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Tag: billie eilish
Celebrate Billie Eilish’s New Album Launch With Spotify’s First-Ever Artist Hub and Enhanced Experiences
We have a feeling Billie Eilish fans are about to be very happy. Billie’s highly anticipated—and aptly named—second studio album, Happier Than Ever, debuts today. In honor of the release, Spotify has created our first-ever artist hub and three new enhanced album experiences.
In the last six years, Billie’s listenership has grown exponentially. She rose to become the 12th-most-streamed artist in the world, with fans playing her songs a whopping 15.5 billion+ times. This new hub is the latest milestone in Spotify’s ongoing support of the artist’s meteoric rise. It builds on past memorable moments, including sweeping platform takeovers and our 2019 celebration of the growing artist’s first album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, where we worked with Billie to map out a unique interactive immersive experience.
Now, we’re upping the ante with Happier Than Ever: The Destination, on-platform releases, a global marketing campaign, and an exclusive Billie Eilish experience in Los Angeles.
Happier Than Ever: The Destination
Billie’s new hub, Happier Than Ever: The Destination, gives fans a wide range of exclusive content custom-created by the artist herself. It features four shelves chock full of Billie’s catalogue, her personally curated playlist of favorite tracks, surprise Easter eggs, and much more. The custom destination will also be featured on Browse and can only be accessed on Spotify.
The Enhanced Album Experiences
The Destination also contains three new enhanced album experiences: “Fan Mode,” “Billie Mode,” and “Lyric Mode.” Each features new and exclusive custom Billie Eilish content that will bring Billie fans further into her world, including Canvas, Storylines, and Playlist Clips. Here’s what listeners can expect from each album:
- Fan Mode features exclusive interview content with the star and a soundscape of audio from fans. From pressing questions to Easter eggs, this experience celebrates listeners who know the artist best.
- Billie Mode is a visual feast. This is an artist who is constantly evolving, and here visitors get to see different versions of Billie in poses that reflect her creative journey and self-discovery. Billie even addresses the camera directly to share her story.
- Lyric Mode explores the meaning and creation of the star’s favorite lyrics. The words themselves are styled to the album’s Old Hollywood glamour, while exclusive audioliners bring the meaning behind her songs to life.
The IRL Celebration
In addition to the on-platform experiences, fans in LA will be able to attend an in-person event that captures the spirit of Billie’s highly anticipated album. The immersive Happier Than Ever destination brings the bespoke enhanced album experiences to life inside a glamorous 1950s-inspired Los Angeles estate, with Billie herself in attendance.
Today’s Top Hits Is the World’s Destination for the Very Best in Music
Ed Sheeran. Ariana Grande. Kali Uchis. There’s one place fans go to find a mix of music from their favorite groundbreaking artists—and that’s Today’s Top Hits.
Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits (TTH) is the world’s biggest playlist. With over 28 million followers, it’s also the top destination for emerging and established artists across all genres to reach millions of fans and provide them with chart-topping, show-stopping songs each day. And TTH influences more than culture—it has helped kickstart the careers of many emerging artists—like The Kid Laroi, Tate McRae, and Conan Gray—and supported music favorites like Billie Eilish, SZA, and Juice WRLD.
Today’s Top Hits is the leading global destination for popular music, supporting artists across all genres and bringing their music to a wider, global audience. As Spotify’s largest, most international playlist, we identified the opportunity to position Today’s Top Hits as our global music brand, complete with a distinct visual aesthetic and voice. The visual rebrand consists of a fresh, bold, colorful design, including a unique lockup with the TTH acronym, as well as a new brand tagline, “Hits Made Here.” The campaign, which centers around a 60-second video, “The Hit Station,” celebrates the breadth of artists and tracks that are defining culture today, including hitmakers like Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and BLACKPINK.
“Today’s Top Hits is a true reflection of music culture today, as defined by the fans,” said Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “So many factors go into the process of making a song a hit, and TTH has become a key catalyst and proving ground for a song reaching its full hit potential. Whether you’re emerging or established, no matter the genre—TTH gives artists the opportunity to connect with millions of fans across the globe, and fans a destination to support their favorite artist.”
Check out some notable TTH moments in this new style:
Today’s Top Hits has become so influential due to its diverse curation process, which supports various genres and artists beyond the traditional confines of how popular music has been defined in the past. It showcases the latest top hits driven by fans, combined with specially curated picks from editors who analyze music culture, data, and trends. Artists, industry professionals, and fans alike look to Today’s Top Hits as representative of what today’s music is—and what fans are listening to.
