Have you seen them? Those videos of a block of neighborhoods, supposedly in Italy, where self-quarantined people come out to their balconies, and join together start singing some of the popular songs? A brilliant way to wait out the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, or is it?
The coronavirus has people feeling mixed-feelings. Some are scared out of their wits, some are counting staggering losses, some have got an opportune chance to relax from their daily hustle and bustle. Then there are the meme kings and queens who have gotten fresh fodder for their latest attempts to go viral and crown the al-mighter ‘memers.’
Laughter is the Best Medicine, so let’s laugh at ourselves
Italy is perhaps the hardest hit European country by the virus. Statistics show that 80% of the country’s hospital beds are now occupied by patients fighting off the coronavirus infection. Additionally, all elective surgeries in the country have been canceled in an attempt to free up more bed spaces for possible increased COVID19 patients.
While the rest of the Italians, presumably in good health, who have self-quarantined at home have found innovative ways for passing the time. Some have taken to creating mariachi bands on their balconies, rooftops, and windows.
They are all singing along to popular songs, from artists like Rihanna and Beyonce, as you can see below:
A whole neighborhood in Italy is singing "Fallingforyou" by the 1975 while they're on lockdown and self-quarantined. #COVIDー19 @Truman_Black
pic.twitter.com/83ftYT2JsU
— linds (@fisheszoo) March 16, 2020
A whole neighborhood in Italy is singing “Chun-Li” by Nicki Minaj while they’re on lockdown and self-quarantined. #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/CPzhXVExhB
— Erkan C. (@erkancomlekcii) March 15, 2020
the video is fake but at least you got the right flag
pic.twitter.com/pxra4ybiEp
— javi (@kxtysboy_) March 14, 2020
Let Us All RISE UP. everywhere around the world!!
![]()
#irise pic.twitter.com/NJv93kWnWs
— Madonna (@Madonna) March 15, 2020
Turns out, some of these videos are FAKE, and anyone with some little video editing skills can pull it off. I mean have a couple of your friends sing the song, take the MP3 file, and override the sound from the original video, and voila, a bunch of Italians on ‘house-arrest’ singing the tune you want them to sing.
Some of the artists whose songs have been embedded in some of these videos have since unknowingly reshared the fake videos on their social media accounts. Below is an example of the original video (with original soundclip) that creatives are editing out the sound to include popular songs.
Italians in lockdown all over Italy are keeping each other company by singing, dancing and playing music from the balconies. A thread to celebrate the resilience of ordinary people. This is Salerno: pic.twitter.com/3aOchqdEpn
— Leonardo Carella (@leonardocarella) March 13, 2020
why are all these stan accounts tricking their faves into thinking quarantined neighbourhoods in italy are singing their songs LMFAAOOOO pic.twitter.com/ni1iIc6G3P
— 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞 (@arxhiiie) March 15, 2020
Related: How to Recognize Cryptocurrency Scams