The impact of staying indoors and secluded for months is starting to show. Many have left quarantine with new appearances, fashion senses, or a different mindset on politics than prior, but one constant is good music being released and discovered.
As one that struggled to find serenity and life within the walls of my home during this time, I tried to use music as a joy and way to bring life back into the everyday. Here are the five albums that most influenced me during quarantine.
For the No. 5 most influential album during my quarantine experience, I chose “Because of the Internet” by Childish Gambino.
Songs such as “V. 3005” and” III. Telegraph Ave.” (“Oakland” by Lloyd) were constantly on replay during the days where I wasn’t feeling like myself due to the memories they held. Memories of bonfires with friends and vacations with the songs from this album brought me back into the real world on days that felt like there was no longer a normal
“The Slow Rush” by Tame Impala is the No. 4 album on this list due to its groovy, laid back style that still engages listeners into self reflection and thought.
Songs like “Tomorrow’s Dust” use a pessimistic view to force listeners into thinking more positively and about their personal growth. This perspective was used on days where I’d be missing the normal things
in life such as friends and going to practices. The song made me realize that, while life may not have been good in that moment, it will not always be that bad.
The third spot on this list goes to a Pittsburgh native that influenced many. “Swimming” by Mac Miller is an album that has many different perspectives and styles of music such 2009 that have a laid back, si-
mplistic melody using mainly piano and a couple of drums.
The entire album captures feelings of loneliness, acceptance, and general reflection on oneself, so picking one song that is particularly meaningful is difficult, though “Come Back to Earth” is the most influential on me. It deals with the ideas of regret and what could have been, which was a topic that was incredibly prominent for me due to quarantine. After the cancellation of my indoor percussion season and other things, I began to wonder if I had given it my all while I was still there, and this song comes to terms with things you cannot change in your own life, making it easy to adapt to different situations.
On the No. 2 spot is Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” that was released this past July. This album takes a sharp turn from her typically pop pieces to focus on more of a laid back style of pop with many long-term fans sayi
ng it feels like “old Taylor.”
I listened to this album for the first time after many nights wondering when the world would become normal once more, and the peace it gave me made me feel immensely comforted.
My favorite song off of this album was “hoax” due to the lyrical relations I am able to connect to my own experiences. Swift explores a sense of pessimism that translates to positivity within this song giving themes of acceptance and that is something strongly needed during that time period for me\.
In the No. 1 position, “No Pressure” by Logic is the album that comforted me and emulated my quar
antine experience. The album focused on his current life and situation as a person that has grown from many hardships.
For me, the entire album encapsu lates my feelings on loneliness, changing lives, and the current state of me, though the song “Amen” is one that resonates. It talks of his growth from being a lesser known, not very successful musician to being one that he can be proud of, which is something I reflected on many times during quarantine. I used that time to reflect on if I was happy with who I had become and my success that I took for granted, and this song was able to put how I felt into words.
While some of these albums were not made during this year or released during quarantine, music has a way of coming to the ones that need to hear it most, and these albums were ones that I was able to benefit from, and others could as well due to their adaptable nature.
Editor in Chief, Hannah Hizer