Get to know the world’s top tracks. Stream Today’s Top Hits for the very best in music today.
3 Ways To Feel Close to Your Favorite Artists While Social Distancing
Live shows and touring are paused for the time being, but your favorite creators are likely still doing what they do best: being creative. Even without in-person concerts or fan events, artists are finding plenty of ways to engage fans remotely and digitally. That means there’s also many opportunities for listeners to connect with artists and support them (beyond streaming their music for your private dance party).
Check out three tips on ways to support, share, and stay connected from our Spotify for Artists blog.
Tip 1: Share Their Songs to Your Socials
What better way to support an artist than by recruiting fans? After all, sharing is caring. With just the tap of a button, you can copy a link to send the song you’re streaming via SMS, Messenger, Twitter, WhatsApp, or email. Or, you can go further by sharing the track on your Facebook and Instagram stories, as well as on Snapchat. These integrations allow your friends and followers to preview a 15-second clip of the track in the app and gives them the option to click through to play it from their own Spotify apps. Learn more about how to share songs here.
Tip 2: Share Their Canvas to Your Instagram Story
Since launching our Canvas beta, which turns formerly static song pages into mesmerizing video-art showcases, artists all over Spotify have been giving their work new depth with the help of eight-second visual loops. For example, Poppy used her Canvas to heighten the otherworldliness of tracks on her new album, I Disagree, while Billie Eilish added fan art to her songs as a salute to listeners around the world. Canvas sharing is currently available to all Spotify users—listeners and artists alike—so when anyone shares a track from the app to their Instagram Story, the Canvas will show up for all to see. Take a look at the steps to share a Canvas to your Instagram here, and spread your favorite artist’s creative genius even further.
Tip 3: Check Out Their Virtual Events
During this time, many artists have turned to livestreamed concerts, which they perform from the comfort of their living rooms or backyards. Some have even used these events as a way to make money or raise funds for a charitable cause. These virtual concerts give fans around the world a chance to tune in to an artist’s social channels to hear their favorite songs performed live.
But virtual concerts aren’t the only way to support or engage with musicians. Many are using the power of technology not only to perform, but also to host Q&A sessions, listening parties, talk shows—and in some cases, even offer guitar lessons. Check out what some artists have been doing to stay connected to their fans—and don’t forget to follow your favorites on Spotify for email updates and phone notifications for their upcoming digital events.
Hear from Katy Perry, as well as other creators, on how they are staying connected to fans during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spotify: For the Record’s latest podcast episode.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Cm9mnVLC4mwkD12RG4VIn?si=nwCh6Sn_TNOYXNxurJK7Rw
“Own It,” Says Diane von Furstenberg, Host of Spotify’s New ‘InCharge with DVF’ Podcast
Diane von Furstenberg’s life is well-documented. Her work in both the fashion and philanthropic worlds has made her a symbol of female empowerment. And it all started back in 1974 with her revolutionary wrap dress. But there’s one thing that most folks don’t know: since she was a young girl, she wanted to host a radio show.
Now, with her new Spotify podcast InCharge with DVF, von Furstenberg is seizing the opportunity to highlight the journeys of other hardworking women. In each episode, she’ll interview successful forces—from Kris Jenner to Elaine Welteroth to Priyanka Chopra—about overcoming adversity and accomplishing their goals.
We caught up with von Furstenberg in her Connecticut home ahead of today’s podcast release.
Your debut podcast, InCharge with DVF, features intimate conversations that dive into the lives and careers of iconic female figures. What drew you to the podcast medium?
Well first of all, I love intimacy, and I love words. Therefore, I love podcasts. You can talk to people, and they don’t have to worry about how they look or what they’re wearing. Somehow it’s very intimate—both to record and for people to listen to them—whether they’re in their car or working out. I think that podcasts are extremely powerful.
I am now in the part of my life that is my third act. I have had a very, very full life full of experiences and knowledge. I have accumulated wisdom, and I think that it is important to share in an intimate way.
What are some of the universal takeaways of the podcast for people of all genders, ages, and goals?
This summer I thought, “What does ‘in charge’ really mean?” I don’t want people, especially men, to feel like to be “in charge” is to be aggressive. What it is, first and foremost, is a commitment to yourself to be true to yourself, to own it. Because as the woman I know I am now, I can tell you the secret of life is owning it.
Own your imperfections; they become your assets. You own your vulnerability; it becomes your strength. Owning it is very much about that—InCharge is very much about that. It’s about the relationship you have with yourself, which is where you find your own strength, where you find your core.
