My Top 5 Quarantine Songs
Three months into quarantine, and I have made very little progress on my to-read list nor have I learned how to cook, but I have picked up quite a few other habits here and there—whether or not they’re healthy is a whole other debate.
Like many others, I’ve finally developed a consistent sleeping schedule (see 2 am bedtime). I’ve also picked up painting. Even though some of my creations look a bit like a five year old’s work, I’ve been enjoying myself! More recently, I’ve started doing this thing where I will find a song I like and loop it for the next 48-72 hours, sometimes delving into the story behind it, other times trying to paint out the lyrics. Often times, I will also feel the need to share said song with all of my friends with long explanations of why it’s so great.
In hindsight, that’s a lot of paragraph length texts to send and read, so to save my poor friends some time and energy, I’ve decided to just compile my five favorite quarantine songs in one place and maybe geek out a little bit while I’m at it.
And yes they’re all Asian artists because I’m trying to embrace the Asian side of my identity a bit more during this pandemic.
eight by IU, produced & featuring Suga
Spotify Link, Lyrics TranslationThis track just dropped this past May, and I’ve been obsessed since my first listen. It has a cheerful melody, and it’s definitely a little more pop-esque than her usual releases, but it’s undeniably catchy (wouldn’t expect anything less from IU!). However, beyond the production, what I like most here are the lyrics that contrast from the upbeat tone of the song. IU has experienced many losses in recent years, and the music video for the song seems to reference her late friends Jonghyun and Sulli as a tribute. At the same time, as much as this song is in remembrance of her two friends, it is also a song of healing for herself.
Similar to her previous age works 23 and Palette, she aims to capture the essence of how she feels at age 28. When introducing the song, IU has said “While I’m not sure whether it’s from my personal emotion or from the overall atmosphere of our society that is amidst hard times, my 28th year would be remembered by the recurring feeling of lethargy and longing for the ‘orange island’ where there is no sadness and we are able to be free.”
“Eight” takes its listeners through the process of growing up, yearning for the past, and learning how to live beyond those happier memories to move forward. The chorus describes a utopian setting with an orange sunset where people can dance without shadows, where there are no blue endings or set goodbyes— a place where they can be forever young.
As someone who has had a lot of regrets in these past two years, I could understand that longing for what used to be. Still, this song was a good reminder that instead of trying to recreate those moments, I should be grateful I have experienced those and then focus on growing in the present.
This would be a perfect summer song for a drive down to the beach with friends when quarantine is over. Even if you don’t want to bother reading the lyrics, I would definitely recommend checking out the music video because IU is always serving up vocals and visuals, and it’s no different this time with “eight” (seriously, I don’t think we’ll ever catch her slipping).
We, under the orange sun, without shadows, dance together
Yellow by Coldplay, covered by Katherine Ho
Spotify Link, Lyrics TranslationOkay, so if you’ve seen Crazy Rich Asians, you’ve most definitely heard of this song. I’ve recently re-discovered it while listening through my Chinese songs Spotify playlist. The lyrics themselves are pretty simple, but it’s perfect if you’re like me—someone who wants to learn a song in the mother tongue, yet only knows basic Mandarin. This particular rendition was done by Katherine Ho, an Asian American pre-med student at USC. The song was definitely made that much more special, knowing that it had been sung by someone who was similar to myself in age and ethnicity (if she can learn the Mandarin lyrics, I can too, right?).
The significance of this song for me, and any other East Asian, lies with its title: “Yellow.” “Yellow” over the course of our Asian American history has always been painted in a negative light, used as a derogatory slur, but with this song Jon M. Chu hoped to help in the reclaiming of that term. In his words, “if we’re going to be called yellow, we’re going to make it beautiful.” For him personally, the original Coldplay song was the first time he had associated the word “yellow” with a positive connotation, which is why it was crucial to him to have the song woven into the movie’s climax.
For me, I'm a sucker for cheesy love songs, and this Chinese cover hits the mark. That’s why I have spent too many hours trying to screech out those notes in the shower with my accented Mandarin (loud and proud). Though, I do want to apologize to my parents for having to wake up to that as their morning alarm for a whole week.
好想爱这个世界啊 (I Really Want to Love This World) by Hua Chen Yu
Spotify Link, Lyrics TranslationHua Chen Yu has been my favorite mainland Chinese singer for quite a bit now, and if you’re a close friend, you’ve probably heard me talking about him at least once, if not more (honestly, shoutout to my friends for always indulging me when I do go on these rambles). I could probably go on for hours about his lyricism, production ability, and vocal range, but I’ll spare everyone that experience today.
