Subtle Surrealism and Humour Drive the Rebrand of the Spotify RNB X Playlist
Is there a mood or a life situation that R&B can’t provide a soundtrack for? The expansive genre can serve up just the right song for when your crush’s name pops into your head on a Wednesday afternoon, when you’re getting ready for a night out with all your friends, or when your heart is so broken that only the saddest lyrics will provide a sliver of comfort. Fun, sexy, wistful - R&B has it all.
To celebrate the very best of modern R&B, Spotify rebranded its popular genre playlist to ‘RNB X’, tapping stars Keke Palmer, Victoria Monet, Summer Walker, and Kelon Campbell to feature in the accompanying campaign that sees Kelon adopt different personas in need of the perfect R&B song. Spotify’s creative directors Ron Lam and Dominique Wynne say they felt “lucky” to work with a director who “just got it” when he saw the scripts, and that was Scheme Engine’s Anthony Jamari Thomas - the latest director to join the production company’s roster.
Anthony’s own experience with R&B stretches right back to his childhood, including chore sessions to the sound of Mary J. Blige and car journeys to Usher’s ‘Confessions’. But it’s his visual language that Dominique and Ron knew would be perfect for the campaign - a subtle blend of humour and surrealism, influenced by Donald Glover and Terence Nance.
LBB’s Zhenya Tsenzharyk spoke to Anthony, Dominique, and Ron to learn about how the campaign came together, how the team used their life experiences to inform the creative idea, and - crucially - which songs from the RNB X playlist they’re listening to right now.
LBB> Why did Spotify decide to rebrand the RNB X playlist?
Ron & Dominique> R&B is constantly changing, taking new shapes and reinventing itself through generations and so the new and improved global R&B flagship, RNB X was made to reflect that — showcasing its global reach and representing that fluidity. X can mean a lot of things. X is a variable, the value we solve for most frequently in maths. X could literally be anything, X is infinite— just like R&B.
LBB> What did you want the campaign to express about the R&B genre?
Ron & Dominique> We think R&B truly has the power to heal. On those days when you’re just going through it, whatever that may be, it might feel like nothing in the world gets you quite like music. Music always gets you. So we wanted to showcase how no matter what the situation, there’s definitely a song that you can empathise with.
We also didn’t want to pigeonhole the genre as only sad love songs. There’s a lot of heartbreak and tears in R&B but there’s also plenty of feel good vibes. We wanted to showcase all sides of it.
LBB> Why was Scheme Engine’s Anthony Jamari Thomas the right director for this campaign?
Ron & Dominique> What drew us to Anthony was the subtle surrealism and tongue and cheek nature in his work. His use of comedy is deeply authentic and from looking at his reel, you can tell he puts a lot of thought into the small details that can make or break a piece. We were lucky to have a director that really just ‘got it’ when we first showed him the scripts.
LBB> What’s your favourite part of the campaign?
Ron & Dominique> While the campaign is playful, it was great to have the artists simply be themselves on camera. Having Victoria Monét talk about feeling good, Summer Walker speaking out on needs, and Keke Palmer being the ‘Motha’ we all wish we had—it all just came together so perfectly. Also getting to work with Kelon Campbell and seeing him excel at his first scripted gig was a big win. He’s someone who brings laughter to so many people online, us included, and to get to play a part in his commercial debut was really special.
LBB> Anthony, tell us how you got the opportunity to work with Spotify on this project? What was the brief like?
Anthony> This was a complete and absolute privilege that I’m still reeling from. The opportunity came by way of my Scheme Engine family; it brewed rather quickly but everything felt so good from the very start. The Spotify team were so open, collaborative and free-thinking. The team encouraged my pen and way of shaping the world around their scripts and bringing what I could to their rollout of RNB X, which again is just a huge privilege.
LBB> And what were your initial thoughts about the proposed creative idea?
Anthony> The creative felt smart, contemporary and connected. I think this played a huge hand in the overall authentic feeling of the spot. Initially, I was a bit nervous working with musical powerhouses and meeting my favourite musicians who I’ve obsessed over haha, but I also had to take this opportunity to work with such dynamic characters in a comedic context. I took a seat back, settled into self and leaned into the process.
LBB> How did you distil for yourself which life moments R&B is born from? How did this then inspire the final creative idea?
Ron & Dominique> At the end of the day, it came down to our real life experiences. R&B thrives on the raw, unfiltered, highs and lows of everyday life. We wanted to pick moments from our lives that would resonate with people on a personal level. Like when you’re laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, listening to music to help you get through. In the end, we thought, what if we could actually talk to the artists that help us navigate those emotions? How could they help us put our feelings into words?
Anthony> I was an R&B kid. Literally, my mom and I even travelled to an America’s Got Talent audition in the city when I was eleven years old: I didn’t advance but It’s the effort that counts! It was serious, from Saturday morning cleaning sessions with Mary J. Blige to driving in the car with my step-father with Usher’s Confessions on loop, R&B has always been around. So, when it was time to dig into my personal history to rev up the inspiration for this campaign, let’s just say I had no problem. In the end, making space for my love of the genre and obsession with comedy, helped establish my vision and maintain my personal connection to the project. I wanted to illustrate a moment where you could imagine speaking to your favourite artist about their lyrics, heartbreak or blooming love. Like, what if you could actually talk to a Summer Walker or Keke Palmer about your issues and what would they say.
LBB> R&B is multifaceted as a genre. How did you decide which stars/influencers would best represent its varied iterations?
Ron & Dominique> Since this was a rebrand, we recognised that the campaign had to kick off by featuring the artists and influencers who were spearheading this resurgence. In that spotlight were Victoria Monét, Keke Palmer, and Summer Walker, who had all had significant successes over the past year. And let's not forget Kelon Campbell, who was making huge waves in the social media scene. Each of them have such distinct personalities, which helped to naturally steer them into their own direction for each version of the campaign.
