Tag: artists

Soleil Moon Frye Shares the Soundtrack of Her Teens and the Influence of Music in Her Documentary, ‘Kid 90’

April 20, 2021

Photo credit: Amanda Demme

Soleil Moon Frye became a household name upon starring in the 1980s television show Punky Brewster. Now, the actress is once again across our screens, revisiting her adolescence in the documentary Kid 90.

The film chronicles Soleil’s teenage years using never-before-seen footage and features a number of familiar Hollywood stars, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Thicke, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, in their teens. Soleil produced Kid 90 using her personal collection of video recordings from the decade. The documentary also draws heavily on the music of the era, creating an audio time capsule of sorts.

Soleil curated an exclusive playlist for Spotify of songs that represent the soundtrack of her life in the ’90s. For the Record spoke with the actress to learn more about the significance of her song choices and the experience of creating her documentary.

Photo courtesy of Soleil Moon Frye

We now capture and document everything on social media, but the ’90s was a very different world. What drew you to video and document your life as you did for Kid 90?

I feel like there was always this journalist inside of me from the time I was really young. At five years old, I started writing in diaries. By the time I was 12 years old, I had an audio recorder. In my preteen years I started carrying a video camera with me everywhere I went. 

As a teenager, I had so many questions. I was on this path of self-discovery and was going through the trials and tribulations of growing up. The camera almost became like a safety device, a protective device between me and others, where as long as I put my pain or my insecurities through the lens of looking at the world, I could turn it into art.

How does the playlist reflect your experience during that era?

The playlist shows where I was and the songs I was hearing. In New York City, for example, there was so much hip-hop and reggae. We would listen to the most incredible hip-hop and sit around and laugh, share stories, and talk about our experiences. We were so alive at that time.

And growing up in Los Angeles, I remember Portishead and Tricky, music that got me through love and through all of those teen emotions. Liz Phair I would just play over and over again for every one of my teenage angst moments. Pearl Jam, too. It was the soundtrack to my life back then. Sinead O’Connor coming out with “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Jeff Buckley. There were so many albums and artists that I played over and over again.

We noticed a few ’80s hits made it on the playlist. Why did you add those songs?

It was really a challenge to separate between the ’80s and ’90s because there are songs that are so definitive of the ’90s even though they were released in the late ’80s. One of my favorites, which I needed to put in my playlist because it had to do with every teen love experience, is “Almost Hear You Sigh” by The Rolling Stones. I’d listen to it over and over. Another one of the most impactful albums in the ’90s for me was Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits. I’ll never forget going on tour with Danny Boy and House of Pain, and he would pop that CD in, and we would listen to it over and over, so on my playlist I added “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

The playlist is definitely a collage of lots of moments. I hope people have fun diving into it.

In the process of making the playlist, did you rediscover any songs or artists that you had forgotten?

Some of my favorite musicians have all come back to me. People and bands like Bruce Springsteen, Mojave 3, Mazzy Star, A Tribe Called Quest. And it was so fun to see my kids discovering the music of that time too. My girls love Mazzy Star, they love Portishead and Tricky and Notorious B.I.G.—it’s so fun.

Linda Perry and her first new song in 15 years, “The Letter,” are featured in Kid 90. How did she end up joining the project and collaborating with you?

Linda Perry has inspired me since the ’90s—you can see 4 Non Blondes is on my playlist. Perry has been a true muse to me throughout this incredible experience. She actually saw an early cut of the documentary and said, “I want to give you your own soundtrack,” which was such an honor. Really, she scored the music of my life, and did it beautifully. It was such an incredible experience working together. She just put her heart, soul, pain, love, just everything into it. 

The song itself was inspired by a real letter I wrote to myself at age 15. In it, I asked myself, “Who are you? Have you made your life worthy? Have you found a place to belong?”

It was profoundly moving for me to rediscover the letter because it made me look inward and question whether I made that teenager proud. Was I living the life that I expected for myself? Often in our youth we have these dreams of all that we’re going to become and somewhere along the way, we get caught up in life. And sometimes we steer away from those dreams. Reading this letter and hearing the song Perry created felt like the teen me and the adult me coming together again. It was incredible.

