Tag: canada

Toronto Singer-Songwriter Katherine Li Delivers All the Feels as May’s EQUAL Global Artist

May 10, 2023

Katherine Li

Within the span of only a few months, 19-year-old singer, songwriter, and social media star Katherine Li became the face of American Eagle’s 2022 back-to-school campaign, her song “Never Had a Chance” played during the climactic finale of the Hulu doc series The Come Up, and her debut EP, Crush(ed), was released. With songs that focus on lost love and relationships that never were, she has built a devoted fan base of fellow hopeless romantics.

And now, shortly after being a part of the Fresh Finds debut showcase, hosted by Spotify Stages in LA, the Toronto-based songstress is the latest EQUAL Global artist.

Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program started in 2021 with the aim of contributing to gender equity in the music industry by amplifying and celebrating the work of women creators around the world. To mark the occasion, Katherine’s face will adorn the cover of both the EQUAL Global playlist and the EQUAL Canada playlist.

Katherine’s Crush(ed) EP centers on the concept of the cyclical journey that comes with the infatuation of an unrequited crush. And plugging further into her relatability, her latest single, “If I Weren’t Me,” touches on a similar vibe while showing off Katherine’s lyrical prowess that cuts deep.

For the Record caught up with Katherine to talk about her career, advice she has for young artists, and what her creative process is like.

The artists who have inspired me the most are… 

Taylor Swift and Julia Michaels. I love their writing styles and the unique approaches to songwriting that they have. They truly are geniuses! 

A piece of advice I’d give to other women artists is… 

To take the leap of faith and dive right into it! It’s scary to put yourself out there at first. It definitely was for me, but everyone’s always gotta start somewhere! 

A notable moment in my career so far is…

The release of my first EP, Crush(ed). This was my first body of work, and it was surreal reading messages from people who really resonated with my songs. It’s always so comforting seeing that I’m not the only one struggling in the love department! 

My creative process is…

Basically word-barfing into the Notes app on my phone. Whenever I have a thought, I immediately write it in my notes to use as song lyrics later. I love the whole process; it’s very therapeutic. A way I’d love to see greater gender equity in the music industry is seeing more women in the room for sessions and songwriting. Women seriously bring so many great things to the table and they need more spotlight, especially in the early stages of the music-making process. 

A few up-and-coming women artists I’m excited to watch are… 

Catie Turner and Lyn Lapid. Their songwriting and voices are both amazing, and the topics they talk about in their songs are things I can always deeply relate to. I’m so excited to watch the journeys of these incredible women. 

My girl-power anthem is… 

“Girl On Fire” by Alicia Keys. I was absolutely obsessed with this song when I was younger, and still am now. This song literally makes me feel like I can do anything . . .

Feel all the feels by listening to Katherine and other women artists in the EQUAL Global playlist

Lido Pimienta Brings Her Afro Colombian Roots to Electronic Pop as EQUAL Artist of the Month

July 26, 2021

You may remember Lido Pimienta from our Spotify Singles: Pride playlist back in June. Now, the Grammy-nominated musician, a self-proclaimed “traditional-transgressive punk folklorist,” is back again as Spotify’s EQUAL Global Artist of the Month. 

As a child, Lido immigrated to Canada with her family, where she now lives. She sings in both Spanish and English as she incorporates Afro Colombian sounds and rhythms into her experimental electronic pop. Her music—a mix of velvety smooth cumbia and bullerengue influences and uptempo synthpop—reflects her multifaceted background. 

In 2017, Lido’s unique sound earned her Canada’s top juried music award, the Polaris Music Prize, for her experimental album La Papessa. Fast-forward to 2021 and Lido is part of Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program, which aims to combat gender disparity in the music industry. Her song “Nada,” from the album Miss Colombia, is featured on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist, and as Global Artist of the Month, Lido takes her throne on the cover of the playlist. The program works to amplify the work of women creators around the world through an extension of resources and opportunities. 

For the Record asked Lido to fill in the blanks and give us insight into her inspirations, creative process, and visions for the future of music. 

The artists who have most inspired me are _____. 

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nelly Furtado, Etelvina Maldonado, Alanis Morissette, Björk, Li Saumet, Aterciopelados, and Petrona Martinez. 