This song is part of his trilogy called “Songs for the Martian Children”-- what he has dubbed his fanbase-- and it highlights his own struggle with depression in hopes that it will help others who have suffered through similar experiences. While the stigma around mental health has lessened over the years, it still exists quite heavily among the Asian American population, and even more so in Asian countries. So it’s particularly encouraging to see an Asian male use his large platform (think almost 37 million followers on Weibo) to try to combat that.
This is another song that has a happier melody than you’d expect based on the subject of the song, but it’s again, a deliberate choice (if you can’t tell, I really love contrast). In discussing the songwriting process, Hua Chen Yu describes how when the typical person hears that someone is depressed, they might think of someone who feels such a heavy sadness, they completely shut themselves away. Consequently, they would expect that the song would be an extremely melancholy one.
However, Hua Chen Yu wanted to portray that while those are depression symptoms, those are more on the severe side. Depression symptoms, like any other sickness, aren’t a one size fits all. There can be people who can seem alright but break down when alone in the quiet of their home— that doesn’t make their suffering any less real.
Thus, “好想爱这个世界啊” is written in a happier melody in hopes of portraying the fact that depression isn’t black and white, happy or sad. It isn’t always just a never-ending, suffocating weariness; it can also be a combination of good days and bad days, a battle between wanting to give up and yet desiring reasons to stay. Throughout the song, he depicts this conflict, before finally emerging triumphant at the end as he belts out his hope to exist in this world (did I mention he has an amazing vocal range), which is made all the more impactful with the pause of complete silence before this final chorus.
This is also another song that I 100% don’t have the singing ability to cover, but that most definitely hasn’t stopped me from trying. Sorry (again) to my parents for having to deal with all my late night solo karaoke sessions. Also, if you happen to have time, I would listen to one of his live performances (let me tell you, those really hit hard).
When your smile blooms, suddenly, the world is filled with color
lowkey by NIKI
Spotify Link, LyricsMy housemate definitely didn’t spend the past year belting NIKI’s discography for me to make a list of some of my favorite songs by Asian artists and not include her. While there’s really not much of a deeper meaning with this one, this song reminds me of sophomore year through all the ups and downs (I’ve really been missing being on campus). NIKI has been the backdrop for everything—from getting dolled up for birthday parties to cram study sessions in the kitchen.
Let’s be honest though, while NIKI might have be saying “I’ve been looking at you since half past 2, wanna take this downtown,” the only things my housemate and I were looking at at half past 2 is our accounting homework because we had once again left it till the night before (whoops). It’s all part of the college experience though, right?
Anyways, if you prefer your songs to be in English, this one's for you. No translations necessary, easy to sing-along to, 10/10 would recommend. Also, check out the visualizer video for this song, it’s all maize (okay really it’s yellow, but let’s pretend) and blue!
everythingoes by RM, produced by NELL
Spotify Link, Lyrics Translation
I’ve always liked the phrase “this too shall pass,” and this whole song encapsulates that mindset. Lyrically, it's mostly just a repetition of the phrase “it shall pass” while “everything, everything, everything goes” echoes in the background. There is an interjection of a heavier verse “like morning comes after night, like summer comes after spring goes… everything must suffer” before returning to the repetition. In this case though, the simple nature of the lyrics work. Just like how it’s a constant in the song, if there’s one thing that’s constant in this world, it’s the fact that with time “everything goes.”
It’s an easy song to listen to, one that fades into the background and allows your thoughts to wander. Pre-COVID times (what was life like back then?), I would often find myself unwinding to this song while walking home after a particularly tough day of classes.
Nowadays, I just listen to this while I work virtually on Zoom or try to squeeze in some journaling. With the present seeming so hopeless and the future so uncertain some days, it’s a much needed reminder that this too shall pass.
If you’re looking for a song to play while you study or self-reflect because it’s quarantine and we’ve got way too many thoughts to deal with, or you’re just looking to fill the silence as you go about your daily routine, I would definitely check out “everythingoes.” This song, along with the rest of mono, is my usual go-to for rainy days; I just let it play quietly while I curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea and get lost in a good book.
The rain comes down, everything shall pass
And that wraps up my top five quarantine songs! Honestly, if you actually read everything, I am s h o o k (but also very grateful you’ve dedicated a couple minutes out of your day for this). This was much longer than I expected, but I hope you’ve found at least one song in here that you liked! If you did and/or you have song recommendations, please feel free to share (I really do need to expand my tastes beyond the Top 40).
