Tag: UK

Spotify’s AI DJ Brings a Personalized Listening Experience to Fans in the UK and Ireland

May 16, 2023

In February we unveiled DJ, a personalized AI guide that understands you and your music taste so well that it does the choosing for you. Now we’re excited to start rolling out DJ in beta to Premium users across the U.K. and Ireland.

At its core, DJ is all about connection and discovery. And thanks to DJ’s powerful combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, generative AI through the use of OpenAI technology in the hands of our music experts, and a dynamic AI voice, listening has never felt so personal.

When we were deciding where to offer DJ next, the U.K. and Ireland just made sense. We have a team of local music experts on the ground in the region, and it’s where some of DJ’s fundamental technology has been developed.

We also know there’s demand: While we’ve seen fans across the globe asking for DJ, it was most commonly requested by users on social media in the U.K. and Ireland.* But don’t just take it from us . . .

When users in the U.K. and Ireland tune in they will be greeted by a stunningly realistic AI voice, modeled after Spotify’s own Head of Cultural Partnerships, Xavier “X” Jernigan. Plus, they’ll be served songs and context geared towards them. For example, users who tune in right around launch may hear about how Arlo Parks is releasing her newest album, My Soft Machine, at the end of May alongside her collab, “Phoenix,” with friend and longtime role model Phoebe Bridgers. And when it comes to an engaging listening experience, these moments of relevant context are winning DJ users over.

We’ve found that when DJ listeners hear commentary alongside personal music recommendations, they’re more willing to try something new (or listen to a song they may have otherwise skipped). On days when users tune in, fans spend 25% of their listening time with DJ—and they keep coming back. More than half of first-time listeners come back to listen to DJ the very next day.**

And DJ has especially resonated with Gen Z and Millennials, who make up 87% of DJ users.***

But this is just the beginning. DJ is still in beta, and we’ll continue to iterate and innovate to evolve the experience over time.

Ready to give DJ a try? Just head to your Music Feed on Home in mobile.

*Results based on tweets between February 22, 2023 – May 11, 2023 from users with a publicly identifiable location.

**Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from February 22, 2023 to March 1, 2023.

***Results are based on eligible DJ users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from April 28, 2023 to May 4, 2023.

Streaming Helped Eloise Land a Room of Her Own

April 20, 2023

U.K.-based indie artist Eloise doesn’t have a standard songwriting routine. Rather, she writes when inspiration strikes. “It’s annoyingly variable,” she admits. “I’ll be out with friends having the best time ever, and then I’ll be like, oh no, I’ve got to leave now. I have to go and flesh this idea out.” When ideas for her recent low-fi R&B-inspired singles “Therapist” and “Drunk On a Flight” came to her in the middle of the night, the 23-year-old songwriter had no choice but to oblige.

Eloise began taking piano lessons at age four and started writing songs at age eight. As a child, she wanted to be in musical theater, telling For the Record that “music ended up being the very clear thing that came super naturally to me.” In 2019 she put out her first EP, This Thing Called Living, and began to see those times she left her friends early start to pay off.

Was there a moment you realized that your work was being heard?

I built up a lot of stuff before I put music out. And by touring, I built up a lot of listeners who were ready to listen to what I released, which is such a powerful thing to do. But I think the moment for me was probably just before COVID-19. Billie Eilish had mentioned my music in different interviews, and especially “Left Side.” I just saw my streams drastically go up. And that was just such an important moment in my career, basically, because not only was it validating, but that’s also a song that’s quite niche—it hasn’t got a chorus. It’s really nice for that one to have been found. And it was the beginning of, like, this ball rolling, basically, with everything I do translating into streaming land. The magic.

I also remember getting on the Our Generation playlist for the first time. That was one that felt very cool because at the start, it was quite hard to be placed because I was very much going into a way more jazzy vibe, or a coffee shop vibe. When I first was on Our Generation, I thought, “Oh, I’m in the cool person playlist—young people listen to this. And not just in the background, but intentionally, on their car journeys and stuff.” So that was a really nice moment. But any time I’m on New Music Friday, that’s always brilliant—just a real thrill every single time. It’s quite nice to be supported. And it just spreads the word so well, better than you can, at the end of the day.

