Tag: Artist

Spotify at Cannes Lions 2025: The Week’s Unmissable Highlights, Star Power, and More

June 24, 2025

Last week, Spotify returned to the Croisette for our 11th year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—bringing together artists, creators, brands, and fans for three days of inspiring conversations, unforgettable performances, and bold ideas at Spotify Beach.

Spotify’s Cannes Lions highlights

This year, Spotify was recognized across several categories at Cannes Lions, reflecting our commitment to creativity and innovation. Highlights include:

- Grand Prix Lion for Innovation for the Sounds Right campaign in partnership with United Nations and AKQA.
- Gold Lion for Design-Driven Effectiveness for the Spreadbeats campaign in partnership with FCB New York.
- Silver Lion for Digital Design for Spreadbeats in partnership with FCB New York.
- Bronze Lion in Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility for the Sounds Right campaign in partnership with United Nations and AKQA.
- Shortlisted for Excellence in Craft for the Do You Speak Anitta? campaign.
- Shortlisted for Consumer Services/Business to Business and Innovation in Branded Content & Social Behavior for Spreadbeats.
- Shortlisted for Fan Engagement & Community Building for the Singing in Your Inglish campaign.
- Shortlisted for Rebrand/Refresh of an Existing Brand for Spotify Italy’s Bloombeats in partnership with Dentsu Creative.
- Shortlisted for Design for Behavioural Change for Spotify Japan’s Pride Code in partnership with TBWA\HAKUHODO.

Spotify Beach in action

From exclusive panels and a star-studded soirée to exceptional musical moments, here’s a look back at the most memorable scenes from Spotify’s week in the South of France.

Monday, June 16

Spotify Beach kicked off with powerhouse programming featuring Paris Hilton, Louis Theroux, and Charlie Puth. Moderated by Spotify’s Global Head of Podcast Advertising & Business Development, Emma Vaughn, “Mic Check: In Conversation With Louis Theroux, featuring Paris Hilton” explored the power of storytelling across podcasts, documentaries, music, and memoirs. Paris reflected on using her podcast to highlight meaningful stories and connect with others:

“With my social [channels], I can showcase the more fun, glamorous, and playful side. But through my podcast, I can talk about things that are very meaningful to me […] and use my voice to be a voice for others.”

Puth joined Spotify’s Global Head of Business Marketing, Bridget Evans, for “Rhythm and ROI: Amplifying Music in Your Marketing Strategy,” sharing insights on how music drives brand storytelling—and even teasing a new Broadway project and his upcoming album.

The evening wrapped with Spotify’s annual soirée, where Puth performed fan favorites like “Attention” and “See You Again,” plus a surprise rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Guests included Antoni Porowski, Winnie Harlow, Kyle Kuzma, Bill Nye, Dylan Efron, Rachel Lindsay, Jake Shane, Bowen Yang, and Matt Rogers.

RADAR Italia Celebrates 5 Years of Success With a New Class of Rising Stars

June 18, 2025

Since popping up in 2020, RADAR Italia has not only supported emerging artists but also reflected the cultural and musical richness of Italy. Over the past five years, it has spotlighted more than 40 rising talents, helping them grow and often gain international recognition. In turn, these diverse voices have made Italy’s music scene more inclusive, representative, and attuned to a new generation of fans with their unique sounds.

“This anniversary is a chance to celebrate the achievements of the many artists who have been part of the program. For five years, RADAR Italia has been a reference point for emerging talent, offering not just visibility but also concrete tools to grow and carve out a space in music,” said Melanie Parejo, Head of Music for South and Eastern Europe at Spotify. “But our commitment goes beyond selection: We support them at every stage of their journey, helping build authentic connections with audiences and explore new creative opportunities. RADAR is a bridge between artists and the millions of listeners looking for new voices and stories to discover.”

RADAR Italia has served as a launchpad for many artists, with the likes of BLANCO, Mara Sattei, Tony Boy, ARIETE, and Rhove representing some of the most influential voices in Italian music today.

On average, our featured RADAR Italia artists experience over a 100% increase in streams and an almost 200% increase in listeners within a year of joining the program. That includes BigMama, who went from 11,000 monthly listeners before joining RADAR Italia in 2021 to over 800,000 listeners by the time she took the stage at Sanremo in 2024.

