Are new songs about COVID-19 good?

Millions are streaming them, so it doesn’t matter.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to alter daily life for people around the globe, some artists are offering up their talents as a distraction from the chaos. Others are using those talents to lean into it.

Singer JoJo recently instructed fans on the importance of social distancing through a parody of her 2004 debut single “Leave (Get Out).” This version of the song, which she posted to her TikTok account, is aptly called “Chill (Stay In).”

Cardi B recently landed an unexpected hit after a Brooklyn-based D J and producer turned the rapper’s impromptu Instagram rant about coronavirus into a lively remix. The song, from D J iMarkkeyz, features Cardi B venting about not understanding the novel coronavirus or its rapid spread across the globe. It borrows its hook from the rapper’s exasperated declaration that things are getting real (she used a four-letter word in her phrasing) and her raspy delivery of the virus’ name.

The song went (there’s just no other way to say this) viral, catching the attention of Cardi B herself and fans across the world. The rapper has been retweeting videos of people dancing to the track, and recently shared a video of fans — in alarming proximity to one another — swaying to the song at a club in Brazil. iMarkkeyz, known for remixing viral memes, told the New York Times that his own fans had been urging him to give Cardi’s video the remix treatment. The result is currently among the Top 10 songs on iTunes.