Spotify is taking advantage of World Cup hype to launch exclusive video content and other brand new features that celebrate the intersections of music, culture and soccer. The video series can only be found on the platform’s ¡Viva Latino! enhanced playlist through the month of June.
“The idea for the series came naturally to us because music and soccer are deeply rooted in Latin culture,” said Rocío Guerrero Colomo, head of global cultures at Spotify. “Our mission at Spotify is to connect fans with artists and celebrate what they are most passionate about.”
The goal is to take the playlist’s millions of followers “on a journey around the rituals and traditions behind the game and tell that story through the creativity of four super-talented Latin American artists,” Guerrero said.
The exclusive video content will take fans behind game-day preparations and celebrations in countries where soccer dominates sports viewing, including Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Videos will highlight rituals and traditions specific to each culture. The videos will also feature performances from top artists from each country, with one artist performing a version of the national team’s anthem.
For example, in Colombia, ChocQuibTown did their own version of “Colombia Caribe,” originally from Francisco Zumaqué, with “very sexy reggaetón beat and Colombian Pacific flavor,” said Guerrero. Meanwhile, Mexican artist Carlos Rivera brought a famous mariachi number to the stadium setting.
The platform, which has been known for its music and podcast content to date, will continue to explore the possibilities of incorporating video in the future. “While there are few global events quite like the World Cup, we will continue to find opportunities to bring fans and artists together in new ways,” Guerrero said.
Beyond expanding into video, Spotify has added World Cup-specific playlists, data around listener preferences and product integration. And, as the U.S. did not qualify for the game this year, Spotify will even tell U.S.-based fans what their “backup nation” should be based on listening history.
“The future we envision is to be a platform that connects fans with artists beyond cultural boundaries, where fans can discover new music and connect to what people across the world are listening to and are passionate about,” Guerrero said.
