Tag: Pop

Spotlighting the Artists To Watch in 2024

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to predict which artists will make their mark in 2024. Continuing our annual Artists To Watch campaign, we’ve expanded the list to feature even more artists across many more genres. 

Along with streaming data, we tapped our North American music team and editors of our playlist brands—Viva Latino (Latin), Pop Rising (pop), Hot Country (country), juniper (folk), New Noise (rock), Lorem (indie), R&B Rising (R&B), Most Necessary (hip-hop), and mint (dance)—to help select the 90 rising talents featured below. You can also find all of our picks rounded up in one convenient spot with our brand-new Artists To Watch playlist. 

You’ll find Musica Mexicana crooner Chino Pacas among Viva Latino’s picks, and introspective hitmaker Teddy Swims included in Pop Rising’s selections. Country and folk singer-songwriters MacKenzie Carpenter and Chance Peña made Hot Country and juniper’s cuts, respectively, while all-women rock band The Beaches and moody indie songstress Chappell Roan were tapped by New Noise and Lorem. Meanwhile, South African vocalist Tyla, Texas rapper That Mexican OT, and Greek electronic producer Argy were recognized by R&B Rising, Most Necessary, and mint, respectively. 

Who else should you keep an eye on in 2024? Keep reading for the full list of Artists To Watch. 

Viva Latino’s Artists To Watch

Bellakath
Chino Pacas
Dei V
Estevie
Gonzy
Jasiel Nuñez
Junior Zamora
Saiko
Xavi
Yami Safdie

Hot Country’s Artists To Watch

Anne Wilson
Dylan Gossett
Graham Barham
Lauren Watkins
Mackenzie Carpenter
Matt Schuster
Michael Warren

Owen Riegling
Sam Barber
Wyatt Flores

Pop Rising’s Artists To Watch

Aidan Bissett
Alexander Stewart
bludnymph
Emei
Isabel LaRosa
Matt Hansen
Meg Smith
METTE
SNOW WIFE
Teddy Swims

juniper’s Artists To Watch

Bo Staloch
Chance Peña
hey, nothing
Jack Van Cleaf
Kara Jackson
Mon RovÎa
Paris Paloma
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners
Searows
Tiny Habits

New Noise’s Artists To Watch

Amira Elfeky
Destroy Boys
Jack Kays
Jhariah
julie
Scowl
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
The Beaches
The Last Dinner Party
ThxSoMch

R&B Rising’s Artists To Watch

Amaria
Bellah
Chxrry22
Elmiene
Jordan Ward
Khamari
Lekan
Leon Thomas
Naomi Sharon
Tyla

mint’s Artists To Watch

Argy
BUNT.
DBN Gogo
HoneyLuv
Knock2
LP Giobbi
Mochakk
Sammy Virji
Shermanology
Uncle Waffles

Lorem’s Artists To Watch

Abby Sage
bar italia
Chappell Roan
Frost Children
Hannah Jadagu
hemlocke springs
Provoker
sign crushes motorist
waterbaby
Wisp

Most Necessary’s Artists To Watch

310babii
41
BabyDrill
BigXthaPlug
Hunxho
Lay Bankz
ODUMODUBLVCK
Skilla Baby
That Mexican OT
Veeze

Press play on our Artists To Watch playlist to discover the sounds of all the artists we’re expecting to make waves in 2024. 

What Gen Z Listeners Are Streaming in Pakistan

Since Spotify’s launch in Pakistan in 2021, the platform has become a destination for younger generations to make their voices heard by powering unprecedented musical trends. To better understand what these listeners love, we looked at Spotify streaming data between July 2 and August 2 for listeners aged 16 to 27 to see what tracks, artists, and genres are rising to the top.

Overall, these listeners gravitate toward genres like filmi, modern Bollywood, desi pop, pop, and Punjabi pop. These high-bass beats often reverberate across Pakistan late into the evening, with 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. representing the most popular time frame for these listeners to stream music on Spotify.

