Tag: Spice Girls

10 Great Musical Biographies That Tell the Stories Behind Your Favorite Artists

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Music Biography

You might know all the songs and albums of your favorite musicians, but do you know the experiences and inspirations behind their work? Luckily, you can find out by listening to some great musical biographies on Spotify.

With picks that include memoirs from legendary stars including Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane, and Dolly Parton, you can discover all the wisdom these greats have to share.

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Written and narrated by Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl’s autobiography, The Storyteller, sheds light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, who goes on to live out his craziest dreams as a musician. The rock icon reflects on everything from hitting the road with Scream at 18, to his time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. He remembers jamming with Iggy Pop and dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He tells stories about drumming for Tom Petty and meeting Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall. Grohl even recounts unexpected moments like bedtime stories with Joan Jett to a chance meeting with Little Richard.

The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl

Written and narrated by Melanie Chisholm

After five women answered a newspaper ad, the Spice Girls were born. They recorded their first single, “Wannabe,” and nearly overnight, Melanie “Melanie C” Chisholm went from small-town girl to Sporty Spice.

The Sporty One follows the meteoric rise of Melanie C and The Spice Girls, from the incredible highs of playing at Wembley, conquering the BRITs, and closing the 2012 Olympics, to the difficult lows. For the first time ever, Melanie C talks about the pressures of fame, the shaming and bullying she experienced, the struggles she has had with her body image and mental health, and the difficulty of finding herself when the whole world knew her name.

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Written by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann

Narrated by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, Songteller goes beyond the glitz, glamor, and rhinestones to the warmth, heart, and soul of a treasured pop culture icon. In this autobiography, 10-time Grammy Award–winning artist Dolly Parton weaves her words with music and memories to give listeners the stories behind her most cherished songs.

How close did Parton come to singing “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Elvis Presley? How did she become an actress? And exactly who was “Jolene”? This one-of-a-kind audio experience answers the most burning questions that Parton’s fans have.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

Written by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin

Narrated by Guy Lockard

For the first time, hip-hop legend Gucci Mane tells the story of his rise, fall, and redemption in The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. With a string of influential mixtapes and street anthems that pioneered the sound of trap music in the 2000s, the rap icon inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers including Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Metro Boomin.

Taking listeners back to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, and the studio where he found his voice, Gucci Mane reflects on his successes while also confronting his dark past, which included drug addiction, murder charges, and a prison sentence.

But Gucci Mane has changed, and in this music bio, he provides an intimate glimpse into his radical transformation following his 2016 prison release—one that saw the rapper emerge sober, smiling, focused, and positive. This is one of music’s great comeback stories.

Born to Run

Written and narrated by Bruce Springsteen

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that he decided to write about it, which then inspired him to tell the story of his entire life.

Vividly recounting his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in New Jersey, and the rise of The E Street Band, Springsteen fills the pages of Born to Run with humor, originality, and disarming candor. For the first time, the superstar rocker shares the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized. This isn’t just a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words

Written by Billie Eilish

Narrated By Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, Patrick O’Connell

In this special audiobook companion piece, global pop phenomenon Billie Eilish walks fans through the personal highlights and special moments of her life and career, both on and off the stage.

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words is full of exclusive and unique content, including memories shared by her parents. Capturing the essence of Billie inside and out, listeners get personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more, making this audio edition essential for any fan.

It’s a Long Story: My Life

Written by Willie Nelson and David Ritz

Narrated by Christopher Ryan Grant

It’s a Long Story is the complete, unvarnished story of Willie Nelson‘s life. Told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, the country legend takes listeners on a ride from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary tour bus.

Nelson shines a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his biggest collaborations, his lowest lows, and his highest highs—from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid.

Talking to My Angels

Written and narrated by Melissa Etheridge

Following the success of her first memoir, award-winning rocker and trailblazing LGBTQIA+ icon Melissa Etheridge returns to take stock of her life in the years that have followed.

