This Playlist is Out of This World: NASA’s Artemis II Wake Up Playlist and How Music Brings Us Together (Even in Space)
Article ★ Emily Galeas ★ @emilyygaleas ★ 4 Minutes
It seems the entire country has been following closely with the tracking and communication with NASAs most recent space mission, the Artemis II. This deep space mission features a dynamic and historical crew as they travel further than humans have ever gone, circling the Moon and returning to Earth in just ten days. Not only is the Artemis II spacecraft bringing humans their first look at the dark side of the Moon, it is also home to an iconic four-person crew.
Among this crew, we have Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. This mission will take the first woman on a Lunar Mission with Christina Koch, and the first person of color on a Lunar Mission with Victor Glover. Along with this, Jeremy Hansen is the first Canadian to ever travel to the Moon as well, and their Commander, Reid Wiseman, has shown nothing but pride and support to his crew.
Artemis II crew 2026This launch has also had the most social media coverage out of any launches preceding it, and NASA has continued to interact with the fans of the Artemis II, the crew is certainly feeling the love!
Upon NASAs release of a video waking up the astronauts on the craft with Chappell Roan's ‘Pink Pony Club’, listeners and fans of the project have been wondering what other tracks NASA has been using to wake up the crew. Well, NASA has answered our question by officially releasing a public ‘Artemis II Wake Up’ playlist to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
The playlist consists of a variety of songs, including the aforementioned Chappell Roan, as well as Queen, Glass Animals, Charley Crockett, CeeLo Green, John Legend and more. The playlist has been updated daily as a new song is chosen to wake up the crew. The original spark that created a desire to see this playlist was the previously mentioned video of the crew being woken up with the track Pink Pony Club, with commander Reid Wiseman expressing through communication with NASA how the crew was “anxiously awaiting the chorus” after the song was cut off.
This glimpse into the daily lives of the crew, along with many others not regarding music directly, are the reason that the United States has fallen in love with this crew. In a state of divide and political boundaries, this crew has provided us with a sentiment of unity, and combating conflict with love as they see our home planet as one whole entity, not an Earth divided.
The coverage of this Lunar Mission on social media has not only re-inspired so many individuals to achieve their greatest dreams, but it also shows us a much less serious side to Space exploration that makes becoming an Astronaut that much more achievable. The Artemis II crew being awoken with music from their home planet every day represents that we are not all that far apart in spirit.
Audiences may ask, why is an Astronaut wake-up playlist so important? Throughout the course of the Artemis II crew's ten day mission, they have consistently pushed the message that though they are in Space, further than humans have ever traveled, we are closer than we think. The four-piece has continued to communicate a message of unity, and treating every individual on planet Earth like they belong. Artemis Pilot, Victor Glover, even stated that though they are on a space ship flying around the Moon, we are on a space ship called Earth, and we should treat our planet like it is a privilege to live on it.
One artistic outlet that continues to provide a sense of unity, is music. By showcasing a diverse front of artists on the wake-up playlist, including Queer artists and artists of color, we are seeing a multi-genre representation of artists in a way we haven't seen before. We also get a glimpse into the crew's taste in music, and what they wanted to hear to motivate themselves throughout this journey.
When asked about the song selection, Reid Wiseman commented that he was likely responsible for the choice of Pink Pony Club, as well as Tokyo Drifting, mentioning that this song has a special grip on himself and his two daughters. Receiving context for the song selections humanizes the crew, and sets them level with their audience. When staring a daunting, historical space mission in the face, music played a crucial role in (quite literally) bringing them down to Earth. While this crew made it look easy, the followers of this mission are left in awe of their bravery, courage, intelligence, and community they have created.
Without music to remind them of their beautiful home, the Artemis II mission may have felt very different. However, without this legendary, historical crew, we wouldn't have gotten to see the dark side of the Moon. Thank you to the Artemis II astronauts; Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, for showing the world that music loves us to the Moon and back.
