Tag: nicki minaj

How Spotify’s Playlists Captured the Biggest Music Trends of 2023

November 29, 2023

With another year coming to a close, Spotify is back with your personalized Wrapped, our annual recap of your listening highlights from the past 12 months that includes your top songs, artists, and podcasts, as well as your most distinct streaming habits. But we’re also taking a step back and looking at 2023’s biggest music trends on Spotify.

Thanks to the in-the-know editors responsible for creating our editorial playlists as part of the Global Curation Groups, the most iconic musical moments of the year were reflected on Spotify. Whether it was blockbuster movie soundtracks that grabbed the world’s attention, viral social media moments that bubbled up to the mainstream, or classic genres finding new fans in Gen Z, our experts were on top of it all.

For the Record sat down with our editorial team and got the scoop. 

Peso Pluma and Música Mexicana go mainstream

RADAR US artist Peso Pluma made himself known to the world in March with his feature on Eslabon Armado’s “Ella Baila Sola.” Fast-forward to now, and that song is one of the top-five most-streamed songs of 2023 globally—and is about to hit Spotify’s Billions Club. Meanwhile, the Música Mexicana genre at large has enjoyed a surge in popularity, dominating the global charts this summer.

Explore this trend on: Lo Mejor de La Reina 2023, Corridos Perrones, Corridos Tumbados, Today’s Top Hits

Folk rising

In 2023, a slew of indie artists emerged with folk-inspired albums including Mitski, Toro Y Moi, and boygenius. Plus, we heard new folk voices like Searows and 2024 Best New Artist Noah Kahan. 

Explore this trend on: Indie Twang, Juniper

Shoegaze returns courtesy of Gen Z

Shoegaze has been around since the late ’80s, but it experienced a resurgence in 2023 among Gen Z, who found new bands like Wisp as well as aughts stalwarts like Panchiko.

Over the past year, the genre has thrived within various Gen Z internet communities that have fostered pockets of interest and given birth to exciting new acts. Perhaps unknowingly, the emerging class of neo-shoegaze artists is contributing to genre diffusion, blending techniques from various music genres to create something fresh and unique.

Explore this trend on: Shoegaze Now, IRL Angel

Rema carries Afrobeats into Spotify’s Billions Club

Rema has been a hitmaker in Africa since 2019, but it was a collaboration with Selena Gomez on “Calm Down (Remix)” that shot him to international fame in 2023. The global smash earned the Afrobeats star a Grammy nomination, as well as a spot in our highly coveted Billions Club, making “Calm Down” the first African artist-led track to do so. 

Explore this trend on: African Heat, Billions Club, Today’s Top Hits

Taylor Swift’s eras on tour

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour kicked off in March and was the live-music event of the year. Taylor not only picked songs from all 10 of her studio albums to perform in a stunning three-hour show, but she also set aside time each night for acoustic performances of two surprise songs. And according to Taylor’s rules, no two songs could be repeated unless she messed it up the first time. To capture this epic moment, we collected all of the surprise songs in a playlist, which was updated every weekend during the U.S. leg of her tour.

Explore this trend on: Surprise Song Era

Troye Sivan and Hyunjin’s IRL friendship

This past summer, Troye Sivan posted a TikTok that went viral about trying to find Hyunjin of Stray Kids. We joined in on the fun with a playlist and they eventually collabed on a remix of “Rush,” which also featured PinkPantheress.

Explore this trend on: what a moment

Peggy Gou takes house music to the top of the charts

House, one of the original genres of dance music, has grown in popularity since the pandemic. This summer, we saw massive house hits resonate with fans internationally, including Peggy Gou‘s “(It Goes Like) Nanana.” 

Other huge moments for house music include artists like Fred again.., Black Coffee, Chris Lake, and FISHER, who are breaking records around the world, and breakthrough opportunities for exciting artists like LP Giobbi, John Summit, and Dom Dolla

Explore this trend on: Umami, Housewerk presents…Best House of 2023, Summer House

It’s a Barbie world

Ahead of the Barbie release this summer, we saw “Barbiecore” aesthetics manifest in the pop culture zeitgeist. Once we got word that Barbie was going to feature a star-studded soundtrack with hits like Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Aqua’s “Barbie World” and Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night,” we brought all things Barbie to life on Spotify through the “pinkification” of several playlist covers, new editorial playlists, and partner playlists.

