Tag: Spotify Singles

Get Merry With New Spotify Holiday Singles From Laufey, Kirk Franklin, Ezra Collective, and Panter Bélico

November 14, 2023

As the year draws to a close, you might be excitedly getting ready for the holidays. And whether you’re spending time with family or celebrating with friends, you know your gatherings aren’t complete without a great soundtrack.

To help start your merrymaking right, we’re back with another edition of Spotify Holiday Singles. This year, we invited jazz starlet Laufey, gospel legend Kirk Franklin, eclectic fusion quintet Ezra Collective, and rising Música Mexicana star Panter Bélico to record a cover of a classic holiday hit or an original song that channels the spirit of the season.

The end result is four new singles, each with its own distinct sound, making any time the perfect time to enjoy some festive vibes. Here’s what each of our featured artists had to say about their Spotify Holiday Singles.

“Winter Wonderland”

Laufey

Raised between Iceland and the U.S., Laufey is a classically trained cellist and pianist who has quickly become a household name since stepping onto the scene in 2020 with her hit “Street by Street.” As a kid, she became hooked on jazz standards after digging through her dad’s record collection, and now she is the most-streamed jazz artist on Spotify thanks to hit singles like “Let You Break My Heart Again” and record-breaking albums like Bewitched.

For her Spotify Holiday Single, Laufey reaffirmed her love of jazz standards with her cover of the timeless “Winter Wonderland.”

Why did you choose “Winter Wonderland?”

I chose to cover “Winter Wonderland” because it captures the essence and warmth of Christmastime at my family’s home in Iceland.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

It has to be giving and receiving books on Christmas Eve. Nothing beats sitting down with my family on Christmas Day and diving into the books by the tree.

“Joy To The World”

Kirk Franklin

Since bursting onto the scene 30 years ago, Kirk Franklin has successfully bridged the worlds of gospel, pop, hip-hop, and R&B, steadily delivering a parade of hits to fans around the world. The 19-time Grammy winner first made his mark with his 1993 debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family, and he hasn’t looked back since. Just last month, the legend released Father’s Day, his 14th studio album.

And for this year’s round of Spotify Holiday Singles, Franklin chose to bring good tidings with his gospel-infused cover of “Joy To The World.”

Why did you choose “Joy To The World?”

I chose “Joy to the World” because the world could always use a little more joy. Christmas is my favorite time of year because it’s a time where people are more optimistic. I want to get the message out there for everyone to spread a bit of joy everywhere they go, today and every day of the year.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

I love being with my family and giving them the holiday specials that I never had growing up. Whether that’s eating too much good food or giving them too many gifts. It’s the time where I really get to show my family how much I love and appreciate them for their constant love and support.

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

Ezra Collective

Since coming together in 2016, London ensemble Ezra Collective has become known for their distinct fusion of Black genres like jazz, grime, and Afrobeat. Last year the group, which consists of drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and tenor saxophonist James Mollison, released its third album, Where I’m Meant To Be, featuring collaborations with like-minded artists Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emeli Sandé, and Nao.

And for their Spotify Holiday Single, the quintet lent its talent to a cover of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

Why did you choose the song you covered?

Femi: Christmas music is all about carols. The simplicity of them, but also the beauty in the melodies. I guess also growing up in church, around the Christmas period it’s the carols I would hear. For us, this tune is a really wavy carol, such a beautiful melody. So much to interpret and make your own.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

Femi: It has to be the Ezra Collective Office Party. We have no office, but the name just makes it sound more grown up. It’s just an opportunity to eat and drink together. Secret Santa, and most importantly whatever that year has been, a moment to be grateful and thank one another.

“Un Vaquero En Navidad”

Panter Bélico

Just 21 years old, Panter Bélico has become one of the leading lights of the Música Mexicana scene. The former Grupo Arriesgado member broke through as a solo artist earlier this year, topping charts with hits like “LA 701” and “Símbolo Sexual,” along with releasing his debut album, Punto Y Aparte.

For this year’s edition of Spotify Holiday Singles, the rising star took a different approach and contributed an original song: “Un Vaquero En Navidad.”

What was the inspiration for “Un Vaquero En Navidad”?

When they asked me to record an original Christmas corrido, I thought I’d go outside of the traditional and tell a story about something I’m passionate about, which is horses. I imagined being a cowboy at Christmas time, and that’s where the lyrics came from. And with my musicians, we realized that the northern cumbia style was best for the period.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?

Like everyone, we spend the night of the 24th having a traditional family dinner. We open gifts the morning of the 25th and get together that day for a reheated meal.

Keep this year’s holiday celebrations turned up to 11 with Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection, featuring our full catalog of original songs and covers.

Mexican LGBTQIA+ Musicians Come Together for the First Latin American Spotify Single Made Entirely by Women

August 15, 2023

The latest Spotify Single from Latin America is a totally women-powered anthem. At every turn—from songwriting to composition, production, mixing, engineering, and even promotional content—“Mucho Peor – Spotify Singles” is a testament to the creativity and skills of the many women behind it. It’s taken its rightful place on the Created by Women Spotify playlist, which incorporates music created 100% by women from all over the world.

“’Mucho Peor’ represents the extraordinary teamwork of talented women who want their music to reach more and more listeners globally,” said Moni Saldaña, Artist and Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify Mexico. “It is with great pride that we present the first Latin American Spotify Single created 100% by women.”

“Mucho Peor – Spotify Singles” emerged from the sounds of four queer Mexican women artists: Kirnbauer, a producer and singer-songwriter who represents the new wave of pop; Noa Sainz, an R&B singer who’s been big on the festival circuit; María Centeno of folk-Latin group La Isla Centeno; and R&B-Afrobeat-pop-infusing Joaquina Mertz.

“I really wanted to make sure it was all women involved,” said Moni. “I also wanted to make sure we had diversity within the representation, in terms of interests, with each artist coming from a different city in Mexico. And then when I realized they were all part of the LGBTQIA+ community, it added a whole separate, beautiful layer to this narrative.”

