Artemis II’s Wake-Up Playlist Includes Chappell Roan, Glass Animals and Denzel Curry: ‘Even Aliens F— With My S–t’

The Pink Pony Club is not in West Hollywood. According to NASA, it’s in orbit. The space agency shared the Artemis II crew’s official wake-up playlist on Wednesday (April 8), and the songs that have been starting each day aboard the Orion spacecraft include Chappell Roan, Glass Animals, Denzel Curry and John Legend.

Artemis II launched on April 1 at 6:35 p.m. Eastern, sending Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch around the moon on humanity’s first trip there in more than 50 years. This week the crew passed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 and were due to splash down in the Pacific on Friday (April 10).

The setlist so far

“Each track was selected by the Moon crew, continuing a tradition that started more than 50 years ago,” NASA said in an Instagram post. The first song they woke to was “Sleepyhead” by Young & Sick, followed by John Legend and André 3000’s “Green Light,” with its line, “I’m ready to go right now.” Next came Freddy Jones Band’s “In a Daydream,” Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” CeeLo Green’s “Working Class Heroes (Work)” and Mandisa and Toby Mac’s “Good Morning.”

Read moreJay-Z’s MarcyPen Is Reportedly Weeks From Co-Owning Fenty Beauty With Rihanna

The crew also woke up to “Tokyo Drifting” by Glass Animals and Denzel Curry. Curry got the news from NASA’s feed and responded with the joy you’d expect: “Even Aliens F— with my S–t!” he wrote on X, calling himself the first rapper played in space. Glass Animals were equally stunned. “this is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life ever,” the band commented on NASA’s Instagram post.

A message from Earth

Zac Brown found his own way in. On Friday, April 10, the country singer and his partner, jewelry designer Kendra Scott, shared a clip of his song “Free” playing on Orion, which the crew named Integrity, on the mission’s eighth day, along with a note to the astronauts.

Millions back home are looking up and feeling more inspired because of you. Keep flying strong. Keep flying safe. We can’t wait to welcome you home.

Zac Brown, Rolling Stone

Why it matters

Music in space is an old tradition, but this crew’s picks run from indie-pop to hip-hop to gospel-tinged radio hits, and the artists have noticed. It’s not the only thing the internet fell for, either. During the lunar flyby livestream, a jar of Nutella drifted out of Orion’s galley and slowly rotated in front of the camera, minutes before the crew passed the 252,756-mile distance mark. Nutella posted the clip with the caption “Houston, we have Nutella in space.” NASA said it wasn’t a product placement; the spread was just part of the crew’s approved menu.

NASA says to stay tuned for what the crew picks next. The mission’s last scheduled event is the splashdown in the Pacific on Friday.

Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.