Will Self-Quarantine From Coronavirus Birth the Next Wave of Dope New Music?

Photo Credit: Burst

If you’re anything like me, the constant coverage and conversation surrounding COVID-19 and the need to self-quarantine may get repetitive and honestly may be a little scary. Yeah, we’re dealing with a global pandemic, but what’s hardest to wrap my head around is the fact that we may have to stay inside for MONTHS. In the midst of my panic about being confined to these four walls, I had a revelation: my favorite artists are also stuck inside, so could that mean……new music?

It’s true that we are literally living world history right now. In ten years, our children are going to be reading about the Coronavirus pandemic in their history books, and there will be loads of award-winning documentaries out there for our viewing pleasure. But if there’s anything I learned from history, it’s that with every “turn of the century, socially defining” moment comes some of the best music and art the world has ever seen.

In light of the hundreds of cancelled concerts and festivals due to COVID-19, artists including John Legend, Keith Urban, Coldplay, and many others have taken to Instagram and Facebook to stream live concerts for fans to enjoy. The #TogetherAtHome concert series was launched by the World Health Organization for artists to perform full concerts for millions of fans, all from the comfort of their homes, while encouraging everyone to keep quarantining to stop the spread of COVID.

While some artists are dusting off their greatest hits from the past, others are hinting at spending this time creating new music. Four-time Grammy winner Erykah Badu responded to a tweet on Monday asking for new music with “looks like I got time now…” sending Twitter into a frenzy as everyone lit their candles and burned their incense, awaiting a potential project from Ms. Badu.

Imagine all the musical greatness that can come from your favorite artist having nothing but time to write their next masterpiece. Imagine if Beyoncé and Jay come together for another collab album while sitting at home with their kids. Imagine Rihanna ACTUALLY releasing her much anticipated "R9 because she’s had the time to get it just right. Or what if a new artist comes and sets fire to the music world because they now have the chance to sit and focus on their craft?

With the coming months of being stuck inside our homes, maybe the light at the end of the tunnel will be the music that gets us through.