Tag: phoebe bridgers

bummer summer Is Spotify’s New Playlist for Gen Z Listeners To Tap Into Their Feels

August 21, 2023

Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness” stuck in your head? You’re not alone. On Spotify this summer, sad songs are getting us in our feels, thanks to our listeners who are unapologetically expressing their emotions. “Sad” is the most-searched term for Gen Z listeners on Spotify globally, and they’re tuning into our sad playlists—including pop-infused sad hour, R&B-inspired All The Feels, rap-heavy tear drop, sad sierreño, sad girl country, and sad girl starter pack—more than any other age group.  

To match the vibe in the U.S. and Canada, we launched bummer summer, the ultimate lineup of moody jams and soul-filling songs. Complete with tracks from d4vd, Frank Ocean, Phoebe Bridgers, Lana Del Rey, Big Thief, and Billie Eilish, the playlist echoes the honesty and transparency that Gen Zs emulate in their lives and listening—and harnesses the ability of emotive, lyrical music to enhance any mood.   

“There’s something really unique about this generation,” says Krista Scozzari, Spotify North American Marketing Lead. “They embrace their feelings so much. They’re really flipping the stigma of vulnerability. Gen Z has brought a raw, authentic new reality to expressing their emotions, and we’re seeing that in how they listen. We wanted to celebrate this powerful thing they’re doing.”

Gen Z listeners are seeking tracks that evoke feelings of nostalgia, wistfulness, and wanting—songs that feel like a warm embrace. “It’s important to note that not everything sounds like Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I made For?’” says Lizzy Szabo, Spotify Senior Editor for Indie Music. “Though that was one of the breakout sad songs of the summer—probably the biggest—and was given a lot of extra context from being in the Barbie movie. It really took this feeling of nostalgia and met it with current issues and feelings.”  

Lizzy notes that subgenres like indie pop, sad rap, and sad sierreño have all boomed in the past year, with standout artists including Phoebe Bridgers (bonus points for her work with boygenius), Joji, Alex G, Haley Heynderickx, Ivan Cornejo, and Junior H. She’s also seeing a rise in catalog listening for the broody sounds of Cigarettes After Sex, TV Girl, Lana Del Rey, Mitski, and Radiohead. “Artists have a way of putting things better than we ever could, so it’s a way for people to lean in and just fully embrace their emotions and the experiences they’re going through,” she says. 

“Sad music can help us to release, express, channel, or purge our emotions,” says Dr. Michael Bonshor, PhD, music psychology expert. “It often has slower speeds, which slows down our breathing and heart rate when we listen so that we feel more relaxed and tranquil. In addition to hearing slower speeds, hearing music with sad lyrics creates a sense of personal connection with the artists who wrote them—it validates that our human experiences are shared.”

The Crossover Effect: Artist Collaborations Thrive on Spotify

May 24, 2023

The crossover collaboration is one of music’s great traditions. When artists from different genres, regions, or simply different career stages bring their talents together on a track, it’s sure to capture fan attention. It can even breathe new life into a song or group. 

When Run-D.M.C. linked up with Aerosmith in the ’80s to reimagine the latter’s single “Walk This Way,” it resulted in an international smash hit. It also helped birth the rap rock subgenre and still stands as Run-D.M.C.’s biggest hit. Decades after its release, the song has racked up hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify to date.

More recently, we’ve seen major crossover collaboration moments from the likes of SZA and Phoebe Bridgers on “Ghost in the Machine,” PinkPantheress and Ice Spice on “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” and Taylor Swift and The National on “The Alcott.” 

While these collaborations offer new avenues for creative exploration, they also bring together each artist’s distinct fan bases, providing an opportunity for everyone involved to expand their audiences.

“I think one of the biggest things is how music collaborations can connect genres,” explains John Stein, Spotify’s North America Head of Editorial. “We see a lot more of these collaborations, and I think each artist’s core audience seems to be more open to these moments than in the past.”

