The Pop Corporation

Regardless of whether Spotify is a net good for music, one thing that is fun is seeing what people have been listening to. Sure, the psychoanalysis that goes along with it can give you something to mildly worry about at night, but the 2020s just saw people using social media to share music all but dry up.

Maybe it’s the march of the podcast? Maybe people are just more gatekeepy these days? Whatever it is, the end of the year is marked by people sharing their tastes in music and that’s always fun. Fun, as in ‘sneering at people’s choices’ or feeling some kinship with people who have been hammering the same songs as you.

Of course, Wrapped has its detractors. Usually, people being sniffy about such things are in their 30s and 40s, and they’ve spent all year trying to position themselves as a primo meme sharer, or worse still, someone constantly sharing progress photos from the gym and a stream of Strava maps.

Not one of these things is serious business, because it’s just messing around online, after all. However, one thing that is great is showing a smaller band how much you love them, when you get to tag them in an Instagram Story to yell about how they’re your second favourite band of the year, closely behind some stadium filling behemoth.

That stuff counts for loads to smaller bands. Every little helps, and all that.

For ourselves, we get to remind ourselves of the year itself – 2023’s Wrapped shows you what you listened to each month, so you can laugh about that depressive episode you had when you listened to nothing but morose pop, which transforms the next month into an entirely new feeling. Nothing earmarks a period in your life like a good song.

It’s fun to see what’s been on repeat. It’s funny when you find yourself predictable, with the same band topping your charts year-or-year.

Do we learn anything about ourselves? Do we learn anything about everyone else? Probably not. However, looking at song-titles and flashy graphics is a laugh and these little missives have become an integral part of the music calendar, and while your fave band is probably only getting £1.18 in royalties from Spotify, it’s the most social time of the year.

It’s also good, clean fun. Lately, that’s something sorely lacking on social media. Laughing together at our pleasures and once secret listens. Cheering on the appearance of cool bands in other people’s lists.

Fleeting fun. Don’t knock it.