Audible is launching a new eight-part audio series called Origins that will feature a number of A-list musicians answering the question “Where are you from?” Billboard can exclusively announce. The show will feature everyone from Billie Eilish, Doja Cat and Camilo to Koffee, Mickey Guyton, King Princess, Flying Lotus and artist-rapper Tobe Nwigwe interpreting the central query, with all episodes slated to drop on Nov. 17 on Audible.
“Audible has been fortunate to work with some of the most beloved and iconic musicians of our time through our ‘Words + Music’ series – one that focuses on the work of immensely talented artists and their incredible and varied impacts musically and personally, and has struck a chord with Audible listeners,” said Rachel Ghiazza, Audible’s vp and head of U.S. content, in a statement. “As we continue to dive head first into our expanding music vertical, we are thrilled to introduce Origins, a transcendent audio experience. This series breaks down the barrier between artist and human, as we get up close and personal with these remarkable contemporary musicians and find the source of each of their creative drives.”
The show promises that each episode will bring listeners closer to “the moments that shaped some of today’s most notable artists through a mix of spoken narrative, immersive sound design, and original music performance.”
Thinking about her own origin story, Oscar-winner Eilish said in a statement, “It was so weird to me when I was first coming up and, and the thing everybody said was, like, ‘Billie Eilish’s music is so depressing and it’s so sad and it’s too dark,’ and I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Have you listened to The Beatles and ‘As My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ and ‘Yesterday’ and Lana Del Rey? Like, what the hell?’ It was so surprising to me that people thought anything I was creating was dark. I mean, it’s real.”
Doja also said the question inspired some deep thoughts. “I’ve always tried to bring my fans into my world,” she shared. “I am more interested in being myself than what others want me to be. I want people to get a real understanding of who I am, and I think Origins will help them do that.”
Origins follows on the heels of Audible’s acclaimed Words + Music series, which has featured deep dives with artists including Pete Townshend, Beck, John Legend, Chuck D, Eddie Vedder, Alice Cooper, Rhiannon Giddens and more.
Check out the descriptions of each episode below:
- Billie Eilish challenges origin, resists definition, and rejects the very idea that who she was yesterday is who she has to be tomorrow.
- Doja Cat rediscovers her origin through a process of reinvention.
- Camilo lives and breathes origin, not only as the source of everything he has ever known, but also as his most inspiring teacher.
- Koffee reflects on the importance of trusting instinct and her love of the island that nurtured her creativity.
- Tobe Nwigwe, whose origins have led him far from his initial ambitions, recalls the path that led him to his true calling.
- Flying Lotus looks at origin through the lens of loss and longing to consider if the most powerful lessons are those that encourage us to return to the simplest version of our story.
- King Princess takes on origin in the frame of identity, a place where we are formed, informed, and then transformed.
- Mickey Guyton, whose story is full of triumph in the face of rejection, unpacks origin with survival as her only point of reference.
