As the world grapples with the current radical changes to our way of life occasioned by the current pandemic, we seem to have found a way to adjust to the current reality of self-quarantine with the astronomical rise in artists taking their performances online, comforting and uniting us through music.
DJ Khaled, Kaskade, Daya, Bebe Rexha, Max, and more kicked off the Coke Studio Sessions last weekend and fans rallied around to watch them perform their biggest hits in their respective homes. Organised in partnership with new streaming platform, #BeApp, the Coke Studio Sessions, in its debut weekend, proved to be a much-needed indulgence. Here are our favourite performances from the first week!
Daya
Sporting an oversized t-shirt and an unmistakable eagerness to soothe fans with her music, Daya set us in a mood that signalled tenderness. From the bitter-sweet bop “Insomnia” to the raw ballad “Back To Me”, the “Sit Still, Look Pretty” star embodied a vulnerable aura which felt comforting and relatable and even brought a few tears to our eyes.
Her session felt intimate and served to be the emotional pinnacle of the first weekend as she put so much feeling and soul into her performance. Interacting with the fans via #BeApp, Daya bared it all as she revealed how difficult the current global situation has been and the uncertainty with regards to the future, but it wasn’t all melancholy as she talked about baking for the first time and getting to spend more time with family and friends as a result.
“Togetherness and connection is what we need. We’re all in this together,” the singer-songwriter signed off, leaving us all with a message we can tightly hold on to.
MAX
In what was probably the most smile-inducing session of the weekend, Max brought a lot of positive energy to the session as he performed different hits from his catalogue, answered questions in-between and took song requests from the fans. The New York-born singer’s energy was bubbly throughout, serenading viewers with his soft, sweet-sounding voice and catchy pop songs like “Love Me Less”, “Acid Dreams”, “Basement Party”, “Missed Calls” and more.
The Hells Kitchen singer-songwriter was very much in tune as he performed another hit, “Where Am I At” acoustically for the first time during his session. A common feature of his performance was how proficiently he oscillated from hitting soft and smooth tones to hitting raspy notes that served to send shivers down spines. When asked how the quarantine has affected his writing process, Max responded, saying he has been in a “dream-like state” — with his temperament teetering towards songs that are uplifting and focus on hope and escape from the world we currently are in. To sign off his performance, Max performed his most successful hit, “Lights Down Low”, bringing an end to a transcendentally enjoyable performance.
Kaskade on the Grand Canyon Skywalk: A Sight To See!
Kaskade’s performance was undoubtedly the most visually pleasing session of the weekend. The American DJ performed a first-of-its-kind set on the remarkable Grand Canyon Skywalk, which made for an astonishing natural backdrop. He did not seem to be bothered by the heights of the platform as he performed his classics such as “Find Love”, “I Remember”, “Disarm You” and more thousands of feet above the ground.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a horseshoe-like structure that extends 70 feet over the edge of the Grand Canyon. The tourist attraction is — literally — breathtaking with a see-through glass floor and towers an astounding 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon floor. As Kaskade’s performance waded into the night, the night visual brought a whole new level of stunning as the skywalk led him out in a gradient of colourful lights.
DJ Khaled and Fat Joe: Old Friends Reminiscing
Although DJ Khaled did not perform any songs during his session, what was great about this was getting to see two old friends talking intimately and reminiscing about old times and how they fought their journey to celebrity status. It very much felt like a free-form roundtable discussion with both legends divulging information on different phases of their lives, and how several of their hits were written in brief moments of inspiration. Fat Joe talked about his love for sneakers and how well DJ Khaled has adapted and sayed relevant with his music, while the latter talked about being lucky to be entrenched in pop culture.
The second weekend of the Coke Studio Sessions is one we look forward to, with performances from Benny the Butcher, Miguel, Bebe Rexha, and more lined up. The first weekend of the virtual concert gave us an exclusive view into the lives of so many celebrities beyond the flashing lights and clicking cameras, and we hope the next one carries on with that feature.
To watch, simply download BeApp, available on iOS or visit Coca-Cola YouTube and Facebook.