Explore this trend on: Hot Pink, Barbie Official Playlist

Hyper techno surges

There was an influx of high-BPM dance pop songs in general, and with it came a new wave of tracks that showcased a harder sound using classic techno and big room beats and basslines. We saw a surge in streams—especially from European Gen Zs—of techno-infused songs like Niklas Dee’s “Not Fair,” Creeds’ “Push Up,” and BENNETT’s “Vois sur ton chemin.”

Explore this trend on: rave, techno party

Jersey Club is everywhere 

Jersey Club production became ubiquitous not only in U.S. hip-hop but around the world. We also saw the genre’s influence find its way into K-Pop and thoughtful electronic music. Pioneers such as DJ Smallz 732, UNIIQU3, and Cookiee Kawaii were tapped to remix some of 2023’s biggest hits, and newcomers such as Kanii, keltiey, and Lay Bankz staked their claims as names to watch.

Explore this trend on: Jersey Club Heat presents…Best Jersey Club Songs of 2023

Tyla’s turns her viral moment into crossover success

South Africa’s Amapiano sound has been winning the hearts of electronic and dance fans after TikTok dances and DJ mixes helped it go viral in 2020. In 2023, RADAR Africa artist Tyla took her career to the next level, blending her R&B sound with Amapiano and South African dance genre Bacardi house on her hit song “Water.” After Spotify Africa’s partnership with the Giants of Africa Festival—a basketball event in Rwanda where Tyla’s viral dance was first seen—many posted their own versions of the dance challenge on social media, which led to “Water” skyrocketing around the world and earning a feature from Travis Scott on the remix.

Explore this trend on: RNB X, RADAR Africa, African Heat, RADAR Global 

Women run hip-hop  

Female rappers continued their reign in 2023, with top names like Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Latto, Ice Spice, Kaliii, Doechii, and the year’s breakout star, Sexyy Red, making some of the most creative and worthwhile hip-hop this year. 

Explore this trend on: RapCaviar presents…Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2023, Feelin’ Myself 

Pop-punk’s greatest legends return

We witnessed the resurgence of pop-punk’s most iconic figures with mainstays like Fall Out Boy, Sum 41, Green Day, and Neck Deep returning in 2023 with a taste of new music. Additionally, blink-182 welcomed back Tom DeLonge and embarked on a global tour to celebrate their new album, ONE MORE TIME…. 

Explore this trend on: Pop Punk’s Not Dead

The nu-metal revival continues

Nu-metal and alternative metal have made triumphant returns this year, with a younger audience discovering and devouring the catalogs of bands like Deftones, Korn, Slipknot, and more. Additionally, we’re seeing a wave of new nu-metal songs from rising artists who are embracing the sound and paying homage to their predecessors.

Explore this trend on: new nü, ALLURE

Alt country crosses over

This trend in country music had a slow build that reached new heights with the release of RADAR US artist Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak in 2022, and took off 2023 with hits like Dylan Gossett’s “Coal.” This acoustic, gritty sound was typically reserved for alternative country and folk playlists in the past, but it has fully moved into the mainstream with songs that have been fan favorites across our flagship playlists. 

Explore this trend on: Hot Country presents…Best Country Songs of 2023, Hot Hits USA, Today’s Top Hits, homegrown

Looking for more of the songs that have left their stamp on 2023? Check out our flagship playlist Today’s Top Hits. 

10 Great Musical Biographies That Tell the Stories Behind Your Favorite Artists

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Music Biography

You might know all the songs and albums of your favorite musicians, but do you know the experiences and inspirations behind their work? Luckily, you can find out by listening to some great musical biographies on Spotify. 

With picks that include memoirs from legendary stars including Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane, and Dolly Parton, you can discover all the wisdom these greats have to share. 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Written and narrated by Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl’s autobiography, The Storyteller, sheds light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, who goes on to live out his craziest dreams as a musician. The rock icon reflects on everything from hitting the road with Scream at 18, to his time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. He remembers jamming with Iggy Pop and dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He tells stories about drumming for Tom Petty and meeting Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall. Grohl even recounts unexpected moments like bedtime stories with Joan Jett to a chance meeting with Little Richard. 

