As the NBA enters its All-Star Weekend, LeBron James is taking over Pandora’s UNINTERRUPTED Radio. Beginning Friday, Feb. 18, the Los Angeles Lakers star will curate his favorite songs, in addition to providing explanation for why that music is important to him.
“Lebron James Mode” will feature a wide variety of LeBron’s favorite music, ranging from Hip-Hop to R&B and Gospel, along with commentary from James. Listeners can expect to hear songs from Jay-Z, Drake, and Migos, in addition to Sade, Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Tupac, and Anita Baker. Inspirational songs by Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, and Donnie McClurkin will also be part of LeBron’s playlist.
For those unfamiliar, Pandora Modes are a feature that lets users customize their listening experience on the app by choosing from selectable “modes” on their favorite stations, allowing them more control over the songs that are played.
Pandora launched UNINTERRUPTED Radio to let athletes share their favorite music with fans. Several of professional and college athletes have appeared on the station for curated Modes including Gold Medal, Bases Loaded, Ringside, Kickoff, Tip-Off, and Draft Day. However, LeBron James Mode will be the first controlled by one figure and will be available until the end of the NBA Playoffs.
James’s NBA All-Star Weekend with The UNINTERRUPTED takeover will also extend to SiriusXM, which will feature five different playlists curated by LeBron playing across five different channels. LeBron will introduce his song picks as they play on each station.
LeBron’s playlists will begin on Hip-Hop Nation Friday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. ET. On Saturday, James’s playlist will air on Kirk Franklin’s Praise at 9 a.m. ET, followed by The Heat at 12 p.m. ET, Sirius XM Fly at 2 p.m. ET, and Heart & Soul at 3 p.m. ET. You can find the schedule for encores throughout the weekend at the SiriusXM website.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
