Tag: Pusha T

Soundtracking FC Barcelona’s U.S. Summer Tour

Earlier this year, Spotify and FC Barcelona announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to bring the worlds of football and music together. And last month, the legendary club embarked on a U.S. summer tour that gave an introductory taste of what fans and artists can expect from our two iconic brands going forward.

We kicked off our partnership in a number of exciting ways over two weeks and across four cities as FC Barcelona prepared for the upcoming season. Across several training sessions, studio visits, and exclusive parties, both the FC Barcelona players and musical artists got a firsthand look into each other’s worlds. 

Take a look back on some of our favorite moments from this whirlwind trip.

Hot Miami nights

Things got off to a fast start in Miami as we gave Barça a warm welcome upon their arrival to the States. Prior to the team’s exhibition match, we brought Latin superstars Ovy on the Drums, Piso 21, and Mau y Ricky onto the pitch, where they got the chance to kick the ball around with the club’s superstars during a training session. 

Spotify and FC Barcelona’s Partnership Kicks Off in Miami With an Assist From Pusha T and Feid

The start of a new football season is just around the corner, and to get themselves match-ready, FC Barcelona recently touched down in the U.S. for a preseason tour. Spotify joined the legendary club—and our latest partner—in Miami with a few special events to bring the worlds of music and football together. 

We began the week by inviting artists Ovy on the Drums, Piso 21, and Mau y Ricky to attend an FC Barcelona training session at DRV PNK Stadium and get a chance to meet the players. But after the training sessions and exhibition match were all wrapped up, it was time to celebrate with an exclusive Spotify x FC Barcelona party.

Spotify and Procter & Gamble Dive into Bias in Music with “Harmonize” Original Podcast

“You’re not pretty for a Black girl. You are beautiful, period.”

With this simple reminder from a mother to her young daughter, Procter & Gamble’s award-winning campaign, “The Talk,” began a conversation about race in mainstream media. Now, Spotify and P&G are continuing the dialogue with Harmonize, a new podcast series focused on the impact of racial bias in the U.S. and how music has served as a catalyst for change. The four episodes, featuring Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award-winner (EGOT) John Legend and rapper, songwriter, and record executive Pusha T, are available today exclusively on Spotify.

Hosted by communications consultant and award-winning writer Jamilah Lemieux—a leading millennial voice on issues of race, gender, and sexuality—and featuring music expert Cory Townes, Harmonize expands the conversation that P&G pushed into the mainstream with “The Talk,” and continues with their more recent campaign, “The Look.” (Visit TalkaboutBias.com to get the 411 on “The Look”). 

“It is so important to have an open, honest dialogue around difficult topics like race, gender and bias,” said John Legend. “I have huge respect for companies like Spotify and P&G that are creating spaces for artists like myself to have these conversations, which are long overdue.”

 

“Our latest film, ‘The Look’ is designed to spark reflection and dialogue on the frank realities of racial bias, and the sometimes subtle ways it manifests itself in everyday situations for people of color,“ said Damon Jones, Vice President, Global Communications & Advocacy at Procter & Gamble. “Together with Spotify, we’re deepening this conversation, illustrating how race intersects music and culture and bringing together a variety of perspectives and experiences we believe will inspire people to take action to address these all too common instances of individual and institutional bias.”

Harmonize will focus specifically on how Black music is celebrated around the world despite the bias-related challenges so many Black people face. The podcast will dive deep into conversations with musicians, cultural commentators, and artists who share their stories about how bias has impacted their personal and professional lives, with a particular focus on the Black male experience in America. Harmonize has plans to expand beyond season one and shine light on bias related to gender, LGBTQ, identity, and more.

“We are proud to amplify the conversation that P&G has so thoughtfully sparked with the launch of Harmonize,” says Danielle Lee, Global Vice President, Partner Solutions at Spotify. “Consumers expect brands to take a stand on issues they care about and contribute to society in a meaningful way. Our hope is that Harmonize will expand the conversation around bias in America in an effort to build empathy.”

Last summer, Spotify launched our first branded original podcast series, Ebb & Flow, in partnership with New Amsterdam Vodka. Recently, we’ve added even more voices to our growing podcast slate with Dope Labs, Jemele Hill Is Unbothered, and the newly announced partnership with President Barack Obama & Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Audio. Through partnerships like these, as well as programs like Sound Up, we’re amplifying underrepresented voices in podcast and beyond. 

Listen to the first four episodes of Harmonize featuring EGOT John Legend and Pusha T below.

https://open.spotify.com/show/6OKSCkzx8EeHFccPSekW9H?si=4Z8NWAU6SP-XXjFMQUMngw