Latest news with #Spotify
CairoScene
43 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Backstage: Stormy at Nawafiz Festival
We caught up with Moroccan rap sensation Stormy ahead of his performance at Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival, where we discussed his pre-performance rituals and creative process. Jun 28, 2025 Moroccan rap sensation Stormy has been unstoppable since his debut album 'ICEBERG' in 2024. His unflinching honesty, sharp flows in Darija and French, and affinity for meaningful worldplay established him as one of the most exciting talents in the region's hip-hop scene and earned him a dedicated following across Europe as well. Before his breakthrough in the scene, the Rabat-born wordsmith used to release freestyles on YouTube, where he would anxiously await feedbacks from listeners to improve his lyrical delivery. Now, as he took centre stage at this year's Nawafiz Festival in Utrecht with confidence and swagger for his Netherlands debut - further expanding his global footprint - Stormy remains as humble as he first started. For him, live performances are another means through which he tries to workshop his sound, by paying close attention to the crowd and which flows or verses of his songs they react to the most. Backstage, he was still as welcoming, warm and humble as he vulnerably shared with us his experience visiting the Netherlands for the first time, his pre-performance rituals, and creative process. Despite his chart-topping hits and almost a million monthly streams on Spotify, Stormy's intention is never about making hits, but rather creating something that accurately reflects his skills and persona, and most importantly, satisfies his thirst for creativity. Watch the full interview below:
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Here's why Gen Z finds comfort in podcasts
If you have been keeping tabs on what Gen Z is up to, beyond their current obsession with matcha lattes and Labubu dolls, one trend that does not seem to be going anywhere is their love for podcasts. Unlike the fleeting social media fads, podcasting seems to have entrenched itself into Gen Z's daily routine. It is no longer just a flex to listen to podcasts, but a tool shaping their personality altogether! These days, India's top celebrities and even politicians are hopping onto the podcast train, sitting across content creators and chatting about everything, from their nostalgic childhood memories to fintech and beyond. And for Gen Zers, it is definitely not background noise while doomscrolling. 'Podcasting gives you a whole personality, it gives you conversation points among your peers,' says 24-year-old Darshit S., practising law in Chennai. 'Most importantly, what makes it special is how it breaks the wall between the listener and the speaker. It is not like an interview, but more laidback and real,' adds Darshit. The younger crowd is tuning in to podcasts on entertainment, lifestyle, global affairs, and crime, among other topics. What once started as a niche interest has turned into an everyday ritual among the listeners. And it is not just about listening anymore, Gen Zers from Chennai are making their own podcasts — especially college students looking for an outlet. Safa Salsabeel Z., a 22-year-old English literature student from Chennai, has already produced seven podcasts, covering everything from procrastination to how AI is reshaping literature, and even quirky historical topics like the origin of fans in pre-electricity times. For Safa, podcasting isn't just a post-lecture hobby but calls it the loudest form of creative expression. So, what makes podcasts the 'thing' for this generation, you ask. The podcaster breaks it down: 'As Gen Z, we usually gravitate towards podcasts that feel real, relatable, and authentic. We don't always look for perfectly polished interviews, professionally edited shows. What we love are conversations that sound like we are part of them,' says Safa. She further adds topics on mental health, productivity hacks, relationships, identity, personal growth, and even random 'shower thoughts' are what really clicks with her generation. Platforms such as Spotify and YouTube are the go-tos for most Gen Z podcast listeners, including Darshit. 'Honestly, it is not about the video, nothing much usually happens visually. It is all about what they are talking about. Podcasts let you get to know someone, especially celebrities, in a more authentic way. In a podcast, you end up listening your favourite cricketer speak about things you would never get from a well scripted interview in the 90s or 2000s,' he says. Another big draw is that you can learn about any new topic from a well-researched podcast in just a couple of hours. But for many Gen Zers from the city, it is about the comfort of hearing personal stories they can relate to, anecdotes that are a little more human, and banter that makes them feel seen and heard!
