Since we announced our global partnership with FC Barcelona in 2022, we’ve been finding new ways to unite the worlds of music and football—amplifying artists, connecting fans, and making the matchday experience even more memorable.
This summer, we brought that vision to life in South Korea for the very first time. As part of FC Barcelona’s 2025 Asia Tour, we teamed up with K-Pop sensation ITZY for a localized campaign that put Korean creativity front and center.
With friendly matches in Seoul and Daegu as the backdrop, our first Korea activation under the Spotify x FC Barcelona partnership gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the passion of Korean fans through music and sport.
“Bringing Spotify’s partnership with FC Barcelona to Korea is a powerful moment,” said Marc Hazan, Vice President, Partnerships and Marketing, Spotify. “We’re proud to feature ITZY as a part of this collaboration, which celebrates Korean creativity on a global stage and reflects our mission to connect artists and fans in unforgettable ways.”
“South Korea has long been home to some of the most passionate football and music fans in the world,” said Marc Bruix, Director of Partnerships, FC Barcelona. “Through this special partnership with Spotify, we’re excited to bring our global vision to life in a way that connects with local culture. Partnering with ITZY, a group that represents the vibrancy and global appeal of Korean music, perfectly reflects our shared ambition to reach new audiences and create unforgettable moments.”
“We had such a great time being part of this campaign,” said the members of ITZY. “It was a fun opportunity to show how music and football can come together to create something truly exciting for fans everywhere.”
ITZY-curated playlists
We invited ITZY to take over Barça on Tour: Korea 2025, curating 30 tracks—including 10 of their own and 20 warm-up picks—to get fans hyped for kickoff. The playlist is available globally on Spotify, with ITZY on the cover sporting official FC Barcelona jerseys.
To keep the momentum going, they’re also taking over WOR K OUT—Korea’s No. 1 workout playlist on Spotify, with more than 1.3M followers—starting August 9. It’s packed with their favorite tracks to keep post-game energy high.
Matchday moments
To amplify the spirit of the occasion, Spotify and FC Barcelona produced exclusive content featuring a special meet-and-greet between ITZY and Barça players at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The interactive footage was shared across socials, bringing fans even closer to this unique moment.
Pitch-side presence
During the Seoul match, fans saw Spotify branding across LED boards, goal-line signage, and press backdrops, and they’ll be seeing more of it in Daegu. We also took over one of Seoul’s most iconic digital displays, Gangnam Media Sync, to share the campaign with the city.
From jersey takeovers with global superstars like Travis Scott, Coldplay, KAROL G, The Rolling Stones, ROSALÍA, and Drake to localized cultural campaigns like this one with ITZY, our partnership with FC Barcelona continues to turn football into a creative canvas that celebrates artists and the fans who love them.
Since 2022, Spotify and FC Barcelona have brought the worlds of music and football together with a first-of-its-kind partnership. Now, the two iconic brands are tapping into the world of Travis Scott as they team up yet again for their latest jersey takeover.
During their El Clásico showdown on May 11, the FC Barcelona men’s squad will step onto the pitch wearing a version of the iconic blaugrana jersey featuring the Cactus Jack logo. In addition, the FC Barcelona Feminí will be wearing the jersey during their season finale on May 18.
Created in partnership with one of the most influential artists of our generation, this special-edition Travis Scott drop bridges music, fashion, and football, reflecting the depth of Spotify’s commitment to artists and fans.
For the latest edition of Barça Matchday, it’s star winger Lamine Yamal taking the aux.
Lamine needs no introduction on the pitch. But in the FC Barcelona locker room, the teenager serves as its de facto DJ, as revealed by his teammates Alejandro Balde, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowskiduring 2024 Wrapped.
Yamal’s playlist includes music from fellow Spaniard Morad, former Barça shirt stars KAROL G and ROSALÍA, and the king of Spotify, Bad Bunny.