Talking to My Angels is a profoundly honest look into Etheridge’s inner life as a woman, an artist, a mother, and a survivor. With characteristic wit and courage, Melissa delves into how numerous tragedies served as a catalyst for growth, and what the past two decades have taught her about the value of music, love, family, and life in the face of death. This audiobook also features live, stripped-down performances of many of Melissa’s songs, including “Talking to My Angel” and “Here Comes the Pain.”

Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir

Written by Juicy J and Soren Baker

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

The hustle still continues for hip-hop OG Juicy J in Chronicles of the Juice Man, where he shares his invaluable story as an unwavering force in the music industry. Jordan Houston’s rise to stardom was never easy. Beginning with his journey on the streets of Memphis in the ’80s, Juicy J was always inspired by music and had big dreams of becoming a superstar rapper. The Three 6 Mafia member stuck to his plan with determination, rising from a young, poor, ambitious kid to an Academy Award–winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entrepreneur. A never-before-seen look into one of the most influential tastemakers in the game, Chronicles of the Juice Man offers Juicy J’s wisdom as a respected industry veteran.

Tell It Like It Is: My Story

Written and narrated by Aaron Neville

Tell It Like It Is shares the trials and tribulations of legendary singer and songwriter Aaron Neville through the lens of his faith, family, and music.

Scoring his first number-one hit in 1966 with “Tell It Like It Is,” the artist went on to form the Neville Brothers with his siblings Art, Charles, and Cyril. Aaron was the breakout star, and over the next six decades, he’s enjoyed four platinum albums, three number-one songs, and entry into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But few people know the challenging and circuitous road Aaron took to fame. Born in a housing project in New Orleans, he struggled as a teenage father working to raise a family while building his career as a musician, surviving a stint in jail for car theft and battling heroin addiction for many years. Now for the first time, fans can discover the inside story.

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it.

The Stars of ‘Joy Ride’ Reveal Their Top Songs for a Road Trip Adventure

July 6, 2023

Arriving in theaters this week, Joy Ride is the tale of four unlikely friends who embark on a hilarious and unapologetically explicit adventure through Asia.

When the high-achieving Audrey (Ashley Park) travels to China for a business trip with her irreverent best friend, Lolo (Sherry Cola), they are joined by Audrey’s college pal turned Chinese soap star, Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Lolo’s K-Pop-loving cousin, Deadeye (Sabrina Wu). From there things go sideways, but over the course of the film, the no-holds-barred mayhem turns into a journey of bonding, friendship, and debauchery.

Offering a glimpse into the Asian American experience—particularly for young women—Joy Ride reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

Music also plays a prominent role in the film. K-Pop’s massive cultural impact is felt throughout it, but especially when the quartet creates their own K-Pop group, Brownie Tuesday, complete with a cover of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.”

To celebrate the release of the film, the four stars put their heads together to create the Joy Ride Official Playlist, collecting their personal favorite songs that capture the collective spirit of the characters they portrayed.

With new and classic hits from BTS, BLACKPINK, Spice Girls, Drake, Lizzo, Vanessa Carlton, Kelly Clarkson, Victoria Monet, and New Edition, as well as official soundtrack cuts from The Linda Lindas, Queen WA$ABII, and VaVa, it’s a collection that evokes both nostalgia and a desire to sing along.

For the Record caught up with the foursome to talk about their picks, what it was like to perform “WAP,” and the influence of K-Pop culture on the movie.

**What inspired the mood for the Joy Ride Official Playlist? Were there any songs that you were especially excited to include?**

Stephanie: I think that if we were on a road trip, we’d just want that nostalgia. There are certain albums and songs that spoke to you at an exact time and place of your life. I threw in one that’s very tweeny, which is not my typical forte of music, but it’s Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”

Ashley: The four of us would be in a car looking out the window as if we were Vanessa Carlton herself . . . and then nobody would be driving.

Sherry: “Say You’ll Be There” by the Spice Girls is a big one for me. It’s about friendship, you know, and having each other’s backs and having a good time while we’re doing it.