How did Perry’s score influence the film?

Every song connected so much with the emotion that I was going through at that time. Working with her was an incredible source of inspiration. I’d be so moved by songs she sent me that I would cut sequences of Kid 90 to fit the music, which is such a gift.

And finally, for all the Punky Brewster fans out there, we have to ask: Is there a song on your playlist that speaks to that inner strength or Punky Power for you?

Oh, my God, there are so many! “One,” U2? “Hallelujah,” Jeff Buckley? Each song speaks to that experience and time of love and life and joy and fun.

Revisit the ’90s with Soleil’s playlist below and catch her new documentary on Hulu.

Meet 7 RADAR Artists Reinventing Italy’s Music Scene

April 15, 2021

It’s been six months since RADAR, Spotify’s global emerging artist program, debuted in Italy, and its artists are already making a worldwide impact. 

Since its launch on October 15, RADAR Italy has connected 12 up-and-coming artists with new audiences, bringing a fresh and assorted sound to listeners’ ears. “The team spent months listening to unreleased music from a vast group of artists, and we wanted the final list to be as strong and diverse as possible,” shared Melanie Parejo, Head of Music Southern Europe at Spotify. From indie and pop to reggaeton and rap, Italy’s RADAR lineup spans a variety of genres. “Through strong editorial support like curated playlists and tailor-made marketing campaigns, we’re helping our RADAR artists to be discovered by new fans both in Italy and globally,” said Melanie.  

Get to know seven of these Italian newcomers: 

Dig Into Music Streaming in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

March 25, 2021

At Spotify, we believe artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming. That’s why last week we unveiled Loud & Clear, a new microsite that breaks down the players and process involved with the royalty system. 

Artists want the opportunity to make a living from their work. We want that, too: Although more artists than ever are finding success through streaming, we’re nowhere near done, and we’ll keep pushing to grow the industry. As we make those strides, the Loud & Clear site demystifies how the money flows while also sharing more context when it comes to streaming numbers and how they stack up on Spotify in 2020.

In this week’s episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we continue the conversation about streaming economics and Loud & Clear.

Our first guest is Sammy Andrews, CEO of Deviate Digital and a board member of the Music Managers Forum (MMF) in the UK, who discusses industry reaction to Loud & Clear and where she thinks we should go from here.

We also speak with Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s Head of Marketplace, who provides more context on Loud and Clear and details how more artists than ever are finding success in the music industry.  

Listen to “Loud and Clear: A New Conversation on Music Streaming.” 

Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek Discusses the Economics of Music Streaming

March 18, 2021

Since its 2014 low, the music industry has grown by 44%, driven primarily by streaming revenues, which increased 500% over this same period. In 2020 alone, Spotify paid $5B+ and makes up about 20% of global recorded music industry revenue, more than any other streaming service. That number is massive on its own, and it doesn’t include the other music streaming services, or other sources of music revenue. 

Still, artists ask me all the time why they’re not making more money. If the music industry is generating so much, then where the hell is it going? These are fair questions. So, we’re launching a new site, Loud & Clear, to increase transparency and shed light on the complicated economics of music streaming. 

Streaming is thriving and has been key to helping more artists find a global audience. There are more artists than ever before. That’s awesome. It means new genres, more music crossing borders, and more artists finding new fans. It also means new artists joining Spotify every day, along with the entire history of music that came before them. More artists want to share their art, reach fans and earn a living from music. And it’s happening. 

From streaming on Spotify alone, we’re seeing growth from artists at all stages of their career: since 2017, the number of artists generating

    • more than $50K/yr is up 80%
    • more than $100K/yr is up 85%; 
    • and more than $1M/year is up 90%. 

Today, 57K artists now represent 90% of monthly streams on Spotify — a number that has quadrupled in just six years. This means that the number of the most listened to artists in the world is growing and more diverse.

