Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Techno at the gym, disco for the club, pop for long drives—but what kind of music is right for space?

You might not expect astronauts to be listening to tracks like Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club or Tokyo Drifting by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry, but that’s exactly what the Artemis II crew has reportedly been waking up to during NASA’s most recent journey around the Moon, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

U.S. rapper Denzel Curry told BBC Newsbeat that he was both excited and surprised to learn his song had reached such extraordinary heights. He said that if he ever met the astronauts, he would “give all of them a hug for even thinking about me” when putting together their space playlist. Curry, who has long been interested in space-themed films and concepts, hopes the track will get a “second life” thanks to its cosmic exposure—and he even dreams of becoming the first rapper to perform in space.

And there is more to the connection between space and music than one might expect.

Before his historic mission to the International Space Station in 2015, retired British astronaut Tim Peake carefully selected three songs to bring with him. His uplifting playlist included Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, U2’s Beautiful Day, and Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars.

“I wanted to have a bit of fun before launch,” he told Newsbeat, adding that music is “really important” in space.

He explained that music helps astronauts maintain an emotional connection to Earth. “It reminds you of times in your life when you’ve heard those songs—friends, family, memories,” he said.

Peake also described the experience of listening to music in space as “surreal,” especially when looking down at Earth. “You see the entire planet… and that’s home,” he said. “This beautiful blue, green, white marble floating in the blackness of space.”

Space agencies like NASA have long used music not only for relaxation but also as part of psychological support during missions. Scientists note that familiar songs can help reduce stress and improve focus in isolated, high-pressure environments like space travel.