It has indeed been sometime since I took some time off to create a playlist. This time, I had a lot of time on my hands, considering I had 10 long never ending days to think about it. As you might have guessed, this is because I am serving my government mandated 10 days of quarantine prison. Other than pondering where I went wrong, or how I managed to get myself positive for the dreaded Covid-19 virus, I also had time to listen to music. This stupid manmade virus (oh yeah! I have bought into the conspiracy theories) has placed the whole entertainment industry at risk. While the Americas and Europe are slowly coming out of their stringent social distancing guidelines, third world countries such as Sri Lanka can only dream about concerts or live shows for that matter.
In this backdrop, we all need a
proper quarantine playlist. This playlist is for those of you who are facing an
island wide lockdown or is in quarantine or self-isolation. Whatever, boredom
you are facing I suggest you listen to this playlist. It has been formulated
with intricate milestones of this pandemic and also the must-listen songs that
you may have missed out due to these trying times.
I. Return of Disco
Did you know that
disco made a triumphant come back? While it has always been a favorite genre of
mine, popular back in the 70s, I never imagined that this was a genre that
could ever fare well again on the charts, given the penchant the millennials have
for genres such as Hip Hop, EDM and Dancepop. However, was I proved wrong. We
have Dua Lipa to thank for. Her album, Future Nostalgia set the stage for the return
of this long forgotten genre. While her entire album is infused with disco, the
most successful singles are Don’t Stop Now, Levitating and Break My Heart.
Dua Lipa’s success was followed by The Weeknd, with his platinum hit Blinding Lights. Blinding Lights ended up as the Year-End number in 2020 on both sides of the Atlantic with 8 non-consecutive weeks at the top in the UK and topped the US for 4 weeks and is still in the charts, now holding the record longest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 with 88 weeks as of this post. He followed this up with In Your Eyes and Save Your Tears both addictive duets, the latter of which also topped the US.
Kylie Minogue’s 15th album was aptly titled Disco, which paid tribute the bygone era of the 70s and also made Minogue the first female artist to have number one album in the UK in 5 consecutive decades. The 6th studio album released by 90s pop icons, Steps also included several disco tracks. Sophie Ellis-Bexter’s latest studio album, Songs from the Kitchen Disco, has a brilliant cover of Alcazar’s Crying at the Discotheque and also a 2020 edition of her 2000-hit, Groovejet.
Newcomer Doja Cat had her big breakthrough in early 2020 with a timely disco track, Say So. She has followed this up recently with Kiss Me More, featuring R&B singer SZA. Lady Gaga was a dancepop sensation in the late noughties and the early 2010s. However, certain singles off her latest album, Chromatica explores elements of disco, particularly Rain On Me and 911. Other notable disco tracks include K-Pop boy band BTS’s foray into English with their worldwide hit, Dynamite, Elton John collaborations with Years & Years where they cover Pet Shop Boys’ hit, It’s a Sin, and Dua Lipa where the duo mashup John’s past hits Sacrifice and Rocket Man; Victoria Monét’s Experience and Kygo’s reworking of Donna Summer’s 1979-hit, Hot Stuff.
II. Artists Redefined
Sorry, the old
Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Because she’s dead again. Covid-19
really put everyone in isolation, whether you like it or not. When Taylor Swift
went into isolation, she reinvented herself. This time Swift has entered a
folk-rock era. With back-to-back multiplatinum albums, Folklore and Evermore,
within a span of a mere six months, Swift proved that you only needed
inspiration and lone time to produce hits. Both lead singles off the albums, Cardigan
and Willow reached No.1 in the US.
While Swift became more mellow and distant from the mainstream, her pal Ed Sheeran, embraced the dark side of peer pressure. His latest hit Bad Habits, is proof that even the most idiosyncratic artist will cave for commercial success. Bad Habits is the lead single from his upcoming album “=” and is a dancepop track, most unusual for the folk pop singer. We will have to wait and see whether the entire album is a sell-out.
Former One Direction member, Harry Styles has chosen more of a mainstream pop sound for his 2nd studio album, Fine Line. His first album paid homage to the glam rock era and this redefined flavor in his new album ensured success on the charts for singles, Watermelon Sugar, Golden and Adore You.