Image credit: Charlotte Patmore

And that moment continued to build. What happened next?

It’s funny because soon after that, we all went into lockdown. And to be honest, I felt like I lost the trajectory that I had before COVID-19. For all of us who were developing at that time, everyone’s success lost momentum, really, in that two-year period. So I spent that time just writing a mini-record.

And then I put it out in 2021 after not having put out music for a few years, and it was just incredible. The people were still there! That’s kind of a move you can’t do unless you’re famous and people will still be waiting for you. But people had been waiting that whole time. People clicked that little follow button and just kept it going.

It’s funny because my streams are always growing—they’re almost linear, which is a really nice and rare thing, but they’ve never spiked and then dropped off. It’s a very slow climb, but it keeps climbing. So during that time, I definitely built a wider audience; there are more people who joined the fam.

As your career has taken off, what’s changed in your life?

Well, I mean, I moved out. I lived with my friends, which in itself, you know, I couldn’t have done before. I moved into a really lovely house with my friends in the part of London we’d always daydreamed about living in when we were kids.

And then not only that, but then I eventually got to move into a flat by myself.

And those two things happening have been monumental. I have so much freedom and space to make music and to find my sanity. What a journey you go through when you live by yourself. It’s been incredible. I’m in a building where I can make a racket the whole time. I can get up at four in the morning and have an idea and write it down. That’s why all of the songs on my upcoming album are literally “four AM songs”—songs that I was able to just, like, play in my space without waking anyone up.

Can you share some of the hurdles you’ve experienced in your career?

When you’re someone like me, there’s a weird relationship you have with your job because in order for you to be successful and make enough money to live and live a lovely life, you have to be willing to give some things up. I’m such a homebody; I’m such a pub-with-my-friends person. But starting when I was 17, I was on the road for basically three years. So I definitely put this real value on my home life. And you know, this industry is not about your home life.

It was also really hard to get people on board with the fact that I was independent. For me, it was the most exciting thing ever because the way my manager would answer my concerns of “I don’t want to give too much up” was brilliant. He was like, “This is what we do. We just do it on our own terms. If it does well, it does well, and then that’s great. And the word will spread.”

All this was a massive risk, and I’m super lucky that it paid off. But the reason I can live the way I do, and by myself in London, is because I released that music independently and made that money for me from the songs I wrote from the streams that I got. It feels like the way it should be, like, super, organic, and lovely.

Image credit: Charlotte Patmore

Any dream collaborations?

I kind of love to do stuff with people who are way cooler than me—like Anderson.Paak. I’d love to do a soul song with him. Probably stuff that is different from what I do. If I’m going to go and challenge myself by doing a collaborative project, I’d love for it to be challenging on all fronts.

How have your fans reacted as you’ve put out more music?

When I eventually went to record my EP, the thing that people said—which is how I feel with any of my favorite artists—was, “I’m so proud there’s more of you, that there’s more to know of your music.” And I think people feel like I’ve let them in on the secrets in my music. They also have this feeling that they know me and that they get to hold a piece of me. They know where I am musically in my life, and it’s such a lovely, shared experience. And the people who listen to my music are so gorgeous. They’re such lovely, lovely, lovely people, and they share my music all the time. That never slows down—it’s really nice.

Watch other rising artists and discover how they made it using Spotify tools on Spotify for Artists.

British Legend Craig David Reflects on His Career in the Latest Episode of ‘Spotify: Mic Check’

March 21, 2023

a visual of craig david looking at the camera with graphic shapes around him

Craig David hit the music scene just before the turn of the millennium when he was featured on U.K. duo Artful Dodger’s garage classic “Re-Rewind.” What followed for the British singer-songwriter were eight studio albums, 14 Brit Award nominations, and the release of many successful song collaborations across multiple genres.