The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl

Written and narrated by Melanie Chisholm

After five women answered a newspaper ad, the Spice Girls were born. They recorded their first single, “Wannabe,” and nearly overnight, Melanie “Melanie C” Chisholm went from small-town girl to Sporty Spice.

The Sporty One follows the meteoric rise of Melanie C and The Spice Girls, from the incredible highs of playing at Wembley, conquering the BRITs, and closing the 2012 Olympics, to the difficult lows. For the first time ever, Melanie C talks about the pressures of fame, the shaming and bullying she experienced, the struggles she has had with her body image and mental health, and the difficulty of finding herself when the whole world knew her name.

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Written by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann

Narrated by Dolly Parton 

Dolly Parton, Songteller goes beyond the glitz, glamor, and rhinestones to the warmth, heart, and soul of a treasured pop culture icon. In this autobiography, 10-time Grammy Award–winning artist Dolly Parton weaves her words with music and memories to give listeners the stories behind her most cherished songs.

How close did Parton come to singing “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Elvis Presley? How did she become an actress? And exactly who was “Jolene”? This one-of-a-kind audio experience answers the most burning questions that Parton’s fans have.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

Written by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin

Narrated by Guy Lockard

For the first time, hip-hop legend Gucci Mane tells the story of his rise, fall, and redemption in The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. With a string of influential mixtapes and street anthems that pioneered the sound of trap music in the 2000s, the rap icon inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers including Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Metro Boomin.

Taking listeners back to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, and the studio where he found his voice, Gucci Mane reflects on his successes while also confronting his dark past, which included drug addiction, murder charges, and a prison sentence. 

But Gucci Mane has changed, and in this music bio, he provides an intimate glimpse into his radical transformation following his 2016 prison release—one that saw the rapper emerge sober, smiling, focused, and positive. This is one of music’s great comeback stories.

Born to Run

Written and narrated by Bruce Springsteen

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that he decided to write about it, which then inspired him to tell the story of his entire life.

Vividly recounting his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in New Jersey, and the rise of The E Street Band, Springsteen fills the pages of Born to Run with humor, originality, and disarming candor. For the first time, the superstar rocker shares the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized. This isn’t just a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words

Written by Billie Eilish

Narrated By Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, Patrick O’Connell

In this special audiobook companion piece, global pop phenomenon Billie Eilish walks fans through the personal highlights and special moments of her life and career, both on and off the stage. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words is full of exclusive and unique content, including memories shared by her parents. Capturing the essence of Billie inside and out, listeners get personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more, making this audio edition essential for any fan.

It’s a Long Story: My Life

Written by Willie Nelson and David Ritz

Narrated by Christopher Ryan Grant

It’s a Long Story is the complete, unvarnished story of Willie Nelson‘s life. Told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, the country legend takes listeners on a ride from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary tour bus.

Nelson shines a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his biggest collaborations, his lowest lows, and his highest highs—from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid.

Talking to My Angels

Written and narrated by Melissa Etheridge

Following the success of her first memoir, award-winning rocker and trailblazing LGBTQIA+ icon Melissa Etheridge returns to take stock of her life in the years that have followed. 

Talking to My Angels is a profoundly honest look into Etheridge’s inner life as a woman, an artist, a mother, and a survivor. With characteristic wit and courage, Melissa delves into how numerous tragedies served as a catalyst for growth, and what the past two decades have taught her about the value of music, love, family, and life in the face of death. This audiobook also features live, stripped-down performances of many of Melissa’s songs, including “Talking to My Angel” and “Here Comes the Pain.”

Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir

Written by Juicy J and Soren Baker

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

The hustle still continues for hip-hop OG Juicy J in Chronicles of the Juice Man, where he shares his invaluable story as an unwavering force in the music industry. Jordan Houston’s rise to stardom was never easy. Beginning with his journey on the streets of Memphis in the ’80s, Juicy J was always inspired by music and had big dreams of becoming a superstar rapper. The Three 6 Mafia member stuck to his plan with determination, rising from a young, poor, ambitious kid to an Academy Award–winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entrepreneur. A never-before-seen look into one of the most influential tastemakers in the game, Chronicles of the Juice Man offers Juicy J’s wisdom as a respected industry veteran.

