Spotify has curated playlists reflecting the local flavor of each stop on HuffPost’s “Listen to America” tour using location-based data to find out what people are really listening to in 20-plus cities. Check back for more from Sept. 12 through Oct. 30.
Houston, Texas, official hometown of Beyoncé Knowles Carter, boasts so many other local artists you could barely say them all in one breath. There’s Hilary Duff, Solange (duh), Travis Scott, Camillionaire, Kenny Rogers and Destiny’s Child (also duh). But the list goes on: Houston may claim “I Can See Clearly Now” crooner Johnny Nash, soul band The Suffers, gospel singer Yolanda Adams, the bluesy Victoria Spivey, the jazzy Renee Olstead, rappers Scarface, South Park Mexican, Lil’ Flip and Paul Wall, the band Blue October, hip-hop artist Trae, producer Robert Glasper, blues artist Guitar Shorty, Christian performer Lecrae, Latin singer Jaci Velasquez and a whole lot of country musicians including Robert Earl Keen, Rodney Crowell, Charlie Robison, Barbara Mandrell, Cory Morrow and Jack Ingram. (Phew.)
More than elsewhere around the country, Houston locals are into Latin tracks ― Daddy Yankee and J Balvin foremost among them, according to Spotify. A few top-streaming tracks complete the list:
Spotify playlists for the “Listen to America” campaign were created by looking at each location’s most popular songs (streaming in the highest numbers at time of publication), distinctive songs (currently being streamed more in this city compared to all other cities in the world) and tracks from local artists. While many picks are data-driven, some songs are handpicked from data lists to assure the playlists reflect a variety of genres and decades, as well as a healthy gender balance.