We also learned that “Lagda Nahi” by Ammy Gill and Toshi is the most-streamed track for listeners between the ages of 16 and 20. Next in line are “Bikhra” and “Iraaday” by the powerful duo Abdul Hannan and Rovalio. Shifting to listeners aged 21 to 27, we found that the same songs rank in the top three, but the order is reversed: “Iraaday” ranks top, with “Bikhra” next and “Lagda Nahi” third.

One thing that the 16 to 27-year-olds can agree on: Rapper and songwriter Talha Anjum sits at the top as the most-streamed local artist for these listeners in Pakistan. He is followed by the pop legend Atif Aslam and Spotify’s Fresh Finds discovery, Abdul Hannan, who has blossomed into a global sensation.

If we turn to global artists, Indian artist and the king of heartbreak anthems Arijit Singh is the artist 16-to-27-year-olds stream the most, with Indian composer Pritam, American pop star Taylor Swift, Indian rapper Shubh, and Indian singer AP Dhillon rounding out the top five.

Spotify’s curated local playlists have also become a favorite for many listeners. For Gen Z, the top playlists streamed include Hot Hits Pakistan, Shaadi Hits, and Desi Hits. Millennials also gravitate toward Hot Hits Pakistan and Shaadi Hits, but their third-most-streamed playlist is Pakka Hit Hai.

Check out what Gen Zs in Pakistan have been grooving to late into the evening. Check out Hot Hits Pakistan.

P!nk Takes the Helm as This Month’s EQUAL Global Artist

With more than 20 years in music, P!nk has cemented herself as a powerful force. She racked up so many top singles that she filled a greatest hits album just 10 years into her solo career, and her passionate fans have helped her sell out arenas around the globe.

Since her debut, she’s released nine studio albums—2023’s TRUSTFALL is her latest—and received 21 Grammy nominations, and she took home three of those awards. P!nk has always pushed boundaries to emerge as an artist with a strong message that empowers women. Her advocacy is just one reason she’s our August pick for EQUAL Global Artist of the Month.

Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program started in 2021 with the aim of contributing to gender equity in the music industry by amplifying and celebrating the work of women creators around the world. As a Global Ambassador, P!nk adorns the cover of our EQUAL Global playlist, and her hit single “TRUSTFALL” is featured in the top spot of the playlist.

For the Record chatted with the award-winning artist to learn what it’s like to be a part of EQUAL and how she’s breaking down barriers for women in the music industry.

The thing that excites me most about being a part of EQUAL is…

That I believe in equal representation for everyone in all walks of life, regardless of your gender, who you love, or how you identify. Having strong and inspiring women leaders in all industries, and especially in music, is important because it shows our children what’s possible. It inspires their dreams and aspirations of who they can become. I am so grateful and humbled that I can play a small role in the evolution of future generations. 

As an artist, to me, women’s representation means…

When I was a little girl, I looked up to my favorite female artists like Madonna and Mary J. Blige, who were not only talented and successful but pushed artistic boundaries and were unapologetic and fierce with their messages. It’s so important that women are an equal part of the artistic conversation at all levels of the music industry—as artists, executives, directors, choreographers, studio engineers, etc., because we have a different way of seeing things, expressing ourselves, and understanding and leading the world. If we want our little girls to be inspired and believe they can do these things too, women need equal representation to show them the way.

The artists who have most inspired me are… 

There are so many. So obviously it’s hard to choose. Cher, Madonna, Debbie Harry, and Bette Midler. Bette Midler comes to mind because she, to me, is one of the most incredible entertainers. You can tell when someone really loves what they do. And to me, Bette is a triple threat: singer, actress, dancer. . . well, a quadruple threat—she’s also a comedian. I’ve watched her walk into a room, and she’s so incredibly charming and she’s so joyful that she has the entire room eating out of the palm of her hand. And she does that onstage. When I go and see somebody perform, I want to know that they love it. I want to know that their heart is in it. I want to feel like I’m getting to know the actual person who’s onstage. And I don’t think anybody does that like Bette Midler. I love her.

