Spotify Brings Music Chemistry to the Timeline with “The Blend Date”

Spotify is teaming up with Kenyan creator Kevin Maina (MainaMind) to launch “The Blend Date”, a new digital short-form series that turns Spotify’s Blend feature into a playful “music match” test, exploring how shared playlists can reveal chemistry, connection and stories. Across ten weekly episodes (60–90 seconds each), Kevin goes on unique “dates” with a rotating cast of musicians, creators and fans, using Spotify Blend to see whether they are genuinely in sync, or completely offbeat. Episodes will be released on Instagram Reels and cross-posted on TikTok. A season made for the moment: the rise of “yearning”, and the return of shared listening Spotify data shows that people increasingly use music to make sense of romance, longing and modern dating dynamics. In Kenya, the number of playlists created between 1 January and 4 February containing the word “yearn” increased by roughly 302% year on year. This “yearning” trend is also visible globally: over the same period, “yearn” playlists climbed 170%. Meanwhile, Spotify Blend continues to be a go-to way for friends and couples to connect through shared listening. On 14 February 2025, listeners spent a record number of hours on Blend globally, the highest single-day Blend total recorded in 2025 up to that point, and up from the previous year on 14 February 2024 by around 21% year on year. What to expect in “The Blend Date” Each episode builds to a “score reveal” moment, with Kevin and his guest answering quick, personality-led questions (from “your go-to cry song?” to “you’re late to a date, what’s playing in the car?”) before seeing how their Blend stacks up. The series line-up includes episodes such as: Maina blends with Njerae – A soulful, emotionally rich opening date with one of Kenya’s most loved R&B voices, exploring vulnerability, healing, and late-night playlists Maina blends with Wixx Mangutha – A warm, visually driven episode with the creative storyteller, blending everyday life, aesthetics, and “cool kids” energy through music Maina blends with King.grrrr (Kamogelo Motlhabane) – Shot in Johannesburg, this high-energy episode brings TikTok culture, bold opinions, and fast-paced music debates into the Blend experiment “Every episode is basically one big question: are we a vibe or are we a mess? We are using Spotify Blend to find out if two people are the perfect music match, and the honest reactions are the best part.” says Kevin Maina (MainaMind), host of “The Blend Date” How to watch Fans can watch the first episode today on Instagram and TikTok and each subsequent episode weekly on Instagram Reels and TikTok. Fans can also try Spotify Blend with friends, partners, or anyone they are curious about, to see what their shared playlist says about their connection.