“Being part of Spotify RADAR was a milestone in my career, and I hope it will be the same for the young artists selected this year,” said BigMama. “Most importantly, the collaboration with Spotify doesn’t end when the program does—it continues over time, because when you become part of RADAR, you’re part of a family forever.”

Celebrating five years with RADAR Italia’s Class of 2025

To mark the fifth anniversary of RADAR Italia, Casa Spotify hosted a special event to both reflect on the program’s achievements and present the artists featured in the 2025 edition: Marte, Carla Hero, Emma Nolde, Glocky, Sayf, and camoufly.

Canadian Artists Are Thriving on Spotify—And the World Is Listening

June 4, 2025

Today, Spotify launches its Loud & Clear report—our annual deep dive into the economics of music streaming—in Canada, and with it, a powerful story of how Canadian artists are thriving on a global stage.

The timing couldn’t be better. Just over a decade since Spotify launched in Canada, the country’s music creators have become some of the most influential and most streamed in the world. With global superstars like The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Céline Dion, Tate McRae, NAV, bbno$, Charlotte Cardin, and Patrick Watson, Canadian talent has not only shaped the sound of the past 10 years—it’s exported it worldwide.

And the numbers prove it. In the last year alone, Canadian artists earned nearly $460M CAD in royalties on Spotify, a 5% increase year over year, contributing to a near doubling of earnings in the past five years alone.

Since 2017, the number of Canadian artists generating at least $50K, $100K, $500K, and $1M CAD annually on Spotify has more than doubled. And remarkably, 92% of those royalties in 2024 came from listeners outside of Canada—a testament to how Canadian music is resonating far beyond its borders.

As Spotify marks more than 10 years of championing and amplifying Canadian voices, Loud & Clear offers a look at where those voices are going next and why the world is still turning up the volume on Canada.

A record year for Canadian artists

To underscore their gains: Canadian artists earned nearly $460M CAD in royalties from Spotify in 2024—a 5% increase from last year, and nearly double what they made in 2019. That’s not just streams; that’s sustainable careers being built in studios, basements, and tour vans from Vancouver to Halifax.

Spotify is now the number-one source of music royalties in the world and for Canada: It’s the critical engine of the music industry that’s powering the next generation of creators. Not only is Spotify the largest single source of music royalties globally, but Spotify alone paid more in royalties to the Canadian music sector in 2023 than the entire Canadian commercial radio industry combined, including royalties and Canadian Content Development (CCD) contributions. For Canadian artists, it’s helping turn streaming into a sustainable, global career path.

Recorded music revenue in Canada grew 129% between 2014 and 2024, from $397M CAD to $909M CAD. Audio streaming now accounts for nearly 79% of total recorded music revenue, with the majority from paid subscriptions like Spotify Premium.

And this success isn’t limited to major label acts: Indie artists and labels made up around 40% of all Canadian royalties on the platform last year.

“Spotify is more than a streaming service—it’s a springboard for Canadian artists to reach listeners in every corner of the globe,” said Elizabeth Phipps, Head of Artist and Label Partnerships, Spotify Canada.

Canadian sounds, global impact

Here’s what might surprise you: 92% of the royalties earned by Canadian artists on Spotify in 2024 came from outside of Canada. Fifteen million hours of music by Canadian artists are streamed every day on Spotify around the world, and that music features on 2.4B user playlists globally.

That makes Canada one of the world’s top music exporters and a key player in the global soundscape. It also means Canadian artists are making it big not just in Toronto or Montréal, but in cities like Jakarta, Osaka, Melbourne, London, São Paulo, Berlin, Mexico City, and Seoul.

And it’s not just English-language music. French-language artists saw a 15% boost in global Spotify royalties in 2024, a fivefold increase since 2017. In fact, Québécois artist Patrick Watson’s “Je te laisserai des mots” was the most popular francophone track on Spotify globally in 2024, and the first French-language track to pass 1 billion streams.

Leading with diversity and independence

Canadian women are making both hits and history on Spotify: Since 2020, their global streams on Spotify have nearly doubled, and in 2024, more than 40% of Canadian artists earning over $1M CAD on Spotify were women or in groups with both male and female members. All this puts Canada alongside the likes of Sweden and South Korea as the top countries in the world when it comes to female representation in their top artists.

