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Spotify Streams Surge for Wolf Parade, Feist and More Canadian Artists After Songs Appear on 'Heated Rivalry'

Crave's steamy hockey romance is a global sensation, and Canadian artists are reaping the rewards — including multiple Francophone acts from Quebec.

Wolf Parade

Wolf Parade

Heated Rivalry is a worldwide sensation, and Canadian artists are reaping the rewards.

The TV series — written and directed by Jacob Tierney, produced by Bell Media's Crave streamer, licensed to HBO Max and based on Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series — is arguably the biggest Canadian television success story since Schitt's Creek. Leading up to its finale on Dec. 26, the steamy gay hockey romance has become one of the most talked-about shows of 2025.


Episode 5, which aired this weekend, features a crucial synch for Montreal band Wolf Parade and their 2005 song "I'll Believe In Anything." After first appearing in episode 3 on Dec. 5, the indie rock love song soundtracks a pivotal moment in the episode, which is also called "I'll Believe In Anything." The episode is now tied with Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias" as the only episode to ever receive a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb.

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Since Dec. 19, global streams of "I'll Believe In Anything" have risen by over 2,650%, according to Spotify.

Wolf Parade isn't the only Canadian act seeing the surge. Feist's 2007 song "My Moon My Man" also appears in Heated Rivalry, and has seen a resurgence of over 1,500% in streams, Spotify says.

The series, which is set partially in Montreal, is also filled with Francophone acts from Quebec, and they've all benefitted from the Heated Rivalry bump. Acts including Philippe B, Alfa Rococo, Malko, Jessica Charlie and Unessential Oils have all jumped tens of thousands of percent in streams and thousands of new playlist adds in just days, Spotify says. Streams of "Une journée parfaite" by Dumas surged by over 1,500% since it was featured in the show’s first episode.

Physical copies of the original books are sold out, which has led to a major surge for the Game Changers audiobook series. Reid's catalogue has seen a 1,500% global increase in listening since the show’s debut over the past 10 weeks, Spotify says.

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Stephane Lecuyer
Courtesy Photo

Stephane Lecuyer

Touring

Stephane Lecuyer Appointed Chief Operating Officer of The MRG Group and Managing Director of MRG Live

One of Canada's biggest independent music promoters has added to its leadership as it continues to expand.

Stephane Lecuyer is stepping into a new role as chief operating officer (COO) of The MRG Group and managing director of MRG Live.

One of Canada's biggest independent live music companies, the MRG Group and MRG Live have taken over operations for multiple Canadian events and venues in recent months. Back in August, the former acquired for Kelowna, B.C. Venue, Revelry, and the latter obtained a free, two-day Burlington, Ontario waterfront music festival, formerly known as Sound of Music Festival, in October. As both organizations’ portfolios continue to grow, Lecuyer is coming on in a dual leadership role.

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