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot
Organisers went all out to turn the backstage area into a sanctuary SHEER JOY Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot OLIVIA Rodrigo sent her fans wild tonight when she surprised them by bringing out Ed Sheeran at her sold out BST gig in Hyde Park. Just two days before she closes Glastonbury Festival, Olivia proved why she's one of the best pop stars on the planet with a set jam-packed with catchy, angsty anthems. 5 Olivia Rodrigo performed a powerful set at BST tonight Credit: AP 5 The singer had a special guest waiting in the wings 5 Ed and Olivia performed his hit The A Team Credit: The Sun And superstar Ed's cameo was the icing on the cake of a glorious sunny day in the capital. Drivers License singer Olivia, 22, dressed to impress for her huge headline show, kicking off in a black sequined leotard. Ahead of the performance, she was able to unwind in her own private sanctuary with organisers adapting the backstage area with wildflower planters. And it was much needed as Olivia used up every ounce of energy in a lively set split into three parts. READ MORE ON OLIVIA RODRIGO STARLET TO SUPERSTAR Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo from Disney star to Glasto headliner It was in the final part that Ed came out for a rendition of his early hit The A Team, having watched the show from the side of the stage. Olivia introduced him as "one of the best songwriters of all time". There were famous faces in the crowd including James Corden, who stood beside Olivia's boyfriend Louis Partridge, and Sabrina Carpenter, who will perform on the same stage next week. Ed's no stranger to guest appearances, having stepped on stage with everyone from Limp Bizkit to Stormzy and Taylor Swift. And his acoustic anthem lent itself perfectly to California girl Olivia's meteoric rise to fame has taken her from Disney Channel starlet to 46million monthly listeners on Spotify, 14 Grammy nominations and collaborations with David Byrne and Lily Allen. Olivia Rodrigo praised for her 'iconic' FireAid performance - but fans all have the same complaint In 2016, Olivia was cast in Disney's Bizaardvark and three years later she starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary that sees a bunch of teens putting on a stage production of the hit. Between High School Musical takes, the young actress worked away on her guitar, writing more music, until eventually Disney bosses invited her to create an original song for her character to sing in the show. The piano ballad that emerged — All I Want — went viral, and she was soon in line for a record deal. But unlike others who went from Disney favourite to superstar, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Olivia shunned the in-house label and decided to do things her own way. Everything changed overnight in January 2021 when Olivia released her debut single Drivers License in the middle of winter lockdown. It became the first song on Spotify to hit 80million streams in just seven days. The tune also shot straight to No1 on charts globally and propelled her into what she called a 'crash course in adulthood'. 'That was the craziest time of my life,' she said back then. 'I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, and I called my A&R guy. 'It had just gone No 1 on Apple music, which is hard for a pop act to do. 'We were looking at each other on FaceTime, speechless. 'That was the moment I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.' Her second single, Deja Vu, was certified four times platinum in the States, then May 2021 saw the release of her debut album Sour, with pop-punk hit Good 4 U going six times platinum in the US. She earned rave reviews from critics, while artists including Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne heaped praise upon her. Her first live performance in the UK was at the Brit awards in 2021, while her festival debut here was at Glastonbury the following year. In just a few short years, she's now at the very top of the pile, holding her own beside fellow headliners The 1975 and Neil Young. 5 Ed loves collaborating with artists from all genres Credit: The Mega Agency
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot
OLIVIA Rodrigo sent her fans wild tonight when she surprised them by bringing out Ed Sheeran at her sold out BST gig in Hyde Park. Just two days before she closes Glastonbury Festival, Olivia proved why she's one of the best pop stars on the planet with a set jam-packed with catchy, angsty anthems. 5 Olivia Rodrigo performed a powerful set at BST tonight Credit: AP 5 The singer had a special guest waiting in the wings 5 Ed and Olivia performed his hit The A Team Credit: The Sun And superstar Ed's cameo was the icing on the cake of a glorious sunny day in the capital. Drivers License singer Olivia, 22, dressed to impress for her huge headline show, kicking off in a black sequined leotard. Ahead of the performance, she was able to unwind in her own private sanctuary with organisers adapting the backstage area with wildflower planters. And it was much needed as Olivia used up every ounce of energy in a lively set split into three parts. READ MORE ON OLIVIA RODRIGO It was in the final part that Ed came out for a rendition of his early hit The A Team, having watched the show from the side of the stage. Olivia introduced him as "one of the best songwriters of all time". There were famous faces in the crowd including James Corden, who stood beside Olivia's boyfriend Louis Partridge, and Sabrina Carpenter, who will perform on the same stage next week. Ed's no stranger to guest appearances, having stepped on stage with everyone from Limp Bizkit to Stormzy and Taylor Swift. Most read in Music And his acoustic anthem lent itself perfectly to Disney Channel starlet to 46million