Since December of 2015, Spotify Wrapped, the annual compilation of Spotify users’ most listened to tracks, albums, artists, and genres on the music streaming platform, has excited and fascinated those both young and old. Users have an undeniable intrigue in the stylistic compilation of data of their activity over the past year, and given the allowance to share their wrapped results on social media, such a trend has gone absolutely viral.

In addition to the yearly reveal of the top artists, songs, albums, and podcasts of 2022 that delighted the 456 million listeners around the world, Spotify users can also experience a view of their personal lists of top genres, songs, podcasts, and minutes listened that year. To keep things interesting, the app has included new features within the short slideshow, calling them “Your Listening Personality” and “Audio Day.” The 2022 wrapped showcase offers 16 different Listening Personality types, similar to the Myers Briggs Personality Test, but based more musically rather than on one’s persona. The “Audio Day” is an interactive story that offers a peek into how one’s music taste evolved through the day. For the morning, midday, and evening, each user is given a niche mood and aesthetic description. In total, there were 12 slides to the wrapped experience, and no user had statistics identical to the next.

When Spotify Wrapped dropped on Nov. 30, the Bruin community went feral. Comparisons of top artists, tracks, and feelings about their results were all the rage on that Wednesday. Opinions were various and oftentimes, vastly contrasting, but the likes, dislikes, and hot takes on the app-based trend did overlap in a few facets.

Many students felt that the artists and songs ranking highest in their most-played were inaccurate to their current music taste, or rather outdated. The tunes stuck in their heads back in January or even June of 2022 are nothing of their playlists nowadays, so when these tracks popped up as some of their most played, you can imagine the shock and slight embarrassment some users felt.

“My number one song was ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson and I have not listened to that song, at least that version of that song, since like the beginning of the year,” senior Hannah Martin recounts.

“…one of my top artists was Queen and I didn’t start listening to Queen until the second half of the year,” senior Lilly Keith added in contrast. “So that was interesting. But I do think they focus on the beginning of the year.”

While many students were shocked when viewing their Spotify statistics on this special day, others were regretful that they hadn’t explored different genres over the past year.

“I do listen to those artists a lot, but recently my music taste has been more granola and less rap, so I wish there was a little more spice in there,” junior Syra Lundergan disclosed.

“My top genre was, I think, Indie Pop and my artist was Taylor Swift; so basic. Taylor is a good artist and she’s valid for being number one, but I wish it was someone else,” Martin closely concurred.

In a different sense, comments surrounding the presentation of Spotify Wrapped in comparison to last year were especially prevalent at CHHS. It was determined that most users disliked the 2022 aesthetic, finding it “too bright” and distracting from the actual information on each slide. Some said they felt as if they were being hypnotized by the spellbinding hues and transitions, causing a feeling of confusion rather than the typical giddiness.

“I liked some parts of it, and then other parts of it were too loud,” senior Kylie Marcum commented. “The colors didn’t go together.”

Beyond stylistic complaints, many of the Bruin community were disappointed by the new slide topics, wishing their reports were more like those of its precedent.

“They had more stats last year and I’m a stats guy, so I wish they had more of that,” substitute teacher Blake Wheeler remarked.

Very few users raved over the “Your Listening Personality” or “Audio Day” aspects of the 2022 Wrapped experience, leading the conclusion that they were more of a bust than a bang. Sorry Spotify, you can’t win it all.

Nonetheless, the yearly and personal compilation of popular tracks, albums, artists, and genres on the music streaming platform seems as if it will always be a hit with users. As humans, we are suckers for analytical information, especially when it is our own melodic taste that is being analyzed. Facts and numbers don’t lie, and it can be both fun and flabbergasting to realize that you were in the top 2% of Drake listeners or that you played “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift 89 times. Spotify Wrapped acts as a musical mirror; and I doubt users will ever tire of receiving their annual reflection.

“It knows me, we are close personal friends,” junior Alexis Anderson concluded with a giggle.