Perspective: Remembering the songs of quarantine, 5 years later – Deseret News
As the five-year anniversary of the start of COVID-19 lockdowns in the U.S. approaches, I find myself thinking about the day I swapped an office chair for a couch cushion, when remote work became the new norm.I’m thinking of the music that still takes me back to that time, when my home was not just where I slept, but also where I worked and danced and tried not to lose my mind.These are the songs that got me through that strange and isolating time. Five years later, this quarantine soundtrack fills me with nostalgia.I was listening to Justin Bieber’s album “Changes” on repeat when rumors about a strange new flu in China made it on my radar.“Yummy,” “Intentions” and “That’s What Love Is” filled my car as I commuted to work on cold, frosty mornings, daydreaming of summer vacations that motivated me to power through what was left of winter and my long workdays.Little did I know, those vacation plans would be put on hold, and my morning commute would shift from a drive downtown to a short walk from my bed to the kitchen table — too short to even listen to one song on the album.In early 2020, I hadn’t even downloaded TikTok yet. My to-do list was packed with social obligations and work tasks. Scrolling through my phone and virtually socializing seemed completely unnecessary.But on March 12, as I clocked into work from my couch and watched social events, workout classes and meetings get canceled one by one, I found myself downloading the app everyone was buzzing about. I needed a new form of self-expression and connection.That’s when songs like “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, “Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton, and “Lottery” by K Camp began pulsing through my veins, becoming the playlist to isolation as I clung to whatever form of hope I could find.It was strange to realize that I was listening to the same songs as millions of other people on repeat.It was a weird time in general, of course. Part of me loved my new at-home adventures. But the adventures were tinged with fear and sadness.People were falling sick, businesses were on the edge of closing and the future of anything resembling “normal” was a blur.But despite the sadness and fear, there was something beautiful about quarantine. It was refreshing for my busy schedule to come to a halt.Suddenly, everyone was on an even playing field. The world pressed pause, and for once we weren’t trying to catch up. For once, we weren’t comparing our success to someone else’s. Instead, we were comparing our dance moves.What once had seemed so urgent — emails, deadlines and goals — was replaced with music and creating small memories with friends and strangers around the world. Virtually, that is.Everyone was singing along to “Say So” by Doja Cat and learning the TikTok choreography to “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd — whether they admit to it or not.Everyone was going on midday quarantine walks and listening to “Death Bed” by Powfu and Beabadoobee while pondering when yoga classes and dinner dates could be enjoyed again.My friends and I, all working remotely, would meet for lunch at Sugar House Park, trying to normalize face masks and social distancing as best as we could.We listened to “Circle” by Post Malone and “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles as the days, then weeks, then months, passed by.The summer sun slowly melting away winter, with still no certainty when things would be normal again.While the world experienced this new phase of life together, it was these songs we shared, listening together that made the long stretch of isolating days feel a little less lonely. Even though we all felt “Supalonely” from time-to-time.
Source: https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/03/09/songs-of-quarantine/
