Meghan Markle is not just the Duchess of Sussex. She’s now also the Queen of Podcasts.
Markle’s new Spotify-exclusive podcast, “Archetypes,” surpassed regular chart-topper “The Joe Rogan Experience” this week on Spotify’s list of most-listened-to podcasts in six regions, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The show’s inaugural episode premiered last week and featured tennis legend Serena Williams as its first guest. The podcast also topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
“Archetypes” was conceived as an outlet for Markle to explore the stereotypes surrounding women of all ages through “uncensored conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape narratives,” according to a March statement from Spotify.
In a preview for the podcast, the Duchess promised to “dissect, explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back” through conversations with them.
In the debut episode, Markle and Williams discussed the double standard women face when they are labeled “ambitious,” urged listeners to consider and “recogniz(e) what people don’t see” and shared their personal experiences as friends, celebrities and moms.
Williams shared a story about the guilt she felt as a mom during a match at the 2018 French Open, which took place only hours after her daughter Olympia fell out of her high chair and broke her wrist.
Markle talked about her own experience with fulfilling professional obligations amid emotional turmoil on her 2019 visit to South Africa — months before she and Prince Harry stepped back as senior royals following personal attacks on the couple.
“So much, I think optically, the focus ends up being on how it looks instead of how it feels,” Markle said, speaking to the episode’s title, “Misconception of Ambition.” “And part of the humanizing — and the breaking through of these labels, these archetypes, these boxes that we’re put into — is having some understanding of the human moments behind the scenes that people might not have any awareness of and to give each other a break. Because we did.”
“Archetypes” isn’t the only buzzy podcast to overthrow Rogan at the top of the charts this year. In May, “Batman Unburied” skyrocketed to No. 1 on Spotify’s U.S. charts. The scripted audio series starred Winston Duke as Batman, Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler and Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon.
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