Tag: music video

Spotify Sessions Launch in Latin America, Handing Creative Control to Artist-Led Trios

November 6, 2025

The world is listening to Latin America. The region’s artists are consistently setting the tempo for global music culture, and to celebrate this creative influence, we’re launching Spotify Sessions, a new video project that puts artistry first.

Spotify Sessions are crafted by a unique trio: a lead artist, a music director, and a visual director working as a single creative unit. The result is a five-track video EP that reimagines an artist’s songs through a distinct visual performance, combining sound and vision in a unique way for fans.

Spotify Sessions are part of Spotify’s music video experience, available to Premium subscribers in most countries and regions outside the US. In Brazil and Colombia, music videos are also available to Free listeners.

Creative trios, complete freedom

Instead of adapting to a preset format, Spotify Sessions are built on creative freedom. Artists and their handpicked teams shape every aspect of the session, from musical arrangements to visual concepts. Some sessions happen on a stage, others in unexpected spaces, but every performance is designed to be true to the artist’s creative world.

This project builds on the momentum of music videos on Spotify, which have already strengthened the connection between artists and fans across Latin America. It’s a format designed to celebrate experimentation and reflect the cultural shifts happening across the region.

Experience the first Spotify Sessions

The series is now live with two sessions that highlight the diversity of Latin music today:

Crudo Means Raw – Colombia

Rapper and producer Crudo Means Raw joins forces with music director Adan Naranjo and visual director George Gallardo.

“‘X-Tra’ is a message to those who listen to me: Let’s learn to nourish our souls with what’s organic and natural,” said Crudo about the previously unreleased song he performed. “Always choose what’s good for your health—both spiritual and physical. I chose ‘X-Tra’ because it was the perfect time for it to come to light.” 

Ana Castela – Brazil

Sertanejo singer Ana Castela teams up with music directors Douglas Moda and Lucas Vaz and visual director Edvaldo Raw.

“We took five songs and transformed them into other musical genres — which was challenging for me. I’m very happy that, among so many talented artists, I was chosen to represent my genre, sertanejo,” said Ana Castela. “It’s also a chance to unite music in Latin America and reach other countries. It’s another way to show Brazilian power.”

And this is just the start. In the weeks ahead, look out for confirmed Sessions from more of the region’s innovative talents, including:

A platform for the next generation

Spotify Sessions represent our continued investment in video and our direct collaboration with the artists and creatives contributing to the next wave of Latin music. 

“With video on Spotify, we’re giving users the opportunity to discover music in a bigger way,” said Mia Nygren, General Manager, Latin America, at Spotify. “Spotify Sessions are developed to surprise fans and give the artists behind them a format where they can truly express themselves. Celebrating Latin American music and creativity through this new experience is an honor and an important part of our work to support the next generation of stars coming from this part of the world.”

Belgian Artist Stromae Returns With New Music and Nominations

February 13, 2023

a photo of stromae standing on a platform looking out at a crowd

In 2010, Stromae emphatically introduced himself to the world with his electropop track “Alors on danse.” The song reached number one in 12 countries across Europe. The Belgian artist, who has a knack for blending hip-hop and dance music, followed with 2013’s “Papaoutai,” a hit in France, Germany, and Switzerland, among others. But after releasing two successful albums, receiving multiple awards, and performing on stages worldwide, the singer stepped away from the spotlight.

In 2022, Stromae returned in a big way with the release of Multitude, another chart-topper in Europe. He collaborated with Spotify to create a video for the third single off the album, “Fils de Joie.” Four nominations—and two wins—followed at the Victoires de la Musique, a premier music awards ceremony in France, including a nomination for best audiovisual creation for “Fils de Joie.” 

On Spotify, more than 425,000 playlists mention “Stromae,” and more than 25 million playlists include at least one track by the Belgian. Listeners often discover his music on party- and dance-themed playlists. And while his songs are sung in French, after France, the top countries streaming Stromae include Germany, the U.S. the Netherlands, and Mexico.

For the Record caught up with Stromae to learn more about his return to music, the video he created with Spotify, and how it feels to be the most-nominated artist at the Victoires de la Musique.

Multitude was your first album release in nine years. How has your sound evolved since the start of your career?

For this album, I wanted to go further in my musical inspirations and extend them to the whole world. I wanted to use folkloric, traditional sounds from all over the world, no matter what continent. It’s also the first time I collaborated with so many different musicians. I really enjoyed it, and it allowed me to enrich what I already had.

Can you tell us about the “Fils de Joie” music video and its creative direction?

The idea for the video came from Coralie Barbier, my stylist and creative director. We wanted to create a national tribute to a missing sex worker. The idea was to make her a national hero in an imaginary country. The lyrics of the song came to me while watching Faustine Bollaert‘s show, Ca commence aujourd’hui, which talked about the children of sex workers. 

I was very touched by their stories and shocked by the violence of some of the comments made about them. I started from that, and I wanted to take everyone’s point of view (the son, the client, the pimp, and the policeman) except his own [the son’s] because he is never asked for his opinion. It’s a way of highlighting these women who have a very difficult job and who are completely invisible. 

What was it like working with Spotify on the music video?

Spotify’s help allowed us to make a video that lived up to our ambitions. We are really grateful for that. Thanks again to them for their support, and especially to Spotify’s Global Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich!

Why do you think music videos are such a powerful addition to a song? 

I’ve always been a big fan of music videos. It’s a passion I share with Coralie and Luc Van Haver, who is my other creative director and longtime executive director. For us, it’s a way to add an extra dimension to a song and to immerse the audience in a unique universe. 

What was your reaction to your four nominations for the Victoires de la Musique?

I was very honored to learn I was nominated in four categories. It’s the maximum you can get, so it’s very gratifying. I would like to thank all the people who voted for me. It’s very heartwarming.

Mosaert, the creative label you co-founded in 2009, fuses music, visual design, and fashion. Is it important for you to have a creative outlet that expands beyond your music?

Mosaert has allowed me to keep a lot of artistic freedom since I started. My label produces everything I do—all the content we create, the videos, the live shows, the outfits, etc. We love to imagine unique and complete universes that go beyond the music; it allows us to amplify it and add an extra dimension to each creation.

 

Check out the latest music from Stromae on Spotify:

 

Photo credit: Lydie Bonhomme