In 2024, the Global Wellness Institute reports that the “wellness” economy in the United States will be worth a staggering $1.8 trillion. As of 2022, the GDP of complete The world is estimated at about $100 trillion. The current market value of mental health alone is $87 billion. I’m not a mathematician, but this means that in 2024 the United States spent 1/100 of The whole world Output of goods and services to make you satisfied. The obvious irony, which feels like a slap in the face, is that we live in a country where everyone is severely ill. People are dying youngerAnd when they do, it is as if they become angrier, poorer, and more disillusioned than at any time in modern history. The American dream is dead for most segments of the population, swallowed up by big corporations and CEOs who name their firstborn with stock buybacks. So, when Apple Music announced the launch of its wellness radio channel, Chill, on Tuesday, December 10, I took it with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Was this a money grab, or just a hope of catching a fast-growing sector of the economy? Or does this come from a genuine desire to exist as an antidote to the commodification of our entire society into playlist, let alone music consumption? I think the answer is somewhere in the middle, but after two days immersed in Apple’s cooling station, I can’t help but feel like it’s a shelter from an increasingly violent storm.
Chill is hosted by singer and radio host Sabi, who, according to Apple, “guides you through a full day of programming by introducing each new batch of songs — aimed at helping you relax, unwind, and unplug.” Sabi is also responsible for the station’s mindfulness moments, which are “short breaks in programming that serve as a reminder to be present and calm.” Sabi is the show’s day-to-day guide, but Apple has also enlisted Zane Lowe, Brian Eno and Stephan Moccio to handle their own shows.
On Sundays, Lowe hosts Zane Needs to Chill. On Friday, the king of ambient music, Brian Eno, will host Amber Radio. Moccio’s Feel More Radio will be on every Saturday. Granted, I’ve only been listening to the station for a few days (the first episodes of these niche programs aired Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week to mark the launch of Chill), but the reason Chill has been so successful is that it’s — or, at the very least, made me less hostile about… The absolutely poor state of the whole thing – because they entrusted the project to artists and entertainers who are not only good at their job but actually care about music being a balm and a safe haven from *violently points to nothing in particular* all the stuff out there.
The consumption of art is endless, and we are woefully ill-equipped to learn, study, and indulge in all the things we want to experience. This is what birth and death are all about. The list goes on, but never gets shorter. During my Zoom call with Brian Eno, he explained how difficult this idea was when he was 76 years old. We were discussing the things he does to “relax,” which seemed like a pretty silly thing to ask one of the greatest musical geniuses this world has ever seen. Sadly, I should have expected such a hero to answer as thoughtfully as he did, but nonetheless, I was surprised by the sincerity of his declaration. “I have a very large library, and I’ve recently realized that at my age I won’t re-read many of the books I’ve always hoped to re-read. For example, one great book I’ve been looking forward to re-reading for years is Richard Macy’s Autobiography Peter the Great. “It’s one of the great books in my opinion,” he explained with some resignation, “but it’s a very long book and I have a big pile of books to read.” “Maybe I shouldn’t go back to that again. It’s kind of sad, realizing there are old friends you’ll never see again.”
