Tag: polish

Spotify and UNICEF Partner To Support Mental Health by Bringing the Power of Audio to Millions

June 28, 2023

At Spotify, we know that music and audio can help support mental health, so we’re dedicated to using the power of our platform to bring resources to people directly where they are. Today, we are embarking on a three-year partnership with UNICEF to help ensure that young people, including refugees, displaced people, and migrants, can access trusted and engaging mental health audio content. 

To start, our focus will be on responding to the urgent mental health needs of young people who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. UNICEF has been supporting mental health and psychosocial support interventions for over 2.6 million Ukrainian children and caregivers since before 2022. Going forward, we’ll explore opportunities to expand our impact across other emergency and nonemergency contexts around the world.

“Our goal in partnering with UNICEF is to help young people, including refugees and migrants, find the support they need to optimize their mental health and well-being online and offline,” says Elizabeth Nieto, VP, Global Head of Equity and Impact at Spotify. “Our collaboration will particularly focus on harnessing the power of music, audio, and other innovative digital content to deliver trusted and engaging mental health content for young people, their caregivers, and communities.” 

Evidence-based resources for mental health and well-being 

Our partnership will kick off with the youth mental well-being destination Our Minds Matter on Spotify, where listeners will be able to access a combination of existing music and talk playlists. These engaging playlists can provide support for a wide range of mental health and well-being needs—and give young people resources right at their fingertips. 

Understanding the everyday mental health needs of young people directly affected by the war in Ukraine is key to being able to support them. That is why UNICEF, with our support, has been collaborating with a group of Ukrainian and Polish youth to cocreate a new youth-informed, evidence-based mental health podcast called On My Mind. Season one will initially be available in Ukrainian, Polish, and English, with new languages coming online later. 

From episodes on breaking down the stigma around mental health to nurturing healthy relationships, to coping with grief, stress, and loss,​ this co-created podcast will support tangible progress in improving access to mental health services and fostering a nurturing environment for young people. 

Going forward, Spotify and UNICEF will work together to cocreate, adapt, digitize, and translate additional mental health content. We’ll also continue to curate new music and talk playlists that support mental health and well-being and can be featured on this platform.

RADAR Poland Celebrates Its First Anniversary With Five New Artists

June 28, 2022

five singers standing on stage outside listening to a person speak

Spotify’s RADAR Poland debuted one year ago as a way to introduce emerging artists to new fans. The program aims to help up-and-coming artists worldwide open new chapters in their careers while strengthening their connection to listeners locally and globally. Ten artists and more than 50 million streams later, RADAR Poland has certainly made its mark.

In June of 2021, the program announced the six initial artists on its roster: Julia Pośnik, Szczyl, Dziwna Wiosna, P. Tropez, Zalia, and KIWI. In November, it announced four additional artists: Marie, Oliwka Brazil, Jann, and bryska. Through RADAR’s support, which includes a personalized marketing plan and on-platform spotlights, these artists have seen an increase in both their fan bases and visibility. 

Female artists are on the rise and seeing a lot of success in Poland, which is something we are helping to advance with some of our picks. Zalia, a singer-songwriter and Warsaw native, has increased her monthly listeners by more than 200% since joining the RADAR program last year. “Spotify’s editorial playlists help not only with promotion and gaining popularity, but also with spreading women’s music and creativity. As a female artist, I truly feel the noticeable change in the music industry, and I know that Spotify takes a big part in it,” shared Zalia.

Other local RADAR artists have also seen success, with Oliwka Brazil and Marie making it in the Top 50 most-streamed female artists in Poland for 2021. “One year in, we are happy that we’re already able to talk about the success that our past RADAR artists have had. It’s evident that it’s a program where artists can get discovered,” explained Mateusz Smółka, Music Team Lead at Spotify. “We believe that, thanks to the support of the RADAR program, our current and future artists will be able to achieve further success and win the hearts of millions of Spotify users.”

As we celebrate the anniversary of the program, we’re excited to announce five new artists that will be joining RADAR Poland. Get to know them below:

Ania Leon staring at the camera

Ania Leon is a young vocalist who has built her sound around dark electronic production and intriguing lyrics. Fans may already know Ania from her live performances as a supporting act for Natalia Przybysz, Daria Zawiałow, and Brodka. At the end of 2021, she released a cover of Krzysztof Zalewski‘s hit song “Miłość miłość” as part of the Kayax XX Rework series.

