Earth is ghetto. Whether prompted by the uncertainty associated with the global pandemic, the crazy political climate or the bizarre state of society, at one point or another, we’ve all thought of the world we live in as a weary wasteland. Singer, songwriter and musician Aliah Sheffield encapsulated those feelings in her aptly entitled song “Earth Is Ghetto.”
The song virtually wrote itself as she stood outside of a Mexican corner store early on in the pandemic. After noting the newly implemented Covid-19 precautions and the nearly vacant streets, the relatable lyrics flowed freely: “Earth is ghetto, I wanna leave / I been down here stranded, indefinitely / I can’t reach my planet, but I need to leave / You should see these people, it’s hard to believe / How they treat each other, it’s hard to conceive.”
After composing the song in under 40 minutes, the Newark, NJ-born, Savannah, GA-bred artist uploaded it to her YouTube channel and Instagram back in 2021. The tune soon caught fire and went viral first on IG and then on TikTok. It has since been translated into Spanish, remixed and covered by other artists and even interpreted through artwork created by her growing fanbase.
In an effort to continue to capitalize on her newfound spotlight, she recently rereleased her viral single on Earth Day. The irony of dropping the tune on a day meant to celebrate and conserve the planet was not lost on old and new fans alike. Though the fact that the song still resonates with many nearly two years later is a bit daunting, its helps to know we’re not alone in this sentiment. As Aliah sees it, there is a silver lining to the track’s tenebrous theme. She explains, “This song has opened doors for other music. This has given me a better chance for releasing music on my own."
This official version of "Earth Is Ghetto" features a new second verse, additional instrumentation and production by Pop Wansel and Daoud. The song serves as her second new single, following the release of "Never Drinking Again" this past December.
Listen to Aliah Sheffield’s “Earth is Ghetto” below and peep its brief animated short, which we hope is a snippet of a longer video. Add the single to your collection from your preferred digital platform, and continue to support the artist by checking out her limited-edition merchandise touting spacey artwork and notable lyrics from the track.