Craig has made a mark on music and culture over the last 25 years, and he’s not slowing down. He recently sat down with Lea Palmieri, host of the Spotify: Mic Check podcast, to revisit the pivotal moments in his career, from hearing his breakout hit at the Notting Hill Carnival to writing his first book, What’s Your Vibe? Tuning Into Your Best Life.

Listen to the episode here, and watch the full conversation below.

Journalist Louis Theroux Takes On His Dream Format in His New Spotify Exclusive Podcast

February 1, 2023

Louis Theroux, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, broadcaster, and author, wishes he could speak to Sally Hemmings, William Shakespeare, and Joan of Arc. But since they’re not available, he’s setting his sights on other guests in his new show, The Louis Theroux Podcast. In the Spotify Exclusive, the British-American hosts in-depth, freewheeling conversations with notable stars from both sides of the Atlantic.

Created by Mindhouse Productions, the first series run of nine episodes features guests spanning the entertainment spectrum. “I am thrilled to be back hosting podcasts. Long-form conversation is a dream format for me,” explained Theroux. “When I started doing them a few years ago, I couldn’t believe how much response I was getting.”

The journalist got his start working as a correspondent on Michael Moore’s TV Nation before creating his own long-form TV films and publishing several books. He says listeners can expect the podcast to be an intelligent and fun space where he connects with a variety of high-profile guests.

“You can listen while cooking, doing the laundry, and even cycling, though that’s not recommended as you may be so entertained your concentration could lapse,” he joked.

The podcast is the latest in a series of Spotify Exclusives from the U.K., which also include The Receipts Podcast, JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, and Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell.

Keep an eye out for The Louis Theroux Podcast, coming later this spring, exclusively on Spotify.

Spotify Surprises Young Songwriter With a Recording Session Featuring His Favorite Band

December 30, 2022

Sometimes all it takes is one great concert to inspire a new generation of musicians. And for an 11-year-old from Cheshire, UK, that was a live performance from The Vamps.

Daniel knew he wanted to make music after seeing the British pop band in 2019. Since then, he’s been practicing guitar and writing songs. He even won his school’s talent show with a performance of one of his original pieces.

After learning about Daniel’s journey, Spotify invited him to the Noteable Studios in London to record some original tracks. We also invited The Vamps along—but kept it a surprise. Check out Daniel’s reaction when he met his music inspiration for the first time.

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For the Record caught up with Daniel to learn more about the experience.

Tell us a bit about the concert where you first saw The Vamps. What made it so impactful?

Daniel: I first saw the Vamps in their Four Corners Tour in Liverpool in 2019. Seeing a live concert was so much better than listening to music in the car. It felt like a party and made it all more real. Seeing the guitars and how they played them was very cool.

How would you describe your musical sound? Are there any other groups that inspire you?

Daniel: I would describe my musical genre as soft pop, but I’m also working on some songs at the moment which I’d describe as pop rock! I’m also inspired by James Arthur, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Anson Seabra.

What is your creative process like? How do you come up with ideas for lyrics and melodies?

Daniel: It depends—sometimes when I’m jamming on the guitar I decide I like the riff or think that the chord structure might be fun to work with. I then put it on a loop on my looper pedal, and sing in my head and experiment with a tune. At other times I’m singing to myself and decide that the lyrics sound nice. Once I’ve got a few lines of lyrics, I’ll find out what key I’m singing in and then I’ll try and work on the instrumental ideas.

Tell us about the eventful day in Noteable studios when The Vamps surprised you.

Daniel: I loved my whole day at the Noteable studios. It was so good working with Amy, the sound technician, and learning the process of recording a song. When The Vamps arrived my heart stopped, and I couldn’t speak. It was the best day of my life so far! I enjoyed having a chat with Brad, James, Conner, and Tristan on the sofas and sharing the fruit! We chatted about school talent shows and writing songs. Since my trip to the Noteable studios, I’ve been inspired to write more songs and improve the songs that I’m writing. I’m in the process of writing an eight-song album!

Then For the Record asked The Vamps for their side of the story.

What was your reaction when you got the call to come surprise Daniel?