Our goal is to help musicians that aspire to be, or are professional to make a living. It’s something we take seriously every day. Of course not every one of the millions of artists on Spotify have found the same success. That will never be true. Fans will ultimately decide who succeeds and thrives, but our focus remains clear: Continue to create more opportunities for more artists to reach more fans. 

We know we have much more work to do, but we’re confident in what we’ve built and the innovations we continue to deliver for artists and their fans. We’ll continue to empower the most talented artists in the world to turn their passion into a profession, grow the money paid to rights holders, diversify and expand the number of professional artists succeeding, and propel the music industry forward.

Celebrate the 2021 Best New Artist Nominees in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: For the Record’

March 11, 2021

Every year, Spotify goes all out to show our support for the rising stars nominated in the Best New Artist category for music’s biggest night: The Grammys. The breakout artists nominated in the category this year are Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Ingrid Andress, Noah Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, D Smoke, CHIKA, and KAYTRANADA.

In this week’s episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we explore the Best New Artist category with a few special guests. Listeners get to sit in on an intimate conversation between Noah Cyrus and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. The 2021 nominee chats with the iconic country music singer-songwriter about what it means to be selected (Billy Ray was also nominated for the category in 1993), and she reveals some of her favorite advice that’s been passed down from father to daughter.

We also chat with Charles Holmes, cohost of The Ringer Music Show. The former Rolling Stone writer explains the history of the Best New Artist category and how these nominees—which formerly included the likes of The Beatles, Carpenters, Bon Iver, and Kacey Musgraves—often go on to make a name for themselves. 

Marian Dicus, Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, joins us to share how Spotify has supported this category for the last five years. From playlists to parties, our goal is to amplify the developing talent of those nominated for Best New Artist. This year, we are releasing a series of Spotify Singles from five of the nominees: Ingrid Andress, Noah Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, D Smoke, and CHIKA.

Gear up for Sunday’s award show by listening to the full episode, “Music’s Biggest Night: The Best New Artists.”

Spotify’s Emerging Artists Program, RADAR, Kicks Off in Russia

March 9, 2021

Last year Spotify launched RADAR, our emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the globe. RADAR’s goal is to help up-and-coming artists in all stages of their development as they connect with new audiences. Now, after working with creators in the U.S., New Zealand, Spain, and many other markets, the program is ready to launch in Russia.

Since Spotify’s launch in Russia in 2020, we’ve seen tremendous success with subscriber growth and service adoption. According to our 2020 Q3 results, Russia has been our most successful new market launch to date and represented the largest portion of subscriber outperformance for the quarter. 

With RADAR, we will amplify emerging artists in the region through ongoing marketing and editorial support. Artists will be featured in the local creative marketing campaigns, and their tracks will be added to the RADAR RUSSIA playlist in the global RADAR hub, helping fans from all over the world discover their music. For the Record had the opportunity to chat with two bands that are a part of Russia’s RADAR program.

Сёстры (pronounced “sestry,” translation: Sisters) is an indie pop duo that debuted their first album, Когда были волны (When There Were Waves), in October of 2020. The group has already seen success, including having recently performed on a popular Russian late-night talk show.

Три дня дождя (pronounced “tri dnia dozhdia,” translation: Three Days of Rain) is an alternative band that released their first album in February of last year. Their most popular track, “Не киряй,” has racked up more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify.

Read what the bands had to say about their music, their experience, and more below.

What are you looking forward to as a Spotify Russian RADAR artist?

Сестры: We have been watching the RADAR program for a long time now, as it’s helped us discover many talented foreign artists, and it is very unlikely we would have discovered them without it. Now, through RADAR, it’s amazing that many more listeners will learn about us—our tracks will become a part of Spotify’s global ecosystem, and our songs will be heard by many people all over the world. We are just at the beginning of getting to know our audience, and it is so important for us to develop strong relations with our fans. 

