Jeffrey Iqbal: The Power Of Music

You know what aesthetic never fails to make me smile? A musician in a softly-lit room playing a keyboard. No, really; there were tons of people playing music like that on YouTube all the way through the 2000s. If there’s a proven winning combination, it’s soft tunes and soft lights, and in the world right now, we could certainly use more of those.

With everyone stuck at home, some musicians have taken to recording little soundbites from their houses encouraging people to keep their spirits up. While a little nugget of encouragement is certainly appreciated, some artists have taken things a step further to really reach out and give their fans something to hope for. One of those musicians is USA/Bollywood double-threat Jeffrey Iqbal.

In an effort to soothe the souls of listeners with a bad case of cabin fever, Jeffrey Iqbal has been regularly hosting a segment he calls “QRL,” AKA “Quarantine Request Live,” wherein he takes requests for songs, both his own and from elsewhere, and sings his heart out. Iqbal posts all of these videos to his YouTube channel, and plans to continue posting them for the foreseeable future.

To quote a cartoon blue jay, you can’t touch music, but music can touch you. Even if you can’t understand all of the lyrics in Iqbal’s songs, the message still comes across clear as day: there is still love in the world, and life is still worth living. Also, he has a really nice living room. Like, not so nice that’s gauche like some famous people, just a nice living room you could see yourself relaxing in. It’s a perfect place for a chill groove.