a super timely post about spotify wrapped by Abby H. '20
bloggers wrapped 2018
Spotify Wrapped day and the festivities surrounding it happened a long time ago. On that very same day, I asked the bloggers to share their stats with me, because we are curious beavers who eat data.
It seems like people enjoy seeing their listening data broken down into pretty little slides, but it also seems like people often don’t agree with how the data represents them. A common complaint this year (and last year) was that the so-called personalized stats were just wrong or only partially correct. I for one was a little irritated that my Spotify Wrapped was more a loose sampling than an overall snapshot of my listening habits. Then I remembered that 2018 was the year I began listening to podcasts a lot, so maybe I have just been replacing my Spotify Time with Podcast Time. But where is Janelle Monae’s Pynk, which I streamed at least 50 times over the course of a week, on my top 100 playlist? I don’t even recognize at least a third of the songs on that playlist. @spotify wyd.
This is relevant to you because algorithms suck sometimes. We laugh and grumble about them when it comes to this kind of stuff but some algorithms are just bad. Not just bad in the sense of “lol WRONG” but also institutionally bad. Algorithms aren’t leaving any time soon, so before we get too reliant on them, it’s important that we try to fix them. After all, I want the smart home devices that will inevitably care for me in my old age to play music that I actually like.
For Funsies, here are the bloggers wrapped and then unwrapped (because I like that people get a little uncomfy when their music taste is judged):
Blogger: Me
First song listened to in 2018: “m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar (this was definitely because he was the half-time show at the college football national championship)
First discovered artist of 2018: Jesse Boykins III
Minutes spent listening: 8,314
Favorite artist: Madvillain
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 5 hours
Top artists: Madvillain, Kid Cudi, The 1975, Amine, Death Grips
Top songs: “Here Comes Your Man” by Pixies, “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” by Talking Heads, “Disorder” by Joy Division, “Spice Girl” by Amine, “Cough Syrup” by Butthole Surfers
Top genres: rock, indie, pop, hip hop, punk
Top 100 songs playlist: here u go ;)
Favorite musical subgenre: alt rock
Oldest song: “Telstar” by The Tornados (1962)
Tastebreakers playlist: it’s decent
Comments from the blogger: This was a podcast year for me, so I wasn’t on Spotify as much, and when I was it was to listen to specific songs. Some of this seems wrong, though. Like I know for a fact that I went through a whole phase in October where I listened to Cab Calloway’s version of “St. James Infirmary Blues” ad infinitum because of this video. His version of the song is from 1933, so that should be my oldest song and not whatever that song is by the Tornados.
My personal judgment of the blogger: henlo abby. helllo you STINKY ABBY. go eat a playlist ugly
Blogger: Afeefah
First song listened to in 2018: “Young” by The Chainsmokers
Minutes spent listening: 16,488
Favorite artist: Pritam
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 28 hours
Top artists: Pritam, Arijit Singh, Atif Aslam, The Piano Guys, Shreya Ghosal
Top songs: “Enna Sona” by Arijit Singh, “Main Rang Sharbaton Ka” by Atif Aslam, “Samjhawan” by Arijit Singh, “Hawayein” by Arijit Singh, “Pehli Nazar Mein” by Atif Aslam
Top genres: pop, Desi, indie, dance/electronic
Top 100 songs playlist: yes
Favorite musical subgenre: Desi
Tastebreakers playlist: breaking the tastes
Comments from the blogger: I’ve never felt more self-conscious about the fact that I almost purely listen to Indian music.
My personal judgment of the blogger: needs more Indian music
Blogger: Alexa
First song listened to in 2018: “Meant to Be” by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line
First discovered artist of 2018: SZA
Minutes spent listening: 41,488
Favorite artist: Taylor Swift
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 95 hours (#noshame)
Top artists: Taylor Swift, Quinn XCII, Glades, Camila Cabello, Halsey
Top songs: “Meant to Be” by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, “Do Right” by Glades, “What the Hell Happened to Us” by Quinn XCII, “She Loves Control” by Camila Cabello
Top genres: pop, dance/electronic, hip hop, indie, rock
Favorite musical subgenre: dance pop
Oldest song: “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone (1965)
Comments from the blogger: ngl, I start listening to Taylor Swift after like 2 am if I’m psetting because it comforts me in those troubled times
My personal judgment of the blogger: ninety! five! hours! of! taylor! swift! how!
