Tag Archives | Spotify

Country Star Morgan Wade Opens Up About Decision To Quit Drinking And More On Third Episode Of Spotify: Mic Check Podcast!

Yesterday, Spotify released the latest episode of their new podcast series, “Spotify: Mic Check”- a series aimed at connecting listeners and fans with the world’s biggest creators. The podcast features exclusively intimate conversations with musicians and podcast creators from around the globe.

 

This week’s episode welcomes rising Country star Morgan Wade to the mic to share with listeners some of her personal stories, from her decision to quit drinking and the painful breakups that inspire her music to how her genre-bending vocal style has helped catapult her rise with country and rock fans. You can listen to the full episode here.

 

Available to stream for free exclusively on Spotify, please see below for interview highlights in the episode:

 

  • Morgan Wade on her earliest musical inspirations.
    • “My earliest inspiration for music was definitely Elvis Presley. I discovered him when I was about seven years old. I just thought he was the coolest thing I’d ever heard or seen. And he was so different from anything else I had ever laid my eyes on.

 

  • Morgan Wade on her journey from classical violinist to Country/Rock guitarist.
    • “I first picked up an instrument when I was about eight years old, classical violin. And I hated it — every minute of it. And my grandmother got me a guitar. I started playing that when I was probably 11 or 12 and I never performed before. I didn’t tell anybody; Hey, I’m writing songs. It was just something that I did for myself. And so, my first time actually playing out loud music with a band was when I was 19. It was my freshman year of college and I went through a breakup.”

 

  • Morgan Wade on the power of vulnerability.
    • “We all have parts of us that we don’t want the world to see, but if we could talk more about that. Everything from addiction, to mental health, we could not feel so alone. So I think that it’s less painful to be transparent, even though it is hard in a society that just wants the perfect stuff to show.”

 

  • Morgan Wade on her decision to quit drinking
    • “You know, I would not be sitting here talking to you right now if I didn’t quit drinking.  When I first started playing music, I wasn’t always getting paid, but 90 percent of the time, you had a bar tab. And so I really did start to take advantage of that. So that was really my first introduction to drinking.”

 

  • Morgan Wade on what inspires her to write.
    • “I write when I’m inspired or when I’m going through something and I try to write and come up with something every day. The other day, I sat down and I wrote three songs and they’re three songs I know I’m going to use. When something’s supposed to come to me, it comes to me and I try not to push it too hard. I don’t want to feel like a machine. That’s why my stuff can be as authentic as it is because I only write when I really feel something.”

 

  • Morgan Wade on how Spotify has helped fans discover her music.
    • “It’s just crazy because to see to get added to these different playlists and having people be like, Hey, I discovered you because of a Spotify playlist. It’s awesome. And, you know, people in Sweden are listening to my music. I’ve never been to Sweden, but there’s somebody over there that knows who I am.”

Comments { 0 }

Spotify And Country Music Icon Reba McEntire Announce New Podcast Launching In Early 2020

One of country music’s iconic superstars, Reba McEntire, is partnering with Spotify to launch a new original podcast in early 2020. Fans worldwide can tune in to hear Reba’s trademark wit and wisdom as she and expert guests share honest, comedic takes on struggles we all face when it comes to confronting life’s challenges, making good decisions, and creating happiness around us. In a nutshell, it’s Reba’s interpretation of ‘living your best life.’

With her new show, Reba will be joining the growing list of names (lookin’ at you Kevin Bacon), opinion makers (Bill Simmons) and musicians (Midland) who have created podcasts exclusively for Spotify.

“I am so excited to be partnering with Spotify on my new podcast and I’m even more excited to be connecting with my fans in a way I haven’t done before,” says Reba. “I’m looking forward to sharing some of what I’ve learned from my own life challenges and hopefully learning more along the way. Spotify is the perfect platform to share this journey with my fans, old and new!”

One of the most successful female recording artists in history, McEntire has sold over 56 million albums worldwide and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. She has won 15 American Music Awards, 16 ACM Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, six CMA Awards, three GRAMMY® Awards, an ACM Career Achievement Honor, was a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, and is one of only four entertainers in history to receive the National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress. 

And she’s not slowing down. This year, she released her new studio album Stronger Than the Truth to rave reviews and received the Artist of a Lifetime award at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony. On November 13, she will co-host the 53rd Annual CMA Awards with Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton.

