Reflecting their mutual commitment to spotlighting hot new talent across the globe, COLORSxSTUDIOS and Spotify have announced an exciting new partnership that will showcase selected African artistes.
The artistes will also be featured on the COLORSxSTUDIOS website for fans to learn about their stories and the inspiration that guides their music.
Known for its videos of rising stars performing their breakout tracks against a striking, monochromatic backdrop, COLORSxSTUDIOS is teaming up with Spotify to amplify selected up-and-coming Nigerian artistes from their RADAR Africa playlist.
Spotify’s RADAR Africa program aims to support emerging artistes and put them on the map by presenting them to new audiences.
A product of the program, the RADAR Africa playlist is the number one spot for Spotify listeners to discover their new favorite tracks from the continent.
Recently, Nigeria’s musical talent has been receiving worldwide recognition and the first performer featured for the Spotify COLORS collaboration, Ayra Starr, is no exception.
The Lagosian artiste has quickly become one of the most exciting voices to come out of Africa’s most populous city.
After sharing her eponymous debut EP in 2021 featuring standout singles such as ‘Away’ and ‘Sare’, she went on to cement her promising status by releasing her debut full-length album ‘19 & Dangerous’ later that year.
Over the course of the eleven-track project, which includes contributions from the likes of Foushée and CKay, Ayra Starr showcases her musical prowess with punchy, vivid tracks like ‘Fashion Killer’ and ‘Bloody Samaritan’.
“It’s such an honor to be heard on COLORS and to be a Spotify RADAR artiste all at once. I have watched so many COLORS videos over the years and always imagined what mine would look like, and I can certainly say I am proud of it!” Ayra Starr said.
“The song ‘Ase’ is very dear to my heart and I am so excited to share it with the world. I hope it empowers people the way it empowers me,” she added.
With more than 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Ayra Starr is a force to be reckoned with. For her COLORS debut, she sets the stage alight with her brand new single ‘ASE’.
Serving as another slice of the artiste’s signature Afrosoul sound, the track showcases her infectious vocals and confidence, empowering lyrics against a bouncy soundscape.
“The marriage between COLORS and Spotify is the perfect way to showcase the talent of artistes featured on RADAR Africa,” says Lead Music Strategy and Operations for Spotify Africa, Melanie Triegaardt.
“This partnership represents our commitment to driving artiste discoverability on the Spotify platform and helping them reach audiences beyond their home markets,” she went on further to note, highlighting the importance of the collaboration for encouraging the growth of African artistes.
“We are excited to get behind Ayra Starr as one of Africa’s fastest rising exports and we can’t wait to see what more this partnership will bring.”
Through collaborations with key music platforms like COLORS, which are dedicated to providing stages for non-ordinary expression, and through proprietary platforming efforts like RADAR Africa, Spotify remains committed to deepening the connection between fans and artistes while providing support to African musicians destined for worldwide fame.
Fans should be sure to watch this space, as the collaboration still has much more to come.
To check out Ayra Starr’s COLORS performance and discover more, music lovers can happily watch the whole thing right below