“I love to be the team DJ because the feeling you get from good music before a match can drive you on to win,” Lamine said. “Listening to my Spotify playlist will be like sitting next to the boys in the locker room before a game!”
Now, Jules Kounde is taking the aux for the latest edition of Barça Matchday on Spotify. Kounde’s playlist takes fans on a world tour of hip-hop—from New York’s JAY-Z to Paris’ Dinos to Manchester’s Nemzzz and LA’s Kendrick Lamar—with some chilled-out R&B mixed in for good measure. (JSYK: Kounde is also a certified Kendricksuperfan, with his 2024 Wrapped revealing him to be in the top 1% of K.Dot listeners worldwide.)
“Music is a huge passion of mine and my Matchday playlist on Spotify is an example of what I listen to when I need to motivate myself and to chill,” Kounde said. “I love hip-hop from around the world and I think my playlist shows it!”
Spotify is once again collaborating with record-breaking legends from the worlds of music and football, through its first-of-its-kind partnership with FC Barcelona. This time, the Barça shirt will feature a special Coldplay logo inspired by its tenth album, Moon Music, which debuted at Number 1 on Spotify’s weekly global charts and is out now.
The shirt will be worn during FC Barcelona’s El Clásico match on October 26, as well as FC Barcelona Femení’s match on November 2. Coldplay is the latest artist to be featured on the iconic FC Barcelona jersey with Spotify, following previous shirt takeovers with KAROL G, The Rolling Stones, ROSALÍA, and Drake.
“We’re honored that Spotify has chosen to feature our ‘Moon Music’ design on the shirt of FC Barcelona,” the members of Coldplay said in a written statement. “We’ve had a special relationship with the city and the club for many years.”
Through our first-of-its kind partnership, Spotify and FC Barcelona are committed to uniting the worlds of music and sport. And when the Barça men’s squad recently stepped onto the pitch for a showdown with Getafe CF, RADAR, Spotify’s global emerging artist program, was ready for a matchday takeover.
To celebrate, we hosted a roster of our RADAR alumni from around the globe to connect with one another and celebrate their artist journeys. Rising artists including centromilacare, Jolagreen23, Charlie USG, Delilah, Joaquina, and THAI of the T-Pop boy band BUS were in attendance.
Our six-person squad represents the promising talent coming out of Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, and Thailand while spanning genres like pop, rap, alternative/indie and Música Mexicana.
“We know that there are exciting parallels between an athlete and an emerging artist’s journey, and through our RADAR program, we wanted to create a space for emerging talent from around the world to celebrate their shared passions,” said Rachel Ring, Global Music Programs Marketing Lead at Spotify.
At the match, our RADAR artists had the opportunity to step onto the pitch and experience the stadium atmosphere, see their names up on the stadium LED boards, and support the team. In addition, they were featured in the RADAR takeover of the Barça Matchday playlist that gets FC Barcelona fans hyped up before every kickoff whistle.
Earlier this year, Spotify teased a new partnership with A BATHING APE® (BAPE), and now both brands are coming together to celebrate the styles and sounds that shape global hip-hop music and streetwear culture.
The first joint project debuts today. Fans will find a reimagining of BAPE®’s iconic Shark Hoodie and College Tee—both staples in global streetwear for more than 20 years. The Spotify logo is infused with BAPE’s iconic camouflage design.
Spotify is once again bringing together record-breaking legends from the worlds of music and football. This time, with KAROL G, the most-streamed female Latin music artist globally four years in a row on Spotify.
FC Barcelona Femení will be the first to wear KAROL G’s special matchday shirt—which features the artist’s signature barbed wire heart logo—when it faces off against Villarreal Femenino on April 13. The following weekend, the men’s team will also wear the shirt for its El Clásico showdown on April 21.
In September we unveiled Jam, giving music fans a new, personalized way to listen with friends and family. This collaborative experience lets Premium subscribers invite their whole squad to queue up songs together, and then enhance that experience with tailored group recommendations from Spotify.
