While people have been sticking close to home and social distancing, and a number of social venues and events have closed up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entertainment industry has done its best to extend public service announcements (PSAs) in support of those efforts. In doing so, many entertainers have taken to social media to share their talents in hopes of comforting those who find themselves in the midst of doldrums. Recently (in early April, in fact) Miranda Lambert did just that through the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
ACM Presents: Our Country was a time slot filled by the Academy when their original awards night had to be postponed to September as a result of COVID-19. Rather than give up their air time on national television, they instead opted to fill that space with performances from more than 20 country music artists who recorded their songs from the comfort of their own homes. Lambert performed her single entitled “Bluebird” for the show from her Tennessee farm. This Texas talent was seated on her porch with the sound of water running from a mountain spring behind her.
Video: YouTube/Miranda Lambert
Shared on the official Miranda Lambert YouTube channel, the video of her portion of the ACM Presents: Our Country show has been viewed by more than 850K. “Bluebird” is her latest single off the “Wildcard” album, and in this recording, it took on a soothing vibe. And it’s no wonder, with chorus lyrics like: “And if the whole wide world stops singing, and all the stars go dark, I’ll keep a light on in my soul; keep a bluebird in my heart…”
Other artists such as Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley, and Blake Shelton performed for the show as well, each practicing social distancing in their respective videos. All of the performances can be found on YouTube and replayed to your heart’s content, or you can stream them directly from the ACM Presents: Our Country website. Encouraging people through music has long been the backbone of the industry, despite all outward appearances to the contrary. The underpinnings of country music are embedded in the tougher times in American history, including the Great Depression. When porch performances like that which Miranda Lambert did in the video above were all that our families and friends had for entertainment back in the day, they took on a life all their own over the years. Thankfully, social media is another medium through which we can continue that tradition, especially in times such as these.
