Zane Lowe Talks Apple Music’s Up Next, Dean Lewis

Photo courtesy Beats 1 / Apple Music – Artist Dev
Dean lewis and Zane Lowe

Dean Lewis is hitting all the right chords in this modern music ecosystem, and has just been awarded a coveted spot in Apple Music’s Up Next program.

With streaming growing as the main form of music consumption and discovery throughout the world, Up Next is growing apace, helping fans connect with emerging artists in a bevvy of styles.

Alums include now shining stars like Juice WRLD, Khalid, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny and Greta Van Fleet, along with still breaking artists like Mr. Eazi, Tierra Whack, Sigrid, and NCT 127.

Every artist is different, Apple Music Creative Director and Host Zane Lowe told Pollstar, and thus interacts with the Up Next program differently. Bad Bunny, for example, was already selling out shows at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., when he was featured in the program, whereas Lewis was the most Shazamed artist in the U.S. at press time.

“The timeline is different every single time. The artist and the fan are finding each other in this really immediate, meaningful way,” Lowe said. “We’ve always been dedicated to helping new artists find an audience. [Up Next] has become a really desirable program and we want to continue to make it special and unique for each artist.”

What really made Lewis stand out, Lowe said, was his songwriting. 

“Dean is one of those songwriters that we heard [writing] the kind of songs that we knew were going to connect in a big way. ‘Waves,’ you knew immediately was going to be one of those songs people were gonna listen to and get some kind of emotion, some kind of experience out of. When you hear songwriters like that, you make a mental note because if they write one of those songs they can probably write five, 10, 20 or more. Dean just kept writing and releasing one song after another.

“As we got to know him we realized he was a really sweet guy, his intentions are very pure. He wants to write songs that have universal appeal to people, to reach them at any point in their day and make them feel like they’ve [known each other] a long time. And every time he puts out one of these songs people just stream the heck out of it, download it and love it.”

A key component of Up Next is the playlist, which highlights a variety of artists at different points in their careers. At press time, Lewis’ “Be Alright” was the first track on the list. 

Once an artist merits some extra attention, the program can get artists performances on late-night talk shows  and, in the case of Lewis, an interview on Beats 1 Radio and a special short film telling the artist’s story. Up Next had a presence at SXSW this month, drawing attention to artists like Lewis and Pink Sweat$. 

While streaming plays a key role in breaking artists, Lowe said the program is really about building relationships with artists that will continue as they ascend to new heights.

“We’re getting a lot better at moving at the pace which is being set by the productivity of music and appetite of the fan. … We can do things in a way that feels very meaningful. This is getting to be an important cornerstone of our community and we’re thinking about what we can [help artists] achieve throughout all stages of their career.”