Spotify is also lifting up independent voices—from singer-songwriters in Saskatoon to label-free rappers in Scarborough—through playlisting, editorial support, and real-world activations like billboards in Sankofa Square and festival stages at Les Francos de Montréal.

“This is what Canada sounds like—diverse, digital, and not just thriving domestically, but leading on the world stage. The data is clear in underscoring the vital role that export plays in sustaining the overall health of Canada’s music industry.” said Xenia Manning, Director of Global Music Policy, Spotify.

As we look to the next 10 years of Spotify in Canada, there’s a fresh opportunity to reimagine how Canada nurtures its cultural economy and what policies it will choose for the future. Spotify is optimistic that leaders will lean into a future-facing, inclusive vision—one that reflects how today’s creators make, share, and grow their art in a digital-first world.

Because Canadian artists shouldn’t just be heard. They should be celebrated. Globally.

The Latest Spotify Data Shows EU Artists Generated a Record-Breaking €1.7B in 2024

May 28, 2025

Spotify’s commitment to transparency and artist empowerment continues to resonate across Europe—and the numbers back it up. In our most recent Loud & Clear report, we’re amplifying a major milestone: European artists earned a record-breaking €1.7 billion in royalties on Spotify in 2024 alone. That’s a 15% year-on-year increase and nearly double what EU artists earned in 2020.

This landmark comes on the heels of another big moment: Spotify Founder and CEO Daniel Ek announcing at Spotify’s recent Open House event in Stockholm that we’ve reached 100 million paying subscribers across Europe.

“Europe and European creators are a crucial part of Spotify’s DNA. That is why we’re delighted to celebrate Spotify’s European Loud & Clear data for the second year running—providing artists and creators across the EU and the world transparency around the economics of music streaming,” said Spotify’s General Manager of Europe, Federica Tremolada. “We’re also excited EU creators are continuing to transcend global borders, with over half of all royalties generated by EU artists that perform in a non-English language.”

Global resonance

We’re particularly proud to be the only streaming platform to openly share how royalties are distributed. Our latest European data paints a vivid picture of a thriving creative ecosystem:

28 billion global discoveries of European artists in 2024.
351.66 billion streams of EU artists by European listeners.
More than 830 million user-generated playlists in the U.S. included EU artists.

And with over 52,000 EU artists landing on editorial playlists (a 4% increase from 2023), the pipeline between European talent and global listeners continues to strengthen.

Artists and creators thriving off their art

Spotify is more than a platform—it’s a career launchpad. In 2024:

More than 17,000 EU artists earned more than €10,000.
More than 27,000 EU artists earned more than €5,000.

This growth is not just encouraging—it’s life-changing. Nearly 44% of all royalties generated in the EU came from EU artists, the highest percentage since we began tracking in 2017. And in a major milestone for language diversity, 57% of royalties went to artists performing in non-English languages.

Spotlighting female creators

Female voices across Europe are rising—fast. Since 2020, streams of female EU artists are up:

83% globally
81% across Europe

Between 2023 and 2024 alone, streams grew by 11% globally and 4% across the EU. In 2024, our EQUAL program, launched to elevate female voices in music, supported more than 200 female European artists from 19 different markets with visibility, mentorship, and industry access.

“I am especially proud of the progress we’ve made for female creators. Streams of female European artists have soared, and through our EQUAL program, more than 200 European female artists have gained vital visibility, mentorship, and support,” said Federica. “These aren’t just numbers; they represent real women, real dreams, and a real shift in what it means to have a voice in this industry.”

Beyond English, beyond borders

European languages are powering streaming charts globally. In 2024:

Italy became a $100M+ market for the first time.
Seven of the top 10 most-streamed languages were European: Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Italian, Dutch, and Swedish.
European music exports grew on average 32% annually from 2014 to 2024.

These stats show that Europe isn’t just part of the global music conversation—it’s leading it.

Further highlights from around the region

Take a closer look at how artists are thriving across Europe:

France: The number of artists earning more than €100K quadrupled since 2017. French artists made up 70% of Spotify France’s Daily Top 50 in 2024.
Germany: 6.9 billion artist discoveries; more than half of royalty revenue went to independent acts.
Belgium: More than 80% of royalties came from listeners outside the country.
Denmark: 192 artists earned more than 500,000 DKK; total royalties nearly doubled since 2017.
UK: The number of artists making £10K, £50K, and £100K has more than doubled since 2017. Those earning £1M+ rose 20% year-on-year.

