Let’s be honest: 2020 was a bit of a shit-show. Between America falling apart, the BLM protests, the still-ongoing pandemic, and a host of other terrifying and uncertain events, 2020 left a lot to be desired.
However, LLusion and LoveLeo’s latest release, “Stay In,” is a glitzy, sunny, piano-driven, lo-fi pop offering that brings a sense of lightness to lockdown and is somewhat of an ode to the now-relative regularity of quarantine.
“Let’s stay in, you and me
Let’s stay in, for a week”
With a soundtrack like this, maybe quarantine isn’t so bad. Maybe there’s a certain comfort in being able to stay indoors with the people we love, hanging out, and watching Netflix elbow-deep in a bottomless bag of Doritos. Waking up slowly, pulling on a clean pair of track pants, and meandering over to the kitchen to get a snack and some coffee. Curling up in a lover’s lap on the couch with your favorite book as the rain softly patters on the windowpane. No pressure of work or social obligation, just you and your person at home together, with absolutely nothing pressing to be done. At the time of hard-lockdown last year, the fear and unpredictability made staying in very challenging and uncomfortable. But, in retrospect, maybe there was something kind of beautiful about it; or at least, some beautiful moments within it. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it peaceful, but with songs like “Stay In,” at least we know we aren’t alone.
Llusion has a deep and profound understanding of the importance of online branding in today’s music industry and boasts over 3 million followers and 100 million views on TikTok. As a finalist at the Shorty Awards for Best YouTube Musician in 2020, Llusion’s channel is full of self-made, lighthearted remixes thrown over lo-fi electronica that create the perfect combination of glitchy and cheerful, and encompass a generation-wide appreciation for simple beats and easy-going harmonic vocals.
Released on February 5th 2021, with Llusion’s debut album due for release later this year, this single reminds us to make the best of the new normal, in any way we can.