The song can be found on Spotify’s EQUAL hub, and all four artists are part of the global program, which reaffirms Spotify’s commitment to seeking equity in the audio industry. Additionally, all four artists are August ambassadors for GLOW, our global initiative highlighting the voices of LGBTQIA+ artists to achieve equity in the audio industry all year-round.

For the Record brought the quartet (and now friends) back together for a discussion about their new single and their role as queer women in music.

Tell us how you came together to create “Mucho Peor.”

María: Joaquina and I have become really good friends for a while; we’re both queer, we both make music, and we’ve written songs together before. One day our friend Kirnbauer came to us and told us there was an opportunity to create a Spotify Single, and she thought it would be fun to work on it together. We invited Noa Sainz to join us. She’s insanely talented. And now we all hang out; we talk about this; we have dinner once a week. It’s so refreshing to have friends who can relate to you in so many ways. It was so nice to work together on a specific project knowing it was going somewhere before we even started writing.

Joaquina: We were hanging out at Kirnbauer’s house and I already had a producer in mind, Maria Vertiz, because I’ve known her since we were very young. She studied classical music, then went to Berklee College of Music and worked with James Newton Howard. I insisted we work with her. Her style is so unique. She always finds a way to introduce different genres into what you’re making. So, we were thinking about an R&B song, and then we told her what we liked in the Natalia Lacunza song that she had produced, and she was like, “Okay friends, what if we put, like, drum and bass in this?” And it just worked perfectly.

Kirnbauer: It’s so easy to work with the same old people you’ve been working with—with male established members of the music industry. But it was very important for us to create this all-women team. It feels more empowering. After a six-hour studio session, I’m usually so tired and drained. But after this one, we had so much energy because of the vibe, and we’re a team of all women. It was so different from what I’m used to. We were having drinks and celebrating, but we still had this rush. It was because we worked with a team that we trust.

Noa: We followed our instincts. We trusted and enjoyed the process. It’s more about the process and the journey than the final product itself. This was an experience of showing that we’re women, we’re enough. We’re talented enough, and we don’t have to prove anything to anyone in this industry. We have this constant pressure to show what we can do, and it takes you away from enjoying the art and trusting yourself. We didn’t feel the pressure to prove anything; there was openness and space for all of us.

What do you hope listeners take away from the song?

María: I hope they feel energy. That’s what we felt when we wrote it and we recorded it. We felt energized, so happy to be there, to be with our friends. Mucho peor means “way worse.” You know how sometimes people tell you that you’re a little too much? The lyrics are basically saying, “I could be even more of this.” It’s telling you to accept what you deserve, own it, and take nothing less. I hope people feel the power in it and feel good about themselves.

Kirnbauer: I think the song is very empowering. It was also interesting because we had all recently gone through breakups, and the song gives a sense of storytelling around “I deserve to be in a better place.” We wrote our own parts. It’s very personal, from our own experience, and in the end, it’s an empowering, fun, upbeat song that says, “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Joaquina: The song is for women and queer people to feel cocky. There are a lot of songs for men who feel cocky in their love or sex lives. But I want to feel extravagant and not feel ashamed of it. We’ve been taught so much shame in being queer and being a woman. I think it’s time to let that go. So this song is about leaving behind this idea of being fragile because you’re a woman, and acknowledging you can be super cocky because you deserve to feel like this.

How does music empower marginalized communities?

Joaquina: Music has always been a safe space for queerness. I think a lot of people who are in the music business get a sense of what is trendy from queer spaces and sounds. To have queer women and to have queerness in music is so important because it gives a completely different voice to music. I think it’s a lot more magical. It comes from somewhere else. We need those types of spaces because they tell stories that matter. And they’ve always been present; they just need a little more of the limelight.

María: It’s about storytelling. When queer people write songs, you are writing from a different point of view. The stories that you tell are different, maybe, from the stories you grow up hearing about—with girls and boys and this binary thing where there isn’t a lot of color. I think it’s important to write songs from the queer community’s experience, from our own experiences as queer women in Mexico. Our storytelling is different because the types of love stories we have are different. The way we relate to other people is different. Even the way we relate to our queer friends is different, and so the way we create art together comes out differently.

Kirnbauer: It’s all about representation. I admire and listen to other artists who inspire me. We can allow ourselves to be that for other generations. Every story is very unique. We’re four Mexican queer girls making art, making these songs specifically. Each one of us has a very different story and way of telling it. Everything is about telling our stories and allowing the people out there, the younger generations, to find inspiration. It’s a privileged position to be in, and I’m very honored to be able to share with people and connect with them.

Noa Sainz: Music tells our stories. It gives us a voice. It gives people a voice they don’t always have. Music is the best company for everyone, whether you’re alone and on your own or surrounded by supportive people.

Stream “Mucho Peor” now, only on Spotify.

Taiwanese Band Sunset Rollercoaster Builds Momentum With New Spotify Singles

July 24, 2023

a photo of the band sunset rollercoaster sitting in the recording studio

Sunset Rollercoaster breaks ground as the first Taiwanese band to collaborate with Spotify to release tracks for our Spotify Singles program. The indie-pop group, known for their distinct musical style and poetic lyrics, has proven that their music transcends borders, with an appearance at Coachella earlier this year. Now, with two newly recorded songs, Sunset Rollercoaster is ready to give fans old and new a fresh take on their music.

The band, which comprises Tseng Kuo-Heng (vocals/guitar), Chen Hung-Li (bass), Lo Tsun-Lung (drums), Wang Shao-Hsuan (keyboard), and Huang Hao Ting (saxophone), traveled to the Spotify Studios in Los Angeles to record a reimagining of their song “Candlelight” and a cover of “腦海中 (In My Head)” by fellow Taiwanese indie band The Loophole (露波合唱團).

“These Spotify Singles give us the opportunity to rearrange and merge the style that represents us, and helps a wider and more global audience discover our music,” the band shared in a statement. “This is one of the ways to put music into the world and introduce Asian genres—from Mandopop to indie—that cut across diverse sounds and languages.”

“Candlelight” was released in 2020 and is an electronic-focused track cocreated by Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean indie musician OHHYUK. For the new Spotify Singles, the band stripped down and recorded an unfiltered version of the original track.