Tell It Like It Is: My Story

Written and narrated by Aaron Neville

Tell It Like It Is shares the trials and tribulations of legendary singer and songwriter Aaron Neville through the lens of his faith, family, and music.

Scoring his first number-one hit in 1966 with “Tell It Like It Is,” the artist went on to form the Neville Brothers with his siblings Art, Charles, and Cyril. Aaron was the breakout star, and over the next six decades, he’s enjoyed four platinum albums, three number-one songs, and entry into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But few people know the challenging and circuitous road Aaron took to fame. Born in a housing project in New Orleans, he struggled as a teenage father working to raise a family while building his career as a musician, surviving a stint in jail for car theft and battling heroin addiction for many years. Now for the first time, fans can discover the inside story. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

Nearly a Quarter of All Streams on Spotify Are Hip-Hop. Spotify’s Global Editors Reflect on the Genre’s Growth

August 10, 2023

As hip-hop turns 50, fans around the world are celebrating its golden anniversary. For a genre that started at a block party in the Bronx, this milestone is a testament to the massive impact and influence hip-hop has had in virtually every corner of the globe.

And today on Spotify, hip-hop is thriving, with artists and fans from around the world discovering and connecting with one another. In 2023, nearly a quarter of all streams on Spotify globally are hip-hop music, led by artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, and Metro Boomin.

But it goes further than that . . . 

  • Hip-hop is one of the most-listened-to genres globally on Spotify, and more than 400 million users around the world have streamed hip-hop music in 2023 so far.
  • RapCaviar ranks as the second most-followed playlist on Spotify. 
  • Around the globe, there are over 53 million user-generated and Spotify-curated playlists on Spotify that mention hip-hop or rap in the title of the playlist, and over 2 billion playlists that contain at least one hip-hop song. 
  • For the past three years, almost half of Spotify’s Top 50 most-streamed artists globally have been hip-hop or rap artists. 

One of the most distinct aspects of hip-hop culture is its regionality, with the unique sounds coming out of local U.S. scenes like New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Miami helping one of the most dynamic genres in the world flourish.

That’s why we’re celebrating these iconic regions with a series of original murals created by Raj Dhunna. 

Quase um quarto de todos os streams no Spotify são para o Hip Hop. Os editores globais do Spotify refletem sobre o crescimento do gênero

August 10, 2023

Quando o Hip Hop completa 50 anos, fãs de todo o mundo comemoram suas bodas de ouro. Para um gênero que teve um começo inesperado em um parque do Bronx, este marco é uma prova do enorme impacto e influência que o Hip Hop teve em praticamente todos os cantos do globo.

E hoje no Spotify, o Hip Hop está mais forte do que nunca, com artistas e fãs de todo o mundo se descobrindo e se conectando. Em 2023, quase um quarto de todas os streams no Spotify globalmente foram para músicas de Hip Hop, lideradas por artistas como Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Ice Spice e Metro Boomin.

Mas, vai além disso… 

  • O Hip Hop é o segundo gênero mais popular globalmente no Spotify, e mais de 400 milhões de usuários em todo o mundo escutaram música Hip Hop em 2023 até agora.
  • RapCaviar é a segunda playlist com maior número de seguidores no Spotify. 
  • Em todo o mundo, existem mais de 53 milhões de playlists editoriais e geradas por usuários no Spotify que mencionam Hip Hop ou Rap no título, e mais de 2 bilhões de playlists que contêm pelo menos uma música de Hip Hop.
  • Nos últimos três anos, quase metade dos 50 artistas mais escutados no Spotify em todo o mundo são artistas de Hip Hop ou Rap.

Um dos aspectos mais distintos da cultura Hip Hop é sua regionalidade, com sons únicos vindos de cenas locais dos Estados Unidos, como Nova York, Atlanta, Los Angeles e Miami, ajudando um dos gêneros mais dinâmicos do mundo a florescer.

É por isso que celebramos essas regiões icônicas com uma série de murais originais criados por Raj Dhunna.

