Artemis II flight photo by NASA via Getty Images. Denzel Curry photo by Giovanni Mourin. New Times collage by Flor Franceschetti.
Audio By Carbonatix
Keep Miami New Times Free
We’re aiming to raise $7,500 by April 26. Your support ensures Miami New Times can continue watching out for you and our community. No paywall. Always accessible. Daily online and weekly in print.
Imagine floating in open space, more than 230,000 miles away from Earth, and waking up to the eerie melody and upbeat bass of Denzel Curry and Glass Animals’ 2019 single “Tokyo Drifting.” That’s exactly what the Artemis II crew experienced this morning, just one day after making history by becoming the humans who have traveled the farthest distance away from Earth on their way to orbit the Moon.
Since 1971, NASA has had a tradition of playing music to wake up flight crews during missions — the practice dates back to Apollo 15. But who are the music supervisors of these space expedition soundtracks, one might wonder? There is no single person in charge of this very special task; instead, the songs are chosen by family members, friends, or NASA’s Mission Control specialists.
Other wake-up songs that have been played this past week for Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen include: “Sleepyhead” by Young & Sick (a cover of the 2008 Passion Pit song), “Green Light” by John Legend, and “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan.
Speaking on the importance of the cosmic soundtracks, NASA astronaut Steve Robinson said to the European Space Agency back in 2012, “It’s one of the most personal things that you’re able to take up in space. Wherever your music is, that’s sort of a version of home.”
A fun fact for all David Bowie fanatics out there: “Space Oddity” was not played during the initial 1969 moon landing, but was used by the BBC in its coverage. The song by the popular British musician has always had a special place in the hearts of space enthusiasts.
And although there is no Artemis II crew member from Miami, Floridians can now claim that a piece of our creativity reached space, as “Tokyo Drifting” by Denzel Curry and Glass Animals served as the wake-up song for the astronauts on their way back from the Moon on Tuesday, April 7. Curry reacted with a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter.
Curry, who was born and raised in Carol City, is known for his introspective storytelling and lyrical vulnerability — something he has discussed in multiple interviews with New Times, including a 2020 cover story.
“As our Artemis II astronauts prepare to leave the lunar sphere of influence and return to Earth’s gravitational pull, they listened to ‘Tokyo Drifting,’” read a post by NASA shared on Instagram. What better way to float back home than listening to lyrics that repeat, “Ooh, now you’re lettin’ go”?
The Artemis II crew will return to Earth on Friday, April 10, with splashdown expected in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, around 8 p.m. EST.