Sunset Rollercoaster brings a jazz-synth-influenced style to “腦海中 (In My Head).” The goal with this interpretation is to attract greater appreciation for Mandarin songs and share them with a global audience.

Sunset Rollercoaster’s new songs will be featured on the flagship Spotify Singles global hub, as well as on the New Music Friday and Hot Hits Taiwan playlists. The band has already amassed more than 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and their reach will only continue as their tracks are discovered by new listeners in Asia and beyond.

Lo-Fi Star Bad Snacks Drops Spotify Singles and Helps You Create Your Own

June 15, 2023

Beautiful music should be shared. From the studio to the stage, producer Bad Snacks embodies that philosophy, creating music that resonates with global audiences and gets them moving. Throughout her career, she’s never hesitated to give fellow artists a look into her process.

Rich with lo-fi and dance influences, Bad Snacks’s catalog of songs offers up a soundscape of lush strings, driving basslines, and hard-hitting grooves. After going viral on Andrew Huang’s “4 Producers” challenge, she released several instrumental beat tapes that garnered an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response, amassing millions of streams. Her dedication to fans and for other creators to explore their creativity remains unwavering as she unveils a sound pack with Soundtrap featuring 28 loops and 52 one-shots to help take your lo-fi production game to the next level.

Soundtrap is an online studio for songwriters and beat makers. Made by musicians and producers, Soundtrap offers an intuitive interface, coupled with over 24,000 royalty-free loops and instruments, to make professional-sounding music and storytelling simple and collaborative for everyone, no matter where they are.

The Bad Snacks collaboration, available on the Music Maker Supreme and Complete plans, is the latest addition to the expansive Soundtrap Originals series, a biweekly release of audio content produced by a network of music producers exclusively for Soundtrap users. The sound pack contains handpicked ingredients straight from Spotify’s Studio in LA, produced by Bad Snacks just for Soundtrap. It’s full of lush, vintage textures, spicy drums recorded from historical synths, classic 808s, and some fresh strings from Bad Snacks’s 100-year-old violin.

Want to cook up some tracks yourself? Try Soundtrap now.

Recently, we also invited the producer to step into our Spotify Studios in LA to work with a number of talented engineers and musicians to create her own samples and then use them in a pair of new Spotify Singles—the dreamy, nostalgic reimagining of the New Radicals hit “You Get What You Give,” as well as an original track, the ethereal, lo-fi beat-heavy “Technicolor.”

For the Record caught up with Bad Snacks to talk about the new sound pack, her new Spotify Singles, and what it was like to geek out in Spotify Studios.

Tell us about the creative approach to your tracks for Spotify Singles.

Although I started as a lo-fi producer, I think a major part of my sound and evolution has been about incorporating sounds beyond lo-fi while maintaining those warm-hug mushy feelings that lo-fi evokes. For my Spotify Singles, I really felt like the way to evolve lo-fi was to curate the samples I use as much as possible, which is why I enlisted the help of my friend, arranger Ryan Reeson, harpist Nailah Hunter, and Wholesoul. We were able to use Spotify Studios to record a string quartet and harp piece that took a lot of cues from golden-era Hollywood compositions, and then I was able to slice those into an instrumental that felt very genuine to me.

How did recording at Spotify Studios differ from your everyday production and practices?

Spotify Studios is a wonderland for someone like myself. It’s not very often that I get access to such a nice studio with all-star musicians and recording engineers, so I definitely wanted to take advantage of that. Usually my everyday production practices include a lot of messing around and experimentation, but this session was extremely premeditated and thoughtfully planned since we had so many logistics to organize.

There’s an unbelievable amount of cool, unique, and well-loved gear that all have deep stories behind them. Like, coming across a single-generation bass synth made by a water heater company? Crazy! It didn’t take long for me to start geeking out with the studio engineers about every fun fact in that room.

What tools do you use to create your music?

I’m a huge synth nerd, so I really use anything that I can experiment with. At Spotify Studios, it was such a treat to work with familiar—and unfamiliar!—gear. Especially Roland’s Juno-104 and TR-808 synths, and Hologram’s Microcosm pedal. Of course, I’m also a string player, so my violin is extremely instrumental to almost every track I make.

And of course Soundtrap is super neat because it’s very accessible, and the way it makes real-time online collaborating possible is very helpful.

You recently released a sound pack on Soundtrap that users can use for their own music. Why is it important for artists to be able to share resources and skills with one another?

We’re in a really unprecedented age of idea sharing in the arts community. As a self-taught producer and engineer, I can’t express how helpful it is to have access to some of the same ingredients that my favorite producers cook with. I have always been pretty open with my processes and resources, and although I don’t believe that should be an expectation of producers and artists, I know that being transparent and generous has surrounded me with a community that has benefited me in multitudes.

And as a producer, I’m always on the hunt for sample packs to get the ideas flowing. So with this current pack, I wanted to create sounds that are not only very usable, but could inspire producers in potentially unexpected ways. I hope people enjoy these vintage textures, because it was such a blast to create them.

Who are some of your biggest creative influences?

This is always a tough question because there are always so many, and they also shift with the seasons. Some of my all-time favorites are Flying Lotus, Björk, TOKiMONSTA, Radiohead, Teebs, and Disclosure. They all have catalogs that I never get tired of.

Hear ‌the fruits of Bad Snacks’s labor in Spotify Studios on her two Spotify Singles below:

Rock On During Black Music Month With These Frequency x Spotify Singles Tracks

June 14, 2023

a compilation of song cover art featuring bands: Zulu, Meet Me @ The Altar and Jean Dawson

This June, in honor of Black Music Month, a group of talented Black rockers recorded new tracks as part of a Frequency x Spotify Singles collaboration. Pop-punk darlings Meet Me @ The Altar, hardcore/metal band Zulu, and alternative artist Jean Dawson each showcase their distinct music stylings on a reimagining of one of their original songs and a cover of another artist’s single that they love.

Frequency’s year-round program celebrates Black art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on- and off-platform.

“Frequency was launched in 2021 out of the desire to create a space where listeners and creators can come together to celebrate Black expression in music. Since its inception, we’ve fostered community within diverse subgenres through marketing, editorial, and shared experiences,” explained Kimmy Summers, Lead for Artist Partnerships at Spotify. “We take pride in our responsibility to partner and invest in artists that redefine what Black artistry looks and sounds like, and are thrilled to support the next generation of rising stars.”

