Music and COVID: How The Industry Was Affected?

Like the entertainment industry, the music industry has gone through a lot of changes. And it is still changing for the better, we presume. If you want an inside glimpse, here we go.

The way things work has changed due to the pandemic, and it’s the same for the music and the entertainment industry. Recordings were stopped, and new albums were not released as quickly as creators would love to.

Also, they could not arrange live concerts due to the pandemic going on. So, it seems that the stage has come to a halt.

Across the world, we have seen artists struggling to cope with the new situation.

But the World music industry adapted to meet the expectations of listeners.

The industry has to go through some changes for that. And it did change though.

• Introduction of advanced technologies

Technology was already a part of this industry, but during the post-pandemic situation, it got better.

The mixing became better, and we got more clarity. Nearly every genre benefitted from it, but the Hiphop beat is the primary benefactor.

• Social media

Social media like Instagram, Facebook, served as an amazing platform to bring new artists. They came live, and ask listeners to ask questions about them. It’s the same with famous artists too.

But actually, streaming platforms came to the rescue. Listeners got to listen to their favorite tunes (either free or by paying). It provided a better platform, and the scope to reach out to millions.

During the pandemic, statistics from Spotify show 3.3 billion downloads of popular songs. Also, songs from indie artists scored well too. We have seen rap battles and other creative song battles from the biggest names.

If you are on Instagram, and closely follow music celebrities, then you would know what I am talking about.

The most downloaded genre? Reggae music songs, probably because of their calming nature. They were closely followed by Dancehall and other genres.

• Music will change

Any creative field is bound to change, according to what’s happening outside. Music is not an exception here. It had changed during the World Wars, the Great Depression, and other events.

Also, music is a great way to talk about issues. These can issues that are wildly popular, or the ones that are lurking behind the shadows.

If it does not speak about them, it will lose its touch. It will not feel real, and if it doesn’t, why would people listen to it. I, as a Hiphop artist, understand that.

Other artists do too, that’s why they are creating music that showcases the hard times we are facing.

So, yes, music will change, and for the better. We are seeing it already.

• Live concerts will be less

Or at least not as much as we would love to see. People, even after getting vaccinated will try to stay away from unnecessary gatherings. And if concerts are held, there will be lots of crowds.

Two things can happen, one, artists can ensure limited physical entry. And have artists and guests stay within different podiums. And two, they can stream the whole concert Live on different social media platforms.

The virtual live shows are the most likely to happen.

These are things that could change the tone of the music industry.

Now, let’s talk about something different, the Music Awards. More specifically the Billboard Music Awards.

This year the show was hosted on 24th May, and Nick Jonas hosted it. If you have missed it, here are some crucial details:

• The Icon: P!nk
• The Artist of the Decade: Drake
• Change Maker: Trae Tha Truth

These three iconic awards were given to three equally deserving candidates. All the awards are given to the ones who deserve them (no argument there).

Here are some more details:

• Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top R&B Male Artist: The Weeknd
• Top Radio Songs Artist, Top R&B Artist: The Weeknd
• Top R&B Female Artist: Doja Cat
• Top New Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist: Pop Smoke
• Top Rap Female Artist: Megan Thee Stallion
• Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist: Taylor Swift
• Top group/ duo, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Social Artist (Fan Vote): BTS
• Top Streaming Songs Artist: Drake
• Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist: Morgan Walken
• Top Country Female Artist: Gabby Barrett
• Top Country Duo/ Group: Florida Georgia Line
• Top Rock Artist: Machine Gun Kelly
• Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Male Artist: Bad Bunny
• Top Latin Female Artist: Karol G
• Top Latin Duo/ Group: Eslabón Armado
• Top Dance/ Electronic Artist: Lady Gaga
• Top Christian Artist: Elevation Worship
• Top Gospel Artist: Kanye West

Now let’s look at the albums.

• Top Billboard 200 Album: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (Pop Smoke)
• Top R&B Album: After Hours (The Weeknd)
• Top Rap Album: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (Pop Smoke)
• Top Country Album: Dangerous: The Double Album
• Top Rock Album: Tickets to My Downfall (Machine Guy Kelly)
• Top Latin Album: YHLQMDLG (Bad Bunny)
• Top Dance/ Electronic Album: Chromatics (Lady Gaga)
• Top Christian Album: My Gift (Carrie Underwood)
• Top Gospel Album: Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1

Let’s hit it with the songs:

• Top Hot 100 Song Presented by the Rockstar: Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)
• Top Streaming Song: DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch, Rockstar
• Top Selling Song: Dynamite (BTS)
• Top Radio Song: Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)
• Top Collaboration: I Hope (Charlie Puth, and Gabby Barrett)
• Top R&B Song: Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)
• Top Rock Song: Bang (AJR)
• Top Latin Song: Dákiti (Bad Bunny, and Jhay Cortez)
• Top Gospel Song: Wash Us in the Blood (Kanye West ft. Travis Scott)

I have enjoyed watching the show. You can listen to these songs if you prefer.

As a female caribbean artist, it’s an immense pleasure to see fellow artists rising and shining.

I have some of my songs too if you would like to listen to them. Please don’t mind the little self-promotion here. They are available across all platforms. My latest album is “Black is the Color of My Skin”. You are probably listening to it right now.