Tag: seventeen

Check Out SEVENTEEN and Spotify’s CARAT Station Pop-ups in Seoul and New York City

Since bursting onto the K-Pop scene in 2015, SEVENTEEN has transcended to global superstardom. Today, more than 30 million user-generated playlists on Spotify feature at least one track from the group. To amp up the excitement for their [RIGHT HERE] world tour, which kicked off in South Korea earlier this month, Spotify has teamed up with SEVENTEEN to bring fans the ultimate pre-concert experience.

From playlist curation to outfit planning, we know the lead-up to a concert is when fan anticipation is at its highest. In honor of SEVENTEEN’s fandom, known as CARATs, Spotify is building exclusive pop-ups ahead of live shows in Seoul, New York City, and Tokyo, where visitors can explore a fantastical train station dedicated to the K-Pop superstars.

“At Spotify, we are committed to supporting Korean artists and enhancing their connections with listeners,” said Jungjoo Park, Head of Music at Spotify Korea. “Our collaboration with SEVENTEEN to bring fans CARAT Station exemplifies our dedication through the creation of unique experiences that celebrate their artistry and special bonds with CARATs.”

Our first stop was Seoul in early October. This past weekend, we brought CARAT Station to New York City. Fans in Tokyo, stay tuned—CARAT Station is heading your way next!

“Spotify’s Music teams in Korea, the U.S., and Japan worked in lockstep to create unique events in each city that feel both authentic to that particular place and connected to the larger CARAT fandom. That’s why you’ll see common threads throughout each experience, but unique elements as well,” said Lucy Davidson, Lead Label Partnerships at Spotify. “When we build an experience in partnership with an artist, we aim not only to bring fans further into their creative world but also to offer something one-of-a-kind that only Spotify can.”

Relive our CARAT Station experiences and see photos from each city below.

CARAT Station Seoul

From October 5 through 11, CARATs in Seoul were invited to step inside the whimsical world of SEVENTEEN. Visitors brought amazing energy as they explored the metro station-themed pop-up in the city’s Gwangjin District, including special photo ops, exclusive merch, and surprise fan chant sessions.

“The subway-themed space displaying our fan chant guide videos left the biggest impression on us,” said SEVENTEEN. “The entire CARAT Station was beautifully decorated and filled with various fun elements that we believe made the time here truly enjoyable. We’re excited for even more visitors to experience this treat. Please have lots of fun and enjoy CARAT Station!”

Four Must-Use Spotify Features That Bring You Closer to Your Favorite Artists

We know that when fans fall in love with an artist, they can’t get enough. So when you want to connect with your favorites on a deeper level, Spotify is your go-to destination. Fans and artists interact in many different ways, especially when they’re crossing languages, borders, and cultures. Whether you’re looking to show your support IRL or hear directly from your favorite artists, here are some ways you can strengthen your relationships with the artists you love on Spotify: Listening Parties, Countdown Pages, the Live Events feed, and Clips from your artists. 

Listening Parties

Listening Parties are the live audio experience where you’ll join your favorite artists and other top fans to celebrate their new music releases. In the party you can hear behind-the-scenes artist stories, chat in real time with other fans, and listen to the music you love with the artist who made it.

This year, we’ve hosted listening parties with artists including Peso Pluma, Bleachers, Gracie Abrams, and SEVENTEEN, and there are more to come.

Listening Parties are available to Premium subscribers in the U.S., ID, MX, and CA.

Countdown Pages

Countdown Pages are the place to be when you’re eagerly waiting for your favorite artists to release new music. With Countdown Pages, fans can presave an artist’s music, preview the tracklist, watch Clips, and get their hands on must-have merch via the artist profile, Now Playing view, Search, and Home.

After you presave an album, you’ll receive a push notification on release day so that you know it’s been added to Your Library. No more missing new music!

Countdown Pages are available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.

Live Events feed

Our Live Events feed makes concert discovery seamless, tailored, and fun, so you never miss a show when artists you love are in town. Not only can you find concert listings based on your location and top artists, but you can also browse upcoming concerts in other cities and countries—all personalized to your taste.

Live Events Feed is available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.

Clips from artists

Watching Clips from artists you care about is the best way to dive deeper into their worlds. These short vertical videos let you discover unreleased tracks, hear the story behind a new song, view live performances, and so much more. All Clips are tagged to tracks so that you can easily follow, save, and stream music right from the video. You can watch Clips on Home, the Now Playing view, Countdown Pages, release pages, and more, making it easier for you to find them and create an even deeper connection with artists. 

Artists’ Clips are available to Free and Premium subscribers in 78 markets.

Discover Your K-Pop Persona With Spotify’s New Interactive Experience

In the last decade, as K-Pop cemented its status as a global phenomenon, Spotify has helped fans around the world keep their fingers on the pulse at every step of the way.

To date, our flagship playlist K-Pop ON! (온) has amassed nearly 5.4 million saves by Spotify users. Listeners can also merge their music tastes with some of K-Pop’s biggest stars through our Blend feature. In recent years, we’ve teamed up with groups like NewJeans, BTS, and BLACKPINK to create unique installations, pop-ups, and interactive experiences, all to bring K-Pop devotees closer to the artists and music they love.