“We are so honored that one of country music’s most beloved stars, Reba McEntire, has chosen to launch her podcast exclusively on Spotify next year,” says Brittany Schaffer, Head of Artist & Label Marketing for Spotify Nashville. “We are all longtime fans of Reba’s extraordinary music, her career, and her razor sharp insights, and are certain that fans will absolutely love hearing a strong female icon like Reba share her advice and personal thoughts on all!”

Spotify is dedicated to collaborating with artists in the country music space, from legends to rising stars. So stay tuned for the launch date and more details—and in the meantime, tune in to Reba’s newest album. 

Comments { 0 }

Spotify House Brings Together The Hottest Lineup At Nashville’s CMA Fest 2019

The Country Music Association’s CMA Fest in Nashville, TN is country music’s biggest annual gathering. This year, Spotify is back at the fest with a stellar lineup to satisfy every country music fan’s cravings.

From Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, Spotify will return to Blake Shelton’s and Opry Entertainment Group’s restaurant and music venue, Ole Red, to host ‘Spotify House’ complete with an exceptional lineup of emerging artists, established stars, country music icons and special surprise guests throughout the weekend. The curated set is a collaboration between Spotify, The Grand Ole Opry, and Ole Red.

The Spotify House daytime schedule will run from 11:30am to 7:00pm. Nightly headlining shows and late-night jam sessions will be scheduled from 7:30pm to 2:00am. All shows will be open to the public and space will be limited to first-come, first-served.

Spotify House will bring together a remarkable group of artists to celebrate everything country, from the sound to the ability to connect the past, present, and future of the country music community. Spotify continues to offer fans and artists truly unique experiences and showcases a deep commitment to country music and its dedicated fans, through both live performances of established country stars, or helping fans discover new and unexpected talent.

Spotify House 2019 lineup highlights will include:

Breakout music star Lil Nas X, who took the music world by storm with his country chart-topping hit “Old Town Road,” will perform during CMA Fest at the new Spotify House nighttime rooftop series.Returning headliners, rollicking country trio Midland, who will perform songs from their hit debut album On the Rocks (Big Machine Records), alongside new material from their upcoming second album, including the new single “Mr. Lonely.”Country music legend and ten-time Grammy nominee Tanya Tucker, who will thrill fans with an headlining appearance.ACM Award winners and CMA Award nominees Old Dominion, who will bring their trademark blend of old-fashioned country music and rock n’ roll grit.Talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, five-time Grammy nominee, and CMA Award winner Hunter Hayes returning as a headliner for the second year in a row.American Idol runner-up and CMA Award nominee Lauren Alaina as a headliner.2019 CMT Music Award-nominated country music duo Maddie & Tae, who are currently on tour opening for Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360.

Other standouts acts including Morgan Evans, Tenille Townes, Emily Ann Roberts, Mitchell Tenpenny, Filmore, James Barker Band,Cassadee Pope, and many more.

For full schedule and lineup updates at Ole Red visit https://olered.com/nashville/spotify/.

Get ready for CMA Fest with the Ole Red playlist:

Comments { 0 }

Spotify Celebrates Hot Country With Exclusive Crop Circle Designs Of Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, And Jason Aldean

It’s summer time and with that comes many ways to enjoy country music in the great outdoors, from backyard barbecues to lakeside bonfires to countryside hikes. To pay homage to one of the Heartland’s great summer outdoor traditions in a truly unexpected and unique way, Spotify Hot Country has produced four exclusive custom-designed crop circles featuring three superstar country artists as well as the Hot Country logo.

Jason Aldean

The spectacular crop circles were created by the Nashville-based renowned crop circles artist Stan Herd, known for creating visual masterpieces using fields as his canvas. He skillfully recreated the faces of music stars Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Jason Aldean and the Spotify Hot Country logo in fields outside Lawrence. Each crop circle took approximately one week to create and will last for approximately three weeks.

Kelsea Ballerini

“I usually begin with a simple concept that speaks to something I believe in and a statement that I think is important to make with my art,” said Stan of his artistic process. “When I get to the point that I decide to actually take the drawing to a field, I create a gridded drawing to the site and try to gauge how it might fit the field or terrain. I work with crews to lay out the grid, maybe one inch equaling 20 feet, and begin the simple outline with a weedeater or other tools into existing crops or vegetation. Then we begin to gauge the work through aerial recon or drone shots.”