Blogger: Jamie
First song listened to in 2018: “24K” by Jae Stephens
First discovered artist of 2018: Seeb
Minutes spent listening: 80,048
Favorite artist: Lana Del Ray
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 161 hours
Top artists: Lana Del Rey, Halsey, Banks, Hayley Kiyoko, Zella Day
Top songs: “One More Day” by Sistar, “Hypnotic” by Zella Day, “Dusk Till Dawn” by ZAYN, “This Is What Makes Us Girls” by Lana Del Rey, “High By the Beach” by Lana Del Rey
Top genres: pop, indie, dance/electronic, hip hop, R&B
Top 100 songs playlist: enjoy
Favorite musical subgenre: dance pop
Oldest song: “O Fortuna” by Carmina Burana (composed in 1936, recorded in 1973)
Tastebreakers playlist: more like tastemakers
Comments from the blogger: I rly hope I win “minutes spent listening” and “time spent listening to favorite artist”
My personal judgment of the blogger: I declare you the winner
Blogger: Joel
First song listened to in 2018: “Freakin’ Me Out” by the Mowglis
First discovered artist of 2018: Maximilian Hecker
Minutes spent listening: 39,201
Favorite artist: Talking Heads
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 34 hours
Top artists: Talking Heads, Hot Chip, Arcade Fire, MGMT, Yo La Tengo
Top songs: “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots – Part 1” by The Flaming Lips, “(Nothing But) Flowers” by Talking Heads, “Graceland” by Paul Simon, “And She Was” by Talking Heads, “Dress Up in You” by Belle & Sebastian
Top genres: indie, rock, dance/electronic, pop, punk
Top 100 songs playlist: there are some bops on here
Favorite musical subgenre: indie pop
Oldest song: “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Sometimes)” by Chet Baker (1956)
Tastebreakers playlist: viewer discretion is advised
Comments from the blogger(s):
Nisha: JOEL I LOVE THE FLAMING LIPS !!! they’re so good
Joel: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA yoshimi battles is such a good album
Nisha: YEA IT IS OMG I REALLY LIKE DO YOU REALIZE
My personal judgment of the blogger: wait didn’t you graduate already
Blogger: Kathleen
First song listened to in 2018: “Gone in Bloom and Bough” by Caspian
First discovered artist of 2018: Caspian
Minutes spent listening: 59,021
Favorite artist: Rejjie Snow
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 54 hours
Top artists: Rejjie Snow, BORNS, Rex Orange County, Tyler the Creator, Arctic Monkeys
Top songs: “The Ways” by Khalid and Swae Lee, “Apricot Princess” by Rex Orange County, “Opps” by Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok, “Baby I’m Bleeding” by JPEGMAFIA, “ACID TRIP” by Rejjie Snow
Top genres: pop, indie, hip hop, rock, R&B
Favorite musical subgenre: indie R&B
Oldest song: “Sleepy-Eyed John” by Johnny Horton (1956)
Comments from the blogger: idk this isn’t really representative of my music taste.
My personal judgment of the blogger: depends on if you’re listening to recent Tyler the Creator or his early stuff
Blogger: Nisha
First song listened to in 2018: “Five Years” by David Bowie
First discovered artist of 2018: David Bowie
Minutes spent listening: 48,483
Favorite artist: Pearl Jam
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 58 hours
Top artists: Pearl Jam, David Bowie, She Wants Revenge, Arctic Monkeys
Top songs: “Sleeping by Myself” by Pearl Jam, “Poison” by Alice Cooper, “Fluorescent Adolescent” by Arctic Monkeys, “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden, “Future Days” by Pearl Jam
Top genres: rock, indie, pop, punk, metal
Top 100 songs playlist: I’m dying bc NIN’s “Closer” is on here
Favorite musical subgenre: permanent wave
Oldest song: “Sweet Leilani” by Bing Crosby (1956)
Tastebreakers playlist: how can an algorithm understand taste
Comments from the blogger: i listened to a lot of pearl jam songs on repeat to learn for my boyfriend so as a result my musical taste is skewed very heavily. they’re super good tho so i dont mind
My personal judgment of the blogger: this is all stuff I listened to in high school so good job
Blogger: Petey
First song listened to in 2018: “Paralytic” by Dead Poetic
First discovered artist of 2018: Misery Signals
Minutes spent listening: 25,303
Favorite artist: Thrice
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 20 hours
Top artists: Thrice, Bring Me The Horizon, The Devil Wears Prada, Between the Buried and Me, Dance Gavin Dance
Top songs: “White Noise 145 Hz”, “Penance” by Holding Absence, “Heaven Knows” by Holding Absence, “Doomed” by Bring Me The Horizon, “Dream of Me” by Holding Absence
Top genres: rock, punk, indie, metal, pop
Top 100 songs playlist: disappointed that I couldn’t find the white noise song on here
Favorite musical subgenre: rock
Oldest song: “Rosalita” by Bruce Springsteen (1973)
Tastebreakers playlist: eh
Comments from the blogger: I would be ashamed if I was capable of feeling shame
My personal judgment of the blogger: I’m concerned that the intensity of your music tastes will scare off applicants
Blogger: Shuli
First song listened to in 2018: “Green Light” by Lorde
First discovered artist of 2018: Halsey
Minutes spent listening: 451
Favorite artist: Lorde
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 1 hour
Top artists: Lorde, Echosmith, Fall Out Boy, Halsey, Imagine Dragons
Top songs: “Save Rock and Roll” by Fall Out Boy, “Loving Is Easy”, “Take Me”, “When Someone Stops Loving You” by Little Big Town, “May I Have This Dance” by Francis and the Lights
Top genres: pop, indie, rock, punk
Favorite musical subgenre: dance pop
Tastebreakers playlist: how were they able to generate this when Shuli only listened to 451 minutes of music total
Comments from the blogger: although this is an accurate portrayal of the stuff i like, i mostly listen to itunes so the minutes listened is way off lol
My personal judgment of the blogger: needs more Canadian content
Blogger: Veronica
First song listened to in 2018: “In My Feelings” by Drake
First discovered artist of 2018: Drake
Minutes spent listening: 7300
Favorite artist: Sauti Sol
Time spent listening to favorite artist: 10 hours
Top artists: Sauti Sol, Elevation Worship, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Tekno
Top songs: “Free Fallin'” by John Mayer, “Girl Next Door” by Sauti Sol and Tiwa Savage, “In the Name of Love” by Martin Garrix, “No Tears Left to Cry” by Ariana Grande, “Nitafanya” by Kidum
My personal judgment of the blogger: the in my feelings challenge seems like it was so long ago