It’s easy to see why artists love this approach, but how do fans respond? Are they listening more on Spotify when they discover a new artist on one of these songs? 

We took a look at more than 40 of the biggest crossover collaborations from the last 12 years and found that six months after the collab was released, 75% of artists involved saw an increase of at least 10% in overall Spotify streams across their catalogs compared to the six months prior. More than 50% of those same artists saw their number of streams grow by at least 50% in that same time period, while 30% saw their number of streams rise by at least 100%.

And while many of these collaborations are well received, some of them have been very well received.

There are few examples that paint this picture more clearly than Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus uniting on “Old Town Road – Remix.” In the six months following the song’s release, the increase in shared listeners between the two artists skyrocketed by nearly 390,000%.

For further proof, you can also look back to 2017, when Latin music icon Luis Fonsi joined forces with reggaeton godfather Daddy Yankee on “Despacito.” The song quickly caught on with fans around the world, but its popularity went into overdrive and the song became an inescapable tour de force when Justin Bieber hopped on the “Despacito (Remix)” three months later.

Luis in particular saw his fame reach unforeseen heights, and in the six months following the release of the original version, streams of Luis Fonsi on Spotify jumped by more than 2,600% (compared to the six months prior). 

But it was the remix, specifically, that helped to expand the Puerto Rican singer’s reach in English-speaking markets. Spotify streams of Luis Fonsi in the U.S., U.K., and Canada combined spiked by more than 4,300% in the six months following the release of “Despacito,” with most of that increase coming after the remix dropped. 

“When the ‘Despacito’ remix came out, it felt like a huge and rare moment to have artists from such different backgrounds and genre spaces collaborate and experience such success,” John says. “Now it feels like it happens all the time, and there’s almost a level of expectation that artists are going to mix it up and work with artists from different spaces. And I think we see that reflected in the data on the platform and in the reaction on our playlists.”

Such is the case with Nigerian afropop star Rema and American pop star Selena Gomez, who created a cross-continental connection on the 2022 hit “Calm Down.” 

“When Rema dropped the solo version of ‘Calm Down’ last year, it was doing really well in terms of streams, especially in Africa,” John explains. “Then, at the exact right moment, Rema teamed up with Selena Gomez on a new version of the track.”

In the six months following the collaboration’s release, daily Spotify streams of Rema in North America increased by more than 230% compared to the six months prior. Meanwhile, daily Spotify streams of Selena Gomez in sub-Saharan Africa increased by more than 120% in that same time period.

“With Selena being such a big pop star globally, I think the song reached an audience that checked it out to see what Selena was doing,” John says. “But they kept coming back because it was such a good song.”

And much like Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, the respective fan bases of Rema and Selena Gomez started to merge together. In the six months following the release of “Calm Down,” the number of fans who listened to both artists increased by over 600%.

A springboard to success

For emerging artists, the crossover effect can help them break through in previously untapped markets, or help them define their musical identity on their own terms.

When Khalid had his breakthrough moment with his 2016 hit single “Location,” he was often labeled as an R&B artist. But after his 2017 collaboration with Alina Baraz—an artist who floats between the lines of pop, R&B, and electronic—on “Electric,” Khalid flashed his potential to be a pop star in the broadest possible sense.

And, like Luis Fonsi, Khalid is another artist who benefitted from the crossover effect. Following the release of “Electric,” streams of Khalid on Spotify spiked by more than 3,100% in the six months following its release (compared to the prior six months).

Building on the momentum of “Electric,” Khalid showcased his versatility as he hopped between genres on a number of high-profile collaborations. At every turn, the singer won over new fans, appearing alongside Alessia Cara on Logic’s “1-800-273-8255” and connecting with EDM producer Marshmello on “Silence.” To date, both songs have been streamed more than a billion times on Spotify.

“The editorial team used to have a lot of conversations about Khalid, and the general consensus was, ‘Wow, he is on everything,’” John reflects. “He has a really unique voice that brings a special quality to songs, so it makes sense in a lot of ways that he was finding success with those collaborations.”