And the love just keeps on growing. Since 2018, K-Pop streams on Spotify have skyrocketed by over 180% in the United States, over 420% in Southeast Asia, and over 360% worldwide.

Now, to celebrate K-Pop fans and their passion for the genre, Spotify is launching a new interactive experience, Your K-Pop Persona. Available until May 10, this in-app experience lets you discover and embrace what your ideal fan role would be in a K-Pop group and flex your results.

When you enter the experience, you’ll be asked five questions about the way you stan to help determine what your role might be in a K-Pop group. Inspired by the roles usually assigned to group members, you could be a Main Visual, a Main Vocal, a Main Rapper, a Main Dancer, or a Trainee.

Fill Your Queue With the Best Podcasts of 2022 (So Far)

a bright and colorful collage design that has the number 1 through 7

It’s not unusual to binge a podcast and then be left wondering what you should hit play on next. And with more than 4 million shows on Spotify, there are a lot of options. Spotify’s Podcast Editorial team is constantly tracking new shows, making them the perfect people to recommend great podcasts that will leave you hooked.

As we say goodbye to the first half of 2022, the team put their heads together to determine their picks on the best podcasts of the year . . . so far. “A great podcast transports or immerses the listener in its world,” explained Timothy Cornwall, a lead on the Podcast Editorial team at Spotify. “The best podcasts are thought-provoking, emotionally evocative, and echo in your mind long after you’ve listened to them.” 

From fictional action thrillers to talk shows that explore life’s big questions, this list provides a variety of picks to appeal to any interest. 

This is Dating

Network: Magnificent Noise

Genre: Lifestyle/Relationships

Dating is tough. Throw in a pandemic and mixed bag of dating apps, and it’s even tougher. Yet This is Dating peels back the curtain and lets listeners follow four modern daters on their first dates—surprising us with raw emotion, connection, and community . . . things we all need and deserve.

Batman Unburied

Network: Warner Bros./ Spotify Studios

Genre: Fiction

Welcome to Gotham, where a new serial killer villain has the city absolutely terrified. Brought to life by Winston Duke, Hasan Minhaj, and Gina Rodriguez, Batman Unburied is the perfect chaser to Robert Pattinson‘s grunge twist on the franchise. You’ve never seen Bruce Wayne like this before. 

BEING Trans

Network: Lemonade Media

Genre: Documentary/Reality/Personal Stories

BEING Trans is a deeply layered show about the trans experience. The reality TV audio format is incredibly engaging and breaks down the story of four trans people navigating family, work, and society. It simultaneously normalizes their lives and highlights their day-to-day issues.

Should be Alive

Network: VAULT Studios

Genre: True Crime

Should be Alive investigates the 2019 murder of a transgender teenage girl, Niki Kunhausen. Hosted by Ashley Korslien, the show delivers a devastatingly pertinent look at the wave of violence facing the trans community today. It’s essential true crime listening that dives beyond the headlines.

Normal Gossip

Network: Defector

Genre: Comedy

On Normal Gossip, Kesley McKinney teases out gossip stories with each guest as an entertaining and silly conversation that always seems to get a bit messy. It’s a fun romp through someone else’s lens and drama where you also can ask yourself, “What would you do in this situation?”

The Pivot Podcast

Network: Indie

Genre: Sports

The Pivot Podcast is hosted by three former NFL players (Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor)—which allows for unique, vulnerable, and candid sports conversations that you won’t want to miss.

Dua Lipa: At Your Service

Network: iHeartPodcasts

Genre: Arts & Entertainment

It may seem like every entertainer has a podcast these days, but before you are quick to dismiss, give Dua Lipa’s At Your Service a listen. Dua is an incredibly thoughtful interviewer with a genuine interest in people, social movements, and the arts. And because of her curiosity, we all benefit.

Authentic: The Story of Tablo

Network: VICE

Genre: Music Documentary

Authentic: The Story of Tablo provides a unique take on “music meets the internet” through a cross-cultural lens. When Korean hip-hop star Tablo was about to break into the Western market, a strange rumor began to circle online about his identity as a Canadian-Korean that quickly turned toxic.

Stuck with Damon Young

Network: Gimlet/Crooked Media

Genre: Culture

Award-winning author Damon Young has ventured into the world of podcasting! Joined by the best and the Blackest people he knows, Damon explores an array of topics, from sexuality and religion to internet accountability, and how they ultimately affect human behavior—whether it be hilarious or downright absurd.

Fresh off the Spaceship

Network: KEXP

Genre: Music Documentary

Seattle’s music and art scenes might seem exclusively white, but they’re not. This series explores the city’s Black arts scene through the story of the Black Constellation, the innovative collective that includes Shabazz Palaces’ Ishmael Butler, Stas THEE Boss, and visual artist Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes.

Seventeen

Network: Paradiso Media

Genre: Documentary/Personal Stories

Ever wanted to meet your 17-year-old self? Seventeen‘s host Laura Leigh Abby uses her own diaries from her senior year of high school as a jumping-off point to examine gender dynamics and sexual assault in Y2K culture, speaking with friends and classmates to explore her own identity, then and now.

Which of these podcasts piqued your interest? If you’re having trouble picking just one, check out the playlist below, which includes the first episode of all the podcast shows on our “Best of” list for 2022 . . . so far.