Anthony> Again much of this was so collaborative, Spotify partnered with three amazing artists and I was encouraged to create magic. I wanted a different vibe for each chapter of the spot, so our appearances felt fresh. The best part was that every musician’s performance was different from the next - each bringing their uniqueness to every line: Keke with her playfulness, Summer and her southern realness and Victoria’s way of leaning into her poised, slick regality. It was beautiful to see that humour and comedy we wanted to instil successfully land. This was aided by each musician remaining authentic - giving us role play but staying ultra true to who they are.
LBB> What kind of influences came to your mind to start with and did you end up using any of them in the final spots?
Anthony> Honestly, I thought a lot about sitcom writing. I drew from my childhood spending countless hours watching ‘90’s Nickelodeon sketch comedies like ‘Kenan and Kel’ and my love for portraiture while adding the right funk to keep it moving. The pacing flows, but also has these pockets of awkwardness, silence and beats that make them feel kind of camp also. In the end, it was a beautiful puzzle to master without losing the sexiness and the beauty/strength of these three amazing women.
LBB> The campaign has a comedic and surreal nature. Have you directed in this style before? How did you approach it?
Anthony> I actually have…I’m a Terence Nance baby; he and Donald Glover are shamans in my eyes. I have a few works in my portfolio where satire is the central device, where we’ll be as goofy as possible without losing the focus of the project. For Spotify, surrealism was a subtle drop in, not too much and not too little. Ultimately, I’m invested in exploring absurdity alongside dynamic storytelling.
LBB> Judging by the final spots, it seems like the shoot(s) must have been a lot of fun. What was the behind the scenes like?
Anthony> The set was electric, obviously the nerves were high and running, but the energy was definitely charged. It felt familial, the Back of House team was mainly LA based so their vibe was a warm welcome coming from Brooklyn. I want to also shine light on Kelon Campbell, giving us all three performances of his alter ego flawlessly. Kelon was our super trooper, his focus, and consistency were supreme and continuously inspired me throughout the day. Kelon is an incredibly talented performer and beautiful person; it was an honour to work with him. I walked away from the shoot like damn, I need to work harder haha.
LBB> How closely did you work with Spotify’s Dominique Wynne and Ron Lam, and how much creative freedom did you have?
Anthony> Ron and Dominique are just phenomenal. Those two are true storytellers and have the eye. From the initial meeting, we connected on what the feel and tone of this campaign should be. We spoke about the small details that would make this thing special, from sound design, to colour, even down to decor. In regards to creative freedom, everything flowed and the Spotify creative team’s support was fully there. The best part was that our tastes were aligned for a beautiful process. I want to shout out Spotify’s producer, Gabby Kreutter, who also held it down.
LBB> Did you run into any challenges while executing the campaign? If so, how did you overcome them?
Ron & Dominique> We wanted to make sure the campaign was authentic to the R&B genre. What helped was that we're also fans of the genre ourselves. We did a lot of creative development internally before landing on the right concept, exploring the millions of ways to go about representing the genre. Especially when working with these artists. We wanted to make sure their dialogue felt real, so we played into their natural personalities.
In the end, we found the magic in universal moments we've all been through. You know, those late-night texts from a crush, the excitement of a first date that feels like it could be the real deal, or just feeling yourself. R&B, at its core, is born from these moments. Even if you’re not a fan, you know the feeling. Capturing those moments made for a viral campaign.
Anthony> I think the only issues we had were just wanting to spend more time with the talent! Although brief, we had such a good time with each of the ladies and it would have been so beautiful to have a moment to kick it and just get their download of it all but, as you know, their schedules are bananas so that’s kind of hard to do.
LBB> What’s your favourite part of the campaign?
Ron & Dominique> While the campaign is playful, it was great to have the artists simply be themselves on camera. Having Victoria Monét talk about feeling good, Summer Walker speaking out on needs, and Keke Palmer being the ‘Motha’ we all wish we had—it all just came together so perfectly.
Also getting to work with Kelon Campbell and seeing him excel at his first scripted gig was a big win. He’s someone who brings laughter to so many people online, us included, and to get to play a part in his commercial debut was really special.
Anthony> My favourite part - I might have to speak to my favourite parts. I would definitely say when Kelon hands Summer her ‘sob tissue’, this was totally unscripted so, yeah, that made me cryyyy. Let me see…ah, when Keke opens up the spot with her ‘Momma’ mug and Victoria’s whole vibe and immediate chemistry with Kelon (playing Kelon), it was so damn natural.
LBB> Is there anything else you would like to share?
Anthony> I’m just honoured to have the opportunity. I’m thankful that we were able to work with three artists whose craft I respect so much but also three skilled, confident black women - having their presence grace this thing was surreal and I definitely sent hella photos to my mom.
LBB> Finally, what are some of your favourite songs from the RNB X playlist?
Ron> Right now, now? Tyla, ‘Water; Khamari, ‘These Four Walls’; Jordan Ward, ‘White Crocs’.
Dominique> Tyla, ‘Water’; Brent Fiyaz (Feat Missy Elliott & Lil Gray), ‘Last One Left’; Tinashe, ‘Needs’; Amaarae, ‘Big Steppa’.
Anthony> Some songs? I would definitely say Victoria Monét’s ‘On My Mama’; the sax on that is crazy. SZA’s ‘Snooze,” and Brent Faiyaz’s ‘WY@’. I’m just now getting hip to Cleo Sol’s last drop, ‘Go Baby. Did I give you too many?