Luke Bryan

According to Brittany Schaffer, Head of Artist and Label Marketing at Spotify’s Nashville office, “This year Spotify is making a concentrated effort to shine a spotlight on country music and to find truly unexpected ways to celebrate all things country. To give our fans something special we decided to work with artist Stan Herd to bring to life three of the world’s biggest country artists on a beautiful Kansas landscape to pay homage to the Heartland and country music today.”

To Stan, the tie between country music and the crop circle art is all in the roots. “Country music grew out of the experience of working men and woman with a true connection to the land and to United States history as it relates to and informs that cultural essence,” he explained. “It is called ‘Country Music’ because it is about a ‘country’ or rural lifestyle that includes that agrarian connection.”

Following the April re-launch of Spotify’s flagship Hot Country playlist as a newly enhanced video playlist, Spotify Hot Country’s high-profile events at CMA Fest in Nashville in June and the Hot Country Live concert series launch in NYC on July 4th, Spotify is continuing to roll out dynamic new content, playlists, artist takeovers, Fans First activations and live events that appeal to country music fans as well as a broader fanbase. These crop circles are the next step in Spotify’s country journey and show a truly creative spirit to highlight culturally-unique elements of the country music landscape.

Comments { 0 }

Spotify Announces New Hot Country Live Concert Series-Inaugural Show With Carrie Underwood In NYC July 4

Country music has long been a significant part of this country’s cultural fabric, and what better way to commemorate our nation’s birthday than with one of music’s superstars performing at one of the most iconic US holiday destinations! On July 4th, Spotify will bring the Heartland to NYC’S famed Seaport District, to celebrate the launch of Hot Country Live, the new live concert series that will serve as an extension of the popular flagship Hot Country playlist, which features more than 4.5 million followers worldwide. Multi-platinum selling and seven-time Grammy Award winning global music superstar Carrie Underwood will headline the inaugural Hot Country Live concert at the Seaport’s The Rooftop at Pier 17 concert venue, performing her biggest hits, including her current single “Cry Pretty,” from her first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville, which will be released on September 14. Chart-topping country music duo Dan + Shay, whose self-titled third studio album will be released on June 22, will open the concert event. Additional artists will be announced at a later date.

The Hot Country Live concert series will bring today’s most dynamic country music stars, many of whom are featured in the Hot Country playlist each week, to select cities nationwide. Spotify creates truly memorable experiences for artists and fans, and with the launch of Hot Country Live, will bring country music fans even closer to their favorite artists.

I’m thrilled to be a part of Spotify’s first ever Hot Country Live show, and can’t wait to celebrate the holiday playing live music under the stars.

– Carrie Underwood

According to Brittany Schaffer, Head of Artist and Label Marketing at Spotify’s Nashville office, “This year Spotify is making a concentrated effort to shine a spotlight on country music and to create a gathering place for country artists and fans to share and experience the people, stories, and spirit that define their community. This starts on platform in the Hot Country playlist and is brought to life through our unique live events, like Hot Country Live. I can’t imagine a better way to kick-off our premiere country music concert series then by bringing country fans the opportunity to honor America on the Fourth of July with Carrie Underwood and Dan + Shay!”

This show is brought to you in partnership with the Howard Hughes Corporation, which is revitalizing the Seaport District and transforming Pier 17 into an iconic entertainment destination that will be home to the Pier 17 Rooftop Concert Series that will launch August 1.

Spotify has been expanding their footprint in the country music world in 2018, most recently with the re-launch of their Hot Country Playlist, as an enhanced playlist featuring exclusive and original videocontent. Enhanced playlists, like the previously launched RapCaviar and ¡Viva Latino!, combine music and video into a single view. This allows users to listen to their favorite audio tracks as well as watch interviews and music videos featuring their favorite artists. Enhanced playlists bring storytelling back to music discovery—a theme that country music emphasizes as well. As part of Hot Country, Spotify will continue to roll out dynamic new content, playlists, live events and more that will appeal to country music fans worldwide and Hot Country Live is the next exciting step in their country music journey.

Check out the new Spotify Hot Country playlist below:

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX1lVhptIYRda

Comments { 0 }

Spotify’s Hot Country At Ole Red Was The Hottest Ticket To Have During CMA Fest

It was the hottest ticket in town!

We thoroughly-enjoyed spending time this past week in Nashville during CMA Fest with mega music streaming service, Spotify!

Spotify hosted their Hot Country event on the stage inside Nashville’s newest entertainment venue owned by country superstar Blake Shelton, Ole Red, located on the corner of Broadway & 3rd Ave.

