TikTok helped sea shanties go mainstream last month, and now there is even a Spotify playlist for sea shanties.
What is sea shanty?
According to wikipedia, “A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty is a type of traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. The term shanty most accurately refers to a specific style of work song belonging to this historical repertoire.”
Why are sea shanties having a moment now in January 2021?
People are exhausted. They are tired from being cooped up at home, not being to travel, going stir crazy.
Who else would better understand the pain and tiredness than cooped-up sailors? Who else would have felt the same way? These sailors who were stir-crazy on their long voyages created songs to get through the day and their work called sea shanties.
It only makes sense, then, that shanties have come full circle with a moment of unprecedented popularity during the pandemic. Nathan Evans posted the Wellerman, a very catchy sea shanty, on Tik Tok and it went viral.
They are an easy listen, easy to sing, and easy to go viral. All of the elements needed in 2021.