These particular Spotify Singles reflect the diversity and talent within the Black music community and help expand perceptions of the range of genres in which Black artists excel.

“For this iteration of Spotify Singles, we chose to highlight Black artists making waves in Rock— whose contributions, despite the expansiveness of the genre, are not traditionally amplified,” shared Chissy Nkemere, Lead for Rock & Alternative Artist Partnerships at Spotify. “Each artist comes from a different subgenre within rock, and their distinct styles are reflected through the songs they chose and the recordings themselves.”

Get to know these musicians and check out their new Spotify Singles.

Meet Me @ The Altar is a critically acclaimed trio currently on tour for their debut album, Past // Present // Future. They put a new spin on their second single, “Kool,” and covered Kelly Clarkson’s 2003 hit “Miss Independent.”

How did you choose and add your personal stamp to the song you’re covering?

Kelly Clarkson is an artist that we have looked up to all of our lives. Our favorite Kelly Clarkson era is the early 2000s pop rock she was serving. I mean . . . everyone loves “Since U Been Gone”! We are giving this song [Miss Independent] our personal spin by making it an even more rock ’n’ roll–leaning listen.

How does your music reflect your identity?

The music we make is the manifestation of many forces and influences throughout our lives, but primarily we would say that it’s exactly what we would’ve wanted to hear from the stage when we were kids and started experiencing live music, or playing on the radio on the way to school. It’s reaffirming for us to be able to say it’s fully authentic to what we want our sound to be. Nobody tells Meet Me @ The Altar what we have to sound like or be other than the three of us.

What advice do you have for other Black rockers?

Take up space and be yourself. Be proud of your identity, but don’t let it be the only thing people talk about. At the end of the day, your music is the most important thing. You being Black should be an afterthought, not the first thought.

Zulu, whose sound blends hard-core and power-violence with elements of jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul, recently released their first full-length album, A New Tomorrow. Their Spotify Singles are a reworking of “Shine Eternally” and a cover of Slipknot’s “Wait and Bleed.”

How did you choose and add your personal stamp to the song you’re covering?

Honestly, some of us kind of naturally thought of either Slipknot or System Of A Down for some reason, and we ended up going with Slipknot. It’s funny how we all naturally shared that same thought.

How does your music reflect your identity?

It’s a musical representation of my identity—it is who I am, and no matter what I make, it’s represented. Different styles of music are just different aspects of my identity.

What advice do you have for other Black rockers?

Don’t let anyone tell you this music isn’t for you, or that you’re playing white-people music. Our ancestors made it possible for this music to exist, and we can’t let people take that away from us.

Jean Dawson is a Black and Mexican musician and visual artist whose most recent album CHAOS NOW* debuted in 2022. He reimagined his track “PORN ACTING*” and covered “Window Shopper” by 50 Cent for his Spotify Singles.

How did you choose and add your personal stamp to the song you’re covering?

“I’ve always looked at this song as a rock song, so I decided I would take it there and add my twist to it. People fail to realize that 50 Cent was an innovator in being hyper melodic while doing a format of music that was known for being more rhythmic. I have always seen him as being very punk rock.

GLOW Artist Sycco Shares How She Found Her Voice

May 25, 2023

Dive into the psychedelic pop sounds of “Ripple” or “Dribble” to immerse yourself in the bright and colorful world of 20-year-old Sycco. The artist, who has Torres Strait Island lineage and started off by writing and producing songs from her Meanjin/Brisbane bedroom, has spent the past year racking up streams and gracing several Spotify playlists, including Australia’s Front Left, Deadly Beats, and EQUAL AU & NZ.

Now she’s Spotify’s latest GLOW artist.

GLOW is our global music program celebrating and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. We’ll support Sycco on-platform with a dedicated hub and flagship GLOW playlist, and off-platform via billboards and other takeovers. As part of the program, Sycco will also release a Spotify Singles recording of her track “‘Ripple” and a cover of Post Malone’s “Rockstar.”

“When I was asked to do this, I looked through my recent playlist to see what song I should cover and ‘Rockstar’ was in there, and I was like perfect, and started trying things straight away,” Sycco said. “My drummer, Paddy, hit this breakbeat, and it was it! I’ve been making so much trap music recently, randomly, so it felt very fitting. I am so excited to play this live. I feel like people will go hard!”

Though she’s in the middle of a tour with Australian favorite Tame Impala and U.K. indie breakout Glass Animals, Sycco spoke to For the Record about her identity and craft.

Tell us about your journey into music. How did you find your voice?

My dad taught me guitar when I was 7, and I just kept playing and writing songs. I loved playing drums on anything I could find and watching karaoke videos online. In high school I saved up all year and bought a Mac and started producing. I feel like that’s when I really found my voice. Music was my favorite place and my safe place to express myself.

Why is it important to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices year-round?

Representation is everything. It is so important to amplify LGBTQIA+ voices all the time to create safe spaces and allow everyone to be themselves!

What are some of the ways your Indigenous and queer identities intersect?

I am on my journey with educating myself about both—learning my privilege and breaking down my imposter syndrome. I also find so many similarities of empowerment, representation, community, and an ability to understand myself better.

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m really into the Jonas Brothers at the moment.

What do you hope people take away from your music?

I want people to leave with jaws dropped, tears in eyes, and butterflies in their stomachs knowing they have just transcended everything they had ever known. A slay.

Who are some queer artists or cultural icons who have inspired you?

SOPHIE, Frank Ocean, Charli XCX, and sooo many more!

What makes you GLOW?

My friends! We create such a safe space to allow freedom in self-expression and to be our authentic selves.

How does music empower queer communities?

It’s a place of vulnerability and sharing stories. A place where people can relate in private or feel that collective energy in a crowd of people. It is truly magical.

What is the best advice you received when you were growing as an artist?

I guess it wasn’t directed at being an artist, but my mum always encouraged me to be myself. I think that advice, when I’d get a bit lost, was always really nice to know that it’s what my mumma taught.

Catch Sycco on our episode of Spotify: Mic Check.

