By Ruby Schwalm
So many things can happen in a span of one year. One might experience hardship and loss, heartbreak or breakthroughs, or joy with each season. The biggest indicator of how your year has gone can be determined by something as simple as the songs you listen to.
Spotify has a special feature at the end of each year called Spotify Wrapped. Usually presented at the beginning of December, compiled data is put together to show your listening habits. It’s a genius marketing tactic that most Spotify users look forward to, especially myself.
In 2022, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions. Many things have happened in my life including graduating high school, becoming a legal adult, losing and gaining friends, and becoming a more intellectual individual.
These events in life are flawlessly represented within my Spotify Wrapped.
My top genre was indie pop which is a unique genre of music that, according to Repeat Replay, is related to folk, experimental, and alternative music. It is much different compared to other genres that have a specific, defined sound.
According to Repeat Replay, “Indie is short for independent, meaning it’s not financially associated with any major music labels.”
Altogether, I listened to about 45,000 minutes of music. Most of which was spent diving deep into the indie pop genre.
Having indie pop music as my most streamed genre tells me that, throughout this year, I listened to mellow tones and soothing lyrics. I can specifically remember laying in the sun during summer break listening to songs like “Chateau” by Djo, “Devil’s Advocate” by The Neighborhood, and “Brazil” by Declan McKenna.
Earlier this past year, I experienced moments of loss or pain. Here, I found myself residing in this same genre, but listening to more sorrowful, heartfelt songs.
Songs like “After Dark” by Mr. Kitty, “Sunsetz” by Cigarettes After Sex, and “I Can’t Handle Change” by Roar. These songs provide the perfect mixture of calmness and feelings to mend a broken bond.
However, the majority of my year was consumed by upbeat indie pop hits.
Days when I was content with life and feeling positive vibes, I would listen to throwbacks like “Wait a Minute!” by WILLOW, love songs like “Tek It”, by Cafuné, and build-ups like “Borderline”, by Tame Impala.
Indie pop was a genre that perfectly covered events over the past year. That is why I believe Spotify Wrapped is a clear-cut and accurate representation of who we are and the music we allow ourselves to absorb.
