The Pop Corporation

Spotify Wrapped 2024 is upon us and, obviously, spare a thought for those people who pushed all their chips into those dreadful puritans over Apple who are gamely looking at whatever Apple Music equivalent their is, while Apple music impose increasingly draconian rules about what is allowed on their marketplace, and thereby taking all vague nudity and adult chat off the internet.

Bloody Americans.

Anyway, Spotify aren’t without their own problems of course, almost single-handedly removing all of the money from music for artists with their regrettably great product. Annoying as they are, who doesn’t love sharing playlists to everyone, based around wildly specific moods and increasingly niche genres? It’s what makes the platform so irritatingly rewarding.

Of course, Spotify are pushing algorithmic listening, which means they in effect get to control which bands slip through to people’s ears BUT if you’re making cool playlists to begin, then you should get better suggestions. We’ve had some great Turkish psychedelia delivered our way, thanks to our silly playlists of obscure music from around the world.

And with that, all that data that’s been harvested, Spotify have at least turned into something of a fixture in the music calendar. Each December, they make some flashy graphics to tell us what we’re like on their platform, what we’ve been listening to, who we’re the top fans of, and of course, this whole thing gives us the chance to show off to our friends on social media.

Let us not forget the people who are naysayers – they get to have their own fun too! They get to say they don’t care about your stupid Wrapped things, and they still buy records and support music and YAA BOO IT SUCKS TO BE YOU etc. The festive period is for everyone, after all.

This year, there’s a few bits to keep you interested. There’s a new AI thing (because of course there fucking is) where “fans can dive deeper into their year’s top songs, artists, and genres, delivered using generative AI by two dynamic hosts”.

Spotify says this function allows us to enjoy “a next-level listening experience to Wrapped, providing commentary about your year alongside the music that soundtracked it”. There’s even a listening streak, which is cribbed from DuoLingo by the sounds of it.

Some big acts have recorded messages thanking fans and such, and leaning into the podcast boom, there’ll be short missives from some of the hosts they’ve been listening to this year.

Here’s a list of Spotify’s most streamed songs in the UK in 2024. Again, as this is a time of celebration for all, feel free to feel like you’ve contributed to the success of these songs, enjoy being ‘basic’, or very loudly telling everyone on the internet that you’ve never even heard of any of these people because you like ‘real’ music.

Of course, we’ll be doing our End of Year lists and radio show soon too, as we’re just as bad as anyone else, imposing our tastes on anyone who’ll listen.

UK Most-Streamed Songs

‘Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)’ by Dasha

‘Stick Season’ by Noah Kahan

‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter

‘Beautiful Things’ by Benson Boone

‘Too Sweet’ by Hozier

‘Lose Control’ by Teddy Swims

‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ by Billie Eilish

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ by Chappell Roan

‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ by Shaboozey

‘Please Please Please’ by Sabrina Carpenter