For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. With Spotify's playlist series Local Spot, celebrated Canadians are given a cool, eclectic space to introduce fans to their favorite Canadian artists.
Featuring all-Canadian music curation, Local Spot offers global audiences a glimpse into the unique music tastes of the country's celebrated figures. For our latest edition of Local Spot, poet, artist, and performer Rupi Kaur takes over as our featured curator.
A breakout literary phenomenon and number-one New York Times bestselling author, Rupi wrote, illustrated, and self-published her first poetry collection, milk and honey, in 2014, followed by the sun and her flowers, home body, and healing through words. Together, these collections have sold more than 12 million copies and have been translated into more than 40 languages.
Rupi has also made her mark in film and television, producing a first-of-its-kind poetry special, Rupi Kaur Live, the film This Place, and the 2024 Academy Award-nominated film To Kill a Tiger.
For her contribution to Local Spot, Rupi takes listeners on a journey through the songs and artists who inspire her, including Shawn Mendes, Charlotte Day Wilson, The Weeknd, Avril Lavigne, Daniel Caesar, KAYTRANADA, and Celine Dion. Ahead of the playlist's release, For the Record sat down with Rupi to talk about her experience curating Local Spot, her influences and creative process, and how growing up in Canada has shaped her.
Talk to us about curating Local Spot. It was so much fun to revisit some of my favorite tracks from the last 15 years or so. I actually felt very at home listening to them and was moved to write.
In one sentence, how would you describe your playlist? The songs that raised and healed me.
What does your Canadian identity mean to you? As an immigrant, I have always felt like Canada is a place of inclusivity and hope. I have always existed between two worlds-my parents' homeland and the one we built here. That duality is in everything I write. Now, as I travel the world, I'm often reminded of how much the diversity of Canada has contributed to my art.
Who are some of your favorite Canadian authors and music artists? Canadian writers I have deep love for include Michael Ondaatje, Lawrence Hill, Alice Munro. My favorite Canadian music artists are Charlotte Cardin, Charlotte Day Wilson, and The Weeknd.
What's your writing process like? Writing is a conversation with myself. It starts with a feeling-something stirring deep in my gut. I sit with it and let it rise to the surface. My best ideas come when I give them space. They visit in the quiet moments-long walks, in the middle of a conversation, or right before I fall asleep.
How do you incorporate listening to music into that process? Music sets the tone and pulls me back into memories of the past or hopes for the future. Sometimes I need silence-to hear the rhythm of the poem itself. But oftentimes I use music to set the mood.
Do you think there's a crossover between music and literature? Absolutely. Both are rhythmic. Both tell stories. A poem is a song stripped of its melody, and a song is a poem brought to life through sound. Before he started his career as a musician, Leonard Cohen was a poet and novelist. That's just one of many examples that showcase that there's so much natural crossover between the crafts.
What writer or music artist has had the biggest influence on you? Khalil Gibran taught me about duality. Audre Lorde and Bell Hooks taught me about power. In music, I return to Nina Simone, Florence Welch, and the haunting melodies of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Your books milk and honey, the sun and her flowers, and homebody touch on love, loss, trauma, and healing. Is listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks part of a healthy routine for you? Music, podcasts, books are all part of my healing. Some days, I need a song that holds me. Other days, I need words that remind me I am not alone.
What does it mean to you to know that your fans get to hear you read your works on the audiobook versions of your books? I write my poetry with sound in mind-the way the words flow, the rhythm of each line. Hearing me read it aloud brings that element to life. For a reader, poetry is personal and they interpret it through their own lens. For a listener, they hear it the way it was meant to be spoken.
What's your earliest memory of stories being read aloud to you? My father's voice. He would sit with me and recite Punjabi poetry, letting the words dance in the air between us. He taught me that poetry is meant to be felt, not just understood.
Press play to listen to Rupi's collection of Canadian gems in the latest edition of Local Spot:
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
16/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Immersive Flight for New Cirrus App
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Leader in Personal Aviation taps URSA Cin...
16/07/2026
XenData Announces LTO Archive Appliances with both File and S3 Object Storage In...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
General-purpose robots and autonomous machines are moving from research labs to ...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and iconic gaming companies, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI ...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. With Spotify's playlist series Local Spot, celebrated Canadians are given a cool, eclectic space to introduce fans to their favorite Canadian artists. 