A woman artist that I’m excited about is… 

Brandi Carlile. I have been a fan of Brandi’s since her EP came out, Eye of the Needle. Her voice is very, very, very, very special and I am a fan of a singer that you can feel their soul. I like when her voice cracks and it’s imperfect and she has so much f*@kin’ swag. I love her so much and she plays the sh!t out of a guitar. She’s kind. She’s been working her ass off for years and years and years and years, and she’s finally hit this place in her career where people are giving her the love that she deserves. I love singing with her. I love being her friend. I love walking the earth at the same time that she does. I love what she’s doing for the industry. She’s really bringing women together and she’s out and proud and she’s a mama. And I couldn’t love her more. And I get to tour with her soon because I’m a lucky b*tch.

The idea behind your newest song, “TRUSTFALL,” is…

I sort of went to the studio with [the lyrics] “it’s a trust fall, baby.” Just the idea that, in today’s world, it requires so much of us to feel safe and to get out of bed and to leave the house and to love and be who you really are. And it feels like a trust fall. It feels like you’re falling backwards and you don’t know where the ground is. I love performing it live because it’s a different-style song than what I do a lot of the time. And it’s so amped and it’s at such a perfect point in the show—it just feels like letting go. It feels like why I used to go to raves. You want that moment where the music comes on, it’s inside of your entire body, and you can’t do anything but move and let go of all the stuff you’ve been carrying around. And that’s what “TRUSTFALL” feels like to me. So I’m grateful to have written a song like that. And it’s a f*@king banger.

Get ready to turn the volume up and sing along with P!nk, and other amazing talents, in our EQUAL Global playlist.

6 Artists Taking Mexico’s Pop Scene to the Next Level

a series of artists looking at the camera with a graphic treatment that resembles a school yearbook

Music from Mexico boasts talent across many genres, including Música Mexicana and hip-hop. But like many markets, pop remains a staple. In fact, Mexico ranks fourth as the country that consumes the most pop on Spotify, and many of the world’s beloved Spanish-language pop stars hail from Mexico.

Now Spotify is featuring the latest wave of Mexican pop stars in a new campaign: La Gen 23. “For many decades, Mexico has led the Latin pop movement,” explains Uriel Waizel, Spotify Mexico’s Head of Editorial. “We are excited to amplify a new era of pop by showcasing the talented and creative Mexican artists who are captivating a new generation through music.” With an identity marked by collaboration and authenticity, this new generation of talent has made an impact on its Gen Z audience. On Spotify, listeners only have to go to one place to find the latest music from them: the la pop~wave playlist

Our campaign kicks off with RENEE, Kevin Kaarl, Bruses, Bratty, Humbe, and Leon Leiden, six artists whose monthly streams have increased by more than 9,000% since June 2020. They have a combined total of 18.4 millions monthly listeners—more than double the population of Mexico City. By bringing these artists to the fore, we’re giving fans a look at the newest and hottest pop stars coming out of Mexico. Get to know them. 

Kevin Kaarl

Kevin Kaarl has become one of the leading figures of the pop wave. His emotional indie-folk songs have hooked more than 7 million fans who relate to the heartbreak he shares in his tracks. Last year, his album, Paris Texas, debuted at #5 on the Global New Releases list on Spotify. 

RENEE 

RENEE, a Spotify EQUAL ambassador, is one of the most electrifying artists of her generation. Her songs have become anthems for women, and she has nearly 2 million monthly listeners. “Nunca Tristes (Me vale madre),” her best-known song, has been streamed by fans more than 45 million times.

Bruses 

Bruses was the first Mexican artist to be named a global ambassador for GLOW, Spotify’s music program celebrating and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. At the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, her album Monstruos was nominated for Best Pop Rock Album, and her track “qué voy a hacer conmigo???” was nominated for Best Pop Rock Song.

Humbe 

Humbe, hailing from Monterrey, has a knack for releasing hit songs. His 2021 album, ENTROPÍA, was well received, with all of the songs debuting on the Top 200 of Spotify Mexico.

