You know it… This year has been a rollercoaster. Music has been a massive part of getting us all through it, as it has many benefits for our health. With new music from Doja Cat and Billie Eilish as well as the rise of throwback songs, our ears have been blessed in 2021, but it is now December and the much-anticipated Spotify Wrapped has arrived. Proud screenshots of results are flooding social media… So what do your top artists really say about you? Spotify’s intriguing article ‘What the World Streamed Most in 2021’ might just shock you.
Personally, I was disappointed with my Spotify Wrapped this year. As 2021 was my first year with Spotify Premium, I anticipated results that better reflected my most-loved music. Instead, I was presented with five (extremely depressing) top songs. These included ‘Je te laisserai des mots’ by Patrick Wilson (a beautiful French song, yes, but really?) and ‘Where’s my love’ by SYML. I was shocked and disappointed – where was Lorde’s ‘Green light’ and Lana’s ‘Money Power Glory’? I wanted to feel like the powerful woman these songs illustrate, but Spotify had different ideas. In addition to this, my top five artists were Lana Del Rey (accurate), Billie Eilish (accurate), Cage the Elephant (also accurate), girl in red (semi accurate) and Lil Peep (inaccurate). This made me realise two things.
One: I am a compulsive music listener. I go through phases of listening to songs, albums, and artists and thus my most listened-to music varies constantly. For instance, this year I went through an emo phase and Lil Peep seemed to be the only person who understood. Still, what about the Arctic Monkeys, Queen, and King Princess – I was certain that I listened to them much more – though now I am unsure.
Two: My music taste is very basic. However, though I’d like to find more independent artists to binge-listen to, still none of my top artists were on Spotify’s list of ‘Most Streamed Artists Globally’. Here’s what was on the list.
- BAD BUNNY. I am assuming you’ve been partying hard this year. You’re chilled and fun, nothing too juicy. Bad Bunny’s music is great for non-Spanish speakers, as I find I can listen to it whilst studying without getting distracted since I can’t understand the lyrics
- TAYLOR SWIFT. Are you okay? You definitely hate Jake Gyllenhaal. You definitely woke up at 5am to listen to Red (Taylor’s version) and you’ve probably cried whilst watching ‘All too well: The Short Film’. I (controversially) prefer Taylor’s older, upbeat music like ‘I Forgot that you Existed’, ‘Lover’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’ – basically her album ‘Lover’, with the addition of ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘Blank Space’, and all the old hits. However, if you prefer to vibe to ‘the lakes’… you do you, bae.
- BTS. I’m definitely not surprised by this as ARMYs are everywhere. You probably get called ‘weird’ a lot but BTS’s music is certainly enjoyable.
- DRAKE came in at number 3. If he was on your top 5 I would say you’re lowkey and prefer music with meaningful lyrics rather than a catchy tune to sing to. I’m assuming The Weeknd is another one of your favourite artists.
- JUSTIN BIEBER. Bieber went from a lot of teenage girls’ crushes to, still, a lot of teenage girls’ crushes. There has been a lot of controversy to his name in the past few years, but if you had him on repeat this year, I hope you don’t skip ‘Baby’.
Moving onto some more artists, this time outside of the globally most-streamed:
- OLIVIA RODRIGO. Olivia was pretty high up, unsurprisingly. Her ‘drivers license’ broke the internet at the beginning of the year, especially thanks to its popularity amongst TikTok users. Then came ‘good 4 u’, a masterpiece for which I will be accepting no disapproval. The SOUR album was deservedly the most-streamed album globally. If Olivia was one of your top five artists, you’re probably a teenager going through a breakup, or struggling with unrequited affections. Either way, you might need to stop listening to ‘drivers license’ to heal.
- DOJA CAT. You’re confident and like to feel sexy. Listeners of this artist must be very present on social media. Doja’s music really is iconic and her album ‘Planet Her’ is unmatchable.
- LIZZO. If Lizzo was on your top 5, I’m guessing you would describe yourself as an independent and empowered #girlboss.
- LANA DEL REY. As my top artist, I may br a little biased, but Lana’s music fits every vibe. Her music truly is art. It’s easy to listen to and somewhat comforting. If you agree, I’m sure her music makes you feel powerful.
- Same for Maneskin. Their rock style is admirable and their compatibility as a group is perfect.
- I expected Billie Eilish to be in the globally most streamed category. She came out with new music this year and has 97 million Instagram followers. Her music is her release and provides listeners with relatability and comfort.
- Just one more, for the Harry Styles fans… You agree that gender is a social construction and find inspiration for expression in Harry..
The music you listen to definitely says a lot about you. This year’s Spotify Wrapped was quite interesting, but hopefully next year’s will be better. Keep sharing your results – after all, it is a fun game to analyse people you barely know…