One piece of advice I’d give other women artists is _____ . 

Document everything you create at all times and learn the basics of whatever it is that you love to do. If singing is your thing, learn about the best mics and the gear that will make you sound great, and learn the basics of recording yourself so that you can create your own demos. Always have the blueprint of your creations because, as women in this business, people will dismiss our voices and assume someone else must have made what you created. The best advice of all: Stay away from social climbers! 

One notable moment in my career so far is _____.

Winning the Polaris Music Prize with an album that was entirely in Spanish, without a label and without any kind of representation or PR. It validated my potential and it helped me believe in myself.

My creative process consists of _____.

Cleaning the house, playing with my kids, and walking to the studio while blasting music in my headphones. When I turn on my setup, I do so with gratitude. I also pull up my schedule so that I start working with a very clear agenda of what needs to be finished. I get the administrative and non-creative work out of the way, and then I get to work! Sometimes, if I am tired and don’t feel fully motivated, I will watch a video of a live concert of an artist I like. Or I will watch stuff from artists just so I can see how they perform and what their tech setup is onstage—that usually gets me really inspired. 

One way I’d like to see greater gender equity in the music industry is _____.

If all music festivals, venues, and any other platform with curation or programming power were obligated to book women at a minimum 50/50 rate, it would level the playing field just a tiny bit. Radio and media should have the same rule.

A few up-and-coming women artists I’m excited to watch are _____.

Barbie Perreo, Mabiland and the Red De Tamboreras de Colombia, Las Áñez, La Bruja de Texcoco, Sydanie, Lali De La Hoz, Pelada, LeeLee Yotp, Marie-Gold, Backxwash, Summer Hunting, and Laurence-Anne. 

My girl-power anthem is _____.

“Charlotte” by Kittie. 

Listen to Lido and her fellow women artists on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist below:

Lido Pimienta lleva sus raíces afrocolombianas al pop electrónico como artista EQUAL del mes

July 26, 2021

Quizá ubiques a Lido Pimienta por nuestra playlist Spotify Singles: Pride que lanzamos en junio. Ahora, la artista nominada al GRAMMY, una autoproclamada “folclorista punk tradicional y transgresora”, regresa nuevamente como Artista global EQUAL del mes de Spotify.

Cuando era niña, Lido emigró a Canadá con su familia, donde ahora vive. Canta tanto en español como en inglés mientras incorpora sonidos y ritmos afrocolombianos en su pop electrónico experimental. Su música, una mezcla de cumbia suave y aterciopelada, influencias bullerengue y synthpop, refleja su trasfondo multifacético.

En 2017, el sonido único de Lido le valió el premio de música con jurado más importante de Canadá, The Polaris Music Prize, por su álbum experimental La Papessa. Corte a 2021 y Lido es parte del Programa de Música Global EQUAL de Spotify, que tiene como objetivo combatir la disparidad de género en la industria de la música. Su canción “Nada”, del álbum Miss Colombia, aparece en la playlist EQUAL Global de Spotify, y como Artista Global del Mes, Lido ocupa su trono en la portada de la playlist. El programa trabaja para ampliar el trabajo de las mujeres creadoras en todo el mundo a través de una extensión de recursos y oportunidades.

For the Record le pidió a Lido que llenara los espacios en blanco y nos diera una idea de sus inspiraciones, proceso creativo y visiones para el futuro de la música.

Las artistas que más me han inspirado son _____.

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nelly Furtado, Etelvina Maldonado, Alanis Morrisette, Björk, Li Saumet, Aterciopelados, y Petrona Martinez. 

Un consejo que les daría a otras mujeres artistas es _____.

Documenta todo lo que crees en todo momento y aprende los conceptos básicos de lo que te encanta hacer. Si lo tuyo es cantar, aprende sobre los mejores micrófonos y el equipo que te hará sonar genial, y aprende los conceptos básicos para grabarte a ti misma para que puedas crear tus propios demos. Ten siempre el plano de sus creaciones porque, como mujeres en este negocio, la gente rechazará nuestras voces y asumirá que alguien más debe haber hecho lo que tu creaste. El mejor consejo de todos: ¡Manténte alejada de los trepadores sociales!

Un momento notable en mi carrera hasta ahora es _____.