Own your imperfections; they become your assets. You own your vulnerability; it becomes your strength. Owning it is very much about that—InCharge is very much about that. It’s about the relationship you have with yourself, which is where you find your own strength, where you find your core.
The podcast will be released March 12, in celebration of Women’s History Month. In your career, how have you empowered women to take control and be in charge of their lives, their work, and their passions?
I always mentioned the words “in charge” when I was growing up. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman that I wanted to be, and what I wanted to be was a woman in charge. And now, the reason I give for being in fashion is basically to dress the woman in charge or to help her to feel in charge, to give her confidence.
I think it’s important that when you have a voice, you use that voice, plus your knowledge, experience, and connections, in order to help others to have a voice and to be in charge.
What specific topics are you most excited to discuss on the podcast? Are you expecting to find similarities across your conversations? Differences?
The similarity is that all of those women, whenever they were faced with challenges, they owned it. That’s why I said the secret of life is owning it. Most of them had very different lives and everything, but how they dealt with the challenges and the strength and the courage is very similar, and that’s what InCharge is about.
If we were to look at the music that you’ve been listening to, are there any particular genres or artists that you’re a big fan of these days?
I can’t sing at all, I’m the worst, but to be a rock star would certainly have been my fantasy. I love all these young women, like Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande. I just watched the documentary about Taylor Swift—it’s really hard for these young women. You have these crowds that love you and worship you and then two minutes later they criticize you. But they’re great and push through.
Finally, you’re known for the iconic wrap dress. If you were to associate a particular band, musician, or musical genre with your creation, what comes to mind?
Billy Joel. There’s a certain song that Billy Joel wrote called “You’re Always a Woman to Me.” I remember many people gave me that record (at the time we still had records). I would say that that’s the song that spoke to me when the dress was created.
Stream the first episode of Diane von Furstenberg’s new podcast, InCharge with DVF.
This International Women’s Day, Stream the Top Female Voices on Spotify
March is all about women’s empowerment. In honor of International Women’s Day, March 8, we’re celebrating female voices by spotlighting the top female artists and female-led podcasts on Spotify.
Taking the number one artist spot is Billie Eilish—and not only among female artists. She’s also the top artist overall this year, based on data from January 1 to March 1. Eilish has more than 10.3 billion all-time streams and more than 60 million monthly listeners. Eilish, whose song “bad guy” has over 1.2 billion streams, also just released the new James Bond theme song “No Time To Die.” Coming in second on our global list is “Lover” superstar Taylor Swift, followed by Ariana Grande, Halsey, and Camila Cabello.
When it comes to podcasts, these female-led shows are fan favorites on Spotify based on hours streamed, and it’s clear that the obsession with true crime reigns supreme. My Favorite Murder, a comedic true crime series from comedians Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, is Spotify’s most popular female-hosted podcast. Crime Junkie, hosted by self-described “crime junkies” Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, comes in second. Wondering why women are so obsessed with true crime? According to social psychologist Amanda Vicary, “Women are drawn to true crime because of the information they can learn from it, even if they aren’t aware that that may be the reason they are listening!”
And with that, these are the top female artists and female-led podcasts globally on Spotify.
To mark International Women’s Day, we’re creating our first-ever global campaign to highlight the contributions women have made to this industry. Plus, on March 8, a brand-new Women’s History Month hub will be live on Spotify. It will include all-female tracks, playlists, and podcasts, as well as takeovers from some of the most dynamic women in audio, because #MusicNeedsWomen #PodcastsNeedWomen and #AudioNeedsWomen.
In the meantime, be sure to listen to our powerhouse playlist of the top female artists around the world.
Spotify Refreshes Popular Playlist New Music Friday with Global Rebrand
Whether you’re a music fan or an artist, Fridays are about to get even better. Today, Spotify’s highly influential New Music Friday playlist—a curated selection of the most anticipated new tracks of the week—is debuting a global rebrand.
The revamped playlist, which has 43 versions worldwide, will continue to serve as the leading destination for listeners who want to discover new music from both established and emerging talent. With over 3.5 million followers in the U.S. and 8 million globally, it’s an achievement and milestone for artists to have their new tracks included on the list.
With today’s visual relaunch, Spotify is continuing to support its ongoing investment in the must-hear playlist brand, with a major social campaign, New York and Los Angeles billboards, and new cover art. Inspired by a trend of artists making their own celebratory New Music Friday social media assets, Spotify For Artists will now test a new feature where all artists added to the U.S. version—to start—of New Music Friday will be able to grab and share a branded and personalized social asset a la Wrapped.
