Tag: album launch

Kelsea Ballerini and Spotify Host Intimate Listening Party To Celebrate Her New Album, ‘PATTERNS’

October 25, 2024

“I love New York City, but I can’t stay at the Carlyle anymore,” sings Kelsea Ballerini on “Two Things,” a song from her fifth studio album, PATTERNS, out now. On Thursday, however, the country star returned to the legendary Gotham hotel—the venue that inspired the poignant track—to celebrate the album drop with Spotify.

We invited Kelsea’s top Spotify listeners in the New York area to an exclusive listening party at the hotel, creating a sense of nostalgia and intimacy that permeated the evening. Fans experienced the magic of PATTERNS the night before its official release, with Kelsea playing five songs from the album: “Patterns,” “Baggage,” “We Broke Up,” “How Much Do You Love Me,” and “I Would, Would You.” Finally, she surprised the room with her first-ever performance of “Two Things” before sitting down for a Q&A with Entertainment Tonight’s Cassie DiLaura.

Billie Eilish and Spotify Invite You Inside the Mysterious Universe of ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’

May 9, 2024

Billie Eilish fans have been waiting with bated breath for her third studio album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, arriving May 17. Now, together with Spotify, Billie invites fans to step inside the vast, mysterious world of her new project with an immersive listening experience at the innovative London showspace Lightroom.

On May 16 and 17, Lightroom’s large-scale projections and state-of-the-art sound system will take fans on a one-of-a-kind journey through the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT universe.

First, visitors will dive into Billie’s world through the album art—a haunting image of the artist underwater, barefoot, and floating beneath a white wooden door. As they make their way through the 10 tracks, they’ll plunge deeper into the concepts and music. For the final track, “BLUE,” they’ll make their way back up through an expansive body of water until finally reaching fresh air—and an entirely new perspective.

Multiple showings of the experience will take place across both days to accommodate thousands of fans. Visitors can head to Lightroom now to RSVP. Located in the city’s King’s Cross neighborhood, the four-story performance space is designed to host artist-led shows.

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT marks Billie’s first full-length album in three years, following up on 2021’s Happier Than Ever and 2019’s WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? With each album release, Spotify has helped connect Billie devotees to the dark-pop prodigy in new and exciting ways, including a multisensory interactive experience, our first-ever artist hub, special on-platform album experiences, and more.

Billie fans, be sure to pre-save HIT ME HARD AND SOFT now. In the meantime, enjoy our This Is Billie Eilish playlist to hear the artist’s very best.

‘Be Honest With Your Art’: Danny Ocean Reflects on Sudden Stardom and His Deeply Personal New Album

May 2, 2024

If you aren’t familiar with Danny Ocean’s music, it’s only a matter of time. The Venezuelan singer and producer is a veritable global phenomenon. His hit song “Me Rehúso” surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify in just two months and went on to reach an astounding 1 billion streams.

When “Me Rehúso” joined the Spotify Billions Club in 2020, it was the first time a song from a Latin solo artist had ever achieved that milestone. Danny was also the first independent artist to appear in the Top 10 in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Spain, and Argentina.

“Me Rehúso” broke a record by becoming the Latin song on Spotify’s Global Top 50 list for the most weeks, but Danny refused to rest on his laurels. The singer’s second album, @dannocean, includes hit singles “Fuera del Mercado,” “Tú No Me Conoces,” “Pronto,” and “Apartmento,” and his eagerly anticipated new album, REFLEXA, will be released on May 2.

For the Record caught up with Danny to talk about the new album and why he says Spotify changed his life.

Your new album is out May 2. What can fans expect?

It’s an album made with a lot of love. We’ve flown everywhere to do this album, and it has been a journey. It is a very spiritual album for me; they are going to hear a very human Danny. It’s called REFLEXA, which comes from reflection and all the meaning of the word—that’s what the album is about.

How does Spotify support your work as an artist? Are there any features—music videos, merch, tour dates—or tools on Spotify for Artists that are especially helpful?