“Being the first and only streaming service to share data on artist remuneration, our European Loud & Clear data is a core example of how streaming continues to empower European artists and creators to surpass geographical confines—to grow global fan bases, awareness, and success,” concludes Federica.

Visit Loud & Clear by Spotify for a deeper dive into the economics of music streaming.

Spotify Expands AI Playlist in Beta to Premium Listeners in 40+ New Markets

April 24, 2025

Playlists have always been at the heart of the Spotify experience. Since AI Playlist in beta launched last year, Premium users have used it to create millions of playlists, with the goal of finding music that fits any mood or moment.

Now we’re bringing this feature in English to Premium users in more than 40 new markets, including countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean, helping even more users effortlessly turn their most creative ideas into playlists.

Playlists on Spotify are great sources for discovery, fostering deeper relationships between artists and fans. AI Playlist does just that by bringing users another way to express themselves through the music they love. Just start with a simple idea like “high-energy electropop that takes me to another world” or “workout music to make my ex jealous.”

Here’s how it works:

Go to Your Library and tap the “+” button at the top-right corner, then select “AI Playlist.” Or, head to the Search tab on Spotify and search “AI Playlist.”
Then, select one of the suggested ideas or simply type your own.
Spotify will suggest songs for a personalized playlist made just for you based on the tracks, artists, genres, and more we think you’ll like. Have notes? It’s easy to revise and refine—just ask for what you want, like “more upbeat” or “happier songs.”
- Pro tip: The most successful playlists are generated through “genre,” “mood,” or “artist” requests. But animals, activities, movie characters, colors, and even emojis are all fair game too.
To get started, we suggest trying out:
- “Afrobeat tracks to heat up the dance floor”
- “Trending K-Pop hits I need to know”
- “2000s reggaeton for soaking up the sun”
- “Songs to hype me up for the football match”
- “Upbeat Latin songs from my top genre”
- With AI Playlists in beta, we’re still actively learning and iterating with each exchange. We will continue to refine AI Playlist to best serve our listeners and bring the feature to even more users.

Available markets as of April 24, 2025: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Canada, Curaçao, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand Nigeria, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

RADAR Artist Reneé Rapp Dives Headfirst Into Her Music Career With a New Single, Album, and Tour

August 16, 2023

Renee Rapp sitting in a blue room facing the camera

Fans may already know 23-year-old Reneé Rapp from her theater and television careers. Now it’s time for the North Carolina native’s third act—and the one she’s most passionate about—her music career.

Music has always been a present and important part of her life, with Reneé starting to write and record songs when she was a teen. In 2022, she released her first single, “Tattoos,” and then followed it up with her EP, Everything to Everyone. Her pop-driven songs include a range of soft-spoken lyrics and belt-out-loud ballads.

As Reneé prepares for the release of her debut album, Snow Angel, on August 18, the star takes the title of Spotify’s newest RADAR US artist. RADAR, a global Spotify program, is dedicated to showcasing emerging and talented artists around the world through support and resources that help selected artists expand their audiences.

“It’s been incredible to watch Reneé’s growth over the past year—her talent is undeniable,” shared Ashley Graver, Spotify’s Head of Pop, Dance & Indie, Artist Partnerships. “We took an interest in Reneé early on when she had only released two songs and had yet to announce a single live show. Her sound and energy are unmatched. She has a wildly devoted fan base that constantly proclaims their love and has anointed her the next big pop star, and we’re excited to introduce her to an even bigger audience through RADAR.”

Through the RADAR program, Reneé is featured in the RADAR US social content series, which includes an exclusive interview with the artist and a stripped-back performance of a track off her new album. Additionally, she will receive marketing support throughout key milestones, like on-platform promotion, visuals in Times Square, a feature in RADAR’s quarterly partnership with Rolling Stone, and more. The singer is currently showcased on the cover of the RADAR US playlist, and her latest track, “Talk Too Much,” is featured prominently at the top.

