For too many, the pandemic has brought pain and suffering. While I am aware of that and acknowledge that, that’s not what this article is about. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on a more lighthearted aspect of quarantine that I think a lot of people my age can relate to.
Quarantine has truly been the weirdest thing I’ve experienced in my lifetime, as I’m sure it is for a lot of people. Whether it’s because I had to move back to my hometown or because I need comfort now more than ever, I’ve been finding myself regressing to my old interests from middle and high school. Here are three things I’ve rediscovered my love for during quarantine.
- Dan and Phil
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Yes, I participated in the cringe-worthy era of cat whiskers and “emo” hair. These two British Youtubers, Daniel Howell and Phil Lester, were a major source of comfort for me back in the day when I thought Gerard Way was the epitome of musical genius. Okay, I still kind of think that, but you get my point. While their iconic “Phil Is Not on Fire” series still remains a favorite, I’ve become most enthralled by their gaming videos from their collaborative channel DanAndPhilGAMES. As I re-watch these videos, I notice I’ve definitely changed with whom I most identify. When I was younger, I related to Dan and his black aesthetic and sarcastic personality. As I’ve grown older, however, I’ve become more like Phil with his whimsical sense of humor and eccentric persona. Regardless, their dynamic warms my heart, and there’s something wildly entertaining about watching them banter while playing video games.
- “Emo” Music
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Ah, the emo phase. Though the closest I ever came to looking the part was wearing Fall Out Boy t-shirts and Converse, in middle school I felt that this was the music of my soul. I listened to everything, from Mayday Parade to Twenty One Pilots to Sleeping With Sirens, all of which represent very different inflections of “emo” culture. When quarantine first began, I was seriously in need of comfort; being ejected from the familiarity of my dorm and living with my closest friends was jarring, to say the least. So, I turned to something else familiar in order to cope. Suddenly, I was rediscovering some of my favorite lyrics of all time. The opening notes of Panic! at the Disco’s “Death of a Bachelor” or My Chemical Romance’s “Helena” were like a musical hug, and I remembered all the lyrics effortlessly. I’ve fallen so far down this emo rabbit hole that I’ve considered getting a Twenty One Pilots-inspired tattoo once quarantine is over, so there’s certainly something to be said about the power of our old interests.
- One Direction
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At the same time as my so-called “emo phase,” I was also obsessed with the band One Direction. Weird combination, I know, but that’s teenagehood for you. This rekindling was partially brought on pre-quarantine by the release of Harry Styles’ album Fine Line. However, quarantine really amped up this obsession. I found myself jamming to songs I hadn’t heard in years and revisiting albums that I didn’t appreciate enough when they came out. I’ve developed some unpopular opinions in my wiser years: the song “Right Now” is way overrated, their album Made in the A.M. is a masterpiece and “Steal My Girl” is probably their most annoying song. Luckily, my roommates also love One Direction, so they will happily analyze each album with me. Even in 2020, their songs still hold up as some of my favorites and their music gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia.
Quarantine has been different for everyone, but I’m sure it’s been hard in one way or another for everyone. One way to combat these new and difficult feelings is to revisit old interests that provide you with some way to cope. While we may find ourselves regressing to dark places in our lives, old content may help us form a sense of comfort and familiarity.