The Vamps: Any opportunity to encourage people to follow their dreams, we’re in! We were all very excited to meet Dan and check out his vibe. We recorded the last album, Cherry Blossom, in Metropolis Studios, so it’s always special going back there. We always jump on an opportunity to help a young musician. I remember when we were all getting started and any good advice we could get, we would listen. I loved Dan’s attitude towards making music and the confidence he has to enter a studio with such heritage.

Why did you want to jump on the opportunity?

The Vamps: Since the start, one of the main objectives of The Vamps is to spread love and happiness. If we can do that then so can he. When we saw Dan’s letter it was a no brainer. When I was that young I would do anything for some advice that would point me in the right direction. Life is about believing in yourself, and if there is anything we can do to help, we will.

In the video you give the young songwriter a piece of advice. Can you recall any advice you got when you were first starting out? Any that you wish you had followed but didn’t?

The Vamps: I think one of the main pieces of advice is that music doesn’t just automatically show up on a piece of paper, or is created by a computer. It comes from emotions and experiences. He will go through these during his lifetime growing up. The best thing he can do is write about it.

Of course when you’re that age you don’t tend to want to listen to other people. When I was younger, sometimes I would over-play, and not listen to anybody because I was having too much fun; but the reality is, the song is king. You have be in the mindset of “What is best for the song?” and not what’s best for you as a musician. Now when we write, I’m always thinking, “What does this music NEED?” and think less about what I want.

What are some other ways Spotify has helped you connect with your fans?

The Vamps: Spotify is the new way of discovering and listening to music. I can’t tell you how much it has helped The Vamps reach an international audience. I feel it delivers what people actually want, and ignores any politics behind the music. I have discovered artists that I never would have 10 years ago. It connects music, which connects people.

Check out more from The Vamps below.

Lewis Capaldi Gives Fans Two New Spotify Singles Recorded at Abbey Road Studios

September 23, 2022

a photograph of lewis capaldi looking at the camera

It didn’t take long for Lewis Capaldi’s new single, “Forget Me,” to soar to the top of the U.K. chart. But the Scottish singer-songwriter isn’t using that success as an excuse to sit back and relax.

Fans will be delighted to learn that Lewis has more new music to share. This week, as a part of Spotify Singles, the artist visited the iconic Abbey Road Studios to perform two exclusive tracks for an intimate audience. For those not lucky enough to be in attendance, the songs were recorded and are available now on Spotify.

The first track is a stripped-back version of “Forget Me,” and the second is the artist’s take on Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” a massive hit and the most-streamed song on Spotify last year.

This isn’t the first time Lewis has recorded a Spotify Single. In 2019, he recorded “when the party’s over” at Spotify Studios in New York City.

Give his two new Spotify Singles a listen below:

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.

Spotify’s Notting Hill Carnival Microsite Returns With Original Writing, Playlists, and Podcasts

August 25, 2021

London’s annual Notting Hill Carnival is a 55-year-old celebration of the United Kingdom’s Caribbean community—one full of parades, food, and, of course, music. For the second year in a row, Spotify is supporting the festivities virtually with the Carnival Sounds 2021 Microsite in collaboration with Notting Hill Carnival.

This year’s site continues to celebrate everything fans love about Carnival and features brand-new content encompassing written, audio, and musical content from influential Black creators. Fans will once again get the chance to virtually explore the official Notting Hill Carnival sound systems, featuring DJs playing a mixture of dub, reggae, soca, soulful house, and everything in between. King Tubby’s, Carnival’s oldest sound, is back, along with Rampage Sound, one of Carnival’s most coveted spots; the all-female line-up Seduction City Sound; and Martin Jay, the prince of U.K. soca.

Spotify has also worked with some of the U.K.’s most iconic Black creators to help curate a Carnival soundtrack with some of the most popular playlists:

The Gold List will incorporate selections from British soul icon Billy Ocean.
Reggae on the Irie playlist is in expert hands as Protoje takes over.
Afro Bashment gets a West London spin from WSTRN.
Who We Be, the U.K.’s biggest hip-hop, Afrobeat, dancehall, and R&B playlist, gets curated by Who We Be TALKS_ hosts Harry Pinero and Henrie.

