At Spotify’s first I-Pop Icons Live, music discovery meets brand integration

Mumbai: Spotify hosted the first edition of I-Pop Icons Live on November 7, bringing together a line-up of leading Indian pop artists including King, Armaan Malik, Jonita Gandhi, Aditya Rikhari, Kushagra, Hansika Pareek and Sanju Rathod.

The live property signals a new phase in how Spotify is building its I-Pop category, one that now extends beyond streaming behaviour into on-ground fan engagement and brand partnerships.

Format shaped by listener trends

The event comes at a time when I-Pop has been steadily climbing Spotify’s weekly charts. Artists such as Aditya Rikhari (“Sahiba”), King (“Maan Meri Jaan”) and Sanju Rathod (“Gulabi Sadi”) have seen sustained streaming traction across states and languages, pointing to a mainstream, pan-India audience for contemporary pop.

King, with over 9 million followers on Spotify, saw his track “Maan Meri Jaan” become Spotify India’s most-streamed song in 2023, while his album Champagne Talk debuted at number four on Spotify’s Global Albums Top 50. 

Armaan Malik, with 23 million followers, ranks among Spotify’s top 100 most-followed artists globally. He has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Calum Scott and Eric Nam, and became the first Indian artist to feature on the Spotify Times Square billboard.

Over the past year, Spotify has also introduced a playlist ecosystem ranging from flagship lists like I-Pop Icons to mood-oriented subcategories. 

This has helped consolidate I-Pop listeners into a recognisable and fast-growing segment, which I-Pop Icons Live is now designed to bring together in a physical space.

Visuals shared by Spotify from the event capture the scale of the production and the energy of the performances, positioning the property as a platform for both established and emerging I-Pop names.

Spotify x Cetaphil: skincare brand steps into the I-Pop space

At this debut edition, Spotify enabled Cetaphil India to associate with Jonita Gandhi, aligning the skincare brand with a popular and influential voice in the I-Pop space.

As part of the initiative, the Spotify team spent the day with Jonita as she geared up for her performance, documenting behind-the-scenes moments from her prep routine. In this content, Jonita is seen using a Cetaphil facewash, giving fans an inside peek into her skincare ritual and embedding the product into an authentic, pre-show context rather than a standalone ad.

Explaining the thinking behind the tie-up, Cetaphil said it chose Spotify I-Pop because the property allowed the brand to connect with Gen Z consumers in a premium, passion-led cultural moment. The association was used to introduce the new Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser and to build “meaningful, experience-driven brand love” among younger audiences engaging with live music.

With category exclusivity at the event, Cetaphil stood out as the only skincare brand on ground, using the Jonita Gandhi association to boost recall, relevance and preference, with fans attending the show as well as those watching the digital extensions of the content.

Leveraging a new launch and a new audience

Cetaphil recently launched its Gentle Exfoliating SA Range, developed for oily and acne-prone skin and driven by a Tri-Action formula that combines Salicylic Acid (BHA), Mandelic Acid (AHA) and Gluconolactone (PHA). 

To front this broader launch, the brand signed Sara Tendulkar, who brings a background in clinical and public health nutrition, as the face of the range.

While Tendulkar leads the mainline communication for the Gentle Exfoliating SA portfolio, the Jonita Gandhi link at Spotify’s I-Pop Icons Live gave Cetaphil access to a new and dynamic demographic on ground. 

Through Jonita’s presence at the event and the backstage content that showcased her using Cetaphil as part of her routine, the brand was able to present its Gentle Exfoliating SA Range to consumers who value visible efficacy but also respond to culturally relevant storytelling.

Positioned together, Sara Tendulkar’s science-led association and Jonita Gandhi’s music-led integration enable Cetaphil to reinforce its credentials as a trusted, dermatologically backed choice for oily and acne-prone skin while embedding itself in youth culture moments.

A live snapshot of I-Pop’s current moment

With strong performances across genres and languages, the first edition of I-Pop Icons Live offered a snapshot of the artists shaping today’s Indian pop landscape and the way fans are discovering them on Spotify.

For Spotify, the property extends its I-Pop work from playlists and charts into a live experience that can host artists, fans and brands in the same space. 

For partners like Cetaphil, the format provides a curated environment to plug into a fast-growing music culture with clear Gen Z participation, using talent-led storytelling instead of interruptive messaging.

The evening closed on a note that reflected the energy and diversity driving I-Pop’s current moment, and hinted at how future editions could deepen the interplay between music discovery and brand integration on and off the platform.