Whether you’re a veteran introvert or a stir-crazy extrovert, everybody is facing the very real possibility of staying in their homes for the indefinite future. While movies and books are a great way to combat boredom and avoid your family for a couple hours, music is another option to ward off those fight-or-flight instincts when it comes to the coronavirus. So relax, stay inside, and enjoy a playlist of songs that will ease you into this time of self-sequestering.
Some highlights include:
“Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police
The true anthem for social distancing. Feel free to turn this ode about a creepy student-teacher fling into your own context-free modus operandi for the next few weeks.
“Stay Away” by Nirvana
Sage advice from Kurt Cobain. Like a lot of his work, the lyrics here are gibberish, but the message is clear: A little bit of space can go a long way. Let this cover remind you to sanitize as well.
“Coronavirus” by iMarkkeyz ft. Cardi B
It took the proclamation of one Ms. Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar for many of us to realize the severity of COVID-19. As it is wont to do, the post became a meme and the meme became a song. Here’s hoping coronavirus rap is only a thing for the next few weeks.
[Read more: This Week in Number Ones: Stay inside with “The Box” for its tenth week on top]
“Home” by Phillip Phillips
Ah, 2012 — the first time everyone thought the world was going to end. Instead of a Mayan prophecy (featuring aliens!), 2020 brought us a global health crisis. So let the impossibly inoffensive sounds of Phillip^2 remind you of a simpler time and place.
“Touch Me I’m Sick” by Mudhoney
I can’t exactly condone this behavior, but Mark Arm and his band of Seattleites certainly know how to get down with the sickness. Arm pretty much invented grunge music, so it’s hard to argue with his septic worldview. Just be sure to wash your hands after listening to this one.
“Kiss Me Thru The Phone” by Soulja Boy ft. Sammie
Who would have thought that we’d get proper hygienic practices from Soulja Boy? A lot of people can’t stand being away from their partners right now — or they’re finding out that they haven’t reached “quarantine-level” yet — so instead follow Soulja’s lead and keep it mobile.
“Lonely Weekend” by Kacey Musgraves
Loneliness is perhaps one of the more pervasive side effects of the current coronavirus panic. Staying in means canceling plans, not seeing people you care about, and not being able to go do anything fun. But Musgraves succinctly reminds us: “Even if you’ve got somebody on your mind/ it’s alright to be alone sometimes.”
“Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger
It seems like our entire generation can be summed up by this song’s definitive statement: “I’m not sick, but I’m not well.” Climate change, political unrest, and now a global pandemic, “Flagpole Sitta” seems oddly prescient for a ‘90s song. Truly only the stupid would be breeding right now.
“Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine” by The White Stripes
The anti-vaxxers get real quiet when things reach global catastrophe levels of panic. Maybe they’ll come around. Either way, now is the time to have a little faith. Maybe not religious levels of faith, but how about Jack White levels of faith in basic healthcare?
[Read more: Review: ‘The Hunt’ is needlessly violent in trying to prove its political point]
“Pressure to Party” by Julia Jacklin
“Pressure to party/ gonna stay in/ nothing good can come from me drinking.” Take Jacklin’s advice. While others might feel the need to, I don’t know, go to Bent’s during an outbreak, be the wiser one. There’s nothing wrong with locking yourself in your room and staying safe.
“Everything Will Be Alright” by The Killers
Sure, it’s probably sarcastic, but it’s also true. Nobody wants to be isolated, nobody wants to be sick, but things will change. When we emerge from our quarantines, everything really will be alright. Stay safe, wash your hands, help each other and stay optimistic.
Enjoy the full playlist here.
