Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen team up with Spotify for podcast
What's the story
Spotify has signed up two behemoths in American political and entertainment culture to collaborate on a podcast. The participants include former US President Barack Obama and leader of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen. Yes, you read it right! The two unusual friends are teaming up for the first time under the music streaming platform for the podcast, Renegades: Born in the USA.
Details
The first two episodes of the podcast are currently streaming
The Swedish audio streamer recently announced the launch of "a series of conversations". The first two episodes, namely Outsiders: An Unlikely Friendship and American Skin: Race in the United States are currently streaming. The podcast will have eight episodes and is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company, Higher Ground. Higher Ground had launched The Michelle Obama Podcast in 2019.
Twitter Post
'My father was silent most of the time'
The first two episodes of #RenegadesPodcast with President @BarackObama and @Springsteen are out right now 🤯 https://t.co/piXieqnYrJ pic.twitter.com/RWIqkLx3tH
— Spotify (@Spotify) February 22, 2021
Spotify teaser
The two talk about their parents, or their absence
The Twitter update of the podcast teases some pretty interesting discussions between the two, who are icons in their respective professions. The 2:16-minute-long clip starts with Springsteen commenting about the silent nature of his father, and his idea about "masculinity." He then asks whether Obama had to deal with this, to which the latter says his father "left him when I was two."
About
Podcast title inspired by Springsteen's track, 'Born in the USA'
"And I don't meet him until I'm ten years old," recalled Obama, terming his father "a stranger." Notably, the podcast title has been inspired by Springsteen's massively popular rock song Born in the USA, the melody of which plays in the background of the teaser. They also tried to remember the first time they met, which was during a 2008 campaign trial.
Content
A personal, in-depth discussion between two friends, Spotify says
Spotify calls the podcast, "A personal, in-depth discussion between two friends exploring their pasts, their beliefs, and the country that they love — as it was, as it is, and as it ought to be going forward." Experts pointed out that most of their talk will revolve around diversity, and might try to find a solution to America's cultural and political divides.