The Warsaw High School Times

Graphic by Sonia Bajorek

Spotify Wrapped – what is it?

People went crazy. The moment Spotify Wrapped was released, the only thing we saw on social media, especially on Instagram Stories, was the summary of our year in music. The function is available to all Spotify Premium users, and every year is one of the most anticipated moments by teenagers. Young people can’t wait to see the number of minutes they listened to music for, their most listened songs and artists they listened to that year.

Why are we so obsessed with it?

First released in 2016, Spotify Wrapped was, and still is, one of the greatest marketing campaigns in the entire world. Not only is it unique, as Spotify was the fist streaming platform to come up with a compilation allowing its users to see their stats, and still is the most graphically developed, but it also catches the attention of social media users, who share their compilations with their friends and on the Internet. Spotify’s smart move has gained it thousands of subscribers, who not only saw it as a commercial, but also as an amazing feature. I have to admit that even I have fallen for “the trap” and switched to Spotify after many years of using a different platform, as I was jealous of all my friends, who had the Wrapped feature. 

But what is so special about it? It is really hard to say. Everybody has a different reason why they get so excited for Spotify Wrapped to finally be released. I, personally, am most interested in the favorite songs and favorite artists categories, as I listen to many different pieces and would like to know which one really touches my heart. Other people, however, see the Wrapped feature as a challenge, as they compete with their friends on who is going to listen to music for longer, or who will discover more genres. Additionally, one of the most eye catching things about Spotify Wrapped is its design. This year (2023) we got to experience a colorful energizing graphic that contained many scribbles, brush paints, and geometrical figures. 

Biggest concerns

Even though many people are very excited to see their Wrapped, others have concerns about the users’ privacy and their insecurities.

In order to create Spotify Wrapped, Spotify needs to collect the users’ listening data, meaning who, what, and for how long the users are listening to music. This caused many controversies, as some claim that this feature is interfering with their privacy and they are being under constant surveillance while using the app. Others also believe that the app is later utilizing the data in ways that they did not agree to, however it has never been confirmed. Of course, if somebody does not wish to have their data analyzed by Spotify, it is possible to change the privacy settings in the app. 

A much more tangible outcome of Spotify Wrapped can be observed each year. Even while talking to your friends, you definitely have come across teenagers stating that they feel too embarrassed to show their “year in music”. Some people even say that they have not been listening to their favorite songs as often as they would like, for them not to come up in the summary. This year, we could even see Tik Toks or Reels of people who have been photoshopping their Spotify Wrapped in order to not show their friends or family what they are really listening to. This is a serious problem, as people feel insecure about the music they listen to, and are afraid that other people are going to judge them. We have to remember that Spotify Wrapped does not define who we are as people, and there is truly nothing to stress about, as nobody is going to remember what you had on your Wrapped the next day. And if you really stress about it, remember that you do not have to show it to anybody if you don’t want to. 

Enjoy your 2023 Spotify Wrapped, and we will see what Spotify is going to surprise us with next year!