Which song will save you from Vecna? In partnership with Netflix, Spotify has launched a personalized “Stranger Things” playlist dedicated to Season 4, Part 2, which premieres Friday, July 1. The Upside Down playlist, as it’s called, combines music from a listener’s own selection with a handful of “Stranger Things” classics from the latest season.
“Stranger Things” has already shown it can influence the Spotify charts and now the companies are doubling down on consumer interest in the popular series to increase engagement.
Netflix’s “Stranger Things” ushered in a wave of ’80s nostalgia when the character Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) manages to escape Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) once her friends play her favorite song, “Running Up That Hill.” by Kate Bush, play. After the season 4 premiere, the number reached number 1 on iTunes. As of May 30, it was streamed on Spotify by more than 8,700% worldwide and 9,900% in the US, according to the company.
As for the newly released curated playlist, it is a personal experience for the listener and selects a top song that will be their “savior song” to help them escape from Vecna’s clutches. The collection is automatically updated every day and includes some of the top tracks from the “Stranger Things” soundtrack, such as “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” and “Running Up That Hill” (of course) , while also mixing the users’ favorite songs.
There will also be Easter eggs to further enhance the experience.
For example, if fans click the “Now Playing” view to go full screen on Android devices and desktops, fans can watch the progress bar turn into a flashlight waving across the screen.
In addition, mobile users who frequently scroll through the playlist will encounter Vecna itself on their screen. After the first three visits, the Vecna Easter egg appears on every eleventh visit to the playlist. Interactive, music-centric experiences like this one help Netflix and the most-watched show stand out from other streaming services.
In addition to the Upside Down playlist, Spotify has its official “Stranger Things” playlist, which has more than 969,000 followers and is the most followed playlist on the Netflix Hub according to Spotify.
On May 30, worldwide streams increased by more than 1,700%. Currently, the playlist includes “Psycho Killer,” “I Was a Teenage Werewolf,” and more. On July 1, Spotify will add the latest sounds from Season 4, Part 2 to its official “Stranger Things” playlist.
Fans can also head over to Spotify’s Throwback Thursday playlist, where Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas on the show, will pick some of his favorite 80s jams.
This year, Netflix has heavily promoted the hit series and hopes it can save the company from ruin. Recently, the company has had a string of issues, including layoffs of more than 400 employees and a significant loss of 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022.
In recent months, Netflix has announced an in-person experience in Brooklyn, New York, along with custom Reddit avatars, a Domino’s pizza app, Dorito packaging, and more.
The company is also partnering with the viewing party platform Scener to provide viewers with a global viewing party event on the night of the premiere. The event kicked off on June 30 at 11:15 PM. PST or July 1 at 2:15 p.m. EST. There was a Q&A with actors from the show and Netflix Geeked host Terri Schwartz. The second Q&A started at 1:15 AM PST or 4:15 AM EST.
Cast members who performed include actors Brett Gelman (Murray), David Harbor (Jim Hopper), Jamie Campbell Bower (Henry Creel/Vecna) and Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson).
Thousands of fans virtually screened the last two episodes of the season, saw real-time reactions from stars and connected with other fans through Scener’s live chat messenger. In total, the last two episodes of “Stranger Things” last four hours. Scener told TechCrunch that 32,000 people signed up for the event.
