For Generation Z, music is much more than something we just listen to. It encapsulates who we are through artists, albums and genres.
Spotify has been able to perfectly engineer Spotify Wrapped to become not just a monumental feature for the app, but also what seems like a cultural holiday for Generation Z. Every year on the release day of Spotify Wrapped, every Spotify user gets to rewatch and relive their year through what they listened to.
The way that Spotify is able to use statistics and each user’s individual algorithm to perfectly curate their personality and identity into a quick yet attention-grabbing presentation is something that swept social media and our generation by storm.
Spotify specifically designed Spotify Wrapped to be shared. Whether sharing means through social media or sending your Wrapped to your friends, Spotify made it so easy to do so. All you have to do is click a few buttons, and it’s up on your socials or in a group chat.
The ability to share Spotify Wrapped adds a sense of FOMO to the mix if you are not sharing your Wrapped with your peers. Once you start hearing everyone sharing their Wrapped, it feels almost like a sin to not join in on the conversation with yours.
That sort of collective participation makes the release of Spotify Wrapped feel like a big event rather than just a small feature of the app.
The timing of Spotify Wrapped’s release is a huge factor in why it is such a hit amongst Generation Z. Wrapped drops when finals are ending, the holidays are right around the corner and everyone begins reflecting on their year.
Looking back on what you listened to throughout the year supplies you with a sense of nostalgia and can also be a stress reliever. The ability to look back on what artists and songs got you through every aspect of your year becomes a fun way to close it out.
Wrapped, being an annual event since 2015, has made it a tradition, one that people anticipate and talk about so much that it could and should be considered a holiday to some.
Generation Z also has an underground obsession with algorithms and data collection. Tying in our constant consumption of data to be tailored into a more playful and shareable display of that consumption feels like our personalized stats are an achievement.
Even though data and algorithm analysis may seem complex, Spotify Wrapped in itself is an unserious feature. The ability to turn the weird genre names or jokes into memes and new humor is something that Generation Z’ers love doing.
The slides in everyone’s Wrapped that name them into a specific made-up group, or ones that just could simply say “this says a lot about you,” give Generation Z Spotify users a feeling that they do not know they crave.
Being assigned to a team, age group or any of Spotify’s other categories allows us to find our peers on social media who are also in the same groupings as you. It gives another sense of belonging and exclusivity in our lives.
Spotify Wrapped combines self-expression, social validation, nostalgia and the feeling of a shared experience. All of this wrapped into one makes it feel like a holiday, dominating Spotify user’s phones around the world all at the same time.