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Spotify Wrapped: Expectation vs. Reality
Maybe the month of nonstop “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” skewed your stats. Or perhaps it was that Black Country, New Road song that always came on shuffle. But as our own Taylor reminded us, “I'm definitely going to be wrong because I'm always so off every year.”
So, we cataloged our top artist predictions pre-Spotify wrapped. Then, we unpacked what we got wrong about our taste, and how we’re embracing reality.
Taylor
Expectation:
The two that really come to mind are Lana del Rey and Alex G. I’ve listened to “Runner” essentially every day since it came out. After that, it feels like a toss-up—I loved a lot of music this year! It’s hard to figure out which obsessions will win out over the others. Maybe Indigo de Souza? Maybe Weyes Blood? Maybe the Weeknd lol that would be fun…
Reality:
My top artists were Lana del Rey, Alex G, Florence + the Machine, Dehd, and Phoebe Bridgers. I told a friend my top artist was Lana and he said, “Oh no.” Toxic? Maybe. I felt kind of feral this year, in a fun way. I loved drama, atmosphere, happy angst. The biggest surprise here is probably Dehd—I didn’t remember how heavily I listened to them this spring, so seeing them on there was a fun reminder of how many little eras the year has held.
Miguel
Expectation:
Hiroshi Yoshimura is probably going to be at the top… You write an article about someone and it throws off your stats a bit. After that my best guesses would be The National, Adrienne Lenker, Alex G, and Florence + the Machine.
Reality:
Big Thief, the National, Adrienne Lenker, Blood Orange and Alex G were my top 5.
I’ve listened to the Big Thief album so consistently since it came out in February... A lot of this feels like the music I had on repeat all summer long. I saw 2 of my top artists live in 2022 and I’ll see the rest in 2023... So that feels like I’m doing something right.
Lily
Expectation:
If Voxtrot isn’t #1, I will be shocked. After that, I’m guessing Taylor Swift and Arcade Fire (listened a bunch at the beginning of the year and screeched to a halt in August 🙁). After that I’m not sure, maybe Wolf Alice and Black Country, New Road.
Reality:
Voxtrot, The 1975, Taylor Swift, Belle & Sebastian, and Wolf Alice.
None of these shock me. These are definitely the artists whose entire discographies I shuffle when I don’t know what to listen to. Happy with my wrapped this year. : )
Erin
Cath
Expectation:
Top artist will probably be Fred again.. and honestly I’ll be shocked if he isn’t, as his song “Kyle (i found you)” has been top of my On Repeat playlist for the last couple months. Following Fred again.., I’m guessing Ethel Cain, The Garden, an artist from my instrumental playlist that I always have on for cooking/meditating (think Oberhofer or Adrienne Lenker’s instrumental album), an older artist like Billy Joe Royal or Frankie Avalon, or Shakira because I had “Try Everything” from the hit movie (but could never be made in this time period) Zootopia on repeat for a good month this summer.
It was all Ethel Cain. Top artist, 4 out of my top 5 songs. Do with that what you will.
Spotify Wrapped: Expectation vs. Reality
You’ve got to have an idea of what you listened to most this year. right?
By the music team
12.21.2022
Maybe the month of nonstop “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” skewed your stats. Or perhaps it was that Black Country, New Road song that always came on shuffle. But as our own Taylor reminded us, “I'm definitely going to be wrong because I'm always so off every year.”
So, we cataloged our top artist predictions pre-Spotify wrapped. Then, we unpacked what we got wrong about our taste, and how we’re embracing reality.
Taylor
Expectation:
The two that really come to mind are Lana del Rey and Alex G. I’ve listened to “Runner” essentially every day since it came out. After that, it feels like a toss-up—I loved a lot of music this year! It’s hard to figure out which obsessions will win out over the others. Maybe Indigo de Souza? Maybe Weyes Blood? Maybe the Weeknd lol that would be fun…
Reality:
My top artists were Lana del Rey, Alex G, Florence + the Machine, Dehd, and Phoebe Bridgers. I told a friend my top artist was Lana and he said, “Oh no.” Toxic? Maybe. I felt kind of feral this year, in a fun way. I loved drama, atmosphere, happy angst. The biggest surprise here is probably Dehd—I didn’t remember how heavily I listened to them this spring, so seeing them on there was a fun reminder of how many little eras the year has held.
