Last week, the Empire State Building, in collaboration with iHeartMedia, announced they would be uniting New Yorkers sheltering at home to slow the spread of COVID-19 with a new light display, the first of which took place on Friday, March 27th. "The tower will illuminate the New York City skyline," they announced, "and beam with a light show synced to the modern era anthem of New York City, Alicia Keys’ 'Empire State of Mind.'" The inaugural display debuted Friday, and looked like this:
But then things took a turn when the ESB announced that starting on Monday, "the classic white lights will be replaced with America’s heartbeat and a siren of red and white in the mast as we pay respect to our heroic emergency workers on the front line of the fight."
How did that go? The result was akin to turning one of the city's most prominent skyscrapers into an air raid signal, shining through the empty streets of a once-bustling Midtown and seen from all over. Perhaps not the best idea during a literal pandemic.
"To boost morale in New York City, The Empire State Building will be emitting a blood-curdling scream for the remainder of the pandemic," the Daily Show tweeted following the first night's run. The display is a well-intentioned tribute, but in reality it has turned a skyscraper into an alarming beacon, triggering anxiety in already anxious New Yorkers.
Let's have a look at the unsettling display.
According to the Empire State Building's original announcement, after this Thursday "a new music-to-light show will premiere on Friday, April 3rd, and play nightly for one week."