Spotify Fêtes Best New Artists at 2020 Celebration
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.”
The Top Songs, Artists, Playlists, and Podcasts of 2019—and the Last Decade
As 2019 draws to a close, so too does a stellar year of streaming on Spotify. You may be reflecting back on the past 12 months, thinking about your own music discoveries and the songs you repeated over, and over, and over. (You’ll be able to check them out on your personal Wrapped cards later this week). We’re doing the same—but for the entire world.
We dove into the newcomers, showstoppers, and top performers who united the globe with music and podcasts this year. And ahead of the brand-new decade, we also looked back on the last 10 years in music to reveal who dominated global listening.
So, what did the world listen to in 2019?
This year, Post Malone claimed the spot of most-streamed artist with over 6.5 billion streams from fans around the globe. It’s the rapper-singer-songwriter’s first time topping Spotify’s Wrapped list, and he did it just 12 weeks after dropping his album Hollywood’s Bleeding (which also happens to be the second most-streamed album globally this year). His collaboration with Swae Lee on “Sunflower” from Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse rounded out the top three most-streamed songs of the year, which gives the artist a spot in each of our three major music categories (top artists, top songs, and top albums).
The second-most-streamed artist of the year is 17-year-old singer-songwriter and first time Grammy nominee Billie Eilish, who by now, definitely deserves that crown. In this year alone, she dropped her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? and surpassed 6 billion streams. The album has proven to be the top-streamed release of 2019, marking a milestone—Billie is the first female artist to have her album top the Wrapped most-streamed album category. Her dark staccato hit “bad guy” also ranks as the second-most-streamed song of the year.
Finally, Ariana Grande released her immensely popular album thank u, next in February, propelling her to number three on Spotify’s list of most-streamed-artists globally. Her song “7 rings” was also in the top five most streamed this year, giving Ariana a strong two years in the top 10 of Spotify’s Wrapped list. Listeners also showed Taylor Swift lots of love, making her the year’s third top-streamed female artist after her album Lover generated popular tracks like “ME!” and “You Need to Calm Down.”
When it comes to the most-streamed female artist of the decade, Ariana once again takes the cake. Only tears of joy left to cry for this one. (And the top male artist? Last year’s Scorpion king, Drake.)
The year’s top song comes from the duo that took the Northern Hemisphere’s summer by storm: “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello saw more than 1 billion streams. After “Señorita,” “bad guy,” “Sunflower,” and “7 rings,” the year’s fifth-most-streamed track came from Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. They took their horse all the way to the front with “Old Town Road – Remix.”
This year was a big one for podcast growth on Spotify. There are now more than 500,000 podcast titles available, and our podcast audience has grown by more than 50% since the start of the year. We’ve also seen a 39% increase in podcast hours consumed by listeners quarter over quarter. People are clearly loving podcasts, tuning in the most to Spotify Original The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory and Mal, followed by My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and Germany’s Gemischtes Hack. The most-streamed podcast genre of 2019 was comedy, showing that laughter is truly universal.
Take a look at some of the world’s top songs, artists, genres, and trends:
Can’t get enough of the chart toppers? Check out our lists of the top artists, songs, albums, groups, podcasts, and more below—and don’t forget to tune in later this week to the Wrapped microsite to see your personal favorites and receive a playlist based on your tastes. Plus, we’ve also created the ultimate Playlist of the Decade: the biggest songs of the past 10 years according to fan streaming.
So without further ado …
Spotify’s Global Top Lists 2019:
Most-Streamed Artists
Most-Streamed Female Artists
Most-Streamed Male Artists
Most-Streamed Tracks
- “Señorita” – Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes
- “bad guy” – Billie Eilish
- “Sunflower” – Post Malone, Swae Lee
- “7 Rings” – Ariana Grande
- “Old Town Road – Remix” – Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus
Most-Streamed Albums
- WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? – Billie Eilish
- Hollywood’s Bleeding – Post Malone
- thank u, next – Ariana Grande
- No.6 Collaborations Project – Ed Sheeran
- Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes
Most-Streamed Podcasts
- The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal
- My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
- Gemischtes Hack
- Fest & Flauschig
- The Misfits Podcast
Most-Streamed Spotify Original Podcasts
- The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal
- Gemischtes Hack
- Fest & Flauschig
- Serial Killers
- Herrengedeck – Der Podcast
“A Decade Wrapped” Spotify’s Top Lists 2010–2019
Most-Streamed Artists of the Decade (Global)
Most-Streamed Female Artists of the Decade (Global)
Most-Streamed Male Artists of the Decade (Global)
Most-Streamed Tracks of the Decade (Global)
- “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran
- “One Dance” – Drake, Kyla, WizKid
- “rockstar (feat. 21 Savage)” – 21 Savage, Post Malone
- “Closer” – Halsey, The Chainsmokers
- “Thinking out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
Click here to download the infographic.
