MTV has found something for the artists stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak to do. The network launched a special version of MTV Unplugged, filmed by artists at their home. The first episode launched on Friday and features former Fugees member Wyclef Jean. The series is similar to the In My Room series Rolling Stone launched earlier this week.
In the first episode of MTV Unplugged At Home, Jean performs acoustic versions of the songs “Gone Till November” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” accompanied only by his guitar. Jean filmed it at home, sitting in front of his aquarium. The video is available on MTV’s YouTube, Instagram and Twitter pages. Future artists will be announced at a later date, reports Deadline.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Back on Wednesday, Rolling Stone launched its own series, In My Room, featuring musicians performing at home. The series is available at the magazine’s Instagram page and launched with former Beach Boys member Brian Wilson, who wrote the song the series is named after. Wilson performed a bit of “In My Room” on piano before swinging into “Do It Again” and his 1988 solo track “Love and Mercy.”
Rolling Stone will release new episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 p.m. ET. The second episode features Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo performing from her home in Paris.
Many artists have found themselves stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, with governments around the world urging people to stay inside to slow the spread of the virus. The crisis has had an incredible impact on the music industry, especially since AEG and Live Nation, the two biggest live-event companies in the world, suspended all tours. Performers like Billie Eilish, Jason Aldean, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Kiss, Cher, Zac Brown Band and many others were forced to head home early and postpone or cancel tour dates.
View this post on Instagram
“The world’s leading forces in live entertainment have come together to form a global task force to drive strategic support and unified direction ensuring precautionary efforts and ongoing protocol are in the best interest of artists, fans, staff, and the global community,” AEG and Live Nation said in a joint statement to Variety last week. “The task force includes Michael Rapino (CEO and President, Live Nation Entertainment), Dan Beckerman (President and CEO, AEG & Board Member, ASM Global), Jay Marciano (Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents), Rob Light (Managing Partner and Head of the Music Division, CAA), Marc Geiger (Partner and Head of Music, WME), Sam Gores (Chairman, Paradigm), Marty Diamond (Head of Global Music, Paradigm), and David Zedeck (Global Head Of Music, UTA).”
Self-quarantining will likely need to continue for the foreseeable future. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Today Show Friday social distancing will have to continue for “at least several weeks” because the crisis is not likely to suddenly end soon.
“I cannot see that all of a sudden, next week or two weeks from now it’s going to be over,” Fauci explained. “I don’t think there’s a chance of that. I think it’s going to be several weeks.”
Photo credit: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