Leon Leiden 

At 23, artist Leon Leiden has racked up nearly 50 million streams for his song “Gitana (feat Jeis, Pao Alvarado & Charly Romero).” With an unparalleled style, the music of “ESE LION” has grown by more than 2,600% in monthly streams between June 2020 and June 2023.

Bratty 

In 2023, Bratty became the youngest Mexican artist to perform at Coachella. While commanding the stage in Indio, California, Bratty performed hits like “Honey, No Estás,” “Continental,” and “Quiero Estar.”

 

Find fresh new music from these Mexican artists and more on our la pop~wave playlist.

Share Your Top 5 BTS Songs in Our Latest In-App Experience

Over the last decade, BTS has become a global cultural phenomenon, putting K-Pop on the map worldwide. The group has fueled—and is fueled by—one of the most enthusiastic fan bases in the world. Each listener has their own special relationship with the band’s music. So to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary, Spotify and BTS curated a special love letter experience: My Top 5: BTS Songs

This interactive experience lets listeners curate their personal favorite songs from a selection of BTS’s discography, then share their picks with friends on social media. BTS worked with Spotify to curate a special selection that celebrates much of their collective discography from the past decade.*

“Each step of our journey together has been unique and has sounded different along the way,” the band shared. “We hope many people enjoy this new experience with Spotify’s My Top 5: BTS Songs and share their favorites with us.”

Here’s how to enjoy My Top 5: BTS:

  1. Make sure you’re in one of the 48 markets where the experience is live** and ensure your iPhone is up-to-date with version 8.8.40.x. 
  2. Visit https://spotify.com/top5 on your device.
  3. The experience will present a curated selection of BTS’s songs. Select your five favorites. Then drag and reorder them in the visual display to create your top list. 
  4. You’ll receive your picks in a visual sharecard. Then, choose a sharecard backdrop with the option to highlight your BTS group bias—aka your favorite group member. 
  5. Finally, share your personalized digital card with your selections and compare with your friends on social media using #spotifymytop5.

My Top 5: BTS Songs marks the next iteration of this interactive experience on Spotify that follows My Top 5 moments with other iconic artists, including The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and ROSALÍA. Visit https://spotify.com/top5 to get started. 

*The available songs to select from do not include the full BTS catalog or songs by other artists where BTS is featured

**The My Top 5: BTS Songs experience will be available in 48 markets: U.S., Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Poland, Turkey, U.K., Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Botswana, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay; and 15 languages: English, English-GB, French-CA, French, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Spanish-LATAM, Korean, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, German, and Bahasa Indonesia.

한국 론칭 1주년, 스포티파이가 공개하는 데이터와 그간의 성과

스포티파이가 한국에서의 서비스 론칭 1주년을 맞아 지난 한 해 동안 스포티파이와 한국 아티스트들이 이뤄낸 주요 데이터와 성과를 발표했습니다. 

전 세계 리스너들이 보다 많은 대한민국 그리고 한국계 아티스트를 발견하고 깊이 연결될 수 있도록

데이터에 따르면, 지난 1년 동안 K팝 음원은 전 세계적으로 월평균 79억 7천만 회 이상 스트리밍된 것으로 나타났습니다. 이는 스포티파이의 한국 론칭 이전과 비교했을 때 약 27% 증가한 수치입니다. 나아가 전 세계 4억 6백만명 이상의 청취자를 보유한 스포티파이의 184개 국가 중 한국 아티스트를 새롭게 발견한 청취자가 가장 많은 상위 10개국은 미국, 브라질, 인도, 인도네시아, 멕시코, 독일, 영국, 필리핀, 일본, 프랑스 순으로 나타났습니다.  

앞서 언급한 데이터 비롯하여 지난 1년간 더 많은 아티스트들을 더 많은 전 세계 청취자들과 새롭고 깊이 있게 연결하기 위해, 스포티파이는 아래와 같이 다양한 방식으로 쉼 없이 달려왔습니다. 