Три дня дождя: We have big plans and ambitions going forward, and we hope the support of Spotify can help us with establishing our name not only in Russia but also abroad. We are honored to have been chosen as one of the first artists to take part in the program in the country. Russian rock is not dead and we’d love to prove it! We are hopeful that RADAR can help us bring our art to the new audiences.

What advice do you have for fellow emerging artists?

Сестры: Trust yourself and your vision, work hard, and carry on no matter what.

Три дня дождя: First of all, don’t ever give up. Ever! And practice as often as possible. Secondly, try to minimize all factors that restrain you from doing what you love. Lastly, always believe in yourself and your art.

What message do you want people to take from your music?

Три дня дождя: With my music I’d love to convey the emotions everyone is familiar with. And about showing the listeners that love can be a very dangerous thing at times. 

This past year presented many unprecedented challenges. How has it changed the way you approach your musical career?

Сестры: 2020 is exactly the year when our music career began developing. The music industry turned to online, but it somehow brought us all even closer together. We are definitely looking forward to the day when live concerts and performances become possible again, but our approach to our music career has not changed a bit. We will continue gathering at home or at the studio to make new music together.

 

Ready to give these Russian artists a listen? Check out the new RADAR Russia playlist below.

Creators and Storytellers Shine Bright at Spotify Stream On

February 22, 2021

At Stream On, Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek was joined by artists, podcasters, and other notable storytellers. We’d like to thank these guests—from all over the world, both established and emerging—for participating in our virtual event earlier today. 

Visit here for more on our commitment to empowering creators—the new, the rising, and the icons—around the world using our unparalleled data, insights, and powerful platform.

Head of Songwriter and Publishing Relations Jules Parker Explains How Spotify Is Bringing Behind-the-Scenes Creators Into the Spotlight

July 8, 2020

Recently, we announced the release of a beta version of songwriter pages and “Written By” playlists, which helps fans, collaborators, and industry partners dive deeper into some of the creators behind their favorite songs. For songwriters, it serves as a new way to share the songs they’ve written on Spotify and get discovered by potential collaborators and fans. As part of that beta, today, we’re unveiling additional pages and playlists from a wide array of incredible songwriters. 

Jules Parker, Spotify’s Head of Songwriter and Publishing Relations, is heading up a new team across Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and London focused on expanding our support of songwriters and publishers all over the world. A former songwriter as well as the owner of a songwriter and artist management company, Jules not only understands the tools used in music creation, but he also appreciates the difficulty of the job—and why it’s so important to recognize the work put in behind the scenes. 

We spoke to Jules about his team’s work. Read on to learn more about the world of music publishing and how Spotify’s new songwriter pages are helping connect songwriters, publishers, artists, and fans.

Say you’re a songwriter who’s penned a tune and needs someone to sing it. What’s the process for approaching an artist or getting one to find you, and how does Spotify play into that?

There’s a long-standing perception of a solo songwriter pitching their songs to other people. This can happen—and of course, many artists write and record their own songs—but the reality today is that you generally get in a room with an artist and write a song together, then and there. (Or alternatively, you’ll swap tracks and toplines over email and write the song virtually—all too common these days). So it’s all about networking and collaborating—and that’s where publishers come in. A publisher looks to connect artists with songwriters and other creative opportunities. Plus, these days there are even more opportunities for songwriters to transition to also be successful recording artists—like Julia Michaels, Benny Blanco, and more.

At Spotify, we’re now giving publishers and writers more ways to help unlock opportunities via analytic and songwriter tools. These will, long term, help support both up-and-coming and established writers because they’ll have more information, leading to better connections and networks. Through our Publishing Analytics, publishers and teams can access next-day song and writer stats based on accurate data, and through our songwriting camps and free-to-use studio spaces, writers and artists can pair up to create something new.

Can you tell us a little more about the tools and opportunities Spotify has for songwriters and publishers?

First, we created a home for songwriters with the songwriter page on Spotify. It’s a pilot program—just the start of how we can help songwriters further build their identity and showcase what they’ve done. We’ve also created Written By playlists, which are featured on these pages. We’re working on rolling them out to more and more writers—and just unveiled some new ones today—but they’re a great way for fans to get to know the work of a specific songwriter.