Celebrate Country Legend Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday With New Spotify Singles

April 28, 2023

cover art for the three artists participating in the willie nelson spotify singles

Often spotted with a bandana on his head and a guitar in his hands, Willie Nelson remains one of the most recognized and respected country musicians. Since the 1960s, the Texan has been active, performing hits like “On the Road Again,” appearing on the silver screen in films like The Dukes of Hazzard, and advocating for the causes most important to him.

April 29 marks the renowned star’s 90th birthday, and our Spotify Singles program is celebrating the milestone occasion. In partnership with Luck Reunion, a group of artists visited Nelson’s iconic home studio—Pedernales Recording Studio—to cover one of their favorite hits from the legend.

“Luck Presents is honored to have collaborated with and to have hosted the Spotify Singles team to capture these amazing Luck family artists paying homage to our landlord and godfather for his 90th birthday,” said Matt Bizer, CEO, Luck Reunion. “From Margo’s ballad rendition of ‘Hands on the Wheel’ and Sierra’s incredible take on ‘Seven Spanish Angels,’ to the powerful, soulful, and fun new gospel take on ‘Whiskey River’ by The War And Treaty—they are all a treat to hear. We hope this can become a new tradition.”

For the Record caught up with the artists to learn more about their experiences creating these new tracks.

Margo Price covers “Hands on the Wheel”

Grammy Best New Artist nominee Margo Price uses her music to weigh in on a range of societal topics, from the gender wage gap to the plight of the American farmer and substance abuse. The singer-songwriter has seen critical acclaim for her work, which includes four studio albums since 2016.

What was it like recording at the Pedernales Recording Studio?

It’s one of my favorite studios to record in. This was my second time recording there, and there’s just a magic about the studio and the beautiful hillside country that surrounds it.

Why did you choose “Hands on the Wheel”?

“Hands on the Wheel” has always been one of my favorite songs, and Red Headed Stranger is one of the best albums ever conceived. The opening lyrics seem so relevant for today’s times.

What do you hope Willie’s reaction will be?

I hope he digs it! I tried to preserve the rooted feeling and keep it simple and stripped down so the focus on the poetry and lyrics wouldn’t be lost.

How did you reimagine the track?

Honestly, I didn’t do much, because if it’s not broken, why fix it? I changed the key and moved it up into my register, but I kept it acoustic and open with lots of space for the words and instruments to breathe. My husband, Jeremy, played guitar, and I enlisted two of Willie Nelson’s bandmates for the session. His longtime harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, added his magic touch, and Willie’s son, Micah Nelson, aka Particle Kid, added an acoustic guitar lead and a beautiful harmony.

What was it like collaborating with Micah? Did the experience bring out a different side to your music or creativity?

Micah is a genius—and I truly mean that. I have always loved singing, touring, and recording with him. His vocals added so much, and so did his acoustic playing! He has his father’s touch but a sound all his own.

If you could pick another artist to cover one of your tracks, who would it be? Is there a song you’d have in mind?

Great question! I really love the band The Linda Lindas. I would love to hear them cover my song “Been to The Mountain.”

The War And Treaty cover “Whiskey River”

Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter are the husband-and-wife duo behind The War And Treaty. Their musical style of soul, gospel, and country helped them nab a nomination for Duo of the Year at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

What was it like recording at Luck Reunion/Pedernales Studio?

Historic.

Why did you choose “Whiskey River”?

We loved the original version and the clever lyrics Johnny Bush wrote.

What do you hope Willie’s reaction will be?

We hope he doesn’t say, “Who messed up my song?” Ha!

How did you reimagine the original?

We thought that we could add to it by putting a rock kind of swamp country energy to the song. Our sound is a mixture of gospel, country, and soul and we wanted the listener to feel that.

What does this version give fans that perhaps the original didn’t?

A little more energy and two voices on lead.

If you could pick another artist to cover one of your tracks, who would it be? Is there a song you’d have in mind?

Jennifer Hudson singing “Have You A Heart” would be epic.

In addition to the tracks from Margo and The War And Treaty, Sierra Ferrell, a singer-songwriter from West Virginia, also brought her signature fusion of country, gypsy, and folk to Nelson’s track “Seven Spanish Angels.” You can check that out below.

For more tracks from the country music legend, check out our Happy 90th Willie Nelson playlist.

Spotify’s Guide to the Best New Artists of 2023

February 3, 2023

Photo credit: Getty for Spotify

For the past seven years, Spotify has played host to an annual celebration of the very best rising stars in the game who’ve realized their dreams of receiving a coveted and well-earned nomination for Best New Artist.

As a pioneer in music discovery and growth, we’ve long been committed to supporting emerging artists across all genres and sounds—from Latin and R&B to indie rock and pop—helping them amplify their stories and connect with new fans across the globe. This year’s 10 Best New Artist nominees—Anitta, Omar Apollo, DOMi & JD BECK, Muni Long, Samara Joy, Latto, Måneskin, Tobe Nwigwe, Molly Tuttle, and Wet Leg—reflect a diverse, genre-spanning group of artists whose singular voices and styles have captivated listeners all over the globe.

And they all gathered last night at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood for some time on the red carpet, a bit of wining and dining, and an unforgettable evening celebrating the nominees’ global achievements in music. The evening featured breakthrough live music performances from all of this year’s dynamic contenders in the category, along with a special DJ set from CoCo & Breezy and a surprise set from DJ Pee .Wee, aka Anderson .Paak.

Celebrate the Holidays With the Bittersweet Sounds of Our First Sad Sierreño Spotify Singles Collection

November 23, 2022

In Mexico, the holiday season begins with the traditional posadas, a celebration with family, friends, star-shaped piñatas, warm fruit punch, and of course, villancicos or Christmas carols. This year, Spotify is celebrating this tradition with the first-ever sad sierreño edition of Holiday Spotify Singles.

Sierreño is folk music from Mexico’s northern mountain range region that is best known for nostalgic ballads performed with acoustic guitars. This year there’s been a resurgence of the genre with a Gen Z twist that has formed a new classification: sad sierreño. Sad sierreño is represented by a generation of young Mexican American artists and is distinguished by a bedroom pop production style ethos and sound, resulting in songs about love and heartbreak with an angsty edge.

