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A person in a black jacket crouches and looks directly at the camera. The image is framed by vibrant, abstract shapes in pink, blue, green and red.
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    Championing the best in independent music and creativity with Spotify Fresh Finds

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      How we created a series of bespoke playlist covers exploring the ever-evolving relationship between sound and vision.

      In partnership with Spotify, Fresh Finds saw It’s Nice That collaborate with a group of global creatives to explore creativity across various music genres, as well as specific artists. Jointly celebrating emerging talent across music and the creative world, we created a series of playlist covers representing a variety of genres within Fresh Finds, Spotify’s suite of playlists championing the best new music by independent artists.

      The word “Brief” written in a white, italic serif typeface against a solid black background.

      To create a series of playlist covers for Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlists, celebrating the best new music by independent artists, seen through the eyes of independent creatives.

      A collage of nine portraits of musicians against a vibrant, abstract background of red, pink, blue and green shapes. Each person is labelled with their name, including “Jackson Foote”, “Wolf”, “Unusual Demont”, “The Idiot”, “Ekkstacy”, “The Drums”, “Wallice”, “Ariel Rechtshaid” and “Marinelli”. The words “Fresh Finds” appear in the bottom left corner.
      Black serif text on a white background reads “What we did”.

      Spotify Fresh Finds saw us commission two types of playlist covers. The first was a series of portraits of exciting, upcoming artists featured within the playlists. Each was illustrated by Colombian artist Adriana Lozano, who took one artist featured and illustrated their portrait, turning them into a figurehead of the best new music in their genre. Delving into deep research for each chosen artist, Adriana pulled together elements like their expressions, outfits and social media presence to create representative portraits in her signature illustration style.

      Three people stand close together outdoors under a clear blue sky. One wears a bucket hat and a black T-shirt featuring a character from “Cowboy Bebop”.
      An illustration of three people posing together against a colourful, textured sky. They wear a baseball cap, a black beanie and a white T-shirt with small line drawings.
      A person with hair styled in small knots looks directly at the camera. They wear a dark blue jacket and hold a glass fishbowl containing two orange goldfish.
      An illustration of a person with dark hair and a red top against a purple background. They wear a silver chain necklace and have the words “Boys lie” written across their cheeks.
      A person sits on a chair, holding a brown teddy bear. They wear a striped blue and white jumper, beige shorts, white socks, and a straw hat.
      An illustration of a person wearing a white cap, a purple T-shirt and an open blue shirt. They hold a brown teddy bear against a bright red background with a pink curtain.
      A person with long blonde hair wears a black satin dress with criss-cross lace-up detailing at the sides. They wear large gold hoop earrings and pose against a sunset sky.
      A portrait illustration of a person with blonde hair and bangs, wearing large gold hoop earrings. They wear a black lace-up top against a textured background of an orange and blue sunset.
      Five people lounge together in a brightly lit room on a shaggy red and orange rug. They wear casual clothing, including a red jumper and a white tie-dye shirt.
      An illustration of five people posing for a group portrait against a blue background. They are arranged in two rows, wearing casual clothing including a yellow floral shirt and a brown T-shirt with a small forest graphic.
      A person in a red T-shirt looks directly at the camera against a bright yellow background. The shirt features a small graphic that reads “TACO SURF” and “KM. 31 EL MORRO”.
      An illustration of a person wearing a red T-shirt with a pink lobster on the front. They are set against a vibrant, textured background of pink and purple clouds.
      A person with long brown hair smiles broadly, leaning their head on one hand. They wear a loose white shirt against a bright yellow background.
      A coloured pencil illustration of a person with long blonde hair, wearing a leopard-print top and a yellow necklace. They look towards the camera with a slight smile against a bright pink background and a green plant.
      A person wearing a bright red sweater is partially hidden behind large, lush green leaves. They look off to the side with a neutral expression.
      A coloured pencil drawing of a person in a purple T-shirt, smiling softly against a blue background. They are flanked by lush greenery, including a plant with pink-veined leaves and hanging red flowers.
      A person looks over their shoulder toward the camera, holding a bright yellow sunflower. They wear a colourful tie-dye garment against a clear blue sky.
      A coloured pencil illustration of a person wearing a patterned headwrap and a purple floral crop top. They wear a gold chain necklace with a pendant that reads “blessed”.
      Two people sit side by side at a wooden table against a dark green wood-panelled wall. One wears a black long-sleeved top and white trousers, while the other wears a beige shirt over a white T-shirt.
      An illustration of two people standing side by side against a textured green background. One person wears a blue V-neck top with a red collar, while the other wears a yellow hooded jacket.

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      Spotify Fresh Finds: Hip Hop, AG Club

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      Spotify Fresh Finds: Hip Hop, AG Club

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      Times Square in New York is filled with towering digital billboards and traffic. A large vertical screen features a person’s face and the Spotify logo above the words “FRESH FINDS”.

      “It was a great feeling to direct a project that had input from so many different parts of the world. And thrilling to partner emerging creative artists with up-and-coming musicians.”

