t breathe.” Her song is of hope saying, “But they gave me hope/They gave me peace of mind/Promise me freedom/Promise me back my life.” and “...what good is a world that won't’ change/...and a lifetime of pain.” It is a song of hurt yet also of fight and reality. It tells her story of struggle in this world while articulating what the world needs to do to bring everyone their freedom.

5. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

NBC’s newest show Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist gave them their biggest digital launch in history, but it gave audiences way more than that. In this show that articulates people’s feelings through song, we get to see the struggles and joys of real human beings. It’s last few episodes of the season aired during the start of quarantine and hit pretty close to home for a lot of people. In this dark time when we can’t go outside and interact with society we have music to articulate this struggle. All of the songs sung in the show are on Spotify and Apple Music for everyone to listen to even though the show is on hiatus. They are there to remind of what each song is saying, all of the messages being ones that we can relate to during this pandemic. Wanting to be Happier, feeling like you’re going Crazy, feeling like I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and feeling like you hear nothing but The Sound of Silence. Each of these songs marks an important event in the story and talk about feelings that we are all feeling. The release of this show could not have been at a more perfect time as people feel alone with no way to express their true emotions. They can feel understood again when they watch and listen to Zoey’s.

6. Alec Benjamin - "Six Feet Apart"

Alec Benjamin has been a creative machine, churning out new music all the time and creating emotional lyrics 24/7. One of his latest singles, aptly titled, “Six Feet Apart,” talks about the struggles of social distancing when all you want to do is touch someone. It immediately gained popularity as Benjamin perfectly put into words the feeling of loss and loneliness we are all feeling during this strange time. He also continues to release snippets of new songs that he hasn’t even released yet on TikTok, leaving his fans wanting more and getting excited for his new releases. In fact, just a couple weeks ago he released a complete new album: “These Two Windows.” His song titles are incredibly intriguing and are still relevant to the age of corona, songs like, “Mind Is A Prison,” “Demons,” and “Just Like You.” Most of his songs are on the sadder side yet they seem to bring a sense of hope to his audience. Above all, we all just want to feel understood and I sense that that is Benjamin’s goal as a lyricist.

Use this time of isolation to explore the wide world of music, specifically ones that showcase a message. These songs were specifically crafted for this generation and for this moment in history. They are one of the only ways that we can stay in contact with the world and the people around us. Their lyrics, original or not, tell the story of our loneliness and help to articulate just where we are, how we are, and where we will go from here.

“Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” -Debasish Mridha

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