또한, 폭넓은 한국 음악과 아티스트를 전 세계 청취자들에게 소개하는 ‘K팝 허브(K-Pop Hub)’는 스포티파이가 국내 론칭된 지 1년도 되지 않아 총 스트리밍 횟수 14억 3천만회를 달성, 이 역시 코리아팀의 론칭 전과 비교했을 때 19.5% 증가했습니다. 지난 1년간 인도, 인도네시아, 미국, 일본, 필리핀, 말레이시아, 태국, 브라질, 멕시코, 대만 순으로 K팝 허브에 가장 많이 접속한 것으로 나타났고, 전 세계적으로 K팝 허브에서 가장 많이 스트리밍된 상위 10개 플레이리스트는 K-Pop Daebak, TrenChill K-R&B, WOR K OUT, Women of K-Pop, Dalkom Cafe, Girl Krush, K-Pop Rising, KimBops!, Korean OSTs, 그리고 Best of Korean Soundtracks 순이었습니다. 

박상욱 스포티파이 코리아 매니징 디렉터는 “긴 여정의 초기단계에 있는 만큼, 앞으로도 한국의 아티스트, 창작자 및 업계 파트너들에게 신뢰받는 글로벌 파트너로서 함께 성장해갈 것“이라고 강조, “아티스트들에게는 전 세계 곳곳의 청취자들과 연결될 수 있는 기회를, 청취자들에게는 새로운 음악을 발견하고 일상 속 듣는 기쁨을 드리기 위해 스포티파이 코리아팀에서 항상 노력할 것”이라고 소감을 밝혔습니다.

S4A의 확산, 더 다양하고 많은 한국 아티스트들이 국경 없는 음악 생태계 속 활로 개척할 수 있도록

론칭 이후 한국 아티스트 및 레이블에 대한 지원 역시 대폭 강화해왔습니다. 그 중 특히 아티스트 전용 플랫폼이자 혁신툴인 S4A의 확산과 교육을 통해, 아티스트들이 전 세계 청취자와 팬에 대한 깊은 이해를 바탕으로 보다 효율적으로 활동을 기획할 수 있도록 도움을 제공해왔습니다. 

S4A는 실시간 글로벌 청취 통계 분석과 다양한 리소스를 무료로 제공하는 만큼, 레이블과 아티스트에게는 유용한 데이터 및 툴로 작용합니다. 현지 뮤직팀에서 S4A의 확산을 위해 노력해온 결과, 1년도 채 안 되어 한국 아티스트의 S4A 가입률이 국내 론칭 전보다 42.4 증가한 것으로 나타났습니다. 또한, 각 수록곡을 시각적으로 표현하는 디지털 아트워크 개념의 캔버스(Canvas) 영상 기능을 이용한 한국 아티스트의 수 역시 254% 증가한 것으로 집계됐습니다.

One Year in South Korea and Local Artists Are Finding Fans Around the Globe

One year ago, Spotify made its debut in South Korea, and since then, even more listeners around the world have fallen in love with K-Pop music. So to celebrate the anniversary, Spotify is sharing data that shows how Korean artists have found a home—and global audience—on the platform. 

K-Pop’s borderless reach 

Spotify’s global K-Pop hub, which was unveiled last year at the South Korea launch, has become a one-stop destination for listeners to discover a wide range of Korean artists and music. In just one year, the monthly average K-Pop streams worldwide reached over 7.97 billion per month, a 27% increase compared to the year before. In the same time frame, traffic to the K-Pop Hub reached 1.43 billion, a 19.5% increase in comparison to the year before launch.

Across Spotify’s 184 markets, the top 10 countries whose listeners had discovered Korean artists during the last year were the United States, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Germany, UK, Philippines, Japan, and France. Listeners from these countries also went to the K-Pop hub in droves to discover new music. And among the playlists within the K-Pop hub, the top 10 most streamed globally were K-Pop Daebak, TrenChill K-R&B, WOR K OUT, Women of K-Pop, Dalkom Cafe, Girl Krush, K-Pop Rising, KimBops!, Korean OSTs, and Best of Korean Soundtracks.

