Spotify Launching ‘Countdown To,’ Video Interview Series Focused on New Albums (Exclusive)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 01: Jelly Roll performs at Spotify's 2024 Best New Artist Party at Paramount Studios on February 01, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Spotify)

Spotify is launching a new video interview series that dives into new albums before they are released.

Countdown To will feature artists conversing with fellow performers, collaborators, family members or friends to discuss the inspiration behind their new projects. The series will debut on Fridays at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT Thursday, and the first episode will feature Jelly Roll in conversation with MGK ahead of the release of Beautifully Broken, the Grammy-nominated country-rap act’s new album out on Oct. 11. The genre-mixing artists previously collaborated on the song “Lonely Road.”

“I got to sit down with MGK and give viewers a real window into a candid conversation between two artists as a part of Countdown To. I’m proud to be the first artist to be part of Spotify’s brand new series and appreciate the chance to share some of the stories that contributed to the creation of my new album, Beautifully Broken,” Jelly Roll says in a statement.

Countdown To is an extension of Spotify’s Countdown Page, where fans can pre-save an artist’s upcoming album, preview the tracklist, purchase merch and more.

“Countdown To is the latest effort in our ongoing commitment to spotlight artists and their new music on Spotify,” says Sarah Patellos, Head of Spotify Music Studios. “This new feature … offers superfans a deeper connection to their favorite artists by sharing artists’ personal stories and creative inspirations. Working with director Karam Gill and mgx creative, these intimate conversations are shot documentary style, to really get to the root of each artist’s creative journey.”

Clips from each Countdown To episode will be available on each featured artist’s Countdown Page, and the full interview will be available as a vodcast episode on Spotify and YouTube.

Beautifully Broken, which touches on themes like addiction, recovery and self-growth, is the follow-up to Jelly Roll’s 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel, which featured the hits “Need a Favor” and “Save Me,” which earned a Grammy nomination earlier this year.