Spotify Wrapped: a slave to the algorithm?
Some listeners aren't convinced by the streaming platform's AI features – or what they say about their music habits
Spotify has released its annual holiday present to subscribers – Wrapped, a colourful compilation of most-played tracks and listening insights personalised for each user. But this year "the whole experience felt more like getting socks for Christmas", said Maya Georgi in Rolling Stone.
Thanks to AI and Spotify's ever-evolving algorithm, some say the standard of Wrapped has dropped, feeding users repetitive and reductive recommendations. It's an entertaining concept, "but as a reflection of our taste, it's a poor substitute for a mix or playlist curated by human rather than artificial intelligence", said Tom Gatti in The New Statesman.
"It represents another facet of our personality that we're outsourcing to the tech gods. I want to keep my music close. I want to do my own wrapping."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Spotify's shift to AI
Wrapped has become a much-anticipated tradition for Spotify users (if a somewhat awkward one for Apple Music fans). Most-listened-to lists are shared widely across social media, a fact that may reflect "our cultural obsession with self-discovery", said Kofi Mframa in USA Today. "It's sort of like astrology for our ears."
To Spotify's credit, "it's a brilliant idea", said James Colley in The Guardian. "What do we love more than proof we're all individual, beautiful butterflies who think and feel more deeply than anyone else on the bus?"
But over recent years, Spotify has rolled out a suite of new AI-powered features. From an artificial DJ that curates a playlist on the fly, narrating as it goes, to the often bizarrely named "Daylists" (see one of Mframa's Daylists: "mood music quiet storm Monday evening") that are automatically generated three times each day, the app is now full of AI-driven functionality.
And in this year's Wrapped, users even received a unique, AI-generated podcast based on their listening habits. The "Audio Overview" is produced with Google's NotebookLM software.
"Often, its user-specific algorithm can create echo chambers that feed and refeed the same artists, songs, genres and overall 'vibes'," said Mframa. "At what point does hyper-personalization become incredibly impersonal and detached?"
A listening let-down
The concept of Spotify Wrapped can become quite addictive – and the knowledge that, at the end of the year, you'll have the chance to showcase your music taste to your friends and followers might even influence how you listen.
"Suddenly, you're aware you're being monitored," said Colley. "That everything you listen to in March will be on the final exam in December. Your individual predilection to listen to the part of the song that really hurts over and over and over again is going to return and be put on display for the world."
Although Spotify piloted its AI-generated recap podcast (and an "Ask AI Playlist" button in case you "want more Wrapped" afterwards), users are missing some of the streaming service's old features.
In 2024, users didn't receive a list of the genres they had listened to throughout the year. Plus, last year's "Sound Town" feature, which assigned a city to each listener based on their history, was cast aside.
"In a previous year, Spotify Wrapped also included a personalised Audio Aura that matched listening habits to specific moods," said Georgi. "These apparent one-off features were not included in the 2024 edition, to the dismay of many."
But for others, this year's Wrapped was just as disappointing as always. "The tragic news is that the results have dropped and for another year I have failed to become cool," said Colley. "Ah well, I'll try again next year."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The 'wild west' of unregulated cosmetic surgery in the UK
The Explainer Complaints soar as aesthetics industry, selling Botox and fillers, remains largely unregulated
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Attempts to arrest the impeached President Yoon have shown the 'erosion of the rule of law'
Today's Big Question Attempts to arrest the impeached President Yoon have shown the 'erosion of the rule of law'
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: dreamy ski chalets
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Norway, Austria and France
By The Week UK Published
-
The biggest music tours coming to the UK in 2025
The Week Recommends From Sabrina Carpenter to Bruce Springsteen, these are the most hotly anticipated acts
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Blake Lively accuses rom-com costar of smear job
Speed Read The actor accused Justin Baldoni, her director and costar on "It Ends With Us," of sexual harassment and a revenge campaign
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
10 concert tours to see this winter
The Week Recommends Keep warm traveling the United States — and the world — to see these concerts
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How domestic abusers are exploiting technology
The Explainer Apps intended for child safety are being used to secretly spy on partners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
10 upcoming albums to stream in the frosty winter
The Week Recommends Stay warm and curled up with a selection of new music from Snoop Dogg, Ringo Starr, Tate McRae and more
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Electric Dreams: a 'nerd's nirvana' at Tate Modern
The Week Recommends 'Poignant' show explores 20th-century art's relationship with technology
By The Week UK Published
-
The Producers: 'daringly' funny revival of Mel Brooks' classic musical
The Week Recommends Trevor Ashley is a 'wonder' as a 'Judy Garland-infused Hitler'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published