We’ve also been hosting songwriting camps for artists around playlists, genres, or specific artist projects. We’ve done ones around Who We Be, The Most Beautiful Songs in the World, and Butter. Through these camps, we’re providing the opportunity for collaboration in creating great songs that may appear on our flagship playlists or perhaps earn a Grammy nomination. (Here’s looking at Grammy-winning “a lot” by 21 Savage, which was created at a Spotify songwriting camp run by our Atlanta-based Head of Songwriter Relations Paris Kirk).

Finally, we have writing studios that songwriters or publishers can book in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, Toronto, and London free of charge. We invite songwriters to use these as a place to collaborate and create songs. We’re constantly evolving this project and expanding access to it, and we hope to set up new locations in the future. 

Why is Spotify investing in these projects and tools? 

Supporting songwriters and publishers helps them be able to do what they do best: create and promote the music you love. Your favorite songs begin with songwriters, so the more opportunities we can provide, the better we can help them create that next hit, and the more reasons you have to stream their music. 

Songwriters and publishers are vital parts of the music industry, though what they do is less publicly known, so they often don’t have the visibility they deserve. But we can help with that, because Spotify has a unique ability to drive discovery. Since we began publicly displaying song credits on Spotify in 2018, we’ve seen a 60% increase in how often labels and distributors credit songwriters on their new releases, allowing artists and fans to dig deeper and recognize the work behind the scenes. Now, with the addition of more detail from publishers, we’ve been able to go further in recognizing those behind the songs. 

With the expansion of songwriter pages we’re continuing to evolve how music is discovered, appreciated, and enjoyed by the world. Supporting publishers and songwriters goes hand in hand with artist discovery. People know who an artist is. They don’t know who the writers are, necessarily. If we can help make those connections, we help people discover new music and open up potential career opportunities for the songwriter. It all ties back to our mission of helping creators live off their work.

I was actually just listening to Mark Ronson’s Written By playlist and I discovered new tracks that I didn’t know he had written. I then discovered new artists because of a songwriter I love. It goes both ways. We’re exposing those connections that are not always visible but so important.

These new features enable fans to discover new things about the music they love. What are one or two of your favorite songwriting fun facts?

I think that a lot of people know that Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U,” but loads of people don’t know that he also wrote “Manic Monday.”

There’s also a great Revisionist History podcast episode around the song “Hallelujah.” It was written by Leonard Cohen but only became the standard for ballads more recently, after people like Jeff Buckley started recording it in different ways. Now everyone knows it—thanks to the covers—which shows how the versions of it can take it in completely different directions.

Discover songwriters for yourself starting with Shungudzo Kuyimba’s Written By playlist

Spotify Amplifies Year-round Celebration of Black History with ‘Phenomenal Black Music’ Campaign

February 19, 2020

Black History is American History. Black History is World History. Black History is Now.

In 2018, Spotify launched Black History Is Now to recognize and celebrate Black creators and culture all year long—not just in February. Over the past two years, the program has seen collaborations with artists Janelle Monáe and Pharrell Williams, as well as distinguished designers Joy Miessi and Brandan “BMike” Odums. In 2020, we’re elevating and evolving Spotify’s mission to focus on the cultural impact that people of color have always played—all through the lens of music.

This year, Black History Is Now presents Phenomenal Black Music—a celebration of the songs and women that have shaped the way music is made, experienced, and replicated across the world. Spotify is inspiring people to discover and celebrate Black music and artists who have defined and continue to define global culture.

Through a series of activations and experiences, we’re looking at Phenomenal Black Music through two lenses: songs that define culture and Black women who have shaped music. As much as there is to applaud regarding the strides Black female artists have made in a traditionally male-dominated industry, there’s still plenty of room for progress.

Here’s how you can celebrate with us this month and all year long:

1. Listen to Spotify’s Black History Is Now hub with curated Phenomenal Black Music playlists. Check out Black History Salute, Black Girl Magic, Black Love Mixtape, and more. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4ezQVslkJiT?si=qhb2GZNXRaCL16XoScpG7g

2. Wear merch that brings the feelings of Phenomenal Black Music to life from prominent designers Joe Freshgoods—the fashion designer known for his “Don’t Be Mad” clothing line (whose biggest fans include Malia Obama, Chance the Rapper, and SZA)—and Jamilla Okubo, a mixed-media artist whose work has consistent themes that explore the intricacy of belonging to an American, Kenyan, and Trinidadian identity.

Credit: Mark Clennon

3. At the end of February, the Phenomenal Black Music campaign will culminate in a two-day immersive exhibit-style pop-up in New York City celebrating 32 exceptional songs and women. These artists span genres and generations, from Bob Marley and Mary J. Blige to Lil Nas X and Lizzo. The exhibit will feature a look into the music and musicians, with stories curated by music journalist Jewel Wicker, interactive elements curated by Spotify, surprise merch drops, and performances and panels throughout the weekend. As part of the experience, Spotify partnered with Levi’s® to bring product customization to the two-day event. Guests will have a chance to personalize a Levi’s® Trucker jacket, and all visitors will have access to exclusive patches from Joe Freshgoods and Jamilla Okubo. You can find more details here.

Explore the Black History Is Now hub here, and follow the celebration on @Spotify and @SpotifyNews.

Spotify Fêtes Best New Artists at 2020 Celebration

January 24, 2020

For the past four years, Spotify has celebrated the Best New Artist nominees at a one-night-only party to remember. The event is intended to help further amplify the voices of several breakout stars, and this year was no different. All eight members of the 2020 class—Billie Eilish, Black Pumas, Lil Nas X, Lizzo, Maggie Rogers, Rosalía, Tank and The Bangas, and Yola—hit the stage last night and delivered electrifying performances. 

Collectively, the category’s nominees have racked up a total of more than 15 billion Spotify streams to date. We caught up with the artists from the red carpet at The Lot Studios in Los Angeles, California—read on to hear what they had to say and to check out the night’s picture-perfect moments. 

Lizzo

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify

  • “Aye yi yi” did Lizzo knock her performance out of the park. On the red carpet, Lizzo shared her thoughts on what the Best New Artist nomination meant to her: “For me, it was really cool to be like ‘Oh, I was impactful.’ Not only did I put out a good album, but I really showed the world who I was this year; and the world really fell in love with who that person was.” 
  • Lizzo is the collaboration queen. Everyone wants her voice on their tracks. With 23 collaborations to her name, Lizzo is the most featured artist of all the Best New Artist nominees.

Yola

Credit: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Spotify

  • Born in Bristol, England, Yola’s country-soul vibe spans across genres, and at last night’s event, she highlighted the impact of her Best New Artist nomination: “It means a sense of validation … It just feels so much like I’m being lifted up by people. People are seeing me for my ability to write, for my ability to perform. Yeah, it’s an utter joy.”
  • Many listeners are discovering Yola’s music on Spotify’s Best Folk & Americana Songs of 2019 playlist. Also, Yola covered Elton John on her debut album—check out her soaring version of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

Billie Eilish

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify

  • “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya,” but Billie Eilish’s performance was “!!!!!!!” The singer’s stripped-down set, with brother Finneas on piano, included “bad guy” and “everything i wanted.” “The video for this song just came out today,” Eilish told the audience as she introduced the latter. “Very exciting!” 
  • With roughly 55 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Billie conquered the charts in 2019—and then some. Last year the singer had the largest number of songs on our Global Top 50 Chart at the one time. On April 1st—and this is no April fool’s joke—14 of the tracks on the Top 50 were Billie’s, and “bad guy” was in the number one spot. 