Spotlight on artists 

Spotify also showed support for the Korean music industry with the launch of “Spotify for Artists,” a platform designed to help singers, producers, and musicians expand their reach. 

Spotify for Artists provides real-time stats and helpful resources for artists, and in the year since Spotify South Korea’s launch, the registration rate on Spotify for Artists by Korean artists grew by 42.4% when compared to pre-launch figures. Korean artists were also big fans of the “Canvas” feature, which lets artists experiment with their album artwork by creating short-form looping videos for each of their songs. The number of sign-ups for Canvas increased 254% compared to the year before. 

The best is yet to come 

“As a committed global partner to Korean artists, creators, industry partners, and more, we will continue to support the growth of the Korean music-streaming ecosystem and offer more opportunities for Korean artists to be connected with more listeners around the world,” said David Park, Managing Director of Spotify Korea. “This is just the beginning.”

To top off an exciting year, here’s a look at some of the achievements since Spotify launched in South Korea:  

Ready to stream with the masses? Discover the artists climbing the ranks on Spotify’s K-Pop Hub.

https://open.spotify.com/genre/kpop-page 

 

*All data is from Feb 1st 2021 to Feb 1st 2022, 1 year since launch in South Korea

The Spice Girls Continue to Find Fans 25 Years After Their Hit ‘Wannabe’

In July of 1996, the Spice Girls burst onto the music scene with their platform heels, Union Jack clothing, and their single “Wannabe.” Their lyrics of female empowerment made waves and started a global “girl power” revolution unlike anything the music and pop culture industry had witnessed before, with a lasting impact ever since.

So to celebrate the anniversary of their debut hit, on July 9 the Spice Girls will be releasing an EP, Wannabe 25, that includes a demo of the original single, a remix by Junior Vasquez, and a new ballad called “Feed Your Love.”

On the platform, Spotify’s celebrating the occasion with This Is Spice Girls, the ultimate destination for fans of the girl group. There, listeners will find a new long-form version of the “Wannabe” music video that’s exclusive to Spotify. The playlist also includes new storylines from the band, where they share details on their biggest hits.

Spotify may not have been around during the group’s ’90s inception, but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t listening to their music on the platform two decades later. In fact, “Wannabe” has been streamed more than 590 million times on Spotify, with listeners in the United States streaming the most, followed by Germany and the U.K. 

“We continue to see a huge number of streams daily for their music, ranging from the songs we all know and love, such as “Wannabe,” “Stop,” and “Spice Up Your Life,” to niche releases that only a die-hard fan would play on repeat,” shares Sulinna Ong, Head of Music at Spotify U.K. and Ireland. “They truly changed the pop landscape forever, giving women a voice in the industry and giving fans the confidence to be their true selves.’’

Music from the Spice Girls has also found a home on millions of user-generated playlists—20 million, to be exact. As to the age of those streaming the British pop sensation’s tracks on Spotify? You may be surprised to learn that 18-to-24-year-olds are the ones streaming the Spice Girls’ music most (despite being born after the group’s first single was released).

Remarking on this, the band said, “Spice Girls has always been about unity and inclusion, and it makes us so proud that after 25 years our music is still inspiring a whole new generation. Thanks to Spotify for keeping us connected to our fans around the world. Streaming has been a huge part of keeping our music alive and it’s amazing that so many people around the world listen to us on Spotify.”

For fans looking to dive a little deeper into the archives, there’s plenty of podcast content on Spotify that offers a glimpse into the lives and minds of Sporty, Baby, Ginger, Scary, and Posh Spice. The WANNABE podcast shares insights into where the famous five are now, and how their careers progressed since their time in one of the world’s most famous girl bands. BBC’s Raw, a podcast that curates “rare and newly discovered interviews,” released an episode that highlights sound clips from the group members from 1996 and 1998.