Scary is Nothing to Be Afraid of at Spotify’s Artist-Inspired NYC Costume Pop Up
This Halloween, step beyond trick-or-treating—and out of your comfort zone. Dare to listen to some of the artists who have endeavored to push culture forward in the pursuit of their art, whether via provocative on-stage performances, music videos, or their uncompromising style.
At Spotify’s Stay Scary pop-up this past weekend, we celebrated artists who have done just that by inviting music fans to check out—and even take home—costumes inspired by artists like Billie Eilish, Freddie Mercury, Lil Nas X and Madonna at a thrilling immersive pop-up in New York’s Soho neighborhood.
The costume accessories included an Eilish crown adorned with spiders, similar to the one featured in the singer’s “you should see me in a crown” music video, and the Lil Nas X rhinestone-accented jacket patch seen in his “Old Town Road” music video.
Also available was Trippie Redd’s iconic fang grillz and as well as a replica of the live python Britney Spears famously draped around her shoulders during her 2001 MTV VMA’s performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
Fans Couldn’t Wait for Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride—And Their Streams Show It
American indie rockers Vampire Weekend are all grown up—and in the six years since their last album, 2013’s romantic Modern Vampires of the City, their fans have grown up, too. But in the band’s absence, more than six million monthly listeners never strayed too far. And when Vampire Weekend began teasing their newest album, Father of the Bride, in early 2019, fans were equally excited to jump on board with the new songs—while also revisiting old favorites.
For months, Vampire Weekend teased their new album with a working title of Mitsubishi Macchiato. It wasn’t until January 24, when lead singles “Harmony Hall” and “2021” appeared, that the new album name, Father of the Bride, was announced along with a spring release date. Immediately, streams of their entire catalogue skyrocketed 219%, and fans eagerly awaited what would come next.
Vampire Weekend released three single sets featuring two songs each, which kept anticipation high. After the first set came “Sunflower” and “Big Blue” on March 6, followed by “Unbearably White” and “This Life” on April 4. These semi-surprise drops led to 60% and 63% catalogue streaming increases, respectively.
The double-single sets kept fans satisfied, but it wasn’t until May 3, when Father of the Bride was released in full, that fans really turned up the devotion. Catalogue streams of the band jumped 320% during release week in comparison to the previous week. And by May 10, the album had racked up almost 24 million total streams.
It’s no surprise that fans were eager to return to Vampire Weekend’s wonderful world of clever references and bright, tender songwriting. Father of the Bride takes adulthood’s most sacred rite of passage and playfully spins a sprawling narrative about love, loss, family, and time. It’s the band’s first album minus founding member Rostam Batmanglij, and the first since front man Ezra Koenig moved to Los Angeles and became a dad—hence the songs’ introspective themes and newfound mature vibes.
It was surprising, though, to find another indie rock fave, Danielle Haim of the sister trio HAIM, featured on three Father of the Bride tracks. Their duets helped inspire more HAIM listening on Spotify too, with noticeable streaming increases each day after May 3 and a peak on May 4 in particular. Recently, Vampire Weekend fans have also turned to other artists like indie vets The National, genre-bending pop star Billie Eilish, and breezy rocker Mac DeMarco, who all released new albums this year.
Vampire Weekend’s college days may be far from over, but even as tastes evolve and times change, their listeners have remained loyal—and their streams have shown that Father of the Bride is well worth the wait.
Spotify’s 2019 Summer Song Predictions
Summer is right around the corner, and once again we’re predicting which songs will dominate speakers and headphones while the Northern Hemisphere sizzles.
From Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” and Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” to Tyler, the Creator’s “EARFQUAKE” and Daddy Yankee and Snow’s “Con Calma,” many of these “song of the summer” contenders are already seeing strong engagement in Spotify’s key playlists, like Today’s Top Hits, RapCaviar, and ¡Viva Latino!.
Then there are the tracks with massive potential. Take, for example, “I Think I’m OKAY,” the newly released collaboration between Machine Gun Kelly, YUNGBLUD, and Travis Barker. We’re also seeing interest in Yonaka’s song “Rockstar,” and Clairo’s new track “Bags” is resonating with our 18-24-year old listeners in particular.
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