But we haven’t stopped the party there. Premium subscribers can now start Jam sessions from their mobile devices with an assist from their favorite FC Barcelona players.
Listeners can start a Jam with help from Barça stars Lewandowski, Pedri, Raphinha, and Balde—as well as Barça Femení players Alexia, Bronze, Salma, and Rolfö. Once your Jam session begins, you and your fellow Barça fans can listen together with a few recommended tracks from your favorite players.
In particular, Spotify has featured a number of African artists in these moments throughout our partnership. We’ve played their songs through stadium speakers, showcased their names pitch-side on LED screens during matches, and added their tracks to playlists on the official FC Barcelona page on Spotify so that fans worldwide can enjoy the exposure this partnership has offered them. With 23 million FC Barcelona fans in the Middle East and Africa, this also marked a great opportunity to bring their local talent to a grand, global stage. And now, artists like ODUMODUBLVCK, Pabi Cooper, Teni, and Ch’cco are front and center in our latest video campaign.
We also took a selection of Egyptian creators, like professional football presenter Ibrahim Fayek, on an exclusive tour to watch FC Barcelona matches.
Read on to get to know the 20 dynamic artists who have commanded the spotlight alongside FC Barcelona.
Afroto
Egypt
Since emerging on the scene in 2016, rapper Afroto has won over fans with hit singles like “Brazil” and “7ALA.”
Amir Eid
Egypt
A singer, composer, guitarist, and actor, Amir Eid is best known as the lead singer of Cairokee, one of Egypt’s top rock bands.
A-Reece
South Africa
Rapper A-Reece’s career took off with the release of his best-known single, “Mgani”; and following the release of his debut album, heaveN caN waiT: thE narroW dooR (vol.1), in 2021, his star has continued to rise.
BNXN
Nigeria
Following the release of “Spiritual,” his 2019 collaboration with Zlatan, Afro-fusion artist Bnxn (fka Buju) has gained attention for his infectious hooks, which have featured on other popular Afropop songs over the years.
Ch’cco
South Africa
After the popular choreography-infused song “Nkao Tempela” became a viral hit in 2019, Ch’cco immediately became a name to remember. Since then, he followed up with hit single “Pele Pele” and was featured on Pabi Cooper’s 2022 hit “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
CKay
Nigeria
With one of the most popular Afrobeats songs of all time, “love nwantiti (ah ah ah),” to his name, CKay is one of the Nigerian artists responsible for turning Afrobeats into a global phenomenon.
Davido
Nigeria
One of the most popular afrobeats artists in the world, Davido is referred to as “OBO” by his fans. In 2019, his smash hit “Fall” made history when it became one of the longest-charting Nigerian pop songs, and he reached new heights in 2023 with “UNAVAILABLE,” his collaboration with Musa Keys.
Essam Sasa
Egypt
One of the fastest-rising artists to come out of the region recently, Essam Sasa continues to peak on Spotify’s Egypt charts with hits like “Yalla Nedy Lely Baana Bosa.” The pop star is known for his contemporary take on traditional genres, like Shaabi music.
Fireboy DML
Nigeria
After his hit single “Scatter” was included on EA’s FIFA 21 Soundtrack, Fireboy DML quickly made a name for himself around the world. In 2022, the singer released his third studio album, Playboy, to great fanfare.
Joeboy
Nigeria
Popular among Gen Zs and millennials due to his timeless love songs, Joeboy caught everyone’s attention with his 2019 hit “Baby” and has since been able to establish himself as one of the finest voices in Afrobeats and R&B.
Lloyiso
South Africa
When Lloyiso released “Nontsikelelo” in 2018, he reminded the music industry why he placed in the top five of the popular singing competition Idols SA as a 16-year-old back in 2015. Today, the 24-year-old is a mainstay on local and international stages, opening for renowned artists such as Tamia.