Courtesy of Ole Red

The beautiful three-story venue set in the heart of lower Broadway’s historic honky tonk district served as the perfect setting for festival-goers to enjoy some of the best entertainment that country music has to offer.

We really enjoyed catching sets from Morgan Wallen, Levi Hummon, Midland, and Cole Swindell during our time spent there.

Spotify’s Hot Country featured shows from up and coming artists to hitmakers from Thursday through Sunday 11am-2am every day of CMA Fest with a special VIP section that we thoroughly-enjoyed from 6pm-2am upstairs with drinks like the Ole Red Frosecco, which we highly-recommend, and tasty bites like delicious bacon-wrapped scallops and mozzarella with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.

Tasty bites of mozzarella with tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and bacon-wrapped scallops.

The 4-day event featured fantastic acoustic and full band performances inside by Cole Swindell, Hunter Hayes, Midland, Craig Campbell, Cam, Thompson Square, Scotty Mccreery, Cassadee Pope, Cale Dodds, Lauren Alaina, Levi Hummon, Maggie Rose, Morgan Wallen, Filmore, Hannah Ellis, Mallory Hope, and many more.

Thanks for having us out, Spotify! We had a great time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj0-mm5lMwJ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1ei1fpb2a8jo8

Comments { 0 }

Hot Country With Spotify Thursday Was A Hit

Last night, I thoroughly-enjoyed spending some time at Blake Shelton’s new entertainment venue, Ole Red, with the folks from Spotify.

Courtesy of Ole Red

The beautiful, new, three-story venue located in downtown Nashville on the corner of Broadway & 3rd Ave. is a great addition to Nashville’s lower Broad area.  A great menu with reasonable prices consistent with other downtown venues.  I loved the bacon-wrapped scallops, mozzarella & tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, and smoked barbecue wings, along with the specialty drink, Ole Red Frosecco.

I enjoyed getting to see the talented Morgan Wallen perform an acoustic set and Levi Hummon slayed the stage with a full band set to the delight of the standing room only crowd of festival goers.

I will be heading back out tonight! It’s a great place to have a drink, food, and listen to live music every day of CMA Music Festival starting ay 11am – 2am.  A schedule of all the artist performance times throughout CMA Music Festival can be found by clicking HERE.

Be sure to stream Spotify’s Hot Country station on your computer and phones!

Ole Red’s smoked barbecue wings

Comments { 0 }

Spotify’s Enhanced Hot Country Playlist Brings The Heat At Nashville’s CMA Fest

The common thread among country music artists and fans is the ability to relate to the songs and stories that connect them. Songs about real people, real stories, and real lives. Spotify is committed to being the connection point for these shared experiences, and thanks to Spotify’s recently re-launched, enhanced Hot Country Playlist, country fans are now enjoying even more opportunities to connect with the stars of the genre.

 

June 7 to 10, tens of thousands of country music fans will descend on Nashville for the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest and will have the opportunity to experience the artist-fan community that Hot Country is fostering live and in-person. Whether you’re watching a live performance from your favorite rising country stars, listening to a new Spotify country playlist through the CMA Fest App, discovering the artist with whom you have the most in common, or making a playlist with the artist you love, Spotify will be on the ground highlighting the stories that connect the past, present, and future of country music community.

 

New Friends at Ole Red

Thursday through Sunday, members of the public can enjoy a stellar lineup of artists at Ole Red, Blake Shelton’s and Opry Entertainment Group’s highly anticipated new restaurant and music venue, and Spotify’s CMA Fest Headquarters. The packed lineup is curated in collaboration between Spotify, The Grand Ole Opry and Ole Red.

 

Some of the featured artists include:

 

  • Trio Midland, ACM New Group of the Year, who will be performing songs from their impressive debut album On the Rocks (Big Machine Records), which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and features their hit debut No. 1 single “Drinkin’ Problem.”
  • Young country singer-songwriter Michael Ray, whose anticipated sophomore album Amos will be released June 1
  • Talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, five-time Grammy nominee and CMA Award winner Hunter Hayes
  • Canadian country singer and Canadian Country Music Awards’ Female Artist of the Year 2011, Tenille Townes, who recently signed a record deal with Columbia Nashville
  • American Idol runner-up and ACM Awards’ New Female Vocalist of the Year, Lauren Alaina, who topped the country charts in 2017
  • As well as Maddie & Tae, RaeLynn, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jimmie Allen, Cassadee Pope and many more.