Khalid’s fruitful run even included an appearance on Billie Eilish’s 2018 chart-topping juggernaut “lovely,” which has been streamed more than 2 billion times and remains his most successful song to date.

Amplifying crossover collaborations

In the streaming era, fans’ access to music isn’t limited by what’s on the radio or TV, or by what’s available at the record shop. With a few taps of the screen, fans have instant access to the catalogs of millions of artists.

So when a collaboration comes along that catches the ear of listeners, there are a variety of features on Spotify that both enhance the discovery process for fans and help expand the reach of those songs even further.

Many Spotify fans often start with search. And when they discover a new artist through a crossover collab, we’ve noticed a sizable jump in searches for that artist. 

When Grupo Frontera collaborated with Bad Bunny on “un x100to,” the star power of Spotify’s three-time most-streamed artist confirmed Música Mexicana’s status as an explosive genre on the rise.

In the two weeks that followed the release, daily Spotify searches for the Mexican sextet surged by more than 330% compared to the two weeks prior. At their peak, searches for Grupo Frontera increased by more than 1,100%.

The National experienced a similar bump from their collaboration with Taylor Swift, with Spotify searches increasing by more than 1,500% on the day of release.

For Spotify’s global team of editors, successful crossover collaborations also offer up a valuable signal that helps guide their curation of playlists. Every week, our editorial team sits down and discusses the latest cultural movements in the regions and genres they focus on. When a crossover collaboration starts to make waves, it can encourage editors to feature them in playlists they might not have appeared on before. 

“I know among our indie-focused editors, there was a discussion of the SZA and Phoebe Bridgers single and whether or not it was an indie track,” John explains. “While SZA might primarily be a pop or R&B artist, our editors overwhelmingly felt that it was an indie song, and having Phoebe on ‘Ghost In The Machine’ helped her open the door to Spotify’s core indie audience.”

Crossover collaborations can also appear on personalized playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly if a Spotify listener follows or regularly listens to one of the artists involved. When that happens, fans can easily discover the other artists.

“I think in the case of Ice Spice and PinkPantheress—with one being a rapper from New York and the other being a British artist who makes dance-oriented music—Release Radar has helped them both reach each other’s core audiences across genres and regions,” John says. “These types of collaborations can make listeners more open to checking out a new artist if they like what they hear.”

Spotify for Artists’ Fan Study has previously revealed that artists see their international reach increase significantly when they collaborate with someone outside of their home market. And we found the same to be true for Ice Spice and PinkPantheress. In the three months that followed the release of “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” daily Spotify streams of PinkPantheress grew by nearly 250% in the U.S. (compared to the six months prior). Ice Spice, meanwhile, had a breakthrough moment in the U.K., with daily Spotify streams of her songs rising by nearly 1,400%. At the peak, daily streams for PinkPantheress and Ice Spice soared by more than 400% and 1,900% in the U.S. and U.K., respectively.

Taken altogether, the numbers on display here tell a powerful story about the crossover effect. This insight is invaluable, suggesting that the cross-cultural exchanges and expression of fresh ideas can lead not only to globe-expanding visibility, but the opportunity to forge new career paths. As the songs grow, so do the artists.

Spotify’s AI DJ Brings a Personalized Listening Experience to Fans in the UK and Ireland

May 16, 2023

In February we unveiled DJ, a personalized AI guide that understands you and your music taste so well that it does the choosing for you. Now we’re excited to start rolling out DJ in beta to Premium users across the U.K. and Ireland. 

At its core, DJ is all about connection and discovery. And thanks to DJ’s powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI through the use of OpenAI technology in the hands of our music experts, and a dynamic AI voice, listening has never felt so personal. 

When we were deciding where to offer DJ next, the U.K. and Ireland just made sense. We have a team of local music experts on the ground in the region, and it’s where some of DJ’s fundamental technology has been developed.