Miguel
Expectation:
Hiroshi Yoshimura is probably going to be at the top… You write an article about someone and it throws off your stats a bit. After that my best guesses would be The National, Adrienne Lenker, Alex G, and Florence + the Machine.
Reality:
Big Thief, the National, Adrienne Lenker, Blood Orange and Alex G were my top 5.
I’ve listened to the Big Thief album so consistently since it came out in February... A lot of this feels like the music I had on repeat all summer long. I saw 2 of my top artists live in 2022 and I’ll see the rest in 2023... So that feels like I’m doing something right.
Lily
Expectation:
If Voxtrot isn’t #1, I will be shocked. After that, I’m guessing Taylor Swift and Arcade Fire (listened a bunch at the beginning of the year and screeched to a halt in August 🙁). After that I’m not sure, maybe Wolf Alice and Black Country, New Road.
Reality:
Voxtrot, The 1975, Taylor Swift, Belle & Sebastian, and Wolf Alice.
None of these shock me. These are definitely the artists whose entire discographies I shuffle when I don’t know what to listen to. Happy with my wrapped this year. : )
Erin
| Expectation: I’m VERY confident Jeff Buckley will take the #1 spot. The others will probably be a ranking of various artists/bands from my favorite live shows this year: flipturn, Young the Giant, or Magdalena Bay, to name a few. I also randomly fell into a Nirvana rabbit hole after obsessing over the Kurt Cobain documentary I watched earlier this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the list. Reality: My top artists were Jeff Buckley, Nirvana, Young the Giant, indigo la End, and Radiohead. It truly was a year of revisiting my musical roots and feeling all the nostalgia for my angsty teenage self, and I’m not mad about it! |
Cath
Expectation:
Top artist will probably be Fred again.. and honestly I’ll be shocked if he isn’t, as his song “Kyle (i found you)” has been top of my On Repeat playlist for the last couple months. Following Fred again.., I’m guessing Ethel Cain, The Garden, an artist from my instrumental playlist that I always have on for cooking/meditating (think Oberhofer or Adrienne Lenker’s instrumental album), an older artist like Billy Joe Royal or Frankie Avalon, or Shakira because I had “Try Everything” from the hit movie (but could never be made in this time period) Zootopia on repeat for a good month this summer.
| Reality: |
Margaret
Expectation:
(in this order) Taylor Swift, Florence + The Machine, Maggie Rogers, Bleachers, Harry Styles.
Reality:
(in this order) Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Florence + The Machine, Lake Street Dive, Lorde.
My thoughts (not in this order): This is the second year in a row I have seen all of my top artists live before… What is my balance of listening to discover and listening to re-experience? I feel like the live-show Spotify reflection is because in the height of the pandemic, I was intensely missing live music, and post-lockdown, I am prioritizing seeing my favorite artists. Lake Street Dive surprised me but makes sense in hindsight—I spent more time with my family this year. When we’re together, instead of arguing over who controls the aux, we always just play Lake Street Dive. It’s comforting in an odd way to know I spent enough time in my childhood kitchen, my mother’s car, and my sister’s Ft. Collins home to alter my year of music.
Expectation:
(in this order) Taylor Swift, Florence + The Machine, Maggie Rogers, Bleachers, Harry Styles.
Reality:
(in this order) Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Florence + The Machine, Lake Street Dive, Lorde.
My thoughts (not in this order): This is the second year in a row I have seen all of my top artists live before… What is my balance of listening to discover and listening to re-experience? I feel like the live-show Spotify reflection is because in the height of the pandemic, I was intensely missing live music, and post-lockdown, I am prioritizing seeing my favorite artists. Lake Street Dive surprised me but makes sense in hindsight—I spent more time with my family this year. When we’re together, instead of arguing over who controls the aux, we always just play Lake Street Dive. It’s comforting in an odd way to know I spent enough time in my childhood kitchen, my mother’s car, and my sister’s Ft. Collins home to alter my year of music.