RADAR Artist Villano Antillano Delivers Her ‘Magical’ Brand of Latin Rap to Fans Around the World

December 7, 2022

As one of Latin rap’s first transgender artists, Villano Antillano is a true trailblazer who has carved out a revolutionary path. She’s not only made her way onto more than 40 Spotify playlists—including Viva Latino—but has also been featured on multiple Exitos & Top 50 lists. Now we’re excited to welcome Villano to share her personal, unfiltered story with fans across the world as our latest RADAR artist.  

Spotify’s RADAR program spotlights emerging talents from around the globe, and in partnering with Villano, we’re also amplifying an incredible talent from a largely underrepresented community within the urban music scene in particular. 

Born in Bayamón, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Villano generated early buzz with tracks such as “Pajara,” “Culo,” and “Muñeca,” the latter of which was recorded with nonbinary rapper Ana Macho. 

In 2021, Villano enjoyed viral success with the release of her single “Vendetta,” and went on to feature on Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Session, Vol. 51.” She then released the single “KLK,” which has generated more than 900,000 global streams to date, was featured as a panelist at the 2022 Latin American Music Conference, and was named one of its 2022 Wonder Women of Latin Music.  

And just last week, Villano celebrated the release her debut album La Sustancia X, a project that embodies the beauty and horror of growing up queer in the Caribbean.

As part of the RADAR program, we will be releasing the first live recorded performances of Villano’s new tracks, “Kaleidoscópica” and “Cáscara de Coco.” 

For the Record had a chance to talk with Villano to learn more about how her experiences and inspirations are reflected in her music.

What are you looking forward to most as Spotify’s latest RADAR artist?

I think being highlighted as Spotify’s latest RADAR artist is an affirmation of progress and a shift towards raw authenticity. At a personal level I feel very blessed and empowered because I have had to overcome so much to be here. It’s nice to look back and see that, after everything, I have remained victorious. I want the up-and-coming generations to have as many diverse role models as possible—and I believe that myself and a number of other queer artists are heralding a new era. 

I want to reach as many people as possible with a message of power and defiance; I want to wake them up and to have them ask themselves the big questions in the pursuit of happiness. 

For new fans, how would you describe your music?

I’d say my music is tantric. It’s a buildup. It flares you up and makes you feel sexy and in control, but it’s also very political and concise. I think that if you pay attention, I play into the conventionalities of pop music and exaggerate elements of consumerism and vanity as a form of critique while also admitting that I partake in some of these things as well. 

I’d say my music is just human, admitting to your shortcomings and rising above them with prowess and without guilt. From the trap/reggaetón perspective my music is also very dark and antagonistic; it’s also subversive and upsets the delicate egos of a lot of powerful men. I take that into account in my creation process.

Who inspires you, musically?

Sade, Gustavo Cerati, Willie Colón, Rubén Blades, Silvio Rodríguez, Buika, Myrta Silva, La Lupe, Bebe, Tego Calderón, Héctor “El Father”, Ivy Queen, Frankie Ruiz . . . the list goes on. Nicki Minaj has also been one of, if not THE biggest inspiration in my musical development. Maybe it’s a Caribbean connection, but the way we bend colonially imposed languages and adapt them to us, we both speak in very magical ways. To me she’s a writer, and a lot of people don’t catch half of the metaphors or puns Nicki crafts into her verses. She elevates anything she touches and I admire and respect that a lot.

Many of your projects touch on the realities of growing up as a queer person in the Caribbean. Can you tell us a bit about that?

The Caribbean is a magical place—anyone that is actually from here can attest to that. But all of the islands have a horrible history of atrocious abuse, colonialism, and enslavement. Puerto Rico is still to this day a colony of the United States with absolutely no sovereignty, and growing up in a place without freedom is confusing. 

There is a lot of poverty in the Caribbean, and most queer youth end up living in difficult and inhumane conditions. We survive as a community, help each other in the ways we can, and hold each other’s hands when there is nothing we can do. I think this pushes us to exercise and perfect our magic and crafts, because as Puerto Ricans, we are very proud and resilient, and LGBTTQIA+ youth on the island are the most revolutionary of all demographics. 

I have a beautiful story to tell because as an artist, I employ realismo mágico to showcase very terrible things that need to be discussed with urgency in a more palatable way. It’s all about awareness. I had to leave home at 17 because of my identity and sexual orientation. I did everything I could to survive and I held on to my friends when I thought I couldn’t keep going or didn’t see the point in doing so. All I can say is that growing up queer in the Caribbean is dangerous, painful, emotionally unbearable, almost always tied to poverty and living under the constant hunt of the church (which is basically the government) and many other terrible things. 