Black Pumas

Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Spotify

  • This soul-funk duo from Austin, Texas, said the nomination caught them by surprise. “We just started working on music two years ago with humble goals, you know,” said Black Pumas’ guitarist-producer Adrian Quesada. “‘Let’s just make songs that move us,’ and here we are two years later. It’s exciting.” 
  • Since the Best New Artist nominees were announced, Black Pumas saw the largest percentage increase in the number of playlists their music was added to.

Maggie Rogers

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify

  • “We’re always searching for language,” Rogers told Spotify before her set. “If you’re an artist, you were born an artist. Everyone here has been working for ten, five, seven, eight, however many years to make music and be at this place; and I think tonight is really about celebrating that work.” 
  • Of all the Best New Artist nominees, Maggie Rogers saw the biggest increase in streams in the week following the announcement of her nomination: Her music shot up more than 103%.

Lil Nas X

Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Spotify

  • Lil Nas X crushed the stage with his performance of “Old Town Road,” with Billy Ray Cyrus beside him. “It means I’m one of the few artists who the Grammys saw as deserving of a nomination in a year of so much amazing music. And I’m thankful for that. With Spotify, it’s easier for a new artist to be heard; and when ‘Old Town Road’ was just coming up, the playlisting helped so much.” 
  • While five of the Best New Artist nominees have remixed versions of some of their tracks, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road – Remix” with Billy Ray Cyrus is the top streamed, with more than 870 million streams.

Rosalía

Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Spotify

  • Rosalía Vila (aka Rosalía) hails from Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Spain, though she’s certainly made her mark beyond her hometown. At Spotify’s Best New Artist event, she performed a rousing five-song set, which included a surprise appearance by Ozuna for the hit track “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi.”  
  • Rosalía, who has collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, Pharrell, and James Blake, has the most geographically diverse audience of all the Best New Artist nominees. 

Tank and The Bangas

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Spotify

  • The night ended with a “banga” performance from Tank and the Bangas, who had noted earlier that the best new artist category is a catalyst for discovery.  “(We) definitely checked out the Black Pumas and … Rosalia, everybody. You really are a Best New Artist because I’m checking out people who I never knew and that’s pretty dope within itself.”  
  • Listeners from Japan to the UK to Germany to Brazil have been streaming this band’s music. Their 2019 album Green Balloon has generated their two most-streamed songs, the curiously titled “Ants” and “Smoke.Netflix.Chill.”  

Revisit the Biggest Songs, Artists, and Cultural Moments of the Last 10 Years with Spotify’s ‘The Decade Wrapped’ Podcast

December 16, 2019

With 2020 right around the corner—and the 2010s coming to a close—we’re taking a journey through the last decade in music with a new original podcast, The Decade Wrapped.

The podcast’s host, Eric Eddings, will be joined by critics, comedians, influencers, and writers as they look back at the music stories that defined pop culture between 2010 and 2019. This 10-episode series incorporates data and insights from Spotify’s popular Wrapped campaign. Launched earlier this month, the campaign revealed through personal Wrapped e-cards what our listeners have been streaming—not only over 2019, but over the past decade—as well as what the world listened to during that time. 

The first three episodes are available starting today, December 16, in the U.S. (The next seven episodes will be released daily over the course of the week.) Get a taste for the episode topics and featured songs:

2010: Nicki Minaj Tells Us to “Check It Out”/Female-Driven Pop

In the early 2010s, women like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Katy Perry took the stage . . . but no one matched the omnipresence of Nicki Minaj. Before even dropping a full album, she was featured on tracks by Lil Wayne, Kanye, will.i.am, and Gucci Mane. Her debut album, Pink Friday, didn’t disappoint—and over the years she became a force in hip-hop.

2011: One Direction (Re)invents the Stan

In 2011, British boy band One Direction recorded their first album, released “What Makes You Beautiful,” and finished up their first tour. One Direction’s teen audience was fully internet literate and ready to make the band their own. Fanfiction and fanart take flight. So of course we had no choice but to stan.

2012: “Gangnam Style” Introduces K-Pop to the U.S.

