On March 18, 2020, Headnod reached out to me to see if I wanted to write something about the state of the world.

As I write these words, citizens of the U.S. have been told to self quarantine and practice social distancing, and in other parts of the world, people have been faced with even stricter social restrictions to try and prevent further spread of the Coronavirus. Varied as we are, humans have responded in a multitude of ways, but the one emotion tying us all together in this moment of crisis is the ever powerful feeling of fear. Fear of the uncertain. Fear of the unseen. Fear transcends culture, language and borders. For those of us who are parents, the fear extends beyond our own futures, as we worry about the many problems the next generation will be forced to face. But as parents, we have no other choice but to face that fear head on with hope, try to focus on the beauty of every moment, no matter how uncertain we may feel, and to fill up their days with as much love as possible. When Headnod reached out to me about collaborating on a piece about the state of the world, I was ready, but when he told me he needed to hear the voice of optimism, my heart went out to him, both as a brother and as a fellow father. I imagine we need a dose of optimism right now. I wrote “Fly” as a response to his message, and to the rest of the world, as a reminder that hope and love is what gives our children, and gives us all, the wings we need to fly above any crisis thrown our way. I hope it brings a ray of hope into your home when you play it.

-Rico Pabón