We’ve all had to get creative during the COVID-19 lockdown, learning how to make needlessly elaborate cocktails, entertain kids with time-wasting projects and desperately searching for movies we haven’t watched three times already after running through all our queues.
Musicians have been especially crafty, performing shows from their bedrooms, hosting talk shows, online battles and learning how to set up impromptu film studios in their bedrooms as they wait to leave their homes.
And, because, nature finds a way, they’ve also figured out how to record new music videos while in quarantine, with everyone from Twenty One Pilots to Weezer, Drake, Yungblud, John Legend, OK GO and many more blasting out awesome home-brewed clips.
Check out 15 of our favorites below.
Twenty One Pilots, “Level of Concern”
One of the first acts out of the gate, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun had some fun with their lockdown by filming this clip in which they are so close, yet so far away.
OK Go, “All Together Now”
After singer Damian Kulash and his wife both recovered from the coronavirus, the band known for their creative videos put together a shelter-at-home sliding-tile clip for the uplifting song that ends with a tribute to the nightly celebrations of frontline workers.
John Legend, “Bigger Love”
The tropical title track from Legend’s upcoming album features fans from all over the world — as well as wife, model Chrissy Teigen and kids Luna and Miles — demonstrating their hot dance moves, love and connection across the physical divide.
Kevin Gates “Wetty” (Freestyle)
Is it flexing if you do it alone? It is if you’re Gates and you have a killer humidor and garage full custom minivans. His crew should be wearing masks, though, if we’re being honest.
Ben Harper, “Don’t Let Me Disappear”
The guitarist/singer describes his latest as being about “the fine line between loneliness, isolation and invisibility, to where you can’t seem to find a way not to be hiding in plain sight.” The moody black and white visual cuts from footage of Harper alone performing the song to two modern dancers filling their empty spaces with movement.
Liam Payne & Alesso, “Midnight”
The pop singer and EDM producer were forced to film the video for their recent single from their respective homes in London and Los Angeles. Fans get to see Payne on his rooftop crooning, while Alesso makes a mood in his moodily lit home studio.
Weezer, “Hero”
For their latest anthem, Weezer enlists fans as they pass a very important note about the importance about first responders and front liners (virtually) from one to another as the band’s members rock out at an appropriate distance.
Yungblud, “Weird!”
The energetic British singer has been making the most of quarantine with his hilarious talk show and talk show performances and in the clip for his new single he hits the roof and the bedroom for a frantic video about this totally “weird time of life.”
Drake, “Toosie Slide”
He may be all alone in his immense Toronto mansion, but in the Theo Skudra-directed video for his latest viral hit, Drizzy makes self-isolation seem lush as he glides across his eye-popping home, ending with a personal fireworks display.
Luke Combs, “Six Feet Apart”
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Luke strums his guitar in his rec room and sings about what we’re all going through. “I miss my mom, I miss my dad/ I miss the road, I miss my band/ Givin’ hugs and shakin’ hands/ It’s a mystery, I suppose/ Just how long this thing goes/ But there’ll be crowds and there’ll be shows/ And there will be light after dark/ Someday when we aren’t six feet apart,” he promises.
Lil Baby, “All In”
Quarantine is an excellent time to shine your jewels, which Baby does in this video in which he hard-boils his bling alone in the kitchen as some of his crew hang six feet away, including one dude kind of wearing a mask. Smoking a cigar in an SUV with a couple other dudes is definitely against CDC recommendations.
Kehlani, “F&MU”
The singer shelters at home with Jon Rabon, with the couple dancing through different rooms in a steamy clip that proves lockdown is a great time to work on your sexy moves all over the house.
Alice Cooper, “Don’t Give Up”
The original shock rocker gives a message of unity and collective strength in the video for his new single, which includes crowdsourced messages of hope from fans all over the world.
Lil Durk, “Viral Moment”
Not a distancing song, per se, the video for Durkio’s latest single finds him hanging outside his home with some cameos from Lil Baby, as well as Durk’s OTR signees Booka600, Memo600 and Doodie Lo. While he’s got more of his crew around than Gates, at least a couple of them are wearing masks, but Dr. Fauci would definitely say there’s way too much hand-shaking and dice-playing going on.
Katy Perry, “Daisies”
A pregnant Perry performs the empowering song while surrounded by nature — quite the departure from the popstar’s normally over-the-top visuals, and all the more refreshing because of it.