monthly listeners on Spotify , 14 Grammy nominations and collaborations with David Byrne and . Olivia Rodrigo praised for her 'iconic' FireAid performance - but fans all have the same complaint In 2016, Olivia was cast in Disney's Bizaardvark and three years later she starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary that sees a bunch of teens putting on a stage production of the hit. Between High School Musical takes, the young actress worked away on her guitar, writing more music, until eventually Disney bosses invited her to create an original song for her character to sing in the show. The piano ballad that emerged — All I Want — went viral, and she was soon in line for a record deal. But unlike others who went from Disney favourite to superstar, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Olivia shunned the in-house label and decided to do things her own way. Everything changed overnight in January 2021 when Olivia released her debut single Drivers License in the middle of winter lockdown. It became the first song on Spotify to hit 80million streams in just seven days. The tune also shot straight to No1 on charts globally and propelled her into what she called a 'crash course in adulthood'. 'That was the craziest time of my life,' she said back then. 'I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, and I called my A&R guy. 'It had just gone No 1 on Apple music, which is hard for a pop act to do. 'We were looking at each other on FaceTime, speechless. 'That was the moment I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.' Her second single, Deja Vu, was certified four times platinum in the States, then May 2021 saw the release of her debut album Sour, with pop-punk hit Good 4 U going six times platinum in the US. She earned rave reviews from critics, while artists including Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne heaped praise upon her. Her first live performance in the UK was at the Brit awards in 2021, while her festival debut here was at Glastonbury the following year. In just a few short years, she's now at the very top of the pile, holding her own beside fellow headliners The 1975 and Neil Young. 5 Ed loves collaborating with artists from all genres Credit: The Mega Agency 5 Olivia says she'd prefer to be known as a great songwriter than a pop star Credit: Getty
Axios
8 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Axios Event: Young consumers want realness from brands
CANNES, France – Young consumers are demanding authenticity, interactivity and relevance from media and brands with which they engage, said creators and industry leaders at an Axios event at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Why it matters: Millennials and Gen Z spending is outpacing the broader global population and companies are looking for ways to capitalize on that. Axios' Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn spoke with podcast host Jake Shane, Spotify chief public affairs officer Dustee Jenkins, Business Insider CEO Barbara Peng and Dotdash Meredith CEO Neil Vogel at the June 18 event, sponsored by Uber Advertising. What they're saying: Young consumers are seeking more than just words about a brand's authenticity. "For Gen Z in particular, video podcasts have really grown. … They not only want to hear you, they want to see and feel exactly what's playing out," Jenkins said. "It speaks to this idea of tapping into culture. Culture is unfolding on platforms like Spotify, it's unfolding through the creators." "Influencing inherently is like an authentic thing," said Shane, the host of "Therapuss with Jake Shane." "If you're an influencer, you're a tastemaker, you're influencing people, and the only way you're actually able to do that is if you are like authentically yourself." Media companies are shifting attention to original video and smart TV platforms where audiences are watching long-form content. Business Insider's videos are watched for about 14 billion minutes a year. "A lot of it is YouTube, where we have audiences that want to engage very deeply with us," Peng said. "We have over 10 original series, and people like to watch that not only on their mobile phones but with the rise of smart TV and a lot of the streaming options, that's been huge." As for Dotdash Meredith and its repertoire of legacy brands, Vogel says it doesn't matter where consumers are finding their content, what matters is that they are engaging with it. "We get traffic from everywhere to our web – but we also don't care," he said. "I could care less if you're in the app, if you are on the website, if you read the magazine, if you're on TikTok or Instagram. As long as you are part of our brand, we can figure it out." "You can't say 'I am going to make Gen Z love me.' That's the quickest way to make Gen Z or any gen not like you. You just have to be authentic to what you do." On the creation of its unique app that had elements of its editorial content as well as Instagram and TikTok, Vogel added: "We didn't want to make an app until we could figure out how to do something special that would resonate with Gen Z." Content from the sponsored segment: In a View From the Top conversation, Uber's global head of advertising Kristi Argyilan said the company is the "platform of now" as it taps into cultural moments through concert rides, food deliveries and its newly launched creative studio. "That creative studio is designed specifically to cater to what we're hearing loud and clear from what we call 'Gen Uber,'" Argyilan said. "And this is a large group of consumers who want to be able to flip from digital world to physical world at a flip of a switch. And so we're bringing these activations that brands participate in that acknowledge their participation on our app but then also … eventually the destination they go to."
