It was announced that Spotify would be releasing the 2022 Spotify Wrapped very soon, and the Twittersphere is already apologizing.
Since the rise of Spotify, the way the world listens to music has entirely revolutionized. With the ability to select and stream all of our favorite artists anytime, anywhere, we have all found our own special way to create the soundtracks that quite literally underscore our lives. We romanticize our lives in different ways, and, through Spotify, it shows.
Yet, with Spotify, there is a catch.
While we are at liberty to consume any song, album, or artist we please as frequently as we see fit, now there is a record. Spotify learns your tastes and understands the music that you tend to gravitate to. This is great in terms of finding new music that you come to love: the smart recommendations are always on POINT!
However, the statistics, much like Shakira's hips, don't lie.
While you may pretend to be a cool, alternative, artsy fan of edgy music, one quick pass-through of Spotify's data will confirm to the world that you are listening to Midnights like the rest of us.
While you could keep this data to yourself, Spotify comes out with Spotify Wrapped each year, which shares your top listened to songs of the year. Of course, you could keep this to yourself, but isn't it a LITTLE suss if ALL of your friends are posting, but you have decided to keep your results quiet?
Today, the Twitterspehere exploded with preemptive apologies on this exact topic.
People began posting Tweets that included warnings such as, "Before Spotify wrapped comes out, y'all gotta realize that I went through approximately 20 personality changes and am not responsible for whatever song I looped for seven hours," and, "Before Spotify wrapped comes out let's all remember I went through five situationships this year before you judge me.
before spotify wrapped comes out, y’all gotta realize that i went through approximately 20 personality changes and am not responsible for whatever song i looped for seven hours
— bags by clairo (@smolproblem) November 16, 2022
before spotify wrapped comes out let’s all remember i went through five situationships this year before you judge me pic.twitter.com/tg9N5I6y7E
— indie (@INDIEWASHERE) November 21, 2022
It's safe to say, that music filled tension is in the air. This all, of course, drives to the true heart of the matter:
Is Spotify Wrapped a good thing or a bad thing?
With so many coming out to jokingly dread their upcoming Spotify Wrapped release, the question needs to be asked: do we actually want to see it?
On the one hand, there is a wonderful aspect of community and sharing that comes with the yearly release of everyone's Spotify Wrapped. (Sure, this may seem a bit dramatic to say of something that is essential a social media trend, but roll with us on this one.)
Understanding a person's taste in music tells you a lot about who they are. It tells you the auditory filter through which they are taking in their lives. If you want to get deep about it, understanding the songs your friends are listening to on repeat gives you an intimate, almost internal look into the lives of your friends.
In a similar vein, many pointed out that seeing each of their friends' Spotify Wrapped provides new music inspiration. It is a quirky way to share art and a little bit of your personality with others.
That being said...
While the fear of showing your Spotify Wrapped to others is mostly a joke, it's not ENTIRELY a joke. There is a strange social shame in the revelation that you have listened to a specific artist over and over again. That last sentence was devoid of any specificity because the specific reviled artist is prone to change based on friend group.
The thing is, why should that matter?
We should be able to maintain the ability to love what we love without the fear that one day we will have to talk about it with the world. If you really enjoy listening to creepy circus music, you should not have to keep in mind that, while you listen to it, your friends will, at one point, know that this is what you are jamming out to.
There should not be the need to be making preemptive explanations of what you like and why. People should love the music that they love: judgement free!
All in All:
Spotify Wrapped is a fun way to end the year. We can't wait to see what makes it to the tops of everyone's charts this December!
