2020 has been a year so far. A pandemic with a growing number of lives lost. Record unemployment. Protests against systemic racism as police violence against Black people continues. A polarizing, high-stakes election. Wildfires.
The world is a lot to bear right now, and we’re all figuring out how to feel all the different feelings. One way we’re coping with the stress and uncertainty is with music. When DJ D-Nice hosted Club Quarantine in the early days of the pandemic, he showed that a little music and dancing in our homes can go a long way in lifting spirits when we’re adapting to a new normal. Hospitals have been using music to celebrate patients recovering from COVID-19. Neighborhood musicians are reviving the joy of live music experiences in small, socially-distant ways.
And then there are our personal playlists. For me, the voices of Beautiful Chorus have been saving my mornings—the time of day when my anxiety is most likely to take hold. Their positive mantras and harmonies are a balm for any feelings of fear and isolation, sometimes reminding me to smile or inducing a good, needed cry. And when I need to unwind, Juls and Sango’s “Ritmo Coco” is there to get my body moving.
Now it’s your turn: what songs have been getting you through 2020?