Ganar el premio Polaris Music con un disco íntegramente en español, sin sello y sin ningún tipo de representación o relaciones públicas. Validó mi potencial y me ayudó a creer en mí misma.

Mi proceso creativo consiste en _____.

Limpiar la casa, jugar con mis hijos y caminar hacia el estudio mientras escucho música en mis audífonos. Cuando enciendo mi setup, lo hago con gratitud. También comienzo el día de trabajo con una agenda muy clara de lo que hay que terminar. Saco del camino el trabajo administrativo y no creativo, ¡y luego me pongo a trabajar! A veces, si estoy cansada y no me siento completamente motivada, miro un video de un concierto en vivo de un artista que me gusta. O veo cosas de artistas solo para poder ver cómo se desempeñan y cuál es su configuración tecnológica en el escenario, eso generalmente me inspira mucho.

Una forma en la que me gustaría ver una mayor equidad de género en la industria de la música es _____.

Si todos los festivales de música, lugares y cualquier otra plataforma con poder de curaduría o programación estuvieran obligados a contratar mujeres a una tasa mínima de 50/50, nivelaría el campo de juego solo un poquito. La radio y los medios de comunicación deberían tener la misma regla.

Algunas artistas prometedoras que estoy emocionada de ver son _____.

Barbie Perreo, Mabiland y the Red de Tamboreras de Colombia, Las Añez, La Bruja de Texcoco, Sydanie, Lali de la Hoz, Pelada, LeeLee Yotp, Marie-Gold, Backxwash, Summer Hunting y Laurence-Anne.

Mi himno de poder femenino es _____.

“Charlotte”, de Kittie.

Escucha a Lido y a sus compañeras artistas en la playlist EQUAL Global de Spotify a continuación:

Spotify Listeners in 11 Markets Can Now Ask Alexa to Play Podcasts—Here’s How

December 16, 2020

Last year, we announced that U.S. listeners could ask their Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts. Starting today, listeners in 11 new markets—Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, India, Austria, and Ireland—can ask Alexa to do the same. 

Podcasts delight, entertain, inform, and inspire people across the world, and there’s always more to stream, for both Free and Premium listeners. Now with Alexa, you can get listening to any of the millions more on Spotify—just by using your voice.

Ready to get started? Setup is easy, and only takes a few moments:

  1. Go to the Amazon Alexa App.
  2. Open the menu, head to Settings, then Music & Podcasts.
  3. If Spotify is not connected, tap “Link New Service” and select Spotify.
  4. Link your Spotify account to your Alexa account.
  5. If you’re in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, or the UK, tap “Default Services,” and then select Spotify as the default podcast service.
  6. Say “Alexa, play [your podcast of choice] podcast on Spotify” and get listening!


Not sure what to start with? New podcasts from every market and in many languages are increasingly available on Spotify. Just check out a few that have come out in each of the markets where Alexa is available this year:

To learn more about playing podcasts on all your Alexa devices at home, head to the Amazon Alexa Explore Spotify page.

*Update February 4, 2021: Listeners in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update March 31, 2021: Listeners in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Sweden, Poland, and the Netherlands can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update April 28, 2021: Listeners in Belgium and Switzerland can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update May 26, 2021: Listeners in Singapore, Denmark, and Norway can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update June 16, 2021: Listeners in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite podcasts.

*Update December 8, 2021: Listeners in Saudi Arabia and U.A.E can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite songs on Spotify. Users in U.A.E can also enjoy their favorite podcasts.

*Update May 25, 2022: Listeners in Ecuador, Hong Kong, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand can now ask Amazon Alexa devices to play their favorite music and podcasts.

Spotify Kids Is Now Available in the U.S., Canada, and France

March 31, 2020

Last year, we helped bring families together with Spotify Kids—our stand-alone app in beta  designed specifically for kids ages three and older. The app, which has been exclusive to Spotify Premium Family subscribers in select countries, was developed with safety and privacy in mind. It’s an ad-free experience where young listeners can explore sing-alongs, soundtracks, and stories on their own or with their families. Now, at a time when so many kids are home from school, we’re bringing the experience to even more people as the app rolls out in the U.S., Canada, and France—and we hope parents there will find it useful as well.

