It’s the most wonderful time of the year for all music lovers – Spotify Wrapped has arrived. Spotify Wrapped is the apps’ end-of-year feature that summarizes users’ past year of listening. It reveals favorite artists, top genres, total streaming time and fun extras like fan videos from your top singers. Staples’ students have eagerly awaited this feature; but this season, it may have let them down.
As Wrapped was released later than normal this year–in early December as opposed to late November–anticipation increased from users, and left many expecting a new and exciting Spotify Wrapped. However, they were met with disappointment.
Many noticed how Wrapped felt less creative than previous years. Last year’s new features, like seasonal listening trends and regional streaming info, were absent.
“I thought that the visuals in Wrapped this year weren’t as great as in years past,” Haley Forman ’26 said. “They were futuristic, but pretty minimal.”
Spotify Wrapped can also make teenagers more self conscious of what they are streaming. Social circles put pressure on teens to repost their results on social media, which creates stress. Throughout the year, insecurity about one’s music taste and fears of receiving judgement from others can be on the forefront of listeners’ minds.
“Sometimes I don’t listen to songs that I’m embarrassed of,” Helen Root ’28 said, “because I don’t want it to show up on my Wrapped.”
Although Spotify Wrapped may have its downsides, it holds the unique ability to foster connections between people. Shared music taste helps people form instant bonds and also sparks conversation; because everyone listens to music, it can feel like an insight to someone’s personality when you learn what their music taste is like.
“Music is a universal language,” CC Herbert ’27 said. “Wrapped is a nice way for people to connect with one another when they realize they share similar music tastes.”
