Tag: Dua Lipa

A Close Look at India’s Love for International Pop

May 4, 2020

Did you know there was once a Danish band that was more popular in India than in Denmark? The group Michael Learns to Rock shot to fame with singles like “The Actor” and “That’s Why You Go Away” in the ’90s. At the height of their success, they made tour stops in the Indian cities of Bengaluru and Chennai. The band was so well received that they amassed an enormous cult following across the country for years to come. 

“They got into cabs and went to the airport in Copenhagen—living the normal life. And when they landed in India, there was a huge entourage that greeted them with garlands, and limousines carried them to their hotels,” Padmanabhan Nurani, Spotify’s Head of Artists and Label Marketing India, tells For the Record. 

It’s just a mere glimpse of how the country’s music fans have long embraced local and global artists. 

Home to countless Bollywood stars, along with raga virtuosos, indie talent, and more, India has been a vibrant hub for international music and a top tour destination for world-class acts like Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen. Sneha Singh, Head of Music Culture and Editorial India, credits the rich diversity of the country’s music landscape for this broad acceptance of global sounds.

“Because we have so many languages, it’s just ingrained in us to take in and to respect each other’s cultures,” Singh tells For the Record. “Acceptance is fairly easy and this means we listen to all kinds of music.”

The robust and rich content on Spotify India ranges from locally curated favorites like Top Hits Hindi and Punjabi 101 to global playlists like Today’s Top Hits and New Music Friday. Now, with the recent addition of the Warner Music Group catalog in India, listeners are also streaming the latest tracks from global stars such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Cardi B, and rock fans have access to entire discographies of Coldplay, Linkin Park, and The Doors, among others.

In the first two weeks of the catalog’s availability in India, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa were the top two most-searched Warner Music artists, respectively. The most-searched-for tracks were “Dance Monkey“ by Australian songwriter Tones And I, followed by Roddy Ricch’s infectious hip-hop anthem “The Box.” 

Nurani says it’s no surprise that Ed Sheeran comes up tops for the nation of 1.3 billion people. Sheeran has performed in India twice. In 2017 he greeted his audience with a respectful “namaste” (“hello” in Hindi) before performing dressed in a blue silk kurta, the traditional shirt worn across South Asia. The “Shape of You” star’s choice of wardrobe made national headlines, and the song played on the radio for the next two years. 

Like Sheeran, Dua Lipa is also a regular in India and shows her appreciation for local culture whenever she performs there. Before playing in Mumbai last year, Dua Lipa took some time to meet with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and even picked up a few of his dance moves. Khan’s post to Instagram fed a local media frenzy online and delighted fans everywhere—such is the interest in “Bollywood meets Hollywood.”

To editorial expert Singh, these cross-cultural collaborations are all a natural expression of how pop culture works in this diverse, music-savvy country. “We have borrowed from the West, and the other way around,” she says. “Music has always been about inspiration and evolving it for the listener’s ears.”

Looking for a deep dive into Indian pop? Start with Spotify’s Hot Hits India playlist and keep going with New Music Friday India and This Is Arjit Singh.

What Gamers Are Streaming on Spotify

April 23, 2020

In recent weeks, there’s been an increase in gamers streaming Spotify through their consoles while playing the latest and greatest or their all-time-favorite titles—whether that’s exploring new worlds, fighting crime, or spying on super villains. Plus, streaming of Spotify’s curated video game playlists increased 41% across the entire platform. So, we dug in further to see what gamers have been streaming from their consoles over the last month, from March 16 to April 12.

Clocking in at number one for the top-streamed female artist from video game consoles was Billie Eilish, whose hit song “ilomilo” was actually inspired by and named after a computer game of the same name. Her counterpart for top-streamed male artist was Lil Uzi Vert, followed by Juice WRLD, XXXTENTACION, Bad Bunny, and Roddy Ricch. Ricch’s latest album, perfectly entitled “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” is a sentiment that we can all appreciate right now.

But, that’s not all. One of our most fascinating discoveries was an uptick in streaming during the “early morning” hours from 6 to 9. It may seem like an odd time to be on your gaming console, but the data is clear. If you are going to be stuck at home, why not start your day with the games and music that you love?