Stephanie: Sabrina, do you know the Spice Girls?

Sabrina: Yeah I know the Spice Girls. To be clear, you’re gonna be surprised that some of those songs that I threw on the playlist are pretty old. I was thinking about the big breakup at the end and so I threw in “After the Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Ashley: I added some BLACKPINK because we want that K-Pop type of beat behind us, but also included Kelly Clarkson because I think we all love to emote as well. We’re dramatic.

Photo Credit: Ed Araquel

Stephanie: I also feel like a song I threw in that really represents our movie and our dynamics is the Saweetie song “Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat).”

Ashley: Yeah! They used that for the moment when we first walk in the airport as Brownie Tuesday so that we could feel like the best versions of ourselves. I always associate that with the movie.

Sabrina: I also felt like there needed to be a hot song that references travel. So I had “Coastin’” by Victoria Monet. And I’m gonna butcher the lines, but there’s a moment that’s like, “Feel like a Thursday how I’m throwin’ it back. Baby we can go North, South, East, West Coast.” And I thought that was pretty hot.

You cover Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for the big Brownie Tuesday airport scene. How did that go down?

Ashley: I think that’s special in the film because it was the first time us four got together and really collaborated creatively. We worked on that during the very first table read, and we discovered that Sabrina is an amazing beatboxer.

And we’re really happy that Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B gave their blessing to have the song in the film. That was the best form of allyship we could ask for. We’ve all blared the song to ourselves, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, this really pushes buttons and breaks barriers that shouldn’t have even been there.” I don’t even think I realized until we were recording it, but the way that the lyrics were rewritten by our writers was so specific to us and they still worked so well. I felt very liberated listening to it.

Sabrina: Cardi and Meg really did a lot for women’s sexuality and we are lucky to live in a world with them. We are not deserving of that song and their power.

Sherry: Truly, truly, truly. Yeah. I can’t wait for Cardi B and Meg to watch the film.

That scene also includes a fully choreographed K-Pop routine. What was the whole experience like?

Stephanie: Well I’ll just say that making a movie is like co-birthing a baby and also the most profound form of trauma bonding. We would film Monday through Friday and rehearse on Saturdays. And we were rewriting lyrics as we were going so it was kind of a frenzy and chaos—we really wanted to get it right. But it was really fun. We really wanted to honor the original songs and honor Deadeye’s vision of friendship and badassness.

Photo Credit: Ed Araquel

Sherry: Yeah. We really went all out. And shout out to Joe Tuliao, our incredible choreographer, and also the backup dancers. I mean, that was the squad.

Were there any K-Pop songs or artists you listened to during the shoot to prepare for the Brownie Tuesday scene?

Sabrina: I think we listened to a lot of BLACKPINK, if I remember.

Stephanie: Yeah. We watched the BLACKPINK documentary together.

Ashley: I wish the BLACKPINK song “Pink Venom” was out when we did the film, because I feel like the vibe of it is absolutely exactly what we needed for the scene.

Sherry: The whole scene was definitely an homage to BLACKPINK and just the fact that K-Pop is this global sensation that’s taking over.

Sabrina, did you discover any particular pockets of K-Pop fandom to help inform Deadeye?

Sabrina: Yeah, I definitely took a look at things like fancams when we were filming, because K-Pop was definitely in the cultural spotlight at the time—it was all over the internet. People were talking about K-Pop fans a lot because they disrupted a political rally in Oklahoma by buying all of the tickets.

I was very aware of just how powerful of a global community it was, so that informed my character. And when I was growing up, I lived very much on the internet. I was obsessed with Asian YouTube and Asian hip-hop. And so I sort of brought that personal experience of being deeply involved in and drawn to Asian culture. So that’s sort of how Deadeye was born.

Ashley: Also what I love about the movie is we get to see the K-Pop community and really understand why Deadeye and the K-Pop army really love and cherishes this music and these groups. I’m so happy in the way that we present them as heroes and show how they show up for people they’ve never met in real life.

