Earlier this year, Spotify and FC Barcelona announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to bring the worlds of football and music together. And last month, the legendary club embarked on a U.S. summer tour that gave an introductory taste of what fans and artists can expect from our two iconic brands going forward.
We kicked off our partnership in a number of exciting ways over two weeks and across four cities as FC Barcelona prepared for the upcoming season. Across several training sessions, studio visits, and exclusive parties, both the FC Barcelona players and musical artists got a firsthand look into each other’s worlds.
Take a look back on some of our favorite moments from this whirlwind trip.
Hot Miami nights
Things got off to a fast start in Miami as we gave Barça a warm welcome upon their arrival to the States. Prior to the team’s exhibition match, we brought Latin superstars Ovy on the Drums, Piso 21, and Mau y Ricky onto the pitch, where they got the chance to kick the ball around with the club’s superstars during a training session.
The start of a new football season is just around the corner, and to get themselves match-ready, FC Barcelona recently touched down in the U.S. for a preseason tour. Spotify joined the legendary club—and our latest partner—in Miami with a few special events to bring the worlds of music and football together.
We began the week by inviting artists Ovy on the Drums, Piso 21, and Mau y Ricky to attend an FC Barcelona training session at DRV PNK Stadium and get a chance to meet the players. But after the training sessions and exhibition match were all wrapped up, it was time to celebrate with an exclusive Spotify x FC Barcelona party.
From high-energy reggaetón to soulful pop, today’s Latin music is diverse, catchy, and impossible to pin down. Its beats and sounds pull from influences across the globe as Latinx creators continue to push the genre to new heights. And it resonates with Spotify listeners, who, in 2020 alone, streamed nearly 11 billion hours of Latin music worldwide.
Capturing and amplifying the vibrant scene is Spotify’s flagship Latin music playlist, Viva Latino. Since its launch in 2014, the playlist has been a staple that houses the genre’s most exciting new tracks. As a result, over the last seven years, the catchy collection has grown to 11.3 million followers, making it the third-most-followed playlist on Spotify globally and the biggest Latin music playlist on the platform. The playlist’s rise mirrored a platform-wide trend: Latin music consumption grew by 1,680% during the same period.
Spotify is celebrating the evolution and impactful playlist—and the many artists and fans who have grown alongside it—throughout November. We kicked off a playlist campaign featuring a refreshed tagline, Elevando Nuestra Música, or “Elevating Our Music,” alongside an updated look. Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City residents will notice the playlist highlighted across each city, and listeners around the world will find even more videos and updates online. That includes a campaign video featuring three of Latin music’s biggest stars: artists KAROL G, Myke Towers, and Mau y Ricky, who joined forces to show Viva Latino’s accompanying role in everything from commuting to working out. Spotify also partnered with Latinx TikTok content creators Sofia Bella, Alexia Del Valle, and Jayla Milan, who shared their unique perspectives on what the playlist, the artists, and the songs mean to them.
Viva Latino was created around the wants and needs of Latin music fans who, based on Spotify data, discover 46% more music than the average listener. Since then, the global playlist has kept fans engaged with a blend of today’s top songs and the trending hits of tomorrow. And now, for many listeners, these tracks have become a soundtrack for everyday life.
The playlist has had a major impact on Latinx creators, too. That’s because Viva Latino features not only the biggest names in the Latin Music scene, but those just launching their music careers, too. It’s given many emerging artists a boost as engaged listeners propel their favorite Spanish-language songs to the Global Top 100 and Top 50 charts.
KAROL G, Myke Towers, and Mau y Ricky have each experienced the playlist’s impact firsthand. Rounding out the campaign, all three reflected on their first song to be featured on Viva Latino and the doors that opened for them in Spotify Clips, exclusive video clips on the platform.
“Latin music has become an indispensable part of pop culture, and we’re excited to see Viva Latino play a big role in that evolution,” shared Antonio Vázquez, Head of U.S. Latin Editorial at Spotify. “We’re celebrating the artists and fans who make this the ultimate destination for Latin hits by unveiling a sophisticated new look for the playlist that steers away from stereotypical cultural symbols, as well as introducing an inclusive tagline, Elevando Nuestra Música, a mission that pushes and motivates us to take our music to the global stage.”
Seven years after its debut, Viva Latino remains as essential as ever. As creators and fans look to the future, we’re excited that this is just the beginning.
Step into the future and elevate your day with the refreshed Viva Latino playlist now.
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