Spotify Wrapped is one recap that everyone waits for. Whether you’re just a regular music listener or a fanatic, Spotify Wrapped explains personalities through music and in an impartial way. What else could we want? It’s the highlight of the year, and it tells us how our year truly went. Was it filled with The Weeknd hits or Atif Aslam classics? Let’s be honest, we all know what it means if you listen to Atif Aslam the most… (you’re a Simp!) As per schedule, Spotify Wrapped for 2024 was released, and as per schedule, it’s on everyone’s socials. So, get on the bandwagon!
Now, even if you don’t have Spotify and you still use YouTube to listen to music, that’s fine, although you are missing out. This year, Spotify-ers, or Spotify listeners, were left slightly disappointed. Let’s break it down and see where Spotify hit the mark. Or didn’t.
The Peak
In 2023, Wrapped offered a satisfying dive into peak listening months, connecting them to the music people were listening to in a specific month. This, in turn, led people to reminisce about the year that just passed. For instance, I listened to Taylor Swift the most in August. Why, you ask? Cruel Summer of course, and Hozier in December, and well, that’s self-explanatory. The same way other people had their peak listening months with the artist they loved, which everyone pondered over. I am pretty sure that in December the most listened-to artist is probably Arijit Singh, shadi season and all.
The 2024 Wrapped, in contrast, seemed to skim over this insight. While it still highlights the day you streamed the most and what song, it removed the ‘Peak Month for Music’ feature. To the public, it was slightly underwhelming, as everyone loves to reflect back on their year. It was less about who you listened to most in, let’s say, July, and more about why, which was left up to the listeners.
The Personalities
This feature is and has been a fan favourite. Last year, Spotify nailed it. The steaming platform assigns you a ‘personality’ that is unique to your music-listening history. This personalised , unbiased and intriguing personality description according to your music type, was such a fun way to end 2023.
However, in 2024 this feature was surprisingly omitted altogether. For many, this personality type represented a way to look inward and outward simultaneously. It was a way to connect with their identity as listeners, and its absence left the Wrapped feeling incomplete.
The City
SoundTown was a fresh and new addition to 2023’s Wrapped, creatively matching users with a city that mirrored their music tastes. Although I live in Karachi, the citizens of Bombay listened to the same music as I did. Crazy, honestly! It was informational, fascinating and really fun to know what other cities were up to.
SoundTown didn’t return this year sadly. While it might not have been the most data-heavy insight, it provided a fun cultural angle that resonated with users.
Read more: Spotify To Challenge YouTube?
The 5 Genres
Spotify Wrapped 2023 nailed it with its genre feature, giving fans their “Top 5 Genres” and celebrating diverse music styles like Afrobeats, K-pop, jazz, and classical. It felt personal, exciting, and, frankly, very “you.” Genres were more than just statistics—they connected listeners to their identity.
Fast forward to 2024, and this feature is gone!
The Shortening
Perhaps the most noticeable change in 2024 was the drastic reduction in slides; from 18 in 2023 to just 8 this year. While most fans liked how brief and to the point it was, others missed the detailed Wrapped of 2023.
While Spotify Wrapped 2024 may not have reached the high bar set by the previous years, it still provided a moment for us to reflect on our music journeys and to share on our Instagram IDs. The excitement around Wrapped is always sky-high. This year’s feedback offers Spotify a chance to recapture the magic and add more slides. I mean come on, we wait the entire year for this.
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