Tag: Black Pumas

‘Ripple Effect: Frequency Sunday Dinner’ Heads to Houston, Texas

November 10, 2022

There’s no area of the U.S. that hasn’t been shaped by Black music and culture. To recognize and celebrate this reverberating creative legacy, Spotify’s Frequency playlist series, Ripple Effect, has been traveling around the country bringing local artists together to discuss their hometowns and their work through various “Sunday Dinners” powered by Frequency.  

Monaleo, OG Ron C, Xavier Omar, Teezo Touchdown, and Madeline Edwards

After stops in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and California (Bay to LA), Spotify’s Ripple Effect: Frequency Sunday Dinner made its way to Houston for a conversation with local artists about the ways that Black music and culture from Texas have influenced the city, state, and globe. Artists including Monaleo, OG Ron C, Xavier Omar, Teezo Touchdown, and Madeline Edwards joined together to discuss the legacy, current state, and future of Black music coming out of Texas, hosted and moderated by Bun B. 

“Being able to sit at the table and have something to bring to it felt amazing—being acknowledged as an artist amongst people that directly inspire me was unlike anything else,” said Houston native and rapper Monaleo. 

 

 

 

They also homed in on their hometown pride, sharing what makes Texas so influential in music and culture to them, by way of food, landmarks, hometown establishments, and more in a beautiful video directed by multidisciplinary Houston native Nate Edwards. 

“My favorite part of being a guest at the Sunday dinner was being able to shed light on unique aspects of the Black Texas music scene that not many people know about,” said Texas-raised country singer Madeline Edwards. “A misconception of Black Texas music is that it represents exclusively rap, hip-hop, or R&B, yet we have multiple generations of Black artists that have completely reshaped the framework of authentic Texas music. It was really special getting to shed light on some of my favorite artists in this category, including Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Black Pumas, Abraham Alexander, Kam Franklin of The Suffers, and Micah Edwards. 

Monaleo agreed and supplied even more Texas-based artists. “The Black music scene in Texas is innovative and creative. I am able to draw a lot of inspiration from the Texas music scene because our culture is so rich and full of originality. I wish people were more aware of how innovative Texas music culture is and how many amazing acts come out of Texas: Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, KenTheMan, Lebra Jolie, Travis Scott, and UGK.”  

These artists join the ranks of other Black musicians who have been named and spotlit for being hometown heroes during Ripple Effect: Frequency Sunday Dinners. Frequency is a global initiative and holistic destination for celebrating Black art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on and off our platform. Last year, it landed in the DMV to celebrate local artists at a dinner with Ari Lennox, Pusha T, local go-go artist Big G, and Rico Nasty. In June, Frequency headed to California to celebrate local creators and amplify the music and culture of the Bay Area to South LA with artists Joyce Wrice, Guapdad 4000, Hit-Boy, Victoria Monét, Vince Staples, and Duckwrth.

Stay tuned for the next episodes in New England, the Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest. 

Catch more Ripple Effect in the playlist below. 

 

Spotify, MerchFriends, and More Dub September 16 ‘Band Shirt Day’

September 8, 2022

Band Shirt Day

There’s no more iconic and instantly recognizable staple of music fashion than the humble but omnipresent band shirt. Take Joy Division’s scrawled mountain range, Wu-Tang Clan’s Shaolin-inspired W, or Nirvana’s faded smiley face. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time concertgoer or a celebrity shelling out astronomical sums for vintage tees. Band shirts are the easiest and most immediate way to proclaim your love of a band or artist anywhere you go. 

That’s where Band Shirt Day comes in. On September 16, Spotify and MerchFriends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a sustainable ecosystem for independent music merchandise, will launch a holiday dedicated to celebrating band tees (and doing some good in the process). 

Led by artists like Blondie; Mac DeMarco; Portugal. The Man; The Maine; The Format; King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard; Black Pumas; Parquet Courts; Sonic Youth; Best Coast; Matt Nathanson; Indigo De Souza; Bush Tetras; Roar; SPELLLING; Equal Vision Records; Rude Records and more, this special day celebrates iconic merch and charitable giving for worthy causes like Planned Parenthood, Children of Ukraine, the Ally Coalition, MusicCares, TransLifeline, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). 