“We are very excited to partner with Reneé through our RADAR program. Last year, our editors noticed her music not only because of the quality but also because of the way it was resonating with our users,” said J.J. Italiano, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “As we worked with Reneé and her team to help grow her audience on Spotify, we were taken by her passion, motivation, and ambition. When watching her perform as part of our Pop Rising On Tour program, it was immediately clear that she was connecting to fans in the real world as intensely as she was connecting with them on our platform. We’re honored to be a part of Reneé’s journey and looking forward to what’s to come.”

This fall, Reneé will embark on her Snow Hard Feelings tour with Alexander 23, a singer-songwriter and producer who worked with Reneé on the new album. Many shows are already sold out, proving that her presence doesn’t have to be on Broadway or TV screens for fans to flock to her. This is only the beginning for the actress and singer, and through RADAR, we hope to introduce Reneé’s catchy and captivating sound to even more audiences around the globe.

Fans can find music from Reneé, and other promising artists to watch, on our RADAR US playlist.

Our Generation Comes to Life With IRL Event Space From Illustrator Eliza Williams

May 2, 2023

Story photo credits: Alice Backham

If you’re ready to reset your expectations of what it means to transcend genres and simply embrace the music, Our Generation is for you. As Spotify U.K.’s musical home for artists who don’t bind themselves to genres or stereotypes, the playlist continues to celebrate what it means to be an artist in 2023.

This past weekend, we brought the world of Our Generation to life in London for a three-day immersive pop-up with special appearances from some of the most exciting artists on the playlist.

Bizarrap Racks Up 1 Billion Streams for “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”

April 25, 2023

a photo of the artist bizarrap holding up his billions club plaque from spotify

Bizarrap is the latest artist to reach the Billions Club. The Argentinian producer has racked up more than 1 billion streams on Spotify of his track “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” which features Spanish rapper Quevedo. We awarded the coveted Billions Club plaque to Bizarrap following the conclusion of his “BZRP Live Tour,” a three-night performance that took place at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo in front of more than 60,000 fans.

From Argentina to the world

This recognition of Bizarrap’s achievement is a reflection of his incredible success on Spotify and of the global respect and admiration he’s earned through his music.

When his single with Quevedo first released last July, it only took 10 days for it to reach the top of Spotify’s global charts, and it made Bizarrap the first Argentinian artist to go number one globally. It later became Argentina’s most-streamed song in 2022, capping off a momentous year for Bizarrap and Quevedo, who also received a plaque for his contribution to the smash song.

The Bzrp Music Sessions series has been a hit on Spotify, with the top 10 most popular sessions featuring some of the biggest names in music. Shakira, Tiago PZK, NATHY PELUSO, L-Gante, Villano Antillano, Eladio Carrion, Nicky Jam, Nicki Nicole, and Aleman have all contributed, helping to catapult the young producer to fame.

Bizarrap’s growth is evident in his Spotify numbers. In just seven years, he went from 1.2 million streams to more than 2.9 billion in 2022. He was also the most-streamed Argentinian artist in the world last year.

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Spotify ‘opens up’ for the show

Prior to Bizarrap’s performances in Buenos Aires, Spotify teamed up with the artist and helped fans get in the spirit by launching a collaborative playlist. Listeners were invited to submit songs they wanted to hear for the warm-up, creating a new way to interact with fans before the concert kicked off.

Bizarrap’s success is a testament to his talent and hard work. Congratulations to Bizarrap and Quevedo for their historic achievement—we can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two talented artists.

Hear more from Bizarrap’s music sessions below:

Bizarrap supera las mil millones de reproducciones con “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”

April 25, 2023

El artista y productor Bizarrap es el último en llegar al Club de los Mil Millones. El artista argentino lleva acumulado más de 1.000 millones de reproducciones en Spotify de su canción “Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”, en la que colabora el rapero español Quevedo. Le hemos otorgado la tan deseada placa del Club de los Mil Millones a Bizarrap tras el cierre de su gira “BZRP Live Tour”, tras su actuación de tres noches que tuvo lugar en el Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo ante más de 60.000 fans.

Desde Argentina hacia el mundo

El reconocimiento al logro de Bizarrap refleja su increíble éxito en Spotify, y el respeto y la admiración mundial que se ha ganado gracias a su música.

Cuando su Session con Quevedo se publicó por primera vez el pasado mes de julio, solo tardó 10 días en alcanzar el primer puesto de los rankings mundiales de Spotify, y convirtió a Bizarrap en el primer artista argentino en llegar al puesto uno mundial. Más tarde se convirtió en la canción argentina más escuchada en 2022, coronando un año trascendental para Bizarrap y Quevedo, que también recibirá una placa por su contribución a la canción.

