OPINION: Things I've taken away from my 2021 Spotify Wrapped
While it may be easy to want to bury your head in the sand and book a one-way ticket to a remote island when first looking at your Spotify Wrapped, it is important to recognise this as being nothing more than a feeling that soon fades.
On 1 December each year, Spotify users are presented with their most listened to songs, how many minutes they spent listening to them, a playlist catered to their most played music of the year and a few other fun facts about the Spotify account. Despite this being the ultimate cringe fest each December, Spotify is one of THE best streaming services in the world and with this role comes great responsibility to maintain the excitement that comes with Spotify Wrapped.
As there seems to be a mutual feeling of nervousness and anticipation when Wrapped is released, I thought I’d share a few things I've taken away from my own end of year round up, a few weeks on…
After the year(s) we’ve had, why on earth should we be embarrassed?
We have arguably lived through two of the worst years ever to have existed. That in itself should be a good enough reason to not give those super cringey artists sitting proudly at the top of the ‘Your Top Songs 2021’ playlist a second thought. In my opinion, the best thing you can do when any situation gets bad is turn to the companion that will never leave: music!
In this article by Spotify, throughout the pandemic they found an increased interest in news podcasts, listeners being into more “chill” music and “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by The Police seeing a 135% spike in streams, proving social distancing can work it’s magic in many ways! These stats hint many people turned to the streaming service in times of COVID, so it’s no wonder our Spotify Wrapped playlists may look all over the place.
There is no pressure to share who features on your Spotify Wrapped with other people…
Unfortunately, when the 2021 Spotify Wrapped came out, I was surrounded by a group of people at a bus stop. Despite us having a genuine interest in each others’ Wrapped and laughing at who had made the top of the playlists, I could not help but keep hidden the sight of New Order appearing as one of my most listened to artists of the year (thank you Euro 2020).
But why should this be kept hidden? I, for one, don’t think anything on there should be embarrassing. Did I go and listen to my 2021 Spotify Wrapped playlist that very evening? Yes! Did I go back through what I’d be listening to and laugh? Yes! It should be an enjoyable experience, yet the release of the Spotify Wrapped has become an annual nightmare which becomes a thing of comparison on social media as soon as it's available.
Don’t feel like you have to share on social media in order to justify having a Spotify account…
Three times. Three times I nearly posted a Tweet of my 2021 Spotify Wrapped after seeing about 200 on my timeline. But then I thought, why? Music to me is a very personal thing and as silly as it may seem, I didn’t want a stranger on social media looking at how many hours I’d been listening to music that year, which ended up being more than nearly the previous two years combined.
Even though I envy anyone who has the confidence and drive to share their Wrapped on social media, whether it be Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, it just couldn’t be me and that’s okay! At the end of the day, sharing these screenshots brings in more popularity to Spotify and may help artists with their streaming figures and publicity, so even if it brings in an extra listener to a band that’s all that counts!
Don't even think about 2022 Spotify Wrapped!
The key to having a Spotify Wrapped playlist you can actually go back and listen to once it has been released is to just listen to whatever on earth you want, all year round! Whether this consists of some secret guilty pleasure one hit wonders, genres no one close to you knows of or music that seems bizarre yet amazing on the ears, just give it a listen!
Many people get to November and panic about what will appear on their Spotify Wrapped and may even change what they listen to in the last two months of the year. This hints at not listening to what you want to when the best thing to do is try and enjoy the music in the moment and maybe on 30 November, even try having a guess at what will be on your 2022 Spotify Wrapped?
Haven't been able to see your 2021 Spotify Wrapped? Find out how here.
