Vevo has launched a new live performance series, Extended Play.
It was first revealed in the latest edition of Music Week as part of our interview with Vevo’s JP Evangelista, SVP, content, programming & marketing.
The new format will kick off in mid-June with Niall Horan performing intimate versions of songs from his new album, The Show, which is chasing No.1 this week. Niall Horan previously worked with Vevo in 2019, releasing studio performances of Nice to Meet Ya and Put A Little Love On Me.
“Performing live is my favourite thing to do,” said Niall Horan. “To bring the songs I’ve spent so much time with, seen through from start to finish is an amazing feeling. Shooting these performances with Vevo was a really special experience. I was able to go back to the place where I made the music, an area of California I adore and have spent a lot of time in over my career. To have these big songs played in an intimate setting is beautiful to me.”
Extended Play begins in an ‘anchor’ space and steadily works through different locations, showing viewers the evolution of the music. The trailer shows clips of Niall Horan and friends at a house in the hills of California.
“Through artists’ close collaboration with Vevo’s team, Extended Play marries the art of songwriting with breathtaking visual settings for a series of bespoke performances,” said a statement.
“We’re thrilled to be able to launch this new series with Niall Horan,” said JP Evangelista. “When we were selecting our first artist for Extended Play, we knew we needed a unique talent that checked a long list of boxes, and Niall was the perfect fit: a deeply gifted songwriter and proven performer who was looking for new and exciting ways to connect with his fans.
“Extended Play is a tribute to the candid and often unseen moments that contribute to superstardom: the jam sessions, the reworking of lyrics, the tinkering of arrangements and tweaking of melodies. It’s an opportunity for artists to articulate the deeper meaning behind their art and linger in a certain vulnerability while doing so, which can be a difficult task for those who are ‘on’ when performing. We knew that Niall would be up to the challenge, and he did so beautifully.”
“At the heart of this new series is the artist’s intention and their willingness to draw their listeners close to witness both contemplation and the process of creating something new that goes out into this wild world,” added Vevo executive producer Chris Pereira. “It was important to us that we worked with an artist who understood the very particular vision we were trying to capture: the intimate, behind-the-scenes moments that are paramount to making the bigger, show-stopping moments of careers happen. While these ‘in-between’ times are often quieter, there is always an incredibly distinct allure to that quiet - this is when artists can truly be themselves, and that’s the true beauty in Extended Play.”
Vevo is available on YouTube, Samsung, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Echo Show, Apple TV, Roku, Sky (NowTV and SkyQ), Virgin, and more.
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