This comes off our initial launch of Spotify Kids in beta in Ireland, followed by Sweden, Denmark, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. With more than 125 playlists, Spotify Kids makes it easy for families to listen to their favorite songs and stories while also discovering new ones. Everything on Spotify Kids has been hand selected by our editors, so you can be sure that the content is both kid friendly and—most importantly—fun!

 

We’re constantly working on ways to make the Kids experience even better, and we had the opportunity to take into consideration the ideas and feedback from parents who have already used the app with their kids. So here’s what’s new and launching soon on the app:

More to love

  • In the U.S. and Canada, there are now more than 8,000 songs available in the Kids app—that’s 30% more than when we first launched. And because variety is the spice of life, every day we’re adding more songs in all markets. We’ve also added more audiobooks and stories to the library, including Disney Music Group Stories, fairytales, classics, and short stories. 

Bedtime is even better

  • Parents told us that they love using Kids around bedtime, so we’ve added more lullabies, calming music and sounds, and bedtime stories to help lull your little ones to sleep. Sweet dreams!

A more customized experience

  • Parenting is personal. That’s why we’re working on giving parents more control over what kids can (and can’t) listen to and new features that will allow parents to further customize the experience. In addition, half of the content you’ll find in Kids is based on what’s popular in the country you live in.

Even more educational content

  • There has always been a focus on educational musical content for kids on the app, including a playlist hub called Learning that features songs that teach kids about counting, the ABC’s, science, and more. Recently, we also added a new global playlist with songs to help kids learn general hygiene best practices, like how to wash their hands and cough and sneeze properly into their elbows. This playlist features the newly released song from Pinkfong, “Wash Your Hands with Baby Shark.” Plus, relevant educational content on the app will continue to grow.

We even have some new offerings specifically for our U.S. users. Here are some of the unique features U.S. families can expect:

Diverse content

  • The U.S. is a melting pot of cultures, and the music our listeners stream reflects that. So in addition to all the core favorites you’d expect, the U.S. Kids app also includes Spanish-language, country, Christian, Motown, and soul dance party playlists.

Pop culture crazy

  • Just like the main Spotify app, Kids taps into the big cultural moments listeners love. For example, we know that movies and music go hand in hand, which is why you’ll find the Trolls World Tour playlist and an official Frozen playlist featured in the app.

Because two heads are better…

  • We’re working alongside children’s brands like Disney Music Group, KIDZ BOP, and Nickelodeon to create totally unique Spotify Kids content and experiences. Stay tuned: we think you’ll like what you hear.

 

The Spotify Kids app is available exclusively for Spotify Premium Family subscribers at no additional charge and can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices. New Premium subscribers are also eligible for one month free of Premium Family—just visit spotify.com/family.

Your Daily Podcasts Playlist Makes Finding Your Next Favorite Show Easier Than Ever

November 19, 2019

You’ve just binged your favorite podcast and you’re finally caught up. But now you have to wait an entire week until the next episode. Now what? With so many great podcasts on Spotify, it can be hard to know what to listen to next. Thanks to our latest personalized playlist, it’s now easier than ever. 

Spotify transformed music discovery with playlists like Discover Weekly and Daily Mix. Now we’ve created Your Daily Podcasts—our first daily personalized podcast playlist that gives users an easy way to discover new shows while also keeping up with old favorites. If you’ve listened to at least four podcasts in the past 90 days, you’ll find the playlist in the “Your Top Podcasts” shelf on Home or in the “Made For You” hub on browse.

Here’s how Your Daily Podcasts works:

  1. Spotify’s algorithms analyze your podcast behavior—like recent streams and follows.
  2. Then, based on your listening history and the podcast type, we’ll recommend the next best episodes for you.
  3. That might be the next sequential episode in a podcast you’re already listening to (think Dog Tales and How’s Work with Esther Perel), a recent stand-alone evergreen episode in another show (maybe Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls 1 Keith or Certified Buckets), or a timely episode from a daily updating podcast (like Horoscope Today or The Journal).  
  4. Don’t worry—no spoilers here! If you’ve never listened to a story-driven sequential show we think you’d like, you’ll get the trailer or pilot episode first—to see if it catches your eye (er, ear).

Free and Premium users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can check out their Your Daily Podcasts playlist, now available on Spotify.