Since the spread of COVID-19, entertainment has been halted including going to the movies or attending live concerts. Because of the pandemic, singers and songwriters have had to come up with different ways to reach audiences. Here are some songs that have been trending in the last few months on both YouTube and TikTok.
10. Stay Ur Distance by Yo Gotti
This song is about staying safe during the coronavirus quarantine. Yo Gotti is shown keeping busy in his home in the Hollywood Hills with color-coded Ferraris. Gotti is telling people to stay the mandatory six-feet distance apart because he is taking this virus seriously.
9. WHATS POPPIN by Jack Harlow
Produced by the duo of Jetson DM’ed and Pooh Beatz and being accompanied by a Lyrical Lemonade music video, this playful grandeur single from Jack Harlow has gained him a new level of trust and recognition from the hip-hop community he had not seen in prior years. This song serves as an introduction to Jack Harlow. The Louisville, Kentucky rapper explained to Genius that the title is a phrase that he uses a lot.
8. Say So by Doja Cat (featuring Nicki Minaj)
In this steamy, disco-inspired bop, Doja Cat wants her male friend to quit playing and confess his love to her. She encourages him throughout the song to stop being shy and be honest about his feelings for her. The groovy track offers a substantial dose of nostalgia by interpolating Chic’s 1979 disco classic “Good Times.” Originally just a Hot Pink album track, “Say So” gained popularity thanks to users on the social media app TikTok uploading videos of themselves dancing to the tune. Once it started climbing charts worldwide, Kemosabe released it on January 28, 2020, as an official single.
7. Turks by NAV & Gunna ft. Travis Scott
This song came to be when Nav, Gunna, and Travis Scott all went on a trip to Turks and Caicos. In an interview with Beats 1 host Zane Lowe, Nav said that they were all on vacation catching a vibe when he started rapping, then Gunna overheard it, and then Scott blessed it with a verse according to Billboard’s Heran Mamo.
6. Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa
“Don’t Start Now” invites listeners to recall a time when people could go out to clubs and music venues to dance and hear a live show. This song possesses a kind of disco vibe to it that seems to pop back up during the pandemic. The song became Dua Lipa’s highest-charting song in the U.S. ever and has continued to hold sway during the coronavirus pandemic.
5. Blueberry Faygo by Lil Mosey
Even with the leak of Lil Mosey’s latest hit “Blueberry Faygo” the record is nonetheless becoming a hit. In the music video, Mosey flexes his bubbly side while hosting a fun pool party at the renowned Hype House. The Seattle star grabs famed TikTok stars, Addison Rae and Lil Huddy, who first propelled the song to prominence on social media. The dance-happy twosome, along with Mosey and his army of synchronized dancers, makes the video for “Blueberry Faygo” a splashy one.
4. The Box by Roddy Ricch
If you’ve turned on the radio or have seen any top music charts this year, the story is blindingly clear: Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” is 2020’s first dominant hit. The song was issued at the tail end of 2019 on Ricch’s debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. “The Box” took everyone (and Ricch himself probably) by surprise. Thanks to the whining melody that’s difficult to forget and an instantly iconic improvised sound, Ricch’s star rose rapidly.
3. Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
“Blinding Lights” continues the tale of “Heartless,” which involved The Weeknd being on a psychedelic prowl after licking a frog. In that video, he lost touch with the world and found himself in increasingly strange events. By the time the “Blinding Lights” rolled around, The Weeknd’s trip has moved further into the unexplored territory. Throughout the music video, similarities to the movie, the Joker, is seen in the similar unhinged dancing and red suit.
2. Stuck With U by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber
As with most social interactions during the coronavirus pandemic, the “Stuck With U” video is a star-studded video chat, with squares of Grande and Bieber singing isolated in their homes and video check-ins from fans and famous friends. The song itself is a sweet, straightforward ode to being stuck in self-isolation with a significant other. Though I’m stuck with you may not be that romantic of a sentiment, given the circumstances.
1. Rain On Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
“Rain On Me” may seem like it was written about a time when masses are facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, but Gaga and Ariana crafted the song based on personal hardships they’ve both faced over the last decade. It is a feel-good anthem that recently won the 2020 Song of the Year at the Video Music Awards and was generally inspired by Lady Gaga’s journey overcoming painful emotions she experienced in the past. This song is about how important it is to overcome adversity, find beauty in overcoming one’s pain and truly embrace emotions. Listeners can’t help but feel uplifted after listening to this song, and the message has been carefully constructed to make people feel more empowered.
by Loren Jones