Discover all the ups, downs, and mayhem of this fearsome foursome in Joy Ride, playing in theaters now.

Quiz: This Week on ‘For the Record’

September 24, 2021

Spotify’s Spice Bus Tours London to Celebrate 25 Years of the Spice Girls

September 24, 2021

2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the one and only Spice Girls. Their debut, and most-streamed track of all time, “Wannabe,” made waves and started a global “girl power” revolution unlike anything the music and pop culture industry had witnessed before—one that still inspires and encourages young girls of today. On Spotify, 18- to 24-year-olds stream the Spice Girls the most, showcasing how their music has the ability to inspire a new generation.

To celebrate a quarter-century of one of the most popular girl bands across the world, this past weekend Spotify recreated the iconic Spice Bus from the Spice World film and took fans on a zig-zagging journey: a Spice Girls’ tour across London.

Quiz: This Week on ‘For the Record’

July 16, 2021

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

July 8, 2021

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.

Spotify Listeners Are Getting Nostalgic: Behavioral Science Writer David DiSalvo and Cyndi Lauper Share Why

April 14, 2020

Photo credit: Helen Maybanks

With all the uncertainties of our current climate, music from decades past is striking a particularly strong chord. From April 1–7, we saw a 54% increase in listeners making nostalgic-themed playlists, as well as an uptick in the share of listening to music from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s (with ’50s music listening increasing the most). But what exactly is driving this interest?

For the Record spoke with David DiSalvo, a behavioral science writer and author of What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, to get his take. “Nostalgia is an extremely powerful force linked to memory,” he noted. “But it has a way of putting a rosier view on our memory. When we smell those chocolate chip cookies, it’s a link to memory that brings us back to a more stable, comfortable place in our lives. We can inhabit it in our minds and feel a level of support that most of us aren’t feeling right now because there is so much instability.”

DiSalvo also explained the powerful role music specifically plays. “Music, like smell, is one of those things with immediate access to that direct, nostalgic memory. It takes you back to that place. For example, everyone can remember the specific song they were listening to during their first kiss.”

Perhaps Spotify listeners are trying to recreate moments from their past to find comfort, calm, and a break from the day-to-day. When making or updating playlists, listeners have been adding plenty of throwbacks—just take a look at the most-added tracks to playlists from each decade:

’50s: “Jailhouse Rock” – Elvis Presley
’60s: “At Last” – Etta James
’70s: “Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers
’80s: “Take on Me” – a-ha
’90s: “Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of…)” – Lou Bega
’00s: “I Gotta Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas
’10s: “Danza Kuduro” – Don Omar, Lucenzo

And they aren’t the only ones feeling the nostalgic vibes. Artists, too, are thinking of days long gone.

We asked Cyndi Lauper, whose upbeat hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is one of the most-streamed songs from the ’80s in the past week, for her thoughts on what’s driving folks down memory lane. “Music marks time for me. So when I hear a song, it brings me back to that exact moment in time. It also helps that I have a really good memory, but music has always been such an important part of my life. Like most, I have a soundtrack. Broadway cast recordings of The King & I and Funny Girl bring me back to when I was 5 and just discovering my voice and love for music.”

Cyndi is also featured prominently on All Out 80s, Spotify’s popular throwback playlist with over 7.1 million followers. She thinks there’s a good reason why the playlist is so popular.

“The music of the ’80s was melodic. That was the common thread and why music from the ’80s is so good. I know for me, my intention was to make music that people would want to listen to for years and years, for decades and decades, long after I was gone.”

Though many listeners have taken to more “chill” music in the past few weeks, there is also something to be said for pausing on the present and getting down with your favorite oldies. According to DiSalvo, “There is a good part of ‘distraction.’ It plays a healthy role in giving us a break, a reset point when we are in deep anxiety and stress.”

Also looking for a break from the moment? Take a listen to some of the most popular tracks streamed by decade April 1–7: