Spotify on Monday gave fans a sneak peek of its new eight-episode podcast series featuring former President Barack Obama and rock star Bruce Springsteen during its “Stream On” digital conference.
The new show, dubbed “Renegades: Born in the USA,” will have its first two episodes hit Spotify on Monday. Spotify’s first look at the exclusive podcast showed footage of “The Boss” and the ex-commander-in-chief hanging out together and talking about a wide variety of topics. The duo, according to a release from Spotify, will have several “intimate conversations” on topics including “race, fatherhood, marriage, and their own personal and professional journeys.”
Obama and Springsteen — who first met during the former’s 2008 run to the White House — will also “explore modern manhood,” per Spotify, and discuss the “painfully divided” state of the U.S. on their show.
During the introduction to the debut episode of the podcast, Obama asks “How could we find our way back to a more unifying American story?”
He then answered:
“That topic came to dominate so many of my conversations last year–with Michelle, with my daughters and with friends. And one of the friends just happened to be Mr. Bruce Springsteen. On the surface, Bruce and I don’t have a lot in common. But over the years, what we’ve found is that we’ve got a shared sensibility. About work, about family and about America. In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that’s given us both so much. Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America.”
“Renegades” is the second podcast to stem from Spotify’s partnership with Higher Ground, the production company founded by President Obama and Michelle Obama in 2018.
“It’s no coincidence that the world’s best creators are embracing Spotify as a key platform for their podcasts – we have the reach, infrastructure and dedicated teams to take their stories to the world and we’re committed to growing their audience on Spotify,” Spotify head of studios and video Courtney Holt said in a statement.