      Elsa, Creative at It’s Nice That
      A person leans back against a green background, wearing a patterned cream jacket and brown corduroy trousers. The image is framed by a wavy, textured border in red, green and black, with the Spotify logo in the top left. Bold white text at the bottom reads “Fresh Finds” and “Indie”.
      A person with long red hair and glasses looks towards the camera, wearing a dark patterned jacket. They are framed by bold, expressive brushstrokes of red, blue and black paint, with the Spotify logo in the top left. A white banner at the bottom reads “Fresh Finds” and “hip-hop”.
      A person wearing sunglasses and a black leather jacket poses against a backdrop of snowy mountains and a desert landscape. The image is framed by bold yellow, blue and black collage shapes, with the words “Fresh Finds” and “Latin” at the bottom.
      A person with voluminous curly hair and large hoop earrings poses against a bright blue background. They wear a yellow and white striped top, with one hand resting on their head. The image is framed by a torn-paper effect in red, black and green, with the Spotify logo in the top left. Bold white text at the bottom reads “Fresh Finds” and “The Wave”.
      A person with long dark hair and a brown blazer stands beside white roses. A vibrant, abstract collage of swirling primary colours is laid over the image, with the Spotify logo in the top left. At the bottom, bold white text reads “FRESH FINDS EXPERIMENTAL”.
      A person with short blonde hair and glasses leans against a car. The image is framed by bold, expressive brushstrokes of green, blue, red and black, with the Spotify logo in the top left. Text at the bottom reads “Fresh Finds” and “Rock”.
      A person with curly hair and gold earrings looks upwards, their hand resting on their chest. They are framed by colourful, abstract organic shapes and the Spotify logo, with the text “Fresh Finds” and “Country” at the bottom.

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      Spotify Fresh Finds Indie: Robin Clifford Ellis

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      Spotify Fresh Finds Indie: Robin Clifford Ellis

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      The next set of playlist covers were more genre-focused. We commissioned ten creatives from around the world, and each artist developed a playlist template visualising the characteristics of their given genre. Across the Fresh Finds playlists, this included interpretations of Hip Hop, The Wave, Basement, Rock, Pop, Indie, Country, Latin and Experimental genres. These genre-focused playlist covers offered us an opportunity to collaborate with a broad range of creative styles, as well as locations.

      Uruguayan artist Antonio Carrau, a creative who predominantly uses collage in his practice, used his style to represent the diversity and boldness of Latin music, for example. Helsinki-based Robin Clifford Ellis used his felt-tip-like style to portray the hazy feel of the Indie genre, while London-based Alfie Kungu used his character-filled illustration style to draw out the qualities of Hip Hop.

      Elsewhere, creatives took approaches from their genre to fuel their creative practice. Paris-based Thamil Nabil’s interpretation of Experimental music is purposefully fluid – given the wide-ranging nature of the genre – choosing to work by hand to offer a raw look to each cover. Whereas Brazilian illustrator Paola Saliby referenced the nostalgic feel of Pop music in her illustrations. “Pop music takes me right back to my pre-teenager years, when I used to carry my discman everywhere and would listen to Spice Girls, Alanis Morissette and Britney, repeatedly,” she told It’s Nice That. Paola’s visual interpretation of Pop ignites this feeling through illustration, with an artwork which presents the pure joy pop music evokes.

      An animation in which two people stand on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea. Bold, painterly brushstrokes in purple, red, blue and black swirl around the edges of the frame.
      Above

      Paolo Saliby Fresh Finds Cover Work in Progress

      White serif text on a black background reads “Results”.
      • Total campaign reach of over 1.5 million across It’s Nice That’s channels
      • Over 800,000 social reach across our channels
      • Over 10,000 page views on editorial articles
      A laptop screen displays a music streaming app interface with a dark mode theme. Under the heading “Fresh Finds”, ten colourful album covers are arranged in a grid, each labelled with a genre such as “Hip Hop”, “Pop” and “Indie”.

      Our final playlist cover designs were then shared across Spotify’s channels, offering incredible exposure for the 11 creatives we had commissioned. Adriana’s illustrations also offered musicians the opportunity to have a bespoke portrait, with several artists sharing her work via Instagram and even purchasing a piece to keep.

      Not only offering a new visual experience for users engaging with the Fresh Finds playlists on the Spotify app, the genre playlist creations were also shared via the brand’s digital billboard in Times Square, New York.

      An illustration of a person wearing a white baseball cap, a purple top and a blue open shirt. They wear a beaded necklace and stand against a red background with a pink curtain to the right.

      Spotify Fresh Finds
      Collaboration 1:

      Adriana Lozano

      A person in a black jacket crouches and looks directly at the camera. The image is framed by vibrant, abstract shapes in pink, blue, green and red.

      Spotify Fresh Finds
      Collaboration 2:

      Robin Clifford Ellis

      Alfie Kungu

      Antonio Carrau

      Crystal Zapata

      Thami Nabil

      Fanelie Muselier

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