Las Bzrp Music Sessions han sido un éxito en Spotify, especialmente con las 10 más populares protagonizadas por algunos de los nombres más importantes de la música. Shakira, Tiago PZK, NATHY PELUSO, L-Gante, Villano Antillano, Eladio Carrion, Nicky Jam, Nicki Nicole y Aleman que han contribuido a impulsar a la fama al joven productor.

El crecimiento de Bizarrap es evidente en sus cifras de Spotify. En sólo siete años, pasó de 1.2 millones de streams a más de 2.900 millones en 2022. También fue el artista argentino con más streams del mundo el año pasado.

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Spotify ‘se abre’ al espectáculo

Antes de las actuaciones de Bizarrap en Buenos Aires, Spotify se unió con el artista y ayudó a los fans a entrar en el “mood” lanzando una playlist colaborativa. Los oyentes fueron invitados a sumar las canciones que querían escuchar durante la previa del show, creando una nueva forma de interactuar con los fans antes de que comenzara el concierto.

El éxito de Bizarrap es un testimonio de su talento y su trabajo duro. Felicitaciones a Bizarrap y Quevedo por su logro histórico. Estamos ansiosos por ver qué les depara el futuro a estos dos artistas talentosos.

Escucha más de las Bzrp Music Sessions a continuación:

British Legend Craig David Reflects on His Career in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: Mic Check’

March 21, 2023

a visual of craig david looking at the camera with graphic shapes around him

Craig David hit the music scene just before the turn of the millennium when he was featured on U.K. duo Artful Dodger’s garage classic “Re-Rewind.” What followed for the British singer-songwriter were eight studio albums, 14 Brit Award nominations, and the release of many successful song collaborations across multiple genres.

Craig has made a mark on music and culture over the last 25 years, and he’s not slowing down. He recently sat down with Lea Palmieri, host of the Spotify: Mic Check podcast, to revisit the pivotal moments in his career, from hearing his breakout hit at the Notting Hill Carnival to writing his first book, What’s Your Vibe? Tuning Into Your Best Life.

Listen to the episode here, and watch the full conversation below.

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

RADAR Artist Cat Burns Takes a Trip Down Memory Lane With Spotify Singles Recorded at Her Former School

October 26, 2022

a photo of Cat Burns sitting on a brown leather couch, wearing a green tracksuit, and staring at the camera

Cat Burns is Spotify’s newest Global RADAR artist, but this may not be the first time listeners have heard the singer-songwriter’s name. The South London native recently supported superstar Ed Sheeran on the European leg of his Mathematics Tour, and she’s set to support Sam Smith on the European leg of his GLORIA tour. On Spotify, Cat has already attracted listeners’ attention, racking up over 5.8 million monthly listeners.

Plus, Cat was previously featured in Spotify’s Noteable songwriters program, and earlier this year she was highlighted as a Spotify UK RADAR artist. Now, she’s going global with Spotiy’s RADAR program, which spotlights rising stars through editorial, creative, and marketing support.

As part of RADAR, Cat Burns sat down to create new music in a special Spotify Singles session. The Spotify Singles program, which kicked off in 2016, was created to provide artists with the opportunity to rerecord one of their existing songs in a fresh new way, as well as cover a song of their choice by one of their own musical heroes.

For her Spotify Singles release, Cat returned to the Sir George Martin Recording Studio—located in The BRIT School, where she was a former student—and reworked a stripped-back version of her current single “people pleaser.” She also recorded a cover of fellow Londoner Estelle’s hit award-winning single, “American Boy.”

“Cat is the real deal. Authentic, open, hardworking, talented. A real BRIT School example,” shared Stuart Worden, Principal of The BRIT School. “We’re so proud of her.”

During the experience, we worked with Cat to create a special mini-documentary. “Being given the opportunity to do the Spotify RADAR documentary was honestly so much fun. I felt so lucky and honored that they wanted me and was excited to take a trip down memory lane,” said Cat. “It helped me really put into perspective my career and what I’ve achieved and how hard I’ve worked.”

Cat is already a platinum-certified artist, and now fans can find her track at the top of the RADAR Global playlist.