As Lagos is increasingly attaining a global tastemaker city status, with creatives who are driving trends in pop culture and music, Spotify is proud to celebrate both this city that has cemented itself as a global powerhouse and the young tastemakers who are setting the agenda.
On Thursday, 25 August 2022, Spotify brought together celebrities, media, influencers and fans to celebrate Lagos’ status as a city of culture-shifters, innovators, and tastemakers through a full-day experiential event dubbed #SpotifyFunhouse.
At the event, held at Landmark Centre in Victoria Island, guests enjoyed exciting performances and thought-provoking fireside chats, featuring key content creators who discussed Nigerian Gen Z listening habits and how they use music to vibe check.
“Lagos is becoming a global tastemaker city and a generation of artists, powered by online streaming, have got it to this point. Thanks in large part to music, the world’s been given a taste of Nigeria. Moreso, African creators are giving rise to the globalisation of culture through their work and we are so excited to be part of this success story.” – Phiona Okumu, Head of Music, Sub Saharan Africa, Spotify
“We are so proud to be connected with the Nigerian Gen Z community, and we remain committed to amplifying the talent coming out of Nigeria by providing a platform for local artists and creators in the audio space to showcase their creativity.” Okumu added.
Guests got the chance to explore Spotify’s Blend feature, which is a fun way for users to access unique collaborative playlists that combine their own music tastes with that of their friends and family, and discover where their tastes overlap. Guests were invited to create their own Blends, in a dedicated Blend booth, for a look at how Spotify uses music to bring people together.
Guests also had an opportunity to blend their own Bombay Sapphire cocktails at the Blend Bar. Speaking on the partnership, Lerato Makume, customer marketing manager for Bombay Sapphire said, ”Bombay Sapphire believes in inspiring self-expression. The collaboration with the Blend Bar gave an opportunity for Nigerian creatives and tastemakers to express their creativity in a glass by mixing their own drinks as they do their music. Bombay Sapphire stirs creativity in moments that matter.
The RADAR booth featured the six RADAR Africa artists who recently joined the Spotify RADAR programme; BNXN (formerly known as Buju), Victony, Ayra Starr, Black Sheriff, Buruklyn Boyz and DBN Gogo, while the Afrobeats booth provided an opportunity for guests to familiarise themselves with the different Afrobeats-centric playlists available on Spotify, some of which were displayed in the booth.
At the morning session, influencers and their fans interacted with the Spotify team for a deep dive into the listening habits of Nigeria’s Gen Z. The session included an exploration of how the music consumed by Gen Zs often mirrors their moods and fits into their day-to-day lives.
Nigerian artist Victony, who is also a RADAR Africa artist, had guests singing along to his hit song Holy Father and other jams, making the event one to remember. Later, at the evening session, the party continued with another Spotify RADAR Africa artist BNXN who enthralled the crowd with some of his hit songs including Finesse. Up-and-coming Nigerian Afropop singer Preyé also performed, previewing her album coming out in September. DanceBit, an all-female dance crew, treated both morning and evening attendees to a dance performance that left people wanting more.
Nigeria is undeniably a country setting trends across the world, with Lagos at the heart of its influence. With the array of talent present at the #SpotifyFunhouse events, we can say for certain that Lagos’ status as a city of influence is here to stay.