Some artists have to redefine themselves due to circumstances beyond their control. Girl band Little Mix had to face a big obstacle in December 2020, when Jesy Nelson left the group due to mental health struggles. This was just as the group was making a chart come back after their departure from Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Music. Their single, Sweet Melody was climbing the charts and actually reached No.1 in the UK, soon after Nelson’s departure. However, the group was determined to continue as trio. The title track off their 6th studio album, Confetti, reached the top 10 in the UK and they had their first collaboration with EDM artists David Guetta and Galantis, Heartbreak Anthem which proved to be a critical and commercial hit.
III. New Comers
Several new
comers have left their mark on the charts and they have also proven that they
are capable of producing noteworthy music. While TikTok and other social media
platforms have clearly ruined the chances of good productions reaching the echelons
of charts, some fortunately beat the odds and achieve this. Some of these
artists are The Kid LAROI, Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McCrae and 24kGoldn. A few
Australian artists also emerged during the pandemic era particularly Tones and
I, Masked Wolf and Glass Animals.
Some high profile artists collaborated to form new ventures during this era. First we see DJs Martin Solveig and Jax Jones collaborate as Europa. Their hit single All Day and Night with Madison Beer preceded the pandemic, but the dance track Tequila with RAYE was released after. Silk Sonic was formed in 2021 by R&B artists Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. Their debut single Leave the Door Open was a commercial hit reaching No.1 in the US.
Eurovision faced a major setback as the 2020 edition to be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Netherlands won back in 2019 with Duncan Laurence’s Arcade. The song experienced new traction in 2020 after the release of the duet version with American artist FLETCHER. At the 2021 Eurovision, Italy won the contest with Måneskin’s rock track, Zitti e Buoni. With the victory at Eurovision, Måneskin propelled to fame with their singles Beggin’ and I Wanna Be Your Slave charting in several territories.
IV. Pity Party Floor-fillers
Due to constant
lockdowns, curfews and social distancing guidelines, dancing with friends and
family seems like a fantasy for most of us. While we wallow in our pity parties,
certain artists have produced a number of hits that are worthy floor-fillers at
any party. EDM legend Tiësto has resurfaced with numerous hits for his
portfolio, proving that age is definitely never a barrier for those who can
improvise and adapt to the times.
Jason Derulo has also made a much anticipated come back on the charts with several hits such as the global smash, Savage Love, sampled from Jawsh 685’s Siren Beat. Ava Max has been busy during the pandemic as she managed to release her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell in 2020. The Black Eyed Peas managed to impact the charts with their Spanglish 8th studio album, Translation. This is the first time the Peas have made chart gain after the permanent departure of Fergie from the group to pursue her solo career.
Other notable tracks – Pussycat Dolls’ comeback single, React; Nathan Evans’ sea shanty turned viral TikTok sensation, Wellerman; Shakira’s sampling of Inner Circle’s Sweat in Me Gusta; Topic’s reworking of ATB’s 9PM as Your Love and Surf Mesa’s ILY, which samples Frank Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
V. Top Picks from the Covid-19 Era
The final 30 songs
are those that you clearly should be aware of during these trying times. From
the fan favorites like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and Katy Perry
to the lesser known artists such as Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Pop Smoke and Ella
Henderson, I have included genres for everyone. The final 10 songs I have
listed are for anyone who is dealing with the pandemic directly, and to
overcome such emotional trauma and to be resilient and courageous. These songs
also express about kindness, about how to be calm and that it is okay not to be
okay.
So I hope you enjoy this
carefully curated quarantine playlist:
- The Weeknd – Blinding lights
- The Weeknd ft. Doja Cat – In your eyes
- The Weeknd & Ariana Grande – Save your tears
- Doja Cat – Say so
- Doja Cat ft. SZA – Kiss me more
- Dua Lipa – Don’t start now
- Dua Lipa ft. DaBaby – Levitating
- Dua Lipa – Break my heart
- Kylie Minogue – Magic
- Kylie Minogue – Say something
- Years & Years with Elton John – It’s a sin
- Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold heart
- Steps – Something in my eyes
- Sophie Ellis-Bexter – Crying at the discotheque
- Sophie Ellis-Bexter – Groovejet (If this ain’t love) 2020
- Kygo & Donna Summer – Hot stuff
- Victoria Monét, Khalid & SG Lewis – Experience
- Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande – Rain on me
- Lady Gaga – 911
- BTS – Dynamite
