As the end of the year approaches, Spotify users eagerly await the release day for their Spotify Wrapped — a vibrant, statistic-filled recap of the year’s music habits. Wrapped is not only a personal expression but also a cultural impression of the year in review.
The first version of the concept was released by Spotify in 2015 under the name “Year in Music” and changed in 2016 to “Spotify Wrapped.” Since then, adjustments have been made to the design and outcome of Spotify Wrapped.
For many, Wrapped acts as a digital time capsule through the highlight of top songs, favorite artists, genres, total listening minutes, and other features. Memories are retrieved from the connection with certain songs or artists, whether it’s a summer song playing while at the beach, or an artist on repeat when studying for exams.
“When I saw my Wrapped, it felt like I was taking a walk down memory lane,” junior Adi Hakim said. “One song reminds me of when I went biking with my friends in the summer.”
Wrapped also resonates with personal identity since it is a crucial way to show their journey of self-expression through music for many people. For some, music is purposeful in portraying feelings and emotions, impacting one’s energy levels and communication skills.
Yearly, people post their results on social media, contributing to comparison, and sparking friendly competitions. Conversations are created over who listened to the most minutes or who was the bigger fan of a particular artist.
Even celebrities and influencers share their Wrapped results, influencing trends with more people wanting to post their own. The wide participation shares cultural influence across the globe, holding a greater impact on relations rather than purely one’s listening habits.
Spotify relies on data collection to create personalized summaries catered for each user based on their favorite songs, albums, artists, playlists, and genres, as well as listening behaviors. Wrapped includes your top five artists and songs which you can further delve into with a personalized top 100 songs playlist.
“I think these statistics accurately display the songs and artists I’ve listened to this past year,” sophomore Joseph Zheng said.
While most users believe the results to be obvious and understandable, others are surprised by the puzzling result. People believe that some of their stats are filled with errors and have room for improvement.
“There’s no way I only listened to that song 20 times,” junior Audrey Kim said. “I’ve listened to that song at least 30 times, it has to be wrong.”
The unexpected nature of Wrapped keeps listeners hooked on what they will get for the year.
Many people also felt inspired to put their twists on the trend, grasping the concept by making a year wrapped for themselves on notable events in the past year. Some even make it more specific, making it into just one category like “Reading Wrapped,” where they discuss how many books they read, their favorites, favorite authors, and more. Others make versions based on their fitness, movies, and many more.
Spotify Wrapped has managed to connect people through similar music tastes, highlighting the known power of music to create bonds. Acting as a reminder of the significance of music, it encapsulates memories, emphasizing life’s moments.
Many believe Wrapped tells us more about our true selves than just our music preferences. As December comes, Spotify Wrapped continues to bring anticipation, self-reflection, and a sense of connection between listeners all around the globe.
