Apple Music is here and Beats 1 is live! DJ host Zane Lowe kicked things off at 9am PT as promised and in case you missed the flip being switched on, you can relive the moment in the SoundCloud snippet embedded above. “We have to kick this whole thing off at some point,” he said coming out of anticipatory mood music provided by Brian Eno’s Ambient 1: Music for Airports. “We spent the last three months trying to build this radio station and now we can build no more. We must launch.”
The first track spun on Beats 1? That was “City” by Spring King. The Manchester band quickly flocked to Twitter to express their surprise and gratitude: “yo @zanelowe are you kidding?!!?!? you just spun our tune! you’re an absolute legend!!” Keep this in mind–it may just be the answer to a future Jeopardy question. But why start with such an obscure song? Well, that’s sort of the point of Beats 1. Lowe and company are aiming to differentiate Apple’s radio station from all the rest–instead of playing songs merely because they are popular, they spin tunes based on their personal tastes and what they think could be and should be lighting the industry on fire.
I’ve been listening into the station for the past two hours and I’m enthused to report that Lowe’s reputation from his days at BBC’s Radio 1 has followed him directly to Los Angeles, his new home for Beats 1. I’m jamming out to artists I have never heard of before, already curating a list for me to return to later. Following Spring City, Lowe celebrated AC/DC entering the world of streaming music with their classic track “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).” Later in the first hour he debuted Pharrell’s brand new song “Freedom,” a current exclusive to Apple Music and the first “world record” on Beats 1. And because he likes it so much, Lowe played it again right as it was fading out. By the end of the first hour, Lowe was introducing another never-heard-before track, a “world first” from rising R&B crooner Gallant and it’s called “Weight in Gold.” Hour 2 saw the first song to stream from Dr. Dre’s iconic rap album The Chronic, “Let Me Ride,” as well as a new song from Eminem, “Phenomenal,” from the upcoming movie Southpaw. All in all, Lowe is indeed the tastemaker that UK music fans have always touted him to be, and I can’t wait to use Beats 1 as a music discovery tool from now on.
Be sure to check out the new portal applemusic.tumblr.com to see Beats 1’s schedule for your time zone. Zane Lowe in LA, Ebro Darden in NYC, and Julie Adenuga in London host programming blocks Monday through Thursday. In addition to pumping tunes, the DJs will also air interviews exclusive to the station. Lowe confirmed today that his upcoming interview with Eminem will air tomorrow (7/1). Also, Pharrell’s radio show “Other Tone” is debuting July 5 at 3pm. Click that link to find out when more shows are launching including The Pharmacy with Dr. Dre, Elton John’s Rocket Hour, and Jaden Smith’s MSFTS FREQUENCY. Want to request a song? Call in!
Dying to know the tracks Lowe broadcasted worldwide to over 100 countries over the course of Beats 1’s first couple hours? Jump after the break. Continue reading Zane Lowe debuts Beats 1, already solidifies station as keen music discovery tool (first broadcast tracklist inside!)