I think that it’s great having the tour dates on the platform. We’ve been doing the pre-save of the album, which I think is really great. I think it gives people the chance to see the process of how we’ve been doing this album. To me, it’s just been an honor to be here, honestly. I’ve said it before: “Me Rehúso” is where it is because of Spotify. It’s crazy how a platform has changed the game. I think it’s amazing.

Are there any artists, producers, or songwriters whom you’d love to work with that you haven’t had a chance to yet?

Max Martin. I would love to sit down with Max Martin one day.

What advice do you have for other artists who are building their careers?

I would just say just keep it going, keep working, keep it real, keep it authentic. Be real to yourself. Be honest with your art. There is a difference between trying to be famous and trying to be an artist. Try to recognize those two words in your path. Keep on doing music, throw it out, let the world hear your music!

Check out Danny’s new album, REFLEXA, and experience the journey for yourself.

Photo: Napoleon Habeica

Taylor Swift’s ‘THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT’ Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours

April 19, 2024

It’s a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. And with this release, history is officially made as it continues to break streaming records and reach new heights that haven’t been seen before.

On April 19, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT was the first album in Spotify history to have over 300 million streams in a single day. Less than 12 hours after release, it became the most-streamed album in a single day in 2024, but the records continued to fall throughout the day as the album became the first to cross the 200 million and 300 million stream mark.

Additionally, the album broke another record on release day as “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)” became the most-streamed song in a single day in Spotify history.

Fans had been eagerly awaiting the album’s release since the star announced it at the Grammys in February. As the anticipation grew to a roar this week, Spotify was here to help turn up the volume. We brought the album to life with a library-themed art installation at The Grove in Los Angeles.

For three days, the iconic shopping mall featured an open-air poetry library highly curated to represent the direction of the new record. Each day of the activation, we revealed lyrics from the album, creating an ever-evolving adventure for everyone on the ground. Fans took to social media to share their excitement and dissect other potential clues they could find.

Country Star Morgan Wallen Returns Home for a Special Performance at His High School

March 3, 2023

Morgan Wallen performing onstage at a show

Last night, Morgan Wallen proved you can go home again. The Tennessee native visited his alma mater, Gibbs High School, and performed an intimate show for the crowd in Corrytown on the school’s baseball field.

Spotify partnered with the country star for this special performance to celebrate the release of his new album, One Thing At A Time. Show attendees included Gibbs High School faculty, the 2023 senior class, the baseball team, and more local guests.

“You cannot deny that his music has connected with listeners at a core level and is among the most popular with Spotify users—particularly in the U.S.,” said Brittany Schaffer, Head of Nashville Label Partnerships and Music Strategy. “Morgan is introducing a new generation of listeners to country music, which makes this album release an even more exciting moment for the visibility of the genre. We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate the release of this new album with him.”

Morgan’s roots are an important theme in his music, and this homecoming show gave his Tennessee fans a chance to experience his new songs live. Guests could also create their own Gibbs HS baseball card, write letters on album-themed postcards to mail to loved ones, and enjoy other fun activities like cornhole.

“Morgan wears his heart on his sleeve as an artist and songwriter, and he brings fans into his world through his lyrics,” said Miller Guth, Artist & Label Partnerships Manager for Nashville. “We wanted to do just that: bring fans to an influential location of his past where they’ll get to know him even more and witness an unforgettable performance.”

Celebrate Billie Eilish’s New Album Launch With Spotify’s First-Ever Artist Hub and Enhanced Experiences

July 30, 2021

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.

Lace Up for Rapper AJ Tracey’s Basketball-Inspired Album With Our Interactive Game

April 19, 2021

British rapper AJ Tracey recently landed a slam dunk with his second album, Flu Game. The release draws its inspiration from basketball player Michael Jordan and his team, the Chicago Bulls, during the 1997 NBA Finals. The album’s title is a reference to the infamous Game 5, where Jordan showed up to the court to play—and win, despite having flu-like symptoms.

For the album’s launch, AJ—a longtime Michael Jordan fan—and Spotify are bringing listeners Flu Game: The Game. Fans can enter the rapper’s Revenge Athletic world with a street basketball-style interactive experience. In the game, players must shoot as many basketballs into the net as possible before the clock runs out. Obstacles pop up along the way, making swishes easier said than done.