We also know there’s demand: While we’ve seen fans across the globe asking for DJ, it was most commonly requested by users on social media in the U.K. and Ireland.* But don’t just take it from us . . .

 

When users in the U.K. and Ireland tune in they will be greeted by a stunningly realistic AI voice, modeled after Spotify’s own Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan. Plus, they’ll be served songs and context geared towards them. For example, users who tune in right around launch may hear about how Arlo Parks is releasing her newest album, My Soft Machine, at the end of May alongside her collab, “Phoenix,” with friend and longtime role model Phoebe Bridgers. And when it comes to an engaging listening experience, these moments of relevant context are winning DJ users over.

We’ve found that when DJ listeners hear commentary alongside personal music recommendations, they’re more willing to try something new (or listen to a song they may have otherwise skipped). On days when users tune in, fans spend 25% of their listening time with DJ—and they keep coming back. More than half of first-time listeners come back to listen to DJ the very next day.** 

And DJ has especially resonated with Gen Z and Millennials, who make up 87% of DJ users.***

But this is just the beginning. DJ is still in beta, and we’ll continue to iterate and innovate to evolve the experience over time.

Ready to give DJ a try? Just head to your Music Feed on Home in mobile.

*Results based on tweets between February 22, 2023 – May 11, 2023 from users with a publicly identifiable location.
**Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from February 22, 2023 to March 1, 2023.
***Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from April 28, 2023 to May 4, 2023.

‘A Small Light’ Producer Este Haim Shares the Classic Songs That Inspired the Star-Studded Soundtrack

May 2, 2023

Yesterday marked the premiere of A Small Light, a new limited series on National Geographic that tells the story of Miep Gies, the fearless heroine who helped protect Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II.

A Small Light brings plenty of star power to the screen, with a standout cast including Bel Powley, Liev Schreiber, and Joe Cole. But the show’s original soundtrack is equally as impressive.

Ariel Marx (American Horror Story, Candy, Sanctuary) served as composer for the soundtrack’s original score, while Este Haim (of HAIM) assumed production duties for the star-studded covers featured in the show.

Drawing from some of the biggest hits of the ’30s and ’40s, Este worked closely with artists like Kamasi Washington, Sharon Van Etten, Remi Wolf, Angel Olsen, Moses Sumney, Orville Peck, Weyes Blood, King Princess, and Danielle Haim to reimagine some of the era’s classics for today’s music and TV lovers. On May 5, the first pair of covers from A Small Light will be released on Spotify, and every Tuesday through May 23, the remaining covers will be released following their appearance on the show. In addition, Ariel’s score will be released on May 19.

Este and Ariel also joined forces to create a companion playlist featuring the music that inspired their work on A Small Light. Ranging from early-20th-century hits by Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Edith Piaf to more recent gems by Tom Waits and Andrew Bird, these songs helped inform the soundtrack’s distinct blend of past and present sounds.

For the Record sat down with Este and Ariel to learn more about A Small Light and their creative approaches to the soundtrack, as well as the standout moments they experienced along the way. 

What initially excited you about working on this project?

Este: I signed on for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that I got to play curator. It was basically my dream dinner party list of artists who I wanted to hang out with and become friends with . . . which I did.

I also think that A Small Light’s story hits close to home for me and is one that needs to be told. As a Jewish woman who was obsessed with Anne Frank as a kid (and who literally thought that she was Anne Frank when she was eight years old), I always felt a kinship to her.

How did the artists featured on your playlist inspire the soundtrack?

Este: As I researched music for the soundtrack, I found myself gravitating toward artists like The Andrews Sisters and The Ink Spots that my Bubby Blanche would play on the family’s old Victrola when I was a kid. And after seeing all of A Small Light, it was clear the music had to reflect not only the actors’ brilliant performances, but also Miep’s resilience and strength. 

