Sophia Michaels
Meghan Markle’s “Archetypes” was an undeniable hit, but unfortunately for fans of the podcast, it won’t be getting a second season. On June 15, The Wall Street Journal reported that Markle and Prince Harry’s deal to produce podcasts for Spotify has ended. “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” Spotify and Archewell confirmed to POPSUGAR in a joint statement.
This means that Archetypes will not see a sophomore run, making it the only podcast Archewell produced for the streamer. And it certainly went out with a bang: the series, which kicked off in August 2022, debuted as the top podcast on Spotify and ultimately won a People’s Choice Award.
According to WSJ, a rep from Markle’s talent agency, WME, said Markle “is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.”
It’s unclear why Archewell and Spotify decided to part ways, but it could have something to do with Spotify’s track record on curbing misinformation on their many podcasts. In March 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported Archewell Audio would move forward with its multiyear exclusive deal with Spotify despite the platform’s mishandling of COVID misinformation. An Archewell Audio spokesperson confirmed to THR that the decision was made following conversations with Spotify executives regarding the streaming service provider’s misinformation policies and practices.
“Archetypes” saw Markle interview big-name guests like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, Paris Hilton, and Trevor Noah, addressing the common stereotypes women often face. “This is ‘Archetypes,'” Markle said in a March 2022 teaser for the series, “the podcast where we dissect, explore, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back. I’ll have conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape our narratives. And I’ll talk to historians to understand how we even got here in the first place.”
With Archetypes, the Sussexes aimed to build community through cultivating shared experience, drawing on first-person narratives and strong values, and it seems they intend to continue to do so — just not on Spotify.
