Personally, music has been one of the only pieces of my previous life pre-pandemic that has been keeping my sanity. While my family and I have been fortunate enough to remain in good health during the pandemic, high school students, like myself, have been lacking social interaction and the sense of community that is very needed for developing teenagers. But music came to save the day, providing me with an escape from the walls of my room, as well as supplying me with hope, knowing that artists were giving voices to the unheard and championing for positive change around the world. The comfort some artists gave me during these uncertain times is one of the reasons why I love music so much. I hope that the music I list can either provide that same comfort to the reader or simply refurbish one’s music stockpile during this pandemic.
When under nonstop duress with pandemic related issues, it is important to take a stress-free “holiday” every once in a while to regain strength and focus. Energizing anthems and heart wrenching ballads have been an amazing means of achieving just that. Music is an adventure and also a way to vicariously live summer to the fullest while remaining safe. “Lisztomania” by Phoenix, a band based out of France, embodies that experience. The track is an amazing jam song which perfectly captures Phoenix’s unique and vibrant sound. Right off the start, the opening guitar lick and the pulse of the song can sweep one away to someplace distant. The nuanced layers of the track are a euphoric trip and it takes me back to freshman year and some of my adventures in LA, hyping myself up for tests and auditions. Lisztomania as well as many other songs by Phoenix have been the soundtrack to many solitary car adventures around San Mateo and Burlingame and I am very thankful for those Frenchman and their incredible musicianship during these times.
To compensate for the current lack of romance in my life, I have been listening to a lot of Lauv, and specifically, “Mean It’ featuring LANY. This song’s shelf life is practically endless, as it has been one of my favorite songs throughout my junior year. The simplicity of the production in combination with the witty yet melancholy chorus makes for the perfect heartstring puller to take one back to a time where a crush occupied his or her thoughts. Lauv has had some very big hits, including his latest album “~how i’m feeling~” which is full of incredibly well written music.
I absolutely love hearing about and discussing people’s passion for music, and I decided to reach out to some members of the bearcat and San Mateo community to hear their perspectives. “Music is a constant in my day. Music gets me up in the morning and I’m usually always listening other than my time teaching,” said Mr. Norman, a grade 11 APUSH teacher. He explains that listening to his “comfort food” music like ACDC, Led Zeppelin and Guns and Roses gives him the energy boost he needs to take on the day. “These bands always bring me back to good memories, put a smile on my face, and pump me up to get me going and start my day off right.” David Franklin, a Hillsdale Knight, explains that music has also been a huge part of his quarantine. David says his quarantine song pick would be We Come Running by Youngblood Hawke. “It reminds me that even though quarantine has its limits, the world still has a lot to offer!”
Sam Fender, Leon Bridges, and Coldplay have all been artists and groups I have listened to nonstop over the quarantine summer. It is always reassuring to hear artists sing about addressing or overcoming issues in the world. Leon Bridges captures perfectly the emotions I have been trying to embody during this quarantine through his song “Bad Bad News” which talks about overcoming any sort of hardship and flourishing. The message of the song reaches such a wide audience and resonates with different people in different ways. Another phenomenal song that has resonated with me during these times is “Hypersonic Missiles” by Sam Fender. While Fender describes the lyrics as the ravings of a tin foil hat person loosely based on his own character, I think many of the messages in the song seem to warrant some concern as this pandemic brings to light an ugly side of the world many have avoided for many years. He speaks of the sadness and the tension building up in the world and the possible destruction and damage that may occur if the planet continues on its current conjecture. As cynical as it may sound, there is hope to be found. In particular, part of the song describes his love for another and his hope for the new generations to rise above the evil institutions that taint the good Earth. Sam Fender’s incredible vocals in combination with the song’s driving instrumentation make for the perfect rebel song to rock out to any time of the day.
While a lot of the aspects about this current situation are far from ideal, a way of finding some good out of all this time is exploring new sounds and genres. Confirmed through many studies, Music can be an amazing way to help improve one’s state of mind. During these times, spicing up the day with that extra dose of sonic bliss can be a very helpful tool to make each day even more meaningful.