Music is often referred to as the ultimate form of escapism, and for good reason; no matter how rough circumstances get, music allows us the chance to tune the world out and tune into ourselves. With the sudden spread of COVID-19 and the massive disruption it has caused to our everyday lives, people are turning to music now more than ever.
Fortunately for music fans, some of the most anticipated music albums of the year have dropped this month from artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, The Weeknd and Childish Gambino. For those who are bored in the house or looking for something to listen to, here are some suggestions for the perfect new songs to stream under quarantine.
On March 6, American singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko kicked off the month with her third studio album “Chilombo,” a mix of 20 satisfying psychedelic-infused tracks. While the album can sometimes be inconsistent in its quality, a handful of interesting features make up for it on tracks such as “B.S. (feat. H.E.R.),” “Party For Me (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)” and “Happiness Over Everything (feat. Future and Miguel).”
Quite possibly the most anticipated release of the year was Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s long delayed third studio-album “Eternal Atake” on March 6, which he followed up with “Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2” just a week later on March 13. While Lil Uzi’s solo effort on “Eternal Atake” often triumphs over its more feature-heavy counterpart, the combined 32 songs are among some of the best content the rapper has to offer (specifically the songs “Baby Pluto,” “Myron” and “That Way”).
Houston rapper Don Toliver, a member of Travis Scott’s creative collective, Cactus Jack, also dropped his debut album “Heaven or Hell” earlier in the month on March 13. “Heaven or Hell,” which follows Toliver’s big breakout moment on the song “CAN’T SAY” from Travis Scott’s 2018 album “ASTROWORLD,” struggles to find its footing at times but still cements the unique nature of the artist nonetheless. Tracks like “Euphoria (feat. Travis Scott and Kaash Paige),” “Cardigan,” “After Party” and “No Idea” are among some of the most satisfying and well-tuned tracks of the year so far.
“Circles (Deluxe),” the heightened version of Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller’s first posthumous album, brought two new songs from the late artist on March 19. Produced by composer-producer Jon Brion, the melancholy tracks “Right” and “Floating” offer a new perspective into the mind of the artist before his passing and are definitely worth a listen.
After months of anticipation, artist Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) dropped 14 tracks of pure R&B bliss on his latest album “After Hours” on March 20. “After Hours,” which follows the Toronto singer on a cinematic-esque journey through his inner despair, acts as the perfect reinvention of the artist and brings many new 80’s-inspired synth beats to the table. “Blinding Lights,” “Save Your Tears,” “Snowchild” and “Too Late” are four tracks that music fans young and old should not miss.
March 20 also brought about the release of 21-year-old singer and social media influencer Conan Grey’s debut album “Kid Krow.” While the 12 tracks on “Kid Krow” don’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, the album boasts a lot of pleasing indie-pop tunes that are bound to become smash radio hits in the near future. “Wish You Were Sober,” “The Cut That Always Bleeds” and the already-popular “Maniac” solidify Grey as a worthy competitor to other new up-and-coming artists.
Last but not certainly not least, Georgia-raised rapper Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) dropped his new album “3.15.20” on streaming services March 22, a week after releasing the album on his website, “Donald Glover Presents,” for a limited time to fans. Posing as a fruitful reinvention of Glover’s sound, the album highlights the artist’s unique personality and features others such as Ariana Grande and 21 Savage on the songs “Time” and “12.38.”
Even in the midst of a country-wide quarantine and fear surrounding the coronavirus, all of this music and more has helped to ease the fears of many people and flatten the curve as everyone stays at home.
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