Julia Rocka staring at the camera

Julia Rocka is a Gen Z artist whose songs combine elements of pop, urban, and alternative genres with consciously provocative storytelling in her lyrics. Her singles have been played over 10 million times on Spotify, and the song “Jeep” reached number one on the Spotify Viral chart in Poland.

Marissa posing in front of the camera with her hands by her face

Marissa is a multitalented singer who started her artistic adventure playing the piano and writing poems. Now she creates songs not only for herself, but also for other artists. Marissa’s signature style combines pop with a mix of urban and trap beats. 

Artist TYNSKY posing in front of the camera. The wind is blowing his hair in front of his face.

TYNSKY, or Tomek Kamiński, is an 18-year-old vocalist from Płock who writes and composes his own songs. His music has been strongly influenced by the works of British singer Ed Sheeran. Since debuting the song, “Stop The Party,” in October 2021, TYNSKY has released eight original tracks and is currently working on his first EP.

Artist NEL poses in front of the camera

Originally from Warsaw, NEL traveled to Turkey after finishing school to search for artistic inspiration. The singer has released six singles, including the track “Sativa” that she recorded with the rapper Filipek. NEL is currently working on her debut EP and recently released her new single, “CUD.”

Now that you know a little more about the artists, check out their tracks on the RADAR Poland playlist.

Poland’s EQUAL Artist of the Month Hania Rani Composes Music That Lights Up the Soul

July 20, 2021

She’s a neoclassical pianist, musician, singer, composer, and award-winning artist, but Hania Rani’s resume only tells one side of her story. To get the full picture, you have to listen to her music, which features scores of wistful piano touched by sparse vocals and subtle synths. 

Hania grew up in Gdańsk, Poland, and later split her time between Warsaw and Berlin, where she studied piano and gained exposure to jazz and electronic music. Her career includes credits on full-length feature films, performances at iconic European venues, and accolades from across the Polish music industry, including multiple Fryderyk nominations, the country’s equivalent to a Grammy or BRIT award. 

Hania’s reign continues as Poland’s EQUAL artist of the month. Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program aims to combat gender disparity in the music industry by amplifying the work of women creators globally through an extension of resources and opportunities and by creating a global, cohesive, branded experience. As an EQUAL artist of the month, Hania will also be featured on the program’s bespoke playlist.

For the Record asked Hania to fill in the blanks and share her inspirations, creative process, and hopes for the future of music. 

The artists who have most inspired me are ____.

At the end of the day, I have to say that many of the artists who have had a really deep impact on my music are women. I really need to mention names like Agnes Obel, Juana Molina, Martha Argerich, Maria João Pires, and Mica Levi. Watching their creative process is always a huge lesson for me. Apart from these, I also need to mention Nils Frahm, who will always have a very special place in my heart.

One piece of advice I’d give other women artists is ____.

Learn, research, create, and go for things that make the blood in your veins flow a bit faster. Be curious, look deeper, and don’t be satisfied with shallow solutions. Don’t worry about whether something is reserved for women or men. If it interests you deeply, go for it. 

One notable moment in my career so far ____.

Releasing my first solo album, Esja. Everything that has happened afterwards was just a result  of this decision.

My creative process consists of ____.

Improvisation, craft, and intuition. I consider these to be very important elements of music I would like to create, music that is a source of freedom and spontaneity but is also rooted in skills and technique. I search for things that can’t be explained, things that sound intuitive but actually are deeply processed and planned from the craft side. My songs seem effortless but are created as a result of knowledge, experience, and confidence. When composing, I spend a lot of time improvising, recording, and deciding on the motifs worth developing. 

One way I’d like to see greater gender equity in the music industry is ____.

Simply seeing girls and women working in the music business and achieving their goals. I am always happy seeing women being awarded, mentioned, seen, and admired—not as an exception or because they are women—but because they delivered to the world a high-quality work of art or their voice played an important role in a discussion. 

One up-and-coming woman artist I’m excited to watch is ____.

Sama’ Abdulhadi! She is an extremely brave and exciting artist from Palestine who is not only producing amazing music, but is also an exceptionally fearless human being. I hope her voice will change more than just the music scene.

My girl-power anthem right now is ____.

I was always more interested in fragility, empathy, and intensity of sight than the idea of bringing even more power to a world overwhelmed with noise, chaos, and violence. But if my values could have a voice, it would probably be the soft but hypnotizing sound of Melanie De Biasio singing “I’m Gonna Leave You.”

Experience Hania’s unique sound and other women artists on Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist below: