Shaboozey

A live performance from Shaboozey. Photo Credit: Allan Pimenta

Amazon Music is once again expanding its exclusive-music reach – this time with an original Shaboozey track that’s set to factor prominently into Thursday Night Football (TNF) coverage moving forward.

The Amazon-owned DSP formally announced the release and football-programming tie-in today. When it comes to straight on-demand streaming, the work, “Let ‘Em Know,” is available solely through Amazon Music – not competitors like Spotify and Apple Music.

However, the full Amazon Music Original has also made its way onto YouTube via the Sports On Prime channel. In keeping with the mentioned NFL tie-in – Amazon Prime’s massive TNF broadcast deal will run through 2033 – football is a huge focus in the music video and the not-so-subtle lyrics themselves.

Regarding placements during Thursday Night Football broadcasts, Amazon Music indicated that the effort will lead into both TNF Tonight and Thursday Night Kickoff. Of course, this will expose Shaboozey to a sizable audience and, in theory, could drive some fans to Amazon Music (or at least YouTube) to stream “Let ‘Em Know.”

And said exposure definitely won’t hurt different components of Shaboozey’s career. The 30-year-old has tour stops scheduled into mid-October and, as underscored by recent social posts, is partnered with Levi’s.

The latter brand’s presence on today’s largest ecommerce platform probably goes without saying – but Levi’s in November 2024 became “the first fashion brand globally to run a Branded Experience on Alexa.”

In the bigger picture, streaming exclusives, previously put on ice by the major labels, are picking up steam.

(Evidently, Shaboozey isn’t hesitant to leverage the release-strategy freedom that comes with being a label boss. “Let ‘Em Know” dropped via Empire as well as the artist’s newly launched American Dogwood.)

Technically, between exclusive sessions released as EPs, livestreams, and remixes, the trend has been developing for years. And it still hasn’t (and presumably won’t) usher in a return to the days when high-profile albums only hit specific services.

Nevertheless, June alone saw Amazon Music exclusively add Jim Burgess’ disco remix of Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” Erykah Badu’s “Echos 19 (mix 122),” and Odeal’s “London Summers (HARUNA Remix).”

Additionally, last month delivered an exclusive Amazon Music livestream screening of the Teyana Taylor short film Escape Room, which featured multiple tracks from the new album of the same name.

On this front, exclusive superfan content is apparently fair game – and a seemingly solid option from a monetization perspective. Now offering direct messaging, Spotify closed out June by debuting a “K-Pop Performance Video Series” for paid subscribers but not ad-supported users.