Whether you want to practice the dance moves to “Stop” or hear the WANNABE podcast cohosts discuss Melanie C’s single “Who I Am,” there’s plenty of Spice on Spotify. 

Revisit the Spice Girls’ catalogue and sing along to your favorite girl power anthem below. 

Get a Taste of the Trending Genres in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka

Ninety days ago, we announced that we were launching in three new markets in South Asia: Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Since then, listeners in the region have explored Spotify and a world of music now at their fingertips. 

We were particularly excited to see what homegrown genres and artists were gaining popularity and traction in each country. So we picked out one playlist per market based on what’s been trending most to give listeners around the world a taste. 

Pakistan – Pakistani Indie 101



Traditional Pakistani music includes instruments like sitar, rubab, and flute, and falls into genres like qawwali, rock, and Sufi. Modern Pakistani musicians, who are extremely diverse in their creations, have combined those traditional elements with contemporary ones, leading to a new crop of musicians that can only be described as indie. 

Pakistani Indie 101 is a compilation of the best of new-era Pakistani Indie musicians, producing indie-pop, fusion house, hip-hop, retro-wave, sufi, classical, progressive math pop-rock, and more. Some of the key creators include Hassan Raheem, Shamoon Ismail, Abdullah Siddiqui, Arooh Aftab, Bayaan, Zahra Paracha

Bangladesh – Bangla Rock

Rock is one of the top-performing genres in Bangladesh—even more than pop. (In Bangladesh, you might say that rock is the new pop.) This means listeners can easily explore rock subgenres including heavy metal, folk rock, soft rock, thrash metal, and alt rock. 

Bangla Rock focuses on the best rock music coming out of Bangladesh. It features creators like Artcell, Nemesis, Warfaze, and Black, who create music across rock’s many subgenres. 

Sri Lanka – Sinhala Pop

Unlike Bangladesh, Sri Lanka is still big into the top trending artists and songs. However, pop in Sri Lanka differs from that of other regions: A large number of songs in the genre open with a soulful, ballad-like quality. Piano is a key instrument. By the chorus, however, some of these songs change in tempo and tone, infusing catchy drum beats and underlying synth beats. 

Sinhala Pop is one of the top playlists in the region. (Sinhala is one of the two languages spoken most in the country). Up-and-coming artists like Yohani and Hiyum, in addition to longer-time favorites Ridma Weerawardena and Raj Thillaiyampalam, all have hits on this playlist.

Dive into the top genres of South Asia with Pakistani Indie 101, Bangla Rock, and Sinhala Pop.

Spotify’s Emerging Artists Program, RADAR, Kicks Off in Russia

Last year Spotify launched RADAR, our emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the globe. RADAR’s goal is to help up-and-coming artists in all stages of their development as they connect with new audiences. Now, after working with creators in the U.S., New Zealand, Spain, and many other markets, the program is ready to launch in Russia.

Since Spotify’s launch in Russia in 2020, we’ve seen tremendous success with subscriber growth and service adoption. According to our 2020 Q3 results, Russia has been our most successful new market launch to date and represented the largest portion of subscriber outperformance for the quarter. 

With RADAR, we will amplify emerging artists in the region through ongoing marketing and editorial support. Artists will be featured in the local creative marketing campaigns, and their tracks will be added to the RADAR RUSSIA playlist in the global RADAR hub, helping fans from all over the world discover their music. For the Record had the opportunity to chat with two bands that are a part of Russia’s RADAR program.

Сёстры (pronounced “sestry,” translation: Sisters) is an indie pop duo that debuted their first album, Когда были волны (When There Were Waves), in October of 2020. The group has already seen success, including having recently performed on a popular Russian late-night talk show.

Три дня дождя (pronounced “tri dnia dozhdia,” translation: Three Days of Rain) is an alternative band that released their first album in February of last year. Their most popular track, “Не киряй,” has racked up more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify.

Read what the bands had to say about their music, their experience, and more below.

What are you looking forward to as a Spotify Russian RADAR artist?

