Tag: thanksgiving

Reneé Rapp Shares the Songs and Artists She’ll Jam to This Friendsgiving

November 17, 2023

a graphic illustration of pumpkins, leaves, pies, and other fall-themed items

Reneé Rapp, fresh off the stateside portion of her sold-out Snow Hard Feelings tour, has just released the deluxe version of her debut album Snow Angel. In the midst of her busy schedule, the Spotify RADAR artist also helped us celebrate our recently launched Jam feature in Los Angeles.

Jam is a personalized experience that allows any Premium user to start a real-time group listening session and invite anyone on Spotify to join in and listen together. Once they’re in, Jam will help you find the perfect songs to add to the queue or let friends see how their listening preferences may be the same—or different—from others in their squad.

Photo credit: Jesse Grant

In addition to hosting our Jam launch party, Reneé also treated attendees to a performance. Following the event, we caught up with the multihyphenate star to learn more about how she’s using Jam and which song is making it onto her Friendsgiving Jam session.

Tell us about the first Jam you hosted. 

The first Jam I hosted was actually on my tour bus a few weeks ago with my team and band. There were a lot of incredible artists in the rotation, but the highlight was probably Stevie Wonder—I put him on and everyone started dancing together for the rest of the night. 

What’s always on your house party playlist?

I really just go off what I’m feeling in the moment. Recently, I made one to celebrate after my show at The Greek Theatre in LA. It was fun because I made sure to give it house party vibes. There was a lot of Beyoncé, Drake, Ice Spice, and obviously Frank Ocean. 

Share a music memory that connects you with one of your friends.

My best friend Justin and I listened to Frank Ocean’s Blonde front to back together for the first time, and it was a spiritual experience for us. We now have matching tattoos of the album’s length on our arms. 

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, how are you celebrating?   

I’m really lucky to have such a strong community of friends in LA. I’ve spent the last few Thanksgivings here and we started making new traditions by all coming together for our own Friendsgiving.

What song would you add to the Jam at your Friendsgiving?

For the group Jam on this one, I’d probably add “Naked In Manhattan” by Chappell Roan. 

You have one song to introduce someone to your music—what are you picking

My number-one artist is Frank Ocean, so if there’s anything that’s going to introduce someone to my taste, it’s him. 

Let’s make up your dream Jam sesh: Share five people you would love to kick back and listen to music with.  

Frank Ocean, Karen Carpenter, Jazmine Sullivan, Beyoncé, and SZA. 

 

Give Jam a try at your next holiday gathering. Find details on how to get started here.

Whether You’re Spending Thanksgiving Near or Far, Spotify Has a Playlist to Help Make the Day Extra Special

November 21, 2019

Do your Thanksgiving plans include going over the river? Perhaps through the woods? Or maybe to grandma’s house? Or maybe you’re staying home and cooking up a feast for your own guests. Whether you’re spending hours on the road, in the kitchen, or both, you’ll need ample amounts of sure-fire audio entertainment.

Thanks to Spotify’s annual Turkey Timer and all-new Soundtrack Your Ride microsites, you can soak in music and podcast playlists geared specifically for you while traveling to your holiday destination or whipping up a culinary creation.

And just like the food on your dinner table, these playlists have something for everyone. So gather round and check out these custom playlists to help you survive—and thrive—this turkey (or tofurkey) season. 

Get Movin’ with Soundtrack Your Ride 

If you’re one of the millions of people hitting the road for the most-traveled day of the year, make sure you don’t leave the house before taking our interactive Soundtrack Your Ride quiz to generate a custom playlist that fits the mood and duration of your journey. The playlist is made just for you and is customizable based on everything from the car you’re driving to your passengers, top genre, and all-time-favorite driving tunes on desktop and mobile.

And if you’re headed to a cozy cabin in the woods (read: no cell service) or just want to save data, Spotify Premium users can download the playlist before their journeys to listen in offline mode. If you’re not already a Spotify Premium subscriber, check out our annual Spotify Premium holiday offer. From November 18-December 31, new users can get three months free* (so your wallet will thank you, too), and anyone who was previously on Premium but has since dropped can get three months for $9.99 (meaning you pay once and get the next two months on us).** 

There’s also a multitude of ways to connect to Spotify from your car. Not sure how? We’ve got this handy guide to help you get started.

