Kid Cudi took the stage at Snapchat’s Santa Monica studio to perform his brand-new single, “Neverland” — and the app’s users will be able to watch it next week.
The rapper, singer and songwriter is the first artist to be featured in Under the Ghost, Snapchat’s new music performance series designed to “bring unique performances and conversations directly to the fans,” according to the company. “Under the Ghost isn’t about polished perfection, but rather an unfiltered glimpse into the creative process.”
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Kid Cudi said in a statement: “Performing ‘Neverland’ for the first time is a big moment for me. This song kicks off a whole new chapter in my sound and my story. Feels right to link up with Snapchat and give fans something special, straight from me to you.”
Snapchat users will be able to watch Kid Cudi’s Under the Ghost performance next week at @TeamSnapchat, @SnapCreators and Kid Cudi’s Snapchat account. The music series also will be available off Snapchat including on artist’s social channels and (in the future) social channels of sponsoring brands.
For Snapchat, the Cudi collab and the Under the Ghost series represent a new effort to drive partnerships in the music biz, connect with artists, boost user engagement and (down the line) tap into new monetization opportunities, said Manny Adler, Snap’s head of music strategy. The company expects to host Under the Ghost performances about once per month.
“For me, simply put, it’s a musical performance series to partner with music artists and get them in front of fans,” Adler said. “When I talk to artists there’s always a desire to showcase their new music. We’re connecting artists to audiences, and it’s a uniquely younger audience.”
Other platforms have an impact on music in “breaking a song,” according to Adler. “On Snapchat, you’re seeing the artist and who this person is. With Kid Cudi, he’s sharing his personal experience.” The Under the Ghost series will showcase Snapchat “as a place to break an artist, not just music,” he said. And compared with musical performances on, say, “Saturday Night Live” or “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Snapchat has a native creator audience on the platform to amplify the performances, Adler said.
“We’re excited about tapping into that creator aspect,” he said. “They have their own audience. Creator marketing is becoming more influential.”
Kid Cudi (real name: Scott Mescudi) performed Wednesday night (May 6) in front of an invitation-only crowd of nearly 200 superfans and Snapchat stars. He played “Neverland” after which Adler interviewed Cudi, which also will be part of the digital release on Snapchat next week.
“Neverland” released worldwide on Friday, May 9. The track was co-written by Grammy-winning writer-artist-producer Justin Tranter alongside a team of collaborators. The single sets the stage for Cudi’s upcoming short film of the same name, “Neverland,” directed by filmmaker Ti West and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. The film will premiere this June at the Tribeca Festival.
While Kid Cudi’s performance on Snapchat doesn’t include any sponsorships, future Under the Ghost shows will provide sponsorship opportunities including Sponsored Snaps, creator content and Total Takeover placements. “Brands want to reach an audience artists have,” said Adler.
Snap will lean toward emerging artists in booking upcoming shows, Adler said. The company is able to monitor what music is trending among Snapchat’s user base, which now tops 900 million monthly active users. Adler added, “We’re not genre-specific. We could do pop, rock, hip-hop or even a classical quartet. It’s more about, is the artist looking to connect directly and authentically with their fans.”
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