Call it the King’s Speech, with music.
To celebrate Commonwealth Day on March 10, King Charles has put together a playlist, dubbed The King’s Music Room, for Apple Music. It features musicians from across the 56 countries of the Commonwealth.
King Charles recorded a trailer/introduction to the playlist from his office at Buckingham Palace. You can watch it here.
“Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me,” he says in the recording. “I know that is also the case for so many others. It has that remarkable ability to bring happy memories flooding back from the deepest recesses of our memory, to comfort us in times of sadness, and to take us to distant places.”
The King continues, “But perhaps, above all, it can lift our spirits to such a degree, and all the more so when it brings us together in celebration. In other words, it brings us joy.”
The playlist includes artists from as far back as the 1930s as well as Kylie Minogue (from Australia) and Bob Marley (from Jamaica) Grace Jones (also Jamaican) and disco and Afrobeats stars.
“Human curation has always been a key pillar of our unique editorial approach,” said Apple Music’s global head of Content and Editorial Rachel Newman in a statement. “Apple Music Radio is where culture is happening worldwide, and we are honored that King Charles III chose to share his personal playlist with us, and with music fans around the world.”
The King’s Music Room will be available March 10 at 1 a.m. EST on Apple Music 1 for free or anytime on demand with an Apple Music subscription.