Plus, brand new this year are exclusive essays on the theme of Carnival from some of the U.K.’s most renowned Black writers and creatives. Look out for writing from:

Candice Carty-Williams, writer and author of the Sunday Times bestselling novel Queenie, for which she became the first Black woman to win the “Book of the Year” accolade at the British Book Awards in 2020.
James Massiah, celebrated poet, spoken word artist, and musician who has read at the Tate Modern, Southbank Centre, and the Houses of Parliament.
Malika Booker, writer, poet, artist, and pioneer of the spoken word movement in the U.K.
Eddie Otchere, photographer, educator, and curator whose work recounts the Black British experience in art spaces.
Lava La Rue, Ladbroke-Grove-based visual artist, rapper, and founding member of NiNE8 COLLECTIVE.
Dawn Hill CBE, former chairman of the Black Cultural Archives, the U.K.’s only national repository of Black history and culture.

And as part of the ongoing celebration and to embrace the visual nature of Carnival, Spotify commissioned a mural by London-based multidisciplinary artist Bokiba in the heart of Notting Hill. The piece captures the movement and sounds of Carnival, as well as incorporating emojis as a nod to the virtual element of this year’s event. As with all of her work, women of color are at the heart, along with bold colors and patterns. The artwork mural features a scannable Spotify code so that passersby can dive straight in and immediately immerse themselves in the sounds and experiences of Carnival from their phones.

RADAR Artist Griff Is Bringing Songwriting and Soul to British Pop and Beyond

June 2, 2021

There’s a new face coming to take the crown of British pop royalty. At least, that’s what critics say about singer-songwriter Griff. She’s the winner of the BRITs 2021 Rising Star Award and one of the newest additions to RADAR, Spotify’s emerging artist program that spotlights rising talent from around the globe. Griff is the first creator to join RADAR with the support of two markets.

“Griff has an innate sense of herself as an artist—being a multifaceted talent in writing, producing, and performing her own work—paired with an indelible aesthetic that is 100% her own. This has marked her out as one to watch not just in the U.K., but also internationally,” shares Sulinna Ong, Head of Music at Spotify U.K. and Ireland. “It’s just one of many reasons we’ve created a bespoke proposition for her in the U.K. and the U.S., which will entail promoting her in multiple markets simultaneously.”

Back before Griff was receiving awards, selling out tour dates, and seeing her music streamed over 126 million times on Spotify, the 20-year-old was a curious preteen experimenting with beats and melodies on her brother’s audio production software. Her first music releases came while she was still in school, featuring rousing melodies and poignant lyrics about self-love and overcoming anxiety. She’s since been added to over 287 Spotify editorial playlists and over 1.6 million user-generated playlists on Spotify, with her audience growing at an exponential rate off the back of singles like “Black Hole” and “Good Stuff.”

Drawing inspiration from artists like Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder, Griff’s music is a soulful combination of clever songwriting and crisp harmonies. Griff skillfully juxtaposes honest and insightful lyrics with uplifting beats.

For the Record chatted with Griff to learn more about the struggles of finding inspiration over the past year and the excitement of the long career that lies ahead of her.

What are you looking forward to most as Spotify’s latest RADAR artist?

Getting famous! Jokes, I mean, I just feel very excited that more people are going to discover my music and hopefully they’ll like it.

You’ve talked about your Jamaican and Chinese heritage being something that caused you to feel different from your peers while growing up. How is that experience reflected in your music? Nowadays, do your roots impact your music or sound?

My dad played a lot of Black music around the house growing up. So hopefully that sense of soul and emotion that you hear in artists like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Mary J. Blige still exists in my songs. I think overall, though, having a mixed heritage in a very white area has made me used to being different, and perhaps more confident in trying new things, pushing boundaries, and standing out.

You’ve said that songwriting is your first love, before being an artist. What draws you to that part of the creative process?

I think that 90% of the time, songwriting is the most frustrating thing, and 10% of the time, it’s the most euphoric, satisfactory thing because you feel like you’ve cracked the code. So I think I’m addicted to that feeling of creating something out of nothing and feeling proud of writing something that feels both unique and true to me.

This past year presented many unprecedented challenges. How has it changed the way you approach your music? Did it bring about new types of inspiration?

It was hard to stay inspired, to be honest. Suddenly, I was just staring at the same four white walls every day and didn’t know what I wanted to say or put out into the world. I definitely had to dig a little deeper and find inspiration in new ways. I started listening to a lot of older music, like Whitney, Michael Jackson, and ABBA. I had to really reflect and have a lot of conversations with myself to find lyrical inspiration. I also had to trust that some days I was gonna write really sh*t songs, but the good stuff always comes eventually.

You’re also a part of Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music program, which fosters equity for women in the music industry. What advice do you have for female artists who are just starting out in the business and are working hard to break through?

I would say this: Try your best to know who you want to be and what you want, because if you don’t, other people so easily will. And also, look at what everyone else is doing, and do the opposite or do something different, because that will hopefully make you stand out against the rest.

Earlier this year you won the BRITs Rising Star award, and you recently released a new single. What’s next for you?

I’m excited to release this mixtape, which is coming out on June 18. I feel really proud that most of this mixtape has been written and produced 100% by me in my bedroom, and hopefully that means the songs are intimate and authentic to me. I’m also excited to get back into shows. I’ve never really gotten into the rhythm of touring; I did one show and then COVID-19 hit, so I’m excited to meet all the people who have started listening to my music in the past year.

Listen to Griff’s latest tracks below, and keep an eye out for her mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other, releasing June 18.

Kayo Chingonyi Decodes ‘Black’ from Dave’s Brit Award-Winning Album ‘PSYCHODRAMA’

May 11, 2021

For the past several years, Spotify Original podcast DISSECT has delved deep into impactful albums, including Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, Beyoncé’s Lemonade, and more. The show crossed the pond this April and premiered in the U.K. as Decode. The new podcast features the same track-by-track analysis and insightful commentary, but with notable albums coming out of the U.K.—starting with rapper Dave’s Brit and Mercury Award-winning 2019 album PSYCHODRAMA.

Tune in as Zambian-British author Kayo Chingonyi dives into an in-depth exploration of the lyrical metaphors embedded throughout Dave’s breathtaking debut album. With each song, he unpacks the modern British Black experience as Dave relates it to criminal justice, race, poverty, sexuality, toxic masculinity, and mental health stigma.

Kayo devotes one episode to “Black” and, in particular, Dave’s performance of the track at the Brit Awards in February 2020. Dave’s live rendition included new, politically charged verses that took the audience by surprise, ignited a conversation about racism in the U.K., and resonated with fans: The track saw an 1,889% increase in streams on Spotify after the performance.

For the Record asked Kayo to reflect on what makes Decode unique to the UK, as well as the impact of Dave’s salient and raw rendition of “Black.”

Decode is a new podcast, but takes its shape after Spotify’s successful DISSECT show in the U.S. What parts of the podcast are you keeping close to the original model?

DISSECT really honours musical creativity, meeting each album with curiosity and passion. With Decode, we’ve kept that sense of reverence and also that passion, that connection to music as a universal language that can travel to all corners of the world, lodging itself in the hearts and minds of listeners. Both shows ask questions about that magical process of communion between artist, song, and listener.

How are you making it your own? How does your own background as a poet, lyricist, and vocalist shape this?

As a writer all that I ever try to do is bring out the latent music in language, in words. As an emcee of Dave’s stripe, that’s a central concern, too. He’s interested not just in what words mean but how that meaning is enacted by their sound. As far as making it my own, I think it’s important to make the connection to Dave’s work as a writer. There’s maybe an inside perspective I can give as someone who has been writing and spitting lyrics since my early teens. I recognise the world Dave describes.

Why is it important for the U.K. to have a version of this show for itself?

The U.K. is a centre of global musical culture. There are many, of course, but I think the U.K.’s role has been downplayed in recent history. Things are starting to shift, and as they do, it’s important to look at musical culture from a global perspective. Black music especially is a global sound. It has always been, because our music travels with us.

What makes PSYCHODRAMA by Dave worthy of “decoding” first?

PSYCHODRAMA is a balance of compositional and lyrical excellence. It’s not just music as entertainment, although you can shock out to it. The album honours the arcane roots of music as a technology, a kind of spiritual communication across distances of culture and space. It’s an album that I think will go on to define our times.

Last week you discussed the track “Black,” which had a moment that stood alone during the Brits last year—it even has its own Genius lyrics page. What did that rendition, at that event, signify?

Adding that verse really showed Dave’s ability to respond to the times and also the way a track like “Black” will, I’m sad to say, always be resonant in a society like ours, built on what it is built on. That was a state of the nation moment at the Brits, an opportunity to step from behind the veil of entertainment that Dave took and ran with. It was the throwing down of a gauntlet—to government, to listeners, to fellow artists.

What conversation are you hoping to spark or continue from the 2020 Brits performance to this podcast episode?

I want to engage people in the layers of history that come together to shape our present moment. There is so much we could be asking questions about and, above all, I think PSYCHODRAMA invites its listeners to keep asking these questions. That’s what I would like people to take from the podcast—this desire to ask.

What album are you looking forward to decoding next?

So many! I’m keen to look at older albums. Look How Long by Loose Ends, Blue Lines by Massive Attack, Timeless by Goldie, or Dummy by Portishead, maybe. In terms of recent albums, Burial’s Untrue made me shed tears the first time I listened to it so it’s high on my list.

Ahead of the 2021 Brits, tune in to the “Black” episode of Decode below.

How Who We Be, Altar, and Our Generation Are Propelling UK and Irish Artists to the Top

February 8, 2021

Spotify’s editorial playlists are full of musical collections that fans won’t find anywhere else. Some of these playlists follow moods, while others contain songs curated for a specific genre—many of these playlists highlight emerging artists and help them connect their music with new audiences.

In the UK and Ireland, three flagship playlists are particularly influential. Listeners can find the UK’s biggest rap, grime, R&B, Afrobeat, and dancehall hits on Who We Be. Altar is the destination for the best electronic dance music. And for those looking to experience new and emerging genreless sounds, the Our Generation playlist contains some of the most exciting emerging acts on the UK and Irish scenes.

In 2020, many fans discovered new artists through these lists, and the proof is in the numbers. Read on to learn about some of the standout artists who saw success on these playlists last year.

Who We Be

The Who We Be playlist has grown significantly since its launch in 2016, and it now has over half a million fiercely loyal and engaged followers. One of the playlist’s biggest breakthroughs in 2020 was Central Cee. The West London rapper commanded more than 200,000 streams from the Who We Be playlist alone, and he saw almost instant success with his single “Day In The Life.” Since he joined the Who We Be Community, the artist’s followers on Spotify have grown by almost 359%.

S1mba is another rapper who made waves last year with his debut single, “Rover (feat. DTG),” which peaked at number two in the UK Top 40 in April. The Zimbabwean-born Londoner is the 15th-most-streamed artist overall on the playlist, and since “Rover” was released, he has seen a 16,435% rise in listens.

After being featured on Who We Be, Tiana Blake’s “Cut Ties” became the best-performing traditional R&B track from a British artist on the playlist. The track went on to make waves in other global Spotify playlists, such as Chilled R&B, and saw a 159% rise in streams.

Altar

Dance and Electronic music isn’t going anywhere. If you need proof, look no further than the Altar playlist, which saw a 193% increase in listens in 2020. One of the biggest artist breakthroughs of 2020 was award-winning producer Fred Gibson, who released tracks under his alias, Fred again... The artist’s unique sound blends raw vocal samples with club-ready euphoria and has been a hit with the Altar audience; they’ve made him one of the top 20 most-streamed artists on the playlist last year.

TSHA was the third-most-streamed UK female on the playlist in 2020. She saw an increase in year-on-year streams of 134%. TSHA’s single “Change” with Gabrielle Aplin, which was recorded at a Spotify Song Writing Camp in 2019, became one of the top-100-streamed tracks from Altar in 2020.

In May, one of Europe’s most exciting DJs and producers, India Jordan, launched their genre-defining EP For You. Two of the tracks, “For You” and “I’m Waiting,” were featured on the Altar playlist, and over the course of the year, their streams increased by 388%. India was also one of Spotify’s RADAR first listen artists in 2020.

Our Generation

Genreless playlists are growing in popularity around the world, and the case is no different for Our Generation. The playlist, which surfaces the new wave of artists emerging across the UK and Irish musical landscape, saw an 18% increase in streams in 2020. With playlist takeovers from some of the most exciting breakthrough artists on the scene, including beabadoobee, Thomas Headon, and Biig Piig, the home of genre-defying artists has driven huge discovery for fans this year.

Our Generation played an influential role in elevating many artists, including rising star Holly Humberstone, who has grown her audience to over 2 million monthly listeners since her first release, “Deep End,” was added to the playlist in early 2020.

Other acts that saw great first-time success include Tayo Sound, who was busking on the streets of Reading less than a year before making it onto the cover of the Our Generation playlist in May 2020. His hits “Cold Feet” and “Heartbreaker” were two of the most-streamed tracks on the playlist in 2020, and overall his streams soared by more than 1,000% in the last six months.

Kamal, an 18-year-old London alternative R&B star, secured the second-most-streamed track on Our Generation with “homebody” after he was featured on his first Spotify playlist cover art in early 2020. Since then, the artist has seen an 84% growth in listens.

With a new year comes more new music. Follow these playlists to discover the latest finds when it comes to emerging artists and hit tracks.

Meet beabadoobee, Thomas Headon, and Biig Piig, the New Wave of Artists Taking Over Spotify’s Community-First ‘Our Generation’ Playlist

November 19, 2020

Press “play” on Spotify’s Our Generation playlist and you’ll find your headphones or speakers filled with the sounds of rising artists from a variety of different backgrounds, identities, and musical styles. Since 2019, Our Generation has surfaced the new wave of artists emerging across the British and Irish musical landscape to young, engaged music fans whose tastes aren’t restricted by genre. Now, the curated playlist is getting a makeover, getting rebranded with a new look and guest takeovers from the most exciting acts of the next-gen music scene.

Last week, 21-year-old indie singer-songwriter Thomas Headon selected the tracks he loves alongside his friends in the music community. Starting today, November 19, tune in with Irish breakout singer and rapper Biig Piig. Finally, on November 26 hear from alternative rock musician and RADAR artist beabadoobee. Each will create a truly unique listening experience complete with playlist videos and track selections from multiple artists within the scene.

“We’re excited to have these three amazing artists collaborate with Our Generation as we continue to expand Spotify’s support for emerging talent,” says Sulinna Ong, Head of Music for UK and Ireland at Spotify. “We launched Our Generation in 2019 after we identified a gap for a unique offering of genre-fluid, new music for a digitally native audience. With our latest campaign, we are taking it one step further by expanding and enriching the Our Generation brand and offering fans the chance to further explore diverse and culturally influential artists to uncover their new undiscovered favorites via recommendations from some of the playlist’s most popular artists. Our ambition is to build a truly engaged community for Our Generation, making it the go-to hub for Gen Z music lovers to discover their new favorite artists.”

To mark the campaign, Spotify has teamed up with DIY, the leading independent music publication in the UK, to give music lovers the chance to take a deep dive into the inspiration behind each artist’s takeover. Through in-depth interviews, Thomas, Biig Piig, and beabadoobee each reveal the tracks and creators that make them tick.

The revamped playlist will continue to serve as a destination for listeners to find an artist with a unique sound in a new visual world, including unique playlist cover art created by Australian illustrator and creative Eliza Williams (@doolittleillustrations). The colorful hand-drawn illustrations encapsulate the escapism that the audience can achieve through the music.

Ready to dive in? Stream the newly revamped Our Generation playlist below.