One of the most-watched videos in the history of YouTube, “Gangnam Style” set the stage for K-Pop hits like BTS to come. The song, which has been streamed over 208 million times on Spotify, is credited with bringing Korean culture into the American mainstream.

2013: Harlem Shake[s the Internet]

If there was any year that your grandma might be caught dancing to an EDM song, 2013 was it. The “Harlem Shake” showcased the immense viral power of crossover appeal and memes, and the song became a mainstream number-one hit, with more than 2.1 million streams on Spotify. The 2010s were the decade of user-created content—and this song embodied that ideal.

2014: “Uptown Funk” and Taylor Swift Go Retro

In 2014, the 1980s came back to the top of the charts as Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars, battled for number one. “Uptown Funk” propelled producers to the forefront; it became one of Ronson’s biggest hits and underscored the increasingly key role of producers in music then and today.

2015: Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly Takes Flight, Drake Has the Biggest Year Ever, and Hamilton Shoots Its Shot

There were three differing perspectives on what the biggest musical story of 2015 was. Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly cemented Lamar as a cultural icon as it examined race, discrimination, anger, and violence. Meanwhile, Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and his diss track feud with Meek Mill fueled a massive year for him. And Lin-Manuel Miranda turned Broadway upside down when his hip-hop musical Hamilton exploded as a hit inside and outside the theater.

2016: Beyoncé Drops Lemonade

 With her release of Lemonade, Beyoncé solidified her status as a powerful force in music. Lemonade appeared to divulge intimate details about her life while at the same time commenting on black life in America. It was universally praised for its personal and political content—and also for crossing genres. Its controversial snub at the Grammys also marked the beginning of a broader conversation around recognizing black musicians.

2017: “Despacito” Gets All the Views

In 2017, “Despacito,” a catchy song from Luis Fonzi and Daddy Yankee, crossed a huge milestone to become the most-watched video. Not music video. Video. Oh, and it surpassed 1.3 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first Spanish-language song to reach the billion-stream milestone. 

2018: “thank u, next” and the Evolution of Ariana Grande

The year 2018 was all about Ariana Grande. She returned to music with the One Love Manchester concert and came out on top with “thank u, next,” proving that music has the power to help us process, heal, and face what’s next.

2019: The Yeehaw Agenda

The end of the decade gave us giant breakthroughs for two artists. For Lizzo, it’s a story of years of hard work that culminated in the artist’s becoming a mainstay in the mainstream. And for Lil Nas X, it was the perfect storm of a catchy song on TikTok and a cowboy hat.  

Take it all the way back with a listen to the first episode on Nicki Minaj and female-driven pop below.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4C9SyDbX6N7HfgxYAVs9NP?si=DSOxhIGkQsa7bQGpREV_cw

Brand New Music for You

October 24, 2019

We know it can be difficult to keep up on all of your favorite artists’ new music. We get it — you’re busy, and there’s a lot going on. Discovering new music should be simple, and now we’re making it even easier. 

You’ve probably noticed the occasional full-screen recommendation in your Spotify mobile app, letting you know that one of your favorite artists has a new album out. Based on interviews we’ve conducted with Premium users, as well as your shout outs on Twitter, listeners seem to like this feature.

We personalize these new album recommendations based on your listening taste, combined with human curation. With an upcoming test we’re running in the US, we’re giving artists and their teams the ability to directly tap into this process and connect with the fans that care most about their music.

In this test, we will let artist teams pay to sponsor these recommendations, giving them the power to tell their listeners on Spotify—across both our Free and Premium tiers—about their latest release. You’ll now hear from a wider range of artists, which means you’re less likely to miss out on new releases from your favorites.

One thing that won’t change is that these recommendations will continue to be powered by your music taste, so you will only hear from artists that you frequently listen to or follow. We hope you enjoy these recommendations  — but if you’re not into them, Premium subscribers can turn them off. 

We hope you enjoy these recommendations  — but if you’re not into them, Premium subscribers can turn them off.

Look out for this new feature the next time one of your favorite artists drops their next release.