Сестры: We have been watching the RADAR program for a long time now, as it’s helped us discover many talented foreign artists, and it is very unlikely we would have discovered them without it. Now, through RADAR, it’s amazing that many more listeners will learn about us—our tracks will become a part of Spotify’s global ecosystem, and our songs will be heard by many people all over the world. We are just at the beginning of getting to know our audience, and it is so important for us to develop strong relations with our fans. 

Три дня дождя: We have big plans and ambitions going forward, and we hope the support of Spotify can help us with establishing our name not only in Russia but also abroad. We are honored to have been chosen as one of the first artists to take part in the program in the country. Russian rock is not dead and we’d love to prove it! We are hopeful that RADAR can help us bring our art to the new audiences.

What advice do you have for fellow emerging artists?

Сестры: Trust yourself and your vision, work hard, and carry on no matter what.

Три дня дождя: First of all, don’t ever give up. Ever! And practice as often as possible. Secondly, try to minimize all factors that restrain you from doing what you love. Lastly, always believe in yourself and your art.

What message do you want people to take from your music?

Три дня дождя: With my music I’d love to convey the emotions everyone is familiar with. And about showing the listeners that love can be a very dangerous thing at times. 

This past year presented many unprecedented challenges. How has it changed the way you approach your musical career?

Сестры: 2020 is exactly the year when our music career began developing. The music industry turned to online, but it somehow brought us all even closer together. We are definitely looking forward to the day when live concerts and performances become possible again, but our approach to our music career has not changed a bit. We will continue gathering at home or at the studio to make new music together.

 

Ready to give these Russian artists a listen? Check out the new RADAR Russia playlist below.

From BTS to BLACKPINK, the Power of K-Pop Has No Bounds

K-Pop is beloved by fans around the world, so we took to the data to see just how popular the music is globally. The genre, which originated in South Korea, has since taken on a life of its own. Thanks to East-meets-West collaborations from BTS and U.S. singer-songwriter Halsey, whose “Boy With Luv” track has over 380 million streams, the reach continues to grow as more and more fans in countries like Egypt and Colombia connect with the music.

Since Spotify released its first K-Pop flagship playlist, K-Pop Daebak, in 2014 (and then a massive hub dedicated to the genre in 2015), there have been more than 41 billion K-Pop streams on Spotify. From rising artists to international collaborations, there’s something for both new and old K-Pop lovers on the platform.

Top-streamed K-Pop artists on Spotify include BTS, BLACKPINK, EXO, TWICE, and Red Velvet. In 2019, BTS was the first group from Asia to surpass 5 billion streams on Spotify. And, as of February 2020, the boy band reached a new milestone: more than 8 billion streams (8 billion streams!) on the platform.

No “FAKE LOVE” here, folks. See how much Spotify listeners love the genre.

Download the infographic here.

Check out the K-Pop Daebak playlist and stream BTS’ MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 The Enhanced Album, which is exclusively available on Spotify.

Sir Elton John Shines on Spotify and in New “Rocketman” Biopic

Photo credit: Sam Emerson

Listeners from all corners of the world know (and can surely sing along to) Sir Elton John’s many piano ballads, from “Tiny Dancer” to “Bennie and the Jets.” But what they may not realize is how he came to be a beloved global superstar. That’s why Rocketman, the new Elton John biopic out this week, is shedding a [spot]light on the singer’s sensational journey.

The singer-songwriter has staged numerous world tours and claimed several number-one hits across the decades thanks to a large and unfailingly loyal listening base. On Spotify, Elton John has been streamed more than 2 billion times and appears in more than 39 million playlists streamed worldwide.

Elton John attracts listeners, young and old(er) alike, with a steady stream of new releases, such as the number-one collaboration on Spotify, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Kiki Dee)” and a live performance of “Young Dumb and Broke” with Khalid.

So as you count down to the Rocketman release, celebrate the singular sensation with a sparkling, shiny infographic of Sir Elton’s massive listening base, below.

Find “Your Song” on the Rocketman soundtrack.