But I would not be anything else. I am where I have to be with the people I have to be with, and in so much chaos we have crafted for ourselves a network of happiness and strength that is the only peace I’ve known, and the only one I need. 

How important is it to represent queer voices in Latin rap?

We are at a pivotal moment in history. Women are at the forefront of the push for change. Men are starting to ask themselves what it is they actually bring to the table, because more and more women are now able to support themselves without the help of a man who will most likely just end up tossing her a lot of emotional labor and projected insecurities. The newer generations are a lot more aware of where we are headed, and the future is most definitely snowballing into queerness. It is important right now to uplift queer voices in Latin rap—but also across all genres—so that all identities are rightfully represented and we can move past the murderous patriarchal system that has divided us so much. 

I know if I had had a trans role model early in my life I would have felt a lot less lonely and a little more understood, because sometimes that is the line between life and death for teenagers who feel lost and neglected by those around them. Also, because most, if not ALL, current cishet artists, both male and female, are presently benefiting and profiting off of queer culture, it makes perfect sense for the people who invented said culture and trends to be at the forefront of their own revolution. 

Do you have any advice for other emerging artists?

Take time to find and perfect your sound and learn as much as you can about everything you can: cinematography, audio engineering, sound design, fashion, history of art, literature. Soak in the arts that you like and that resonate with you, and let yourself paint a newer picture that reflects your version of things and how you see life. Let it come to you.

Check out tracks from Villano and the rest of our emerging artists on Radar US.

 

Check Out Our 2022 All-RapCaviar Teams and Cast Your Vote for MVP and Rookie of the Year

June 21, 2022

All-RapCaviar Logo

When it comes to iconic duos, hip-hop and basketball are a match made in heaven—dedicated fans, unbridled passion, and unmatched competition bring these two worlds together. And while the playoffs have reached their thrilling conclusion, Spotify is just getting started with our third year of All-RapCaviar.

Our flagship RapCaviar playlist has attracted more than 14 million followers and featured over 13,000 artists since its launch in 2015, and the All-RapCaviar teams are our way to honor the standout performers. Just as pro basketball’s end-of-season awards are created to celebrate the best players in the league, we are picking the top 15 rappers in the game. We base this on their streaming performances on RapCaviar and other Spotify hip-hop–centered playlists throughout the duration of the basketball season (November 2021 to June 2022).

And the wait is over. Here are our 2022 All-RapCaviar picks.

All-RapCaviar First Team:

Kendrick Lamar, Future, Drake, Gunna, Lil Durk

All-RapCaviar Second Team:

Lil Baby, Kanye West, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Megan Thee Stallion

All-RapCaviar Third Team:

Nicki Minaj, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Kodak Black, Pusha T, Latto

The fun doesn’t end here, however. 

The nominees for All-RapCaviar MVP and Rookie of the Year have been revealed on the RapCaviar Twitter account. Now, you and your fellow rap fans get to vote on the winners. Here are the nominees:

All-RapCaviar MVP Nominees

All-RapCaviar Rookie of the Year Nominees

Following the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, we’ll also announce our pick for the All-RapCaviar Coach of the Year on June 22. And as voting commences and the online debates unfold, we’ll be discussing our All-RapCaviar teams and nominees with hip-hop’s biggest influencers on “Inside RapCaviar,” a mini episode that you can watch on Instagram and Twitter. 

“Every rapper wants to be a baller and every baller wants to be a rapper. We kicked off the All-RapCaviar franchise on social two years ago but after seeing such a positive response from fans online, we decided to bring it to life for real,” Carl Chery, Creative Director, Head of Urban Music at Spotify explained to For the Record. “This is a digital campaign that taps our audience to share who they think should win MVP & Rookie of The Year; allowing fans to really share their opinions and encourage a little friendly debate online. We look forward to creating these moments for our listeners and recognizing a wide array of artists that have been featured on our RapCaviar playlist.” 

As the leading destination for hip-hop, conversation, and culture, Spotify and RapCaviar are thrilled to host this one-of-a-kind fan vote, and even more thrilled that fans will make their voices heard. 

So who will take home hip-hop bragging rights? It’s time for you to make your voice heard.

Visit RapCaviar on Twitter to vote for All-RapCaviar MVP and Rookie of the Year. And as you wait for the results to roll in, stream the latest tracks from all of our picks and nominees on the RapCaviar playlist.

 

Elevate Your GIF Game With GIPHY and Spotify’s New Music Feature

July 22, 2021

After searching GIPHY, an online database that contains billions of GIFs, stickers, and more, you’ve found it. You’ve spotted the perfect GIF. Now, it’s time to share it in your group chat so your friends can get a feel for your reaction—no words necessary.  

No matter how you pronounce it, GIFs are the ultimate visual metaphor. And now, thanks to a partnership with Spotify and GIPHY, music can be part of the equation. We’re teaming up with GIPHY to enable new Spotify-linked artist GIFs. When users click the GIF on the verified GIPHY artists’ pages, they’ll be taken directly to the featured artist’s Spotify page for a listening session. 

Artists Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, The Kid LAROI, and Conan Gray have already kicked off the integration, with more to come.

Users around the globe can find the feature on verified GIPHY artist pages and they can be experienced through both GIPHY’s web and mobile platform. Here’s how it works:

  1. Search for artists’ GIFs on their official GIPHY channel via GIPHY.com or GIPHY’s mobile apps
  2. Once on the artist’s official GIPHY channel, click on the GIF you’d like to use
  3. Tap the “Listen on Spotify” button on any participating GIF
  4. Users will be taken directly to the artist’s Spotify page, where they can listen and discover even more music from artists they love

Ready to give it a try? Check out Doja Cat’s, The Weeknd’s, Post Malone’s, Nicki Minaj’s, The Kid LAROI’s, and Conan Gray’s verified GIPHY pages to see the integration in action.

Meet Flo Milli, the Alabama Rapper Speaking to Gen Z—and Spotify’s Fourth U.S. RADAR Artist

January 15, 2021

Stream rapper Flo Milli’s mixtape and you’ll hear simultaneously bubbly and assertive tracks covering the 21-year-old’s take on money, men, self-empowerment, and jealousy. The Atlanta-based Alabama native, who grew up singing in her church choir, has been using her voice for some time. “It was mandatory for me to be in the choir,” Flo told For the Record. “My mom used to sing all the time, so did my sister. I guess I was the only one who wanted to rap, though.”

Today Flo was named Spotify’s newest U.S. RADAR artist. Spotify created RADAR to help artists across all stages of their careers use the strength of our platform to deepen connections to their audiences. Now listeners can stream the 175 RADAR-affiliated emerging artists around the world in one palace on the RADAR Global Hub. 

As the latest RADAR artist, Flo will be featured in the RADAR playlist and create a Spotify Singles recording. She’ll also receive promotional support for her upcoming releases, a full suite of marketing, and social promotion. Flo Milli’s campaign will furthermore include a forthcoming mini-documentary to premiere later this year. Also out today is Flo’s glamorous new single “Roaring 20s,” which shows off the star power of the RADAR artist.

Flo’s long-standing musical aspirations were fueled by R&B TV show 106 & Park and the work of Nicki Minaj. These propelled Flo to record her own tracks as a high schooler. Her first two, “Beef FloMix” and “In the Party,” went viral among Gen Zers on social media and enabled Flo to release her first mixtape, Ho, why is you here? in 2020. It has now seen over 192 million streams on Spotify.

“Since the release of ‘Beef FloMix’ on Spotify in 2019, we’ve watched Flo Milli’s exponential growth with excitement,” says Ned Monahan, Spotify’s Head of Global Hits. “Her magnetism is indisputable, and she’s one of the most exciting new rappers in the game right now. We are beyond thrilled to partner with Flo as our next RADAR artist and can’t wait to see what’s next.”

For the Record chatted with Flo about her inspirations, accomplishments, and recommendations to young women looking to do what they love. 

Both your music and fashion have been compared to that of ’90s rappers. What about that decade excites or inspires you?

I think it’s interesting. As I’ve been going in my career, I’ve started to discover how times were back then. I didn’t, of course, grow up around that time. But I see clips all the time of the ’90s and how the music industry was just different. And I do admire it because I think it’s cool to see how everything has changed and how social media plays a big part into today’s music industry. But I wouldn’t have minded coming up in that era either. 

In the past two years, female artists have sung shamelessly about money or wealth in their songs, examples including Cardi B, Arianna Grande, and you. Why do you think it’s important to bring this topic into conversation?

I believe that whatever you put out into the universe, that’s what you’re going to get. So if you’re speaking about these things, you’re conjuring them up. Who doesn’t want to live a lavish lifestyle, especially when you come from nothing? 

Those things are power, and I think it’s important to make it a habit to speak the things that we want and let everybody know, especially young girls, that they can have those things. You can reach your goals and you can be great. You can get anything you want if you put your mind to it. 

Tell us a little bit about your creative process. 

It took me a long time to really learn my best process for making music. It was hard trying to find my niche. So I like to have fun. I just need to be in a space where I’m alone and I’ve got a variety of beats. I like to be myself and free and have my own space. That’s how I create. 

Your single “Beef FloMix” had success on social media before hitting the number two spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 in April 2019. What changes did you observe after being featured on the playlist?

I think my streams went up even more, of course. I got more fans and just a lot of added traction towards my music and videos, everything. So I think it helped a lot. It’s dope to be put on those playlists, because a lot of like youth of course have Spotify and they listen on the app, and those playlists influence them. 

What would you say to aspiring young female rappers who aren’t sure where to begin?

I would encourage them to always follow what they feel strongly about. Don’t let anybody come in between your opinions about your craft and what you create and build. Stick to what you think is cool, because only you know what’s good. Surround yourself with people who have your best interests and never give up.

It’s a unique time for everyone. How have you stayed positive in spite of everything the year has thrown at us?

I just started to learn how food can affect you and your mood. I’ve also been going to sleep saying positive affirmations. There’s hella videos where you could just play them while you’re going to sleep. And like all those affirmations go into your subconscious mind. And before you know it, you’re going to have all these affirmations in your head. I would just encourage everybody to do that with everything going on in the world. 

What are you looking forward to as Spotify’s current U.S. RADAR artist?

I’m looking forward to just my hard work being highlighted. My goal is to get the messages of the songs across in the best way and to keep the ball rolling the entire year. 

Stream Flo Milli’s mixtape, Ho, why is you here? below. 

Here’s Where Your Favorite Artists Toured the Most in 2018

December 28, 2018

For an artist, there’s nothing like connecting with diehard fans who are sing-screaming your lyrics from the front row; for concert-goers, there’s nothing like seeing the music you’re obsessed with come alive on stage. That’s why we took our passion for music on the road and dug into the touring trends that reached far beyond our platform this year. Because while many of the year’s biggest artists hit the road in 2018, no two tours looked exactly the same.

Want to see for yourself? The proof is in our 2018 touring map. To create it, we looked at the top-streamed artists who played in 10 or more U.S. cities this year.

The map helped us discover some interesting trends—and some pretty weird shapes. While superstars like Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar spent lots of time on the coasts, rising artists like Juice WRLD and Playboi Carti made sure to hit all corners of the country. Beyoncé, Chris Brown, and Twenty One Pilots toured mostly around the perimeter of the U.S., but Zedd, Gucci Mane, and Dan + Shay clustered lots of dates in the middle.

MVPs like SZA, Kane Brown, and Migos toured throughout the year, but some shorter tours, including Lana Del Rey’s, included stops in Hawaii (and hopefully some beach time).

We also checked out which artists played which cities the most. Texas hip-hop collective Brockhampton played New York seven times, while Rich the Kid, originally from Queens, played L.A. a record 12 times. Perhaps most impressive were the Chainsmokers, who hit Las Vegas a whopping 45 times (although their Vegas residency might have had something to do with that).

Click on each artist to dig deeper into where, when, and how they toured throughout the year. When you click on 5 Seconds of Summer, you’ll see that the Aussies covered lots of ground in the U.S. from April to December. (And to get back to the original map, just click the tab on the top left or the X button at the top right.)

Dive in below—no van required.

Stream hits from these artists and more of the year’s biggest stars here in our Top Artists of 2018 playlist.