Published on June 1st, 2022 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Coi Leray Reps America on International Cast of ‘Sprite Limelight: One Hook, Three Songs’ Collab

Grammy and Mercury Prize-winning artist and producer, James Blake and Coi Leray – Courtesy of Sprite Limelight

Sprite announced a new music program, Sprite Limelight, produced in collaboration with an exceptional and diverse collective of international musical talent, and anchored by Grammy and Mercury Prize-winning artist and producer, James Blake. The new music program supports Sprite’s new global brand narrative, Heat Happens, which positions the brand as the drink that helps you cool down in the face of everyday heated moments.

Sprite Limelight connects music lovers from different cultures and influences, debuting a new method of making music that celebrates the unique creativity of the individual.

James Blake will provide a central hook and lyric narrative, rooted in the core Limelight philosophy of keeping life’s heat at bay. Three distinctive global artists have, in turn, taken that hook and used it to inspire and create their own completely original songs. One musical starting point is reinterpreted through different creative and cultural lenses.

James Blake – Courtesy Sprite Limelight

“The limelight program is a chance for me to collaborate with artists from around the world in a process that’s new to me, to create a unique song with an empowering message that they can carry through each of their beautiful interpretations. It’s been inspiring to see how each artist took this hook and beat and created something that would never have existed any other way”, says James Blake.

Selected for their authentic and unique styles, the artists in the first expression of the program are platinum-selling artist Coi Leray, who has quickly made a name for herself garnering multiple American Music Awards, BET, and iHeartRadio Music Award nominations ahead of her recently released debut album TRENDSETTER; African singer-songwriter social sensation Omah Lay, whose self-produced track ‘Bad Influence’ garnered viral status; and finally, prolific singer Hua Chenyu, hailing from China, whose unique fusion of C-Pop and rock has sold out shows in Olympic-sized stadiums in minutes.

Coi Leray – Courtesy of Sprite Limelight and UMG

“As an artist, I’m constantly pushing myself to raise the bar when it comes to my creativity. Finding new ways to express myself is so much a part of who I am as an artist, that’s why I’m hyped to be partnering with Sprite on their Limelight program. Helping other dope musicians to not only get through the door but flourish while shining a light on their individuality through music is something I’m happy to be a part of,” says Coi Leray.

The original content will be available on both YouTube and Spotify, as individual tracks and in the form of artistic documentary-style music films. These immersive “Heat Confessionals”, that shine a light on the artists’ stories overcoming their own moments of heat through their iconic music, as well as artist-curated playlists for their fans, will be created on different music streaming services worldwide.

“Sprite Limelight provides a unique opportunity for fans to experience new music, through one hook reimagined in three different ways. It also offers a window into the way they make music, as well as their own personal experiences – connected to our core brand philosophy – of staying cool in those moments when life’s heat feels intense”, says Shrenik Dasani, Sprite Global Brand Director, The Coca-Cola Company. “In bringing very different artists from around the world together around one musical expression based on a shared life experience, it connects music fans across cultures and borders.”

Joshua Burke, Senior Director, Global Music and Culture, The Coca-Cola Company added: “The collaborations fostered through Sprite Limelight have produced music that feels exciting and fresh. Working with the right talent has been critical – each of the artists needed to bring authenticity, strong individuality, and openness to the process, as well as their talent, in order to make it work. It’s been an amazing journey to get to launch – and now we’re just excited to be able to introduce the music, as well as the broader program, to the wider world. And of course, to seeing where Sprite Limelight goes next…”

Sprite Limelight was created in partnership with Universal Music Group for Brands as the key content creator and the new OpenX agency partnership with WPP for amplification.

“Our partnership with Sprite around Limelight demonstrates how UMGB continues to connect brands with some of the world’s most notable talent and produce culturally relevant content that resonates with consumers on a global level,” says Richard Yaffa, EVP, Global Brands, Universal Music Group.

Sprite Limelight content will be available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/Sprite and on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/user/sprite2015 beginning early June.

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Tags: Coca-Cola, Coi Leray, Hip Hop, Hua Chenyu, James Blake, Music, Omah lay, Sprite Limelight, Trendsetter, UMG

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.