Major League Djz
South Africa
Credited with amplifying the global presence of amapiano, Major League Djz are a cornerstone of South Africa’s music scene. Their popular releases, “Ndikuze” and “Shoota Moghel,” continue to dominate the dance floors from Mamelodi to Soweto.
ODUMODUBLVCK
Nigeria
Starting his music journey in Abuja, rapper ODUMODUBLVCK rose to fame with his breakthrough song “Picanto.” Earlier this year, he took over the airwaves with his hit “Declan Rice,” catching the attention of the professional footballer following its release.
Olamide
Nigeria
The success of many street pop and Afrobeats artists can be linked to Olamide, whose record label YBNL is home to like-minded artists Fireboy DML and Asake. His debut single, “Eni Duro,” propelled Olamide to stardom in 2010 and he has since become one of the most revered figures in the Nigerian music scene, most notably releasing the hit single “Infinity” withOmah Lay in 2020.
Pabi Cooper
South Africa
Also known as “Pretoria’s finest,” Pabi Cooper traded her life as an influencer and content creator for one as an artist with the release of her 2021 single “Isiphithiphithi.” One of the most recognizable amapiano artists in South Africa, she has gone on to release notable singles like “Waga Bietjie” and “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
SPINALL
Nigeria
An internationally recognized Nigerian DJ and producer, SPINALLis known for his signature hats. His collaborations with Wizkid and Mr Eazi have contributed to his growing popularity around the world.
Teni
Nigeria
Fondly referred to as Teni Makanaki by her fans, this exciting talent introduced herself to the world with her hit 2018 single “Fargin.” Since then, she has successfully challenged gender stereotypes and worked to redefine the modern image of a celebrity, allowing fans to focus on her amazing music, which includes singles like “Case” and the Davido collaboration “FOR YOU.”
Tyla
South Africa
Known as the princess of amapiano, Tyla first gained recognition in 2019 when she dropped her single “Getting Late.” The singer has enjoyed a red-hot 2023, making global waves with her hit single “Water,” which has generated over 120 million streams on Spotify to date, and starring in a RADAR Africa mini-documentary that tracks her ascent to the global spotlight.
Wizkid
Nigeria
Referred to by some as the biggest Afrobeats artist in the world, Wizkid is one of the most influential African artists of all time. He first caught the ears of fans worldwide with his 2014 single “Ojuelegba,” which earned a remix from Drake a year later. His Grammy-nominated collaboration with Tems, “Essence,” was dubbed the best song of the summer by Rolling Stone in 2020. Last year, the star released More Love, Less Ego, his fifth studio album.
Zlatan
Nigeria
Considered the pioneer of the zanku dance style popularized by his single of the same name, Zlatan Ibile shook the streets of Nigeria and has become one of the most buzzed-about artists in the country, also appearing on Chinko Ekun’s 2018 hit “Able God.”
When it comes to amplifying artists, Spotify goes all the way. This commitment was on display last month as Spotify Pakistan supported its first-ever album launch for renowned artist-producer TalalQureshi’s TURBO.
From on-platform support to the billboards at FC Barcelona’s match against Sevilla and in NYC’s Times Square, our global promotion puts Pakistani music on a global stage.
LED screens at Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys
Talal recently became the first Pakistani artist to be featured on the LED screens at Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys during a recent FC Barcelona match.
Whether it’s fans singing in unison, a player listening to a track to energize their training, or a global artist whose second love is football, the worlds of football and music are closely linked. Through our first-of-its-kind partnership with FC Barcelona, we’ve worked to deepen that connection for fans, artists, and athletes. And on October 28, we’re taking a giant step forward.
When the FC Barcelona men’s squad steps onto the pitch for another famous El Clásico fixture, they’ll yet again sport a special home shirt featuring none other than The Rolling Stones’ iconic Tongue and Lips logo. Thanks to Spotify, it will be the first time a band has been featured on the FC Barcelona shirt.
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