The collection includes “Triste Navidad” from DannyLux, a sad Christmas song that echoes Elvis’s “Blue Christmas.” The artist, Daniel Balderrama Espinoza, is originally from California and imprints new-wave influences on the traditional sierreño.

Eslabon Armado, a trio formed by the brothers Pedro and Bryan Tovar with Gabriel Hidalgo, recorded a version of “Blanca Navidad” with the classic plucked guitars of sierreño and their trademark vocal harmonies. The trio has 7.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and their album Nostalgia ranked among the most-streamed new releases globally earlier this year. When they were kids, the Tovar brothers listened to the classic Christmas songs of Vicente Fernandez on the radio.

“We chose to do this song because we are big fans of Luis Miguel, who famously made an album with Christmas songs,” Pedro, the lead singer and lyricist of Eslabon Armado, told For the Record. “We have always liked ‘Blanca Navidad’ but we added our style of guitars and bass to this version.”

Los Aptos, a trio from Fort Wayne, Indiana, delivered “Por Ti,” an emotional romantic ballad with a bittersweet taste of nostalgia that invades the holiday season.

Conexión Divina is the first all-female sierreño trio, formed by Mexican American artists Liz, Sandra, and Ashlee, currently based in Los Angeles. For this collection, they recorded “Cómo Poder Olvidar,” an upbeat track that combines heartbreak lyrics with soft guitars.

Finally, Eduardo Granado Rojas, better known as ERRE, originally from Phoenix, Arizona, rendered “Solo en Navidad,” a track with melancholic lyrics and an indie sound that stands out for a guitar with reverb over acoustic guitar harmony.

Eduardo’s mother gave him his first guitar for Christmas when he was 11 years old. He drew on inspiration from artists like Ariel Camacho and Los Plebes Del Rancho to learn to play Mexican music on his guitar.

“As a child I listened to the music that my family liked, which were songs like “Navidad Sin Ti” by Los Bukis or songs that came out on the radio and in stores during the holidays,” said ERRE. “I chose this song because the lyrics have a meaning that many people can identify with. In a season that couples enjoy a lot, one can feel lonely for not being able to have that person with whom to have that New Year’s kiss or that affection during the holidays.”

Listen to all the tracks in our sad sierreño playlist.

Kick Off the Festive Season With Our Joy-Filled Holiday Spotify Singles

November 16, 2022

The joyous holiday season is among us and Spotify is ready to follow along as you prepare to light the candles, decorate the tree, or concoct a delicious mulled cider. But instead of hitting play on last year’s favorite festive hits, we have a new set of merry melodies that have been added to our ever-expanding Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection.

As is our own seasonal tradition, we worked with artists from around the globe to reimagine classic holiday tracks and record them in a fresh new way. Get to know some of this year’s artists—and their favorite holiday traditions—below.

Tom Grennan – “Driving Home For Christmas”

London-based singer-songwriter Tom Grennan quickly went from guest vocalist to headlining artist as fans fell in love with his soulful voice.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas” always gets me in the holiday mood and really makes me think of family. I put it on when I’m heading back to my parents’ house for Christmas and it gets me super excited, feeling very festive.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

A holiday tradition would defo be having a snowball in the morning whilst opening presents. It’s not the nicest of drinks but it’s a tradition me and my family have.

Kenia OS – “Blanca Navidad”

Kenia OS, a Spotify RADAR Mexico artist, breezes seamlessly between Spanish-language pop and hip-hop in her music.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

“Blanca Navidad” is one of the classic songs in my home when Christmas starts. When I had to choose a song that represents that magical moment with my loved ones, it was the only one I could think of.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

A very important holiday tradition for me is decorating our home for Christmas. In the first couple days of December, my sister and I have the tradition of going together to choose the Christmas tree and decorate it.

Kalush Orchestra – “Shchedrivka”

Kalush Orchestra is a Ukrainian group and 2022 Eurovision winner that fuses traditional Ukrainian folk instruments and melodies with modern hip-hop beats.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

In anticipation of the Christmas holidays, everyone wants a miracle. We are waiting only for the most important thing—the victory of Ukraine. We hope that our cover of “Shchedrivka” will bring positive emotions to Ukrainians and show the world community the true spirit of traditional Ukrainian Christmas.

What is your holiday tradition?

It has become a tradition for our group to walk with the nativity scene and sing carols on Epiphany Eve in early January. Last year in Kyiv, we went around the apartments of Kyiv residents and sang. And before that, Ukrainian carols were also sung in the city transport of Kyiv.

Kaylee Bell – “Christmas Tree Farm”

New Zealand country pop star Kaylee Bell was first introduced to fans through the television show “The Voice Australia” and is now bringing her talent to listeners around the world.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

I am the biggest Christmas fan and Taylor Swift fan, so what better way than to get to tie those two things together than with “Christmas Tree Farm”? This song always makes me feel happy and excited for Christmas and that’s the kind of joy I want to spread.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

I put up the Christmas Tree and watch Love Actually while doing so every single year with a glass of sparkling grape juice and scorched almonds. It’s random—I know!

Lasse Skriver – “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted)”

Lasse Skriver hails from Denmark and was a carpenter before he appeared on the country’s version of “X-Factor” and became an overnight singing sensation.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

I chose Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas For The Broken Hearted)” because I think the story behind it is very interesting and it’s also just a really good song. I knew of the song before I made the cover but never had any idea that it originally was a Christmas song, so I wanted to make a cover with its original meaning, where the theme of Christmas shines through like intended.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

Every year around Christmastime I’ll be at my grandparents’ place, where we bake all kinds of cakes and pastries and just enjoy each other’s company. It is a tradition I treasure very much!

IVE – “After LIKE (Holiday Mix)”

IVE is a six-member girl group taking over the K-Pop scene.

Why did you choose the song you did?

