麻豆社

How has the coronavirus pandemic changed live music?

Justin Bieber.Image source, Justin Bieber / TikTok

Justin Bieber is the latest musician to prove that life in lockdown doesn't mean losing out on live music.

The Canadian singer returned to the stage for his second virtual gig of 2021 - a performance of his 2013 album Journals, in full for the very first time.

Unlike a previous gig on New Year's Eve, this special Valentine's performance - which fans could watch again at 6pm on 15 February in the UK - was free to watch for fans worldwide on TikTok.

"I'm excited to bring this show to life. Journals are one of my favourite projects and I've never performed it live," Bieber told his 20 million followers on TikTok.

Check out the innovative and creative ways music stars have performed to audiences over the last year.

And, let us know the best concert you've seen virtually in the comments!

BTS

Image source, Big Hit Entertainment

BTS, arguably the world's biggest boy band, staged two enormous concerts in 2020 with nearly one million people from 190 countries tuning in for the second performance of their Map of the Soul ON:E gig.

The BTS performance was one of the first examples of letting a crowd interact with a live performance while stuck at home.

Viewers could react via virtual "lighting sticks" and could make cheering noises too, which lit up a connected wall behind the BTS band members as they performed live.

RM spoke about how grateful he was for the technology that led to the concert being able to take place."I have no religion," RM said, "but I thank God that we live in 2020. I'm so glad we have this technology."

Lil Nas X

Image source, Roblox

Music venues are empty, people can't travel to different countries, people are spending time indoors during lockdowns... So Lil Nas X decided to go to where he knew his fans would be, the virtual world of Roblox.

Wearing a motion capture suit, Lil Nas X was recreated in game and wore different costumes, including his trademark pink cowboy outfit.

The Roblox community was also invited to interact with the performance by customising their avatars with emotes, cowboy hats and signs.

Across two days Lil Nas had four shows on Roblox which had 33 million views in total!

Billie Eilish

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Billie Eilish performing at the AMAs with her masked producer and brother Finneas O'Connell

For her American Music Awards (AMAs) performance of Therefore I Am in November, Billie Eilish proved that small spaces can feel a lot bigger.

As she performed live the camera followed Eilish through a seemingly endless maze of corridors and was in complete contrast to the music video for the song, where the 19-year-old singer explored a massive, but empty shopping mall.

As the performance comes to an end, all elements of the set are revealed in one shot, showing what is possible in the smallest of spaces. Something we've all been finding out while spending more time inside!

One World: Together At Home concert

Image caption,

Little Mix performed from their homes

Ok, technically it wasn't all live, but the One World: Together At Home concert showed how lockdowns can bring some of the biggest stars together.

Despite having no backing dancers, stage props or fireworks, this festival of music had one of the most impressive line-ups ever seen. Proving obstacles such as busy schedules, international flights and dressing room demands don't matter when everyone is at home.

At the start of the pandemic in April 2020, the concert, backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), raised money to help in the fight against coronavirus.

The concert totalled a record-breaking $128 million (拢92m) for healthcare workers.

Performances included Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Little Mix and Taylor Swift all performing from home. So not only did it raise money for charity, viewers got a sneaky look at the houses of several mega-stars.

The Weeknd

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The Weeknd's AMA medley performance of In Your Eyes and Save Your Tears was shot in empty streets

The Weeknd's medley performance of Save Your Tears/In Your Eyes at last November's AMA's showed how artists can work within the limitations of the pandemic.

And, although lockdown life can be rubbish sometimes, it can look pretty cool if you're filming a live music video.

Normally to clear the streets of one of the world's biggest cities would cost a fortune - in a pandemic the Weeknd took advantage of an empty Los Angeles, transforming the real-world Covid backdrop into his stage.

Complete with fireworks, timed pyrotechnics and high-angle shots, it made the location and its atmosphere a cool part of the performance.

Alex Lill, the creative mind behind The Weeknd's recent videos and live performances said: "Before the pandemic even hit we were trying to reimagine how we could provide a cinematic experience for the audience at home, not just the live audience."

"When Covid started and live audiences were out the window, only then were we given more licence by various television networks and platforms to pursue this new approach," Lill said speaking to the 麻豆社.