 

For schedule and lineup updates at Ole Red see: visit. www.olered.com/spotifyhotcountry

 

Making the Most of the CMA Fest Partnership

Spotify has also partnered with CMA Fest to enhance the digital and music discovery experience for fans at the festival. Users who authenticate with Spotify in the CMA Fest mobile app will be able to stream music from each of the performing artists, and will have access to a breadth of co-curated playlists. Spotify users who access the app can generate a unique playlist of select CMA Fest artists, catered to their specific music tastes.

 

In addition to the app partnership, Spotify will be taking over CMA’s Music Streaming Lounge on Friday June 8 at Xfinity Fan Fair X at Music City Center. Fans will have the opportunity to come by the lounge, discover Spotify’s new features, and make Spotify playlists in-person with Country artists performing at the festival.

 

Spotify’s participation at CMA Fest shows Spotify’s commitment to fostering growth in the Country Music audience across the platform and the world. Country fans, whether new or seasoned, young or old, can look forward to a Country Music-filled weekend, complete with new favorite songs, bands, music discovery knowledge, and a commitment from Spotify that no matter where they are, they’ll always have country music to take them home.

Comments { 0 }

The Latest Emerging Artists on Spotify’s RISE

 

When you discover a new artist, you don’t just want to hear the song, you want to know everything—what their name means, where they’re from, how they started, what their process is like, which music they listen to. Whether their struggle was real or they’re an overnight sensation, it’s the stories that truly bring the music to life.

To go further behind the scenes with emerging artists, Spotify is introducing the new wave of RISE, the artist development program that supports up-and-comers across genres and gives fans a glimpse inside their lives. While the first season featured new favorites like Lauv and Trippie Redd, Spotify is now focusing on Platinum-selling Country breakthrough band LANCO, R&B artist Jorja Smith, Latin singer Karol G, and indie artist Rex Orange County.

Spotify will highlight one of the four emerging artists every two weeks in each artists’ bespoke multimedia RISE playlist, kicking off with the groundswell movement behind LANCO. Stay tuned for RISE short form documentary films (“24 Hours on the RISE”), original recording sessions with unique collaborators (“RISE Recordings”), live event activations, and collaborations on Spotify-optimized vertical videos.
Spotify will highlight one of the four emerging artists every two weeks in each artists’ bespoke multimedia RISE playlist, kicking off with country sensation LANCO. “When we were kids, putting together our first band and writing our first songs, our dream was to be able to eventually play them for people,” said LANCO’s lead singer Brandon Lancaster. “Spotify RISE is helping us make that dream a reality. By telling our stories through our music and through our entire creative process, we’re able to connect to our fans and grow the LANCO community in a deeper way than we could have ever imagined.”

All of these unique stories will live alongside the music—plus you’ll start to see them on Spotify’s many owned and operated playlists and editorial channels, creating a variety of new potential discovery moments for Spotify listeners.

Read about our four new RISE artists below, and check out spotify.com/RISE to hear more from each RISE artist.

About Spotify’s RISE Artists:

LANCO

In an incredible year of firsts, the “arena-rock leaning band” (Entertainment Weekly) LANCO became the first country group to debut on the Billboard Country albums charts at No. One in 10 years with their coming-of-age album, HALLELUJAH NIGHTS (Arista Nashville), which now boasts over 234 million digital streams. Additionally, this year’s two-time ACM nominated group is now the only Country band to achieve a PLATINUM single prior to a debut album release, with the two-week No. One “Greatest Love Story.” Following the multi-week chart-topping hit, their “foot-stomping new single” (Rolling Stone) “Born To Love You” proves LANCO is “well on their way to being reigning hitmakers,” (PopCulture). Named “the band to watch” by Bobby Bones, CMT, Entertainment Weekly, Hits Magazine, Rolling Stone, Spotify and more, LANCO continues “drawing in fans from across the globe” (Tucson Weekly) after touring the country’s top festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Watershed and Faster Horses. This month, they will hit the road for their first amphitheater run as special guests on Dierks Bentley’s 2018 MOUNTAIN HIGH TOUR. For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.lancomusic.com.

Comments { 0 }

DYLAN SCOTT MAKES MONUMENTAL IMPACT LEADING INTO 2016

image

Curb recording artist Dylan Scott is on a roll. Dylan caps off an incredible 2015 with a wave of momentum set to carry him into next year.  Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }
Verified by MonsterInsights