We think “After LIKE” is one of our most upbeat songs that goes well with the holiday vibes. With Spotify Holiday Singles, we wanted to take it up a notch and make it even more Christmassy. Also, the sampling of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” in “After LIKE” makes it a more easy-listening and enjoyable song for all. That is why we thought this song would be perfect for the holiday season.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

Korea doesn’t have any specific year-end holiday traditions, but on Lunar New Year and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), we would wear Hanbok, Korea’s traditional clothing. While wearing Hanbok, Koreans perform a New Year’s bow to their elders, and sometimes the elders would give allowances to the young ones.

For the holiday season, however, we just spend time with our loved ones and eat delicious food with the holiday spirit! Japan is quite similar to Korea overall, but Japan has a unique tradition of eating soba (“toshikoshi soba”) on December 31. This soba is nothing special, but there are many reasons why the Japanese eat it on the last day of the year. Soba noodles are long, so eating toshikoshi soba symbolizes our wish for longevity. At the same time, soba noodles can be cut easily, so it also represents our wish to break off from the bad influences or incidents from the past year.

DannyLux – “Triste Navidad”

Daniel Balderrama Espinoza, better known as DannyLux, is a California native who brings a unique flair to the corridos genre.

Why did you choose the song you covered?

I chose to write this Christmas song and make it sad because I want the people to feel it—I wanted to make a story about the feeling. There’s some people that spend the holiday season alone. That’s why I titled it “Triste Navidad,” because Christmas can be happy for some, but there’s also times that Christmas is sad, because it brings memories, sad memories.

What’s a holiday tradition of yours?

One tradition that my family always does during Christmas is gather at my grandmother’s house. All my cousins, uncles, aunts. And we gather there and place all the gifts under the Christmas tree, and it gets full! And once midnight strikes everyone opens their gifts.

Kurt Vile – “Must Be Santa”

Singer-songwriter Kurt Vile is all about the lyrics and the sound in his music—which has an element of what the Philadelphian describes as “fried pop.”

Why did you choose the song you covered?

When I was asked to be on this Christmas compilation, they said, “You can do any Christmas song you want, as long as it’s not repeated by somebody else on this series.” I thought it was nice of them to invite me, but I didn’t know if I could pull off a Christmas song! Then my mind jumped to when John Agnello showed me the Bob Dylan version of “Must Be Santa” while we were making the Smoke Ring For My Halo record. It’s a really hilarious video (he showed me that first), and it shows a rambunctious Christmas party. Bob Dylan has a wig on, and someone goes flying through a window. All this time, I thought it was Bob Dylan’s song. It’s really catchy, and he makes it his own as he usually does. I figured if I can do Dylan’s “Must Be Santa,” if that’s not taken, it’s a sign. I gotta be the next chapter in this version of a Bob Dylan song.

Then I realized it was actually a classic Christmas song, and was written however long ago, but I still wanted to do it justice the way Bob did. I wanted to be the guy who attempted to pull it off.

This was also a great excuse to use my home studio OKV Central again, with my bandmate Adam Langellotti on bass, and Ted Young. Ted moved to Philly (he engineers with me a lot), but he was actually John Agnello’s assistant engineer back when I first heard Bob Dylan’s “Must Be Santa.” It feels like a perfect circle, really. I thought I’d do an acoustic version and have my daughters sing backup, but then it turned into more of a weird synth version with their vocals, which is really the hook. I figured Bob wouldn’t hear it, but I still wanted to do it justice, and once I got my daughters singing with me I hoped he would at least like it. Now I know . . . he loves it [laughs]. Merry Christmas, Bob Dylan!

What is a holiday tradition of yours?

My wife, Suzanne, reminded me of my funniest holiday Christmas tradition: Every year now we go to a Christmas Eve service at an Episcopal church that is very beautiful in Philadelphia. And I sit there in the pew with the family while the songs are there and it really is a nice service, it’s pretty. But then a few songs in, I start tapping my foot and it reminds me of when I was young and I was always having to sit in church and I was just wanting to get out of there. So what I do is, I go to the corner Dunkin Donuts in all my holiday finest and I have some coffee and donuts. And I just sit in the car and wait for the service to be over. And it sort of makes me feel good and free, but it’s also like, I have my kids in there. So it’s full circle again, where it takes me back to growing up and being excited about Christmas, but also being free enough that I’m an adult now, and I don’t have to sit through a whole service, and I can still enjoy some fine Dunkin Donuts ’til I drive my family home. It’s become a running gag sort of Christmas tradition. And so it’s literally something I do every year now. I’ll definitely do it again this year.

Unwrap all the new tracks in our Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection playlist.

RADAR Artist Cat Burns Takes a Trip Down Memory Lane With Spotify Singles Recorded at Her Former School

October 26, 2022

a photo of Cat Burns sitting on a brown leather couch, wearing a green tracksuit, and staring at the camera

Cat Burns is Spotify’s newest Global RADAR artist, but this may not be the first time listeners have heard the singer-songwriter’s name. The South London native recently supported superstar Ed Sheeran on the European leg of his Mathematics Tour, and she’s set to support Sam Smith on the European leg of his GLORIA tour. On Spotify, Cat has already attracted listeners’ attention, racking up over 5.8 million monthly listeners.

Plus, Cat was previously featured in Spotify’s Noteable songwriters program, and earlier this year she was highlighted as a Spotify UK RADAR artist. Now, she’s going global with Spotiy’s RADAR program, which spotlights rising stars through editorial, creative, and marketing support.

As part of RADAR, Cat Burns sat down to create new music in a special Spotify Singles session. The Spotify Singles program, which kicked off in 2016, was created to provide artists with the opportunity to rerecord one of their existing songs in a fresh new way, as well as cover a song of their choice by one of their own musical heroes.

For her Spotify Singles release, Cat returned to the Sir George Martin Recording Studio—located in The BRIT School, where she was a former student—and reworked a stripped-back version of her current single “people pleaser.” She also recorded a cover of fellow Londoner Estelle’s hit award-winning single, “American Boy.”

“Cat is the real deal. Authentic, open, hardworking, talented. A real BRIT School example,” shared Stuart Worden, Principal of The BRIT School. “We’re so proud of her.”

During the experience, we worked with Cat to create a special mini-documentary. “Being given the opportunity to do the Spotify RADAR documentary was honestly so much fun. I felt so lucky and honored that they wanted me and was excited to take a trip down memory lane,” said Cat. “It helped me really put into perspective my career and what I’ve achieved and how hard I’ve worked.”

