Tag: Madeline Edwards

‘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. 

 

Four Days of Country Music at Spotify House During CMA Fest 2022

June 15, 2022

This past weekend, CMA Fest returned to Nashville for the first time since 2019 to celebrate all things country music. Top country stars and emerging artists alike came together at Spotify House to perform and enjoy time in an intimate setting with their fans. Spotify House was located in the unmatched Blake Shelton and Opry Entertainment Group’s Ole Red. With four days of performances across two stages, there was something for everyone in the crowd.

Spotify partnered with Meta throughout the event to bring an exclusive Instagram Reels experience to Spotify House, capturing content with director The Tommy B for artists’ Instagram and Facebook. Adding to the experience for fans were QR codes from Digital Seat Media, which helped attendees receive real-time event updates. 

Also on the ground was our team behind Spotify: Mic Check, which had the opportunity to speak to several returning CMA Fest performers and newcomers alike. The episode featured R&B-inspired country artist Tiera Kennedy, whose song “Found It In You” recently hit 20 million streams after being featured on Spotify’s Hot Country playlist. 

“I remember when I first moved to Nashville, wanting so badly to be on all those playlists. To see my music on all those playlists is really cool and it feels really special.”

Meghan Patrick, who performed at CMA Fest again this year, was also thrilled to be back onstage. “I’ve always looked at CMA Fest as a huge milestone and a huge opportunity to be part of. Every year it feels like I get a few more opportunities to play and show my music and play some different stages. Every year it’s always super exciting and a great opportunity to have some great exposure to a lot of fans in a short amount of time.” 

Check out the episode, which also features Erin Kinsey and Brett Eldredge, below.

Read on for a little more from each day of CMA Fest.

Day 1: Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Ashley McBryde, and more

Spotify House got off to an incredible start with Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Chase Wright, Brantley Gilbert, Ashley McBryde, Dustin Lynch, Dalton Dover, Nate Smith, Ashley Cooke, Kameron Marlowe, Meghan Patrick, and Nikki Lane taking the stage for day one. 

Superstar Darius Rucker kicked off with a high-energy opening set, performing chart-toppers “Alright” and “This” as well as his iconic Hootie & The Blowfish track “Only Wanna Be With You” and fan favorite “Wagon Wheel.”

Hannah Ellis, Dalton Dover, and Nate Smith soon hit the stage for performances of their own tracks as well as famous covers from fellow country artists. They were followed by a full-circle moment for rising country star Chase Wright, who made his Spotify House debut just a few years after he found himself waiting in line to get into the CMA Fest hot spot. 

Fans were treated to a surprise performance from Jimmie Allen when he joined Ashley Cooke onstage for their song “Good Goodbye” and a duet of his song “Freedom Was a Highway.” Kameron Marlowe dazzled the crowd, as did Meghan Patrick, who serenaded fans with “Heart On My Glass,” accompanying herself on the harmonica. As the sun went down, Brett Eldredge performed two tracks from his upcoming album Songs About You, including the album’s title track and latest single, “I Feel Fine.” This year, we also hosted our Fresh Finds Rooftop for the first time. The rooftop stage featured emerging artists Abby Anderson, Chris Ruediger, Taylor Edwards, Maggie Baugh, Tanner Adell, and Jordan Rowe.