regularly play at pride parades and protests as backing tracks. Just last month, the pride parade on Oxford Street marched to the beat of ‘Le Freak’ by Chic, demonstrating disco’s inescapable anthemic residence in today’s political climate. Compounding this political unrest were the added stressors of the coronavirus pandemic. Pleading for a change from heartbreaking ballads like Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’ and Billie Eilish’s ‘when the party’s over’, the disco revival exploded onto the pop scene in 2020, subverting themes of introspection and isolation. Disco perfectly filled that void. Clandestine pandemic raves bumped disco music throughout stay-at-home orders. The revival of disco raves and disco pop alleviated woeful moods and engaged people in the escapism they craved. Subsequently, many pop artists took note of disco’s resounding impact. Notably, Dua Lipa’s brassbacked and euphoric Future Nostalgia colourised the isolation of staying at home with wildly predictive lyrics like, “I should have stayed at home, I was doing better alone.” Unsurprisingly, Dua Lipa struck gold with near-ubiquitous radio presence of inescapable earworms like ‘Levitating’, ‘Break My Heart’, and ‘Don’t Start Now’, all tried-and-true disco pop magic. But perhaps disco’s greatest success of the past few years occurred when Beyoncé became the mostawarded Grammy artist ever with the release of her undeniably glossy album, Renaissance. The lead single from Renaissance, ‘Break My Soul’, embodies liberation with lyrics like “I’m taking my new salvation,” and “I’ma build my own foundation.” The release of these celebratory disco anthems alongside a juxtaposing political climate isn’t a coincidence. These lyrics directly respond to their political connotations; protestors and artists drawing inspiration from one another in a cyclical loop. Despite all efforts, disco refuses to die. Like its hypnotic loops that recur again and again, disco continues to create community around that shimmering, silversoaked sphere hanging from the ceiling centre.
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