So when I was asked to find artists to perform covers of these amazing songs, it was important that they could handle this sort of material and truly communicate the feeling of the song. Thankfully, every artist I asked to be a part of the project agreed and was just as excited as I was to delve into this material.

Ariel: While finding my way into the palette of the score, I was definitely drawn to the popular music of the time—like Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington—as a jumping off point, but in an effort to modernize and embody Miep’s soul, I was most influenced by contemporary artists who live between the lines of jazz, folk, experimentalism—like Tom Waits and Andrew Bird. 

Each of these artists find haunting beauty in their charming playfulness and imperfection. These small ensembles feel as powerful as any orchestra or big band. This intimate, resourceful, lively, virtuosic yet accessible aesthetic felt most appropriate to underscore Miep’s world.

What were your respective creative approaches for this soundtrack?

Este: I spent a lot of time listening to playlists and looking at old Top 10 charts that weren’t just from America, but from all over the world. And I actually went further back than the 1940s. There’s actually a song in the in the pilot called “Til We Meet Again” that was originally written in the middle of World War I. And even if it’s from a different era, the subject matter is pretty much the same. It’s like, “You’re leaving, and I don’t know when I’m going to see you again.” 

It was just really fun to kind of rediscover these songs and try to figure out exactly how I wanted to reimagine them. And the goal was to update these songs but still retain a classic feel that stands the test of time. The songs from that era quintessentially feel like they’re from that era. They use different words. The vocabulary is very much from the ’30s and ’40s. But still, I wanted to balance the sweetness of some of these songs with grittier sonics. So, while I might’ve used instruments like the harp, I also included some electric guitar on the sly. Mostly, I stuck very closely to organic instruments, as opposed to inorganic instruments. The idea was to elevate them and make them sound modern.

Ariel: Like the covers, the score doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel too much. This is a show about an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things, so the music couldn’t overpower her and her spirit in that way. 

My approach definitely focused less on channeling the past and more on incorporating a contemporary sound. We didn’t want it to feel like it was from the ’30s or the ’40s, but we also didn’t want it to feel anachronistic and pull viewers out of the story. So, while I was inspired by certain techniques from the ’40s like jazz voicings and improvisation, there’s a lot of classical minimalism, avant-garde tension, and electronic influence in the music.

Are there any parallels you notice between music from the ’30s and ’40s, and music now?

Este: I feel there’s an irreverence in pop music now that was kind of happening in the ’40s with jazz. I think especially with women in the rock community, which I’m proud to be a part of, there is kind of a fearlessness we’re feeling. And I think that a lot of jazz musicians were feeling that way in the ’30s and ’40s, and especially postwar. And now, there’s this post-COVID surge of energy, and wanting to live life after everything we’ve experienced the last few years. And I can’t help but think that there was probably a lot of that in the ’40s coming out of the war. 

Ariel: I think to Este’s point, one thing the war did was consolidate ensembles like a big band. Those weren’t in the cards as much anymore. So musicians had to make do with rationing music, having small ensembles, and figuring out how to bring the same sort of energy and brightness and melody. And I think that also ties so much into the theme of the story, too—just making the most of what you have.

Were there any standout moments while working with these artists as a producer?

Este: I really loved being in the driver’s seat, but it was also a great chance for me to collaborate and learn. I was in the studio with Zachary Dawes, who works with Lana Del Rey and Ethan Gruska, who works with Phoebe Bridgers. So this was a great learning experience.

And as an Angeleno, working with Kamasi Washington was one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had in the studio. We recorded his song at this studio called Valentine, which is this total time capsule of a studio in L.A. We brought in nine instrumentalists and tracked everything live, and it was so spectacular. I had the chills the entire time because I’m in there giving suggestions to these insanely talented L.A. players who people pay a lot of money to see live, and I had a front row seat for it all. At the same time, I was telling them, “Follow your bliss and do what you need to do.” 

Like I said, it was a pretty sick dinner party.

Now that you know all about the soundtrack, check out the first two episodes of A Small Light, now airing on National Geographic.