Cat is already a platinum-certified artist, and now fans can find her track at the top of the RADAR Global playlist.

Kevin Kaarl graba su propia versión de “Prenda del Alma” de Chalino Sánchez para Spotify Singles

October 20, 2022

La música de Kevin Kaarl, cantautor mexicano de 21 años, se ha convertido en el soundtrack perfecto para una generación. Con un estilo único, una voz profunda, guitarra punteada y letras melancólicas, las canciones de Kevin resuenan con fans que acuden a ellas para encontrar una mezcla de vulnerabilidad y esperanza.

El artista originario del pequeño pueblo de Meoqui, en el norteño estado de Chihuahua, se ha distinguido por darle vida a un sonido nostálgico desde que lanzó su primer sencillo “San Lucas.”

Tres años más tarde y como la tercera apuesta de RADAR México en 2022, Kevin Kaarl cuenta con 8.3 millones de oyentes mensuales y en tan solo un año ha disparado el número de streams en más de 400%.

Ahora, Kevin Kaarl lanza para Spotify Singles su propia versión de “Prenda del Alma”, popularizada por Chalino Sánchez. La canción fue grabada en los Electric Lady Studios en Nueva York, en medio de la gira del artista por los Estados Unidos. En la producción minimalista, lograda en un par de tomas en el estudio, se escucha en la trompeta a Bryan Kaarl, hermano gemelo de Kevin, quien a menudo es parte de sus presentaciones en vivo.

La canción fue compuesta por Pedro J González, también originario de Chihuahua, en la década de los treinta y fue interpretada famosamente por la leyenda de los corridos, Chalino Sánchez. La extraordinaria vida de Chalino, desde su humilde origen en Sinaloa rural hasta el misterio que rodea su trágica muerte a inicios de los noventa, se ha convertido en materia de culto entre una nueva generación de artistas que regresan a las raíces de la música mexicana.

El sonido indie-folk que Kevin Kaarl ha perfeccionado como compositor se refleja en sus álbumes, San Lucas y Hasta el Fin del Mundo, ambos lanzados en 2019, y su más reciente entrega, París Texas, que debutó en la posición #5 dentro de la lista de estrenos globales en Spotify.

For the Record habló con Kevin sobre su nuevo Spotify Single, la música que lo ha marcado desde niño y su identidad como artista.

¿Por qué decidiste hacer un cover de “Prenda Del Alma” de Chalino?

Chalino es un personaje muy importante en México, sobre todo en el norte del país por todo lo que representa como artista. Últimamente se ha popularizado y aún más gente joven lo escucha.

Siento que él fue uno de los cantantes que ha implantado la esencia de lo que es un corrido y por eso popularizó el género. Yo crecí escuchando toda su música y se me hizo interesante entender cómo podía acoplar mi estilo a un corrido de aquellos tiempos, sobre todo de alguien tan importante como él. Me gusta mucho el estilo que Chalino tenía y la forma tan suya de cantar, muy honesta y del rancho.

Durante tu infancia y adolescencia en Chihuahua, ¿cuál era la música que más escuchabas y qué papel tuvo?

En realidad me crié con la música que mis papás escuchaban en aquellos tiempos, la que escuchábamos en familia en los viajes, de artistas como Marco Antonio Solís, Los Bukis y Conjunto Primavera.

Cuando tenía seis años de edad y acababa de entrar a la primaria concursé con la canción “Casas de Cartón” de Marco Antonio Solís y de hecho quedé en primer lugar. Así que en mis memorias está el escuchar a esos cantantes populares del norte del país, corridos y a Chalino.

¿En qué momento sientes que encontraste tu voz para escribir canciones?

Cuando estaba en la universidad, recuerdo que agarraba la guitarra acústica nada más para desestresarme, ni siquiera tocaba acordes. Nada más lo hacía para jugar con los dedos y las cuerdas. Poco a poco empecé a crear canciones con mi voz y guitarra.

Al principio no tenía muy definido qué es lo que yo quería para ese proyecto. Primero hice una canción porque estaba aburrido, la publiqué y ví que le fue bien. Así que decidí seguirle.

A finales de 2018 me di cuenta que ya tenía tres canciones a las que les estaba yendo bien y decidí hacer un álbum con pura guitarra acústica y mi voz. Pero hasta que grabé el álbum de “San Lucas” decidí quería tener un estilo campirano y poco a poco mi sonido ha evolucionado hasta encontrar el estilo que tengo con el nuevo álbum, que es una mezcla de folk y pop. Por ahora es lo que quiero para mi música.

¿Cómo lograste imprimirle tu esencia a esta canción de Chalino?

Algo muy importante es que le metí mi guitarra acústica, mi voz y la trompeta de mi hermano Bryan, algo que la gente ya conoce y lo relaciona con mi proyecto. Además con mi nuevo estilo, que tiene más toques de pop y alternativos, incorporé un riff de guitarra eléctrica.

Este año publicaste junto con Leon Bridges el track “Summer Moon” ¿Cómo fue que surgió esta colaboración?

Allá por el 2018 encontré el video de su canción ‘River’, y realmente se quedó en mi cabeza como una fuente de inspiración. Incluso durante la pandemia, recuerdo que esa canción junto con su historia fue la referencia principal para el video musical de una canción mía. Cuando me hablaron de una colaboración con Leon Bridges, no dudé en aceptar.

En el coro del sencillo “Como me encanta” dices “como me encanta estar sufriendo” ¿Por qué crees que ese estado de ánimo conecta con tus fans?

Siento que, actualmente, todo el mundo tenemos problemas, sobre todo los jóvenes. Es más fácil identificarse con cosas tristes que con cosas felices. Incluso para mí es más fácil escribir de cosas que me hacen daño, que de las que me hacen feliz. Siento que a la gente le gusta esta música melancólica porque es un sentimiento que los hace sentir comprendidos y acompañados, aunque estén tristes y los hace sentir un poco mejor, dentro de su misma tristeza. Es otra forma en la que la música nos une.

Escucha “Prenda del Alma” por Kevin Kaarl aquí.