Tag: top charts

Chart-Topping Chilean Podcast ‘Caso 63’ Gears Up for Season 2—And Announces an English-Language Adaptation

September 29, 2021

Since its release in November 2020, Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been topping charts and taking on new markets. The 10-episode Chilean science fiction story has become the most-listened-to scripted Original podcast in Latin America and was even adapted for Brazilian and Indian listeners as well. To continue this tale’s captivating hold, Spotify will be releasing an English-language adaptation of this story in the United States, premiering in late 2021. But perhaps the most exciting news for fans and could-be fans is that the team behind Caso 63 will be releasing a second season later this year, with creator Julio Rojas at the helm.

Season one of Caso 63 centers on the interactions between fictional psychiatrist Elisa Aldunate  and her client, “Patient 63.” Each episode marks a new “session,” and as the story progresses, time, space, and reality begin to blur. Over the course of 10 episodes, this thought-provoking mystery plays with listeners’ minds and causes them to question what is and isn’t real.

Caso 63’s popularity with listeners has helped the show reach a new milestone within podcasting: This is the first time a non-English-language Spotify Original podcast has been adapted to multiple languages. The Chilean show, which stars actors Antonia Zegers and Néstor Cantillana, received so much buzz that, less than a year after its release, Spotify adapted the thrilling mystery into a Portuguese-language version, Paciente 63, featuring Brazilian actors Seu Jorge and Mel Lisboa. And earlier this month, Spotify India created a Hindi-language adaptation of the podcast called Virus 2062, starring Bollywood actors and husband-and-wife duo Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal. Now, casting is underway for the English-language adaptation.

But even before breaking a Spotify record, its large following was also reflected in the charts with Caso 63 ranking number one on Argentina’s and Mexico’s Top Podcasts charts for nearly a month following its premiere. It also reached number one on the Trending Podcasts charts in Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, and the U.S.

Non-Spanish speaking listeners are loving the show just as much. In India, the adaptation, Virus 2062, reached number one on Spotify’s local Trending chart and landed on the top five on Spotify’s local Top Podcasts charts. The Brazilian adaptation, Paciente 63, ranked number one on Brazil’s local Trending Podcasts chart the day after it premiered and stayed there for over two weeks. It also reached the top spot on Brazil’s Fiction charts and stayed there for over a month.

Creator Rojas has long credited the show’s appeal to its format. He says the audio-only medium calls back to the way stories have been handed down for centuries, inviting listeners to fill in the blanks with their imaginations.

“The LATAM team on the ground, led by [Spotify’s] Javier Piñol, created a universal story that transported listeners into their own imaginations alongside the lead characters. The adaptations in both Brazil and India, and soon the U.S., utilized local teams and talent to reimagine the story for new audiences,” said Courtney Holt, Global Head of Podcasts and New Initiatives at Spotify. “The success we’ve seen in all the market adaptations thus far has reinforced Spotify’s mission to provide creators with the opportunity to develop stories and expose audiences worldwide to the best storytelling narratives, regardless of origin.”

Ready to tap into your imagination and start your session with Dr. Aldunate? Catch season one below. And stay tuned for the English-language adaptation of the global podcast phenomenon, coming soon.

J Balvin Skyrockets to the Most Popular Artist on Spotify

June 25, 2018

J Balvin has been on a mission to blow reggaeton into a global phenomenon since he started making music at 14. The Latin pop superstar, now 33, has done it at last. Today, Balvin snagged Spotify’s top spot with the Most Monthly Listeners Globally, surpassing Drake’s long-held record. With over 48.1 million monthly listeners, he is officially the most popular artist on our platform.

“It is so rewarding to have achieved this goal,” says Balvin. “I’ve spoken often about my belief that we can change the concept of what is ‘mainstream’ – that people around the world can vibe with the rhythms of our Latin culture, and this special moment continues to prove that point. I have the utmost gratitude to Spotify for the long support for my music, and I am beyond honored to join the ranks of Drake and others that have been able to connect with people of so many nationalities through Spotify playlists. We’ve proved that Reggaeton HAS gone global, and that songs in Spanish can stand alongside the best pop music on the planet.”

With musical roots steeped in rap, R&B, bachata, reggae and champeta, the Colombian-born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín is a crossover king who understands the multiplicative power of partnership. The proof: his growing list of chart-topping collabs with today’s hottest pop and hip-hop artists including Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams (he has also toured with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull).

And who can forget “Mi Gente,” his smash-hit summer jam? The multicultural dance anthem rocketed to Number One on the Spotify Global Top 50 Chart last August. Just one month later, the “Mi Gente” Beyoncé remix—in which Queen Bey sings in Spanish, English and French—landed on the U.S. Top 10 Songs Chart. The breakthrough single further catapulted reggaeton into the global spotlight. During this landmark year in Balvin’s career, Latin music listening increased by 110 percent on Spotify.

The Latin Grammy Award-winning singer blasted into 2018 on a collaborative roll, churning out a string of hit dream-team singles: “Machika” with Brazilian funk star Anitta, “X” with Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Nicky Jam, “Familiar” with former One Direction member Liam Payne and “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.

Balvin’s meteoric rise on the global charts and Spotify—the leading music streaming service in the world—is a testament to not only his barrier-breaking body of work, but also to the explosion of Latin music around the globe. With his Spanish language-only hit “Mi Gente,” the bilingual sensation showed that Spanish-language music is conquering pop on a global level, in both English and Spanish speaking regions alike.

To explore J Balvin’s eclectic array of hypnotic multicultural rhythms, check out the This Is: J Balvin playlist on Spotify.