Find out what else gamers are streaming on Spotify:

If you have a gaming console, learn how to set up Spotify here. Then, stream our top video game playlist, Top Gaming Tracks.

Spotify Celebrates the Best New Artists

February 8, 2019

Every year, a handful of musicians realize their dreams with a coveted nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. The annual ceremony, now in its 61st year, also honors performers, albums, songs, and composers from across genres and the globe.

Spotify hosts an event each year focused on amplifying the voices of the breakout stars. Together, the eight Best New Artist nominees—Luke Combs, Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Jorja Smith, Greta Van Fleet, Chloe x Halle, H.E.R., and Margo Price—have enjoyed more than two billion streams on Spotify combined.  

Last night, we celebrated these nominees and their accomplishments at our annual Best New Artist party at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Six of the artists, including Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Jorja Smith, Chloe x Halle, H.E.R., and Margo Price, not only attended, but excited the crowd with electrifying performances of their hits. Throughout the night and in-between sets, Chicago-based DJ D-Nice also filled the museum with music.

The Most Streamed Songs of Summer 2018

August 27, 2018

It was the plea heard around the world; “Kiki, do you love me?”

The line not only set the stage for a viral dance challenge, but served as the standout lyric of 2018’s most streamed song of the summer – “In My Feelings” by Drake. The track, from the artist’s smash double album Scorpion, streamed more than 393 million times between June 1 and August 20.

Maroon 5’s ballad “Girls Like You” (featuring Cardi B) is the second most-streamed song of the summer, with about 293 million streams, and Cardi B’s “I Like It” (featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny) came in a close third with more than 289 million streams for the same time period. (Kudos to the new mom for being behind two out of three of Summer’s biggest hits!).

Our list of top summer streaming jams also includes dance tracks such as “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa and “Solo” by Clean Bandit(featuring Demi Lovato)—both especially popular across Europe—as well as 5 Seconds of Summer’s pop-rock anthem “Youngblood.” Ariana Grande’s track “no tears left to cry” was a mainstay on our charts throughout the summer as the singer’s lead single off Sweetener, one of August’s most anticipated albums.

Summer 2018 can also be defined by its breakout stars, perhaps most notably Juice WRLD, a 19-year-old Chicago rapper whose track “Lucid Dreams” has been a consistent presence on Spotify’s global chart for the last two months.

“Juice WRLD is undoubtedly the breakout star of the summer,” says Carl Chery, Spotify’s Head of Urban Music. “His rise was one of the quickest in recent memory but his music has proven to have staying power. His knack for melodies and his willingness to be vulnerable on songs like ‘Lucid Dreams’ connected with his audience in a real way.”

Latin jam “Te Boté – Remix” has also emerged as a top summer track globally, led by world stage newcomer Nio Garcia, a Puerto Rican dancer-turned-rapper (the track also features artists Casper Magico, Darrell, Ozuna, Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam). Between June 1 and August 20, “Te Boté – Remix” was the most streamed song in 9 countries, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

“The current music landscape is much more diverse than it has ever been, and that’s why we’re able to witness these smash breakthroughs from an artist like Nio Garcia,” says Rocio Guerrero, Spotify’s Head of Global Cultures. “Songs like ‘Te Boté’ and ‘Asesina’ from Brytiago and Darell are connecting to listeners globally. It’s not just Latin people listening —there is a captive, worldwide audience fully embracing reggaeton and Latin trap, so it’s not surprising to see ‘Te Boté’ find a place at the top of the charts this summer.”

Check out Spotify’s List of Top Global Songs of Summer 2018:

Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa Release “One Kiss” Video Only on Spotify

April 6, 2018

Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa are ready to kick off Summer early with their new single, “One Kiss,” and Spotify is the only place to check out a brand new video for the song.

The vertical video features Dua Lipa in an intimate shoot-like setting, with flashes of Los Angeles palm trees, blue skies and sandy beaches.

The video is viewable on Spotify for users in the US, UK, Sweden and Latin America and can be found on some of Spotify’s most popular playlists, including Today’s Top Hits, Pop Rising, dancePop and more.