Photo: Courtesy of Universal Records; Dim Mak, Republic Records; Spotify; Young Money, Cash Money, Republic.Love For Tove
She’s 26, tastefully tattooed and kicking butt with Spotify listeners. Swedish pop singer Tove Lo has enjoyed steady growth in August, thanks in large part to her zesty track “Stay High (Habits Remix)” (about 70 million streams). Tove Lo honed her songwriting skills penning tracks for the likes of Girls Aloud and Icona Pop, and her approach is distinctly no-holds-barred. Check out another track from Tove Lo’s EP Truth Serum that we’re into: “Out Of Mind" offers an in-your-face response to annoying post-breakup advice like “time heals all wounds.”
Can't Get Enough Of...
He goes by the name Shakey Graves, but Austin-based musician Alejandro Rose-Garcia is no Halloween act. His single “Dearly Departed” is energetic, boisterous, and packs a punch, thanks to Alejandro and vocalist Esmé Patterson’s we-are-totally-going-for-it chorus. A version of the song recorded at the Spotify house during SXSW in March is gaining traction with our listeners in a big way. We see big things ahead for this rootsy singer-songwriter, and not just because he kills it onstage with a kick drum made from an old suitcase.
Virally Speaking
Spotify listeners loved The Chainsmokers’ spoofy song “#Selfie,” and now they’re giving follow-up track “Kanye” a listen — it debuted atop our viral chart in the U.S. We measure a song’s virality based on how many times people share it compared to how often it’s streamed. It’s a nifty way to predict future hits like Meghan Trainor’s curvy track “All About That Bass.” It was bubbling up as a widely shared song then — boom! — it soon crossed over as one of our top 10 most streamed songs for August. Another song that’s on the rise: Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.”
And, The Song Of The Summer Is...?
Oh gosh! We just don’t know! So many contenders! Instead of a solo stand-out à la last year's “Blurred Lines,” we’ve seen more of a relay. The baton has passed from Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” to Ariana Grande’s “Problem” to Calvin Harris’ “Summer” to Magic!’s “Rude” to Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” to…are you out of breath, too? And, with a few more weeks left of summer, we still have our eyes (ears?) on Jessie J’s saucy collaboration with Grande and Minaj, “Bang Bang” (13 million streams and counting). So, have another piña colada, people, and watch this space.