MUMBAI: Not many people would have imagined three months ago that we can be in the rare and extreme situation many of us are experiencing now. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in India has made people conscious about their physical and mental wellbeing. People have become more spiritual now, and have begun finding more and more self-motivational tactics to keep their mind off the disease. And this is apparent from the kind of music that is being heard these days, the kind of playlists that are in vogue.

According to the study by music streaming app “Gaana indicates a 13 per cent rise in music consumption across India. Apart from Gaana, other apps like Starmaker, Spotify and Wynk Music have all registered an upward trend in the past month. The Gaana study shows a whopping 36 per cent surge in workout playlists as people are bringing their gyms home, and a 24 per cent surge in motivational or self-help podcasts reflecting the public’s attempt to stay positive in this crisis”.

“Confined to homes, the best we can do for ourselves is to keep our bodies and mind healthy, and hence these works out and motivational podcasts. It has become a ritual with her to listen to these motivational videos before going to bed, and do the workouts every morning. The pandemic has also changed the kind of songs people listen to. Bhajans top the list, with Gaana seeing a 14 per cent hike in devotional playlists (even 12-24-year olds are listening to these), followed by romantic songs that have seen a 12 per cent spike. The dance, party and EDM playlists show a decline” says Vibhuti Vyas.

“I love singing, and now I have time,” says Brajesh Raghav, who records at least two songs daily with Starmaker and circulates them among his friends. “My friends, in Kota, who didn’t know about this kind of recording have followed my suit after getting my audio,” he adds. “It is pretty enjoyable, even I’m indulging in it quite often,” says another singing buff Gyanendra Singh.

As per Gaana study, singers like Arijit Singh, Tanishk Bagchi, Pritam and Badshah have emerged as the most popular Indian artistes while Justin Beiber, Alan Walker, Selena Gomez and Ed Sheeran are the popular global artistes that people are listening to these days. Bollywood songs top the list followed by Punjabi and Indi songs. “This is a time for us to enjoy the simple things we value in our lives. We are humbled that we are able to help people remain positive and optimistic about life,” says Gaana CEO Prashan Agarwal.