Any artist can participate by offering a special tee or merch deal on their Spotify profile. Artists can also participate by using Spotify’s Fan Support tool to drive fans to donate to Band Shirt Day’s official GoFundMe or raise money for another cause directly from their artist profile. 

Fans can buy Band Shirt Day merch or donate to the Band Shirt Day fund on Spotify on September 16, and share their #BandShirtDay selfies on social media. They can also tune into a special Spotify Live broadcast hosted by WASTOIDS at 5 PM eastern. Plus, fans can join Spotify in celebrating Band Shirt Day at Rough Trade and Rockefeller Center’s Indieplazafest September 17 and 18. Performers include Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, new wave trio Automatic, lo-fi singer-songwriter Claud, classic indie rock sounds from Horsegirl, R&B singer Yaya Bey, Brazilian singer/songwriter Sessa, harpist Mary Lattimore, and more. 

Band Shirt Day presents us all with an opportunity to make a difference while celebrating the powerful connection that brings artists and fans together. After all, grassroots dedication has always been at the heart of band shirt culture. The earliest band tee iterations were handmade, DIY objects crafted by early rock ’n’ roll fans—particularly devotees of Elvis—as a way of proclaiming their allegiance to pop figures in a move presaging the rise of “stan culture” today. 

But by the mid-’60s, a shift had begun. From his perch in the psychedelic stronghold of the Bay Area, concert promoter Bill Graham caught on to the notion that fans were more than willing to act as a “walking billboard” for bands they loved. In the 1970s, this connection intensified, driven by the vibrant logos bands began adopting. Think of AC/DC’s lightning bolt, Pink Floyd’s rainbow prism, and the Grateful Dead’s cornucopia of dancing bears, flower-adorned skulls, and assorted cartoon freakery. 

“Growing up we all wore band T-shirts just about every day to school,” say members of Roseville, California-based rock band The Vista Kicks, who cite garments from The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Metallica, and Black Sabbath as items that hung in their closets. “The shirts allowed us to express who we were and who we wanted to be.” 

 When The Vista Kicks were hand-selected by Ronnie Wood to open shows for the Stones in 2019, the quartet found themselves playing to arenas packed with audiences wearing shirts featuring the band’s iconic mouth and tongue logo, intensifying the surreal feeling they felt opening for their heroes. In a mass gathering, be it an arena show or all-ages punk venue, band tees become more than just something you toss on; they serve as elements of a fan’s identity.

So dig out your favorite band tees: It’s time for Band Shirt Day on September 16. 

Get in the Holiday Spirit with Dolly Parton, Jose Mari Chan, Black Pumas, and More

November 18, 2020

In a year that’s brought unprecedented challenges, Spotify data suggests that listeners may be seeking comfort from holiday music earlier than usual in 2020. While festive playlists usually snowball in December, we’re seeing our most popular holiday playlist, Christmas Hits, streamed at a higher rate in September and October compared to previous years. Many think it’s never too early to crank yuletide tunes, and it shows: Listeners have already streamed more than 6.5 billion minutes of Christmas tracks this year.

In this episode of our podcast, Spotify: For the Record, we look at which songs are making it to the top of our listeners’ Christmas lists. One favorite is “Last Christmas,” which was originally released in 1984 by Wham! To date, there are about 1,200 covers of the hit on Spotify.

In addition to digging into the data, we also get in the spirit by chatting with some iconic artists about their holiday hits, including Dolly Parton, who recently released her first Christmas album in 30 years. In the episode, the country legend joins us to talk about the inspiration behind A Holly Dolly Christmas and what it was like to duet with Michael Bublé in the song “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas.”

Aside from Parton, we also chat with beloved Filipino artist Jose Mari Chan. Known as “The Father of Christmas Music” in the Philippines, Chan shares the inspiration behind his iconic holiday tunes, which have been a staple of festive celebration in the country for the last three decades.

 

This episode is no longer available as of November 2021, however you can get more great stories and news delivered audibly by following our podcasts, Spotify: For the Record, Spotify: Mic Check, and Spotify: Discover This.

Spotify Fêtes Best New Artists at 2020 Celebration

January 24, 2020

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.”