[3] During the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, New York City instated a "pause on non-essential services and gatherings" order, which asked its citizens to stay indoors as much as possible and practice social distancing.

That Used to Be" detailed the creation of the album, they profess it "charts the sonic pulse of the city, encompassing a ballgame, a taxi ride and a visit to the library itself".

and had "irreplaceable earhole snippets of the underground rush hour, crowded parks and noisy neighbors".

Time Out said, "Whether or not these sounds are part of what makes you love New York, the playlist is a cozy reminder of your life before the shutdown.

[12] Governor Andrew Cuomo featured the album as the evening's "Deep Breath Moment" in his daily COVID-19 update email on May 4, 2020.