Spotify Wrapped is out, and I feel dragged. I know I'm a freak for musical theater and top 40, but like, only I can call myself that, ya know? To be told it so plainly in the form of hard data on my personal music-listening habits from the last year (and decade!) is an affront to my eyeballs and ego. But I digress.
Today is an annoying day on my social media feeds, which are mostly comprised of my peers sharing their Spotify Wrapped data to assert publicly that they listen to obscure music under the thinly-veiled guise of partaking in a cute year-end reflection. But what about those among us who feel knocked down a few pegs by seeing our musical sensibilities synthesized so boldly? Like, who knew that, as a 25-year-old woman, I listened to so much One Direction? Alas, apparently I'm not the only one left exposed, embarrassed, and thrown under the bus by their Wrapped data. Ahead, some of our community members sound off on their most-listened music of the year and subsequent shame around said results. Drag us, we dare you. See if that'll stop us from listening to the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack on loop in 2020.
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"I have this idea of myself as a cool chick who listens to indie folk, but Spotify just informed me that I'm actually a weirdo that mostly listens to movie scores. My number one album of 2019 was BBC's Call The Midwife soundtrack. My number one artist of the decade is the composer Thomas Newman, known for hits like the original scores from Little Women (1994) and Meet Joe Black (1998). I literally hate myself." — Olivia, 27
"Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper because I had A Star Is Born on REPEAT but I am not ashamed!!! I am a bit embarrassed to have Taylor Swift in my top five because it makes me feel basic - no offense to Swifties!" — Melissa, 32
"I'm simultaneously embarrassed and annoyed. My top artist of the year is someone I don't even know (Celestial Aeon Project…?) all because I play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons and apparently that artist is on the D&D playlist I stream while I play. I feel robbed of knowing who my top artist really is!" — Elisha, 23
"The Hamilton soundtrack — I didn't realize I was that obsessed. Or even a musicals nut. Also, the top played songs are those by King George — clearly I relate to him." — Rach, 26
"The Riverdale cast was my second most-listened-to artist and three songs from the Riverdale musical episode of Heathers were in my top ten songs. I had a feeling this would happen because I went through a real phase this summer where I only listened to that on repeat but it was embarrassing realize how much!" — Emma, 25
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"LIL PEEP SO MUCH LIL PEEP I DIDN'T REALIZE I LISTENED TO SO MUCH LIL PEEP BUT TURNS OUT FOR LIKE 7 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR I WASN'T OK AND I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE IT UNTIL NOW" — Eliza, 24
"I like to pretend that I have really great taste in music to the outside world, but in reality I am so cheesy. My entire list this year was pretty much the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend soundtrack, with four out of my top five being songs that the character Nathaniel sung. Even though the soundtrack made me really laugh a lot this year (and the songs are legit amazing, I'm not embarrassed because they're bad!), I'm not sure I want other people to see that I only listened to songs called stuff like "Let's Have Intercourse" and "Fit Hot Guys Have Problems Too." Also, last year my Spotify Wrapped featured the Mamma Mia 2 soundtrack VERY heavily and I vowed that I would try and branch out a bit in my listening taste after that, but apparently 2019 was the year I got really into musical theatre." — Amelia, 27
"Ed Sheeran topped out as my number one artist of the year, beating out Paul Simon — who is honestly my ALL TIME FAVORITE and always will be. I feel completely attacked by this result. JUST because I listened to "I Don't Care" upwards of 200 times since it dropped doesn't mean Ed is my #1. I was also told Sam Smith is my artist of the decade…another attack that I can only attribute to my momentary obsession with his album The Thrill Of It All. Listen up Spotify, music fads do not translate to year- or decade-long loyalty. OK?!" — Elizabeth, 29
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