Get Cookin’ with the Turkey Timer


That’s right, the Turkey Timer is back, helping you roast your Thanksgiving dinner to perfection while giving you a playlist to match.

Simply select the weight of your turkey and whether or not it’s stuffed, and we’ll give you a playlist that matches the cooking time so you can go work on the side dishes and desserts. You’ll also be able to select your cooking playlist vibe. Not only do we have six music moods to choose from—from family favorites to top hits, and even a little something to help you get in the Christmas spirit—but this year, we also have a podcast playlist on the menu.

Podcast playlists are a new Spotify feature that allows you to build playlists full of podcasts, or add podcasts to existing music playlists for a mixed-media experience. When it comes to your Turkey Timer playlist, you can choose to fill the room with music or learn something new from a podcast. And if you’re bringing DJ skills (rather than a dish) to follow the meal, you can even make your own playlist with that special blend of podcasts and music to keep the energy up even when the food coma starts to creep in.

Whatever mood you choose, make sure you leave the playlists unshuffled—the last track will remind you that it’s almost time for the turkey to be done and the meal to begin.

 Check out Turkey Timer and Soundtrack Your Ride to get your playlists ready for the big holiday.

* Three Months Free is for new users who have never tried Premium, available across all Premium plans: Individual, Student (where available), Family (where available) and Duo (where available).
** Three Months for $9.99 is only for individual plan users and is not available to users who ended their Premium subscription after October 19, 2019.

Spotify’s “Turkey Timer” Matches Just the Right Playlist to Your Bird

November 8, 2018

The average Thanksgiving dinner takes seven hours to prepare—and timing is everything. That’s why we created our Turkey Timer, which cranks out a special holiday playlist based on the size of your turkey and your Thanksgiving mood.

It’s simpler than setting the table: Select the weight of your turkey and indicate whether it’s stuffed. Then, choose your vibe from one of our six playlists: Bastin’, All the Seasonings, Deep Fried, Fam Faves, Holiday Countdown, or Sabor de Sangsgiving. Songs are timed to play for exactly how long your turkey should be cooking.

Pro tip: Playlists are best left unshuffled—the final track will remind you to take your food out of the oven, as well as call your hungry guests to the dinner table.

Not sure which option suits you best? Dig in to these:

If you like: Refreshing our Global Top 50 playlist every day like it’s Christmas morning

You should try: Bastin’. For those who like to marinate in today’s hits 24/7, this playlist supplies only the hottest tracks from artists like Ariana Grande, Drake, Rita Ora, and more. You and your loved ones can discover new music together—and maybe even find some fresh favorites that you can all be thankful for.

If you like: Rhythm as smooth as your grandma’s mashed potatoes

You should try: All the Seasonings. A collection of gospel, hip-hop, and R&B tracks like Mary Jane Girls’ “All Night Long,” “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, and “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige will keep everyone dancing until dinner is done.

If you like: Wearing plaid, sitting by the fire and sipping on mugs of hot apple cider

You should try: Deep Fried. The laid-back feel of this playlist featuring country legends like Luke Bryan and Rascal Flatts is sure to bring out your inner cowboy while cooking.

If you like: Multigenerational cooking (your aunt’s secret-recipe apple pie is the stuff of legends)

You should try: Fam Faves. We may come from different walks of life, but everyone is family on Thanksgiving. This mix of oldies and family-friendly tunes from Aretha Franklin to Demi Lovato has ageless appeal.

If you like: The minute blasting Christmas music finally becomes acceptable again

You should try: Holiday Countdown. With ’tis-the-season classics like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and more, it’s for anyone who sees Thanksgiving as the perfect pregame to the rest of the holiday season.

If you like: Bringing a little bit of Latin flavor to everything you do

You should try: Sabor de Sangsgiving. This collection of hits from Hispanic greats like Celia Cruz, Bajofondo, and Gipsy Kings will bring the flavor to your dinner table (even if you botch the gravy).

Food coma setting in? We’ve even created a Stuffed Snooze playlist to help you nap once the leftovers are put away.