Spotify Wants To Rule The World - 2021 Wrapped
Sounds Good!
End of year lists are starting to arrive - and many of us are sitting there cursing out 2021 for being worse than 2020. You know, we sat there a year ago, lucky to be alive - and passingly grateful for that - and we said things like, ‘well a new year couldn’t be much worse than this one’. And then it turned up. And it was. And now we’re here. And 2022 won’t be a whole lot better either.
But we are here! That’s something. That’s - maybe - everything. And in the remaining Fridays of 2021 I want to focus on the positive musical things that happened this year. (It’s fair to say that most Fridays I focus on something positive within or relating to music, at least I hope I do).
Today I thought I’d share some of my Spotify Wrap for the year. This absurd new/ish thing where you’re told all about what you’ve been listening to. And you’re supposed to learn about yourself, and not worry about the metadata you have given up.
My Spotify algorithims are a mess. I use it as a tool for reviewing - as well as for my general everyday listening - and I listen to music a lot. So much so that I often now fall asleep with airbuds in - my phone chewing through music all through the night. I wake up to enjoy a bit of it, or it soundtracks my dreams, makes them weird/er…
So, let’s have a look then eh…
Oh, thanks Spotify. You know I do sometimes listen to whale sounds. And I listen to a lot of ambient music, so I wasn’t expecting 336 other genres. That’s a lot of subgenres no doubt. So what are my top genre picks. What are the go-to musical styles for me, you hear me read me asking, er, myself…
No real surprise at all that I’m listening to a lot of soundtracks - that’s been the number one this year. And ambient, which I’m pretty sure was number one last year, gets bumped a spot. ‘Classic Rock’ and ‘Singer/Songwriter’ is probably where the ‘review’ aspect comes in (beyond the ambient and soundtrack albums I review). And ‘Contemporary jazz’ is interesting - I’d have thought just jazz - but again, listening to brand new albums to think about reviewing them perhaps. All pretty standard though. No surprises at all really. So, what surprises do you have for me, Spotify?
Okay, that is weird. I did climb right into Kendrick this year - fashionably late. And I did listen to Juliana Barwick a lot - and you should too! - but that album was actually released late in 2020 (and I reviewed it in 2020 too). So I’m surprised to find it so high up the list for this year. But no, that’s not it. The Dario Marianelli cue from a 2015 soundtrack is a little random too - but, hey, soundtracks! Just surprised it wasn’t a horror movie one…
Ah, cool. All good…
Anyway, Tears For Fears? That’s something the whole family loves. We are all into that. We’ve all picked it. Several times. Obviously. But also, I’m loving trying to play along to it on the drums - very badly, of course. I’d be loving it more if I could play along to it very well. But I only have one setting with drums. Anyway, great song. And deceptively tricky wee drum-groove and feel. So, yeah, that’s been played a lot!
But what is with the Eminem?
Oh!
Really?
Ok. Really…
Hang on! There’s no way I spent 2000 minutes listening to Eminem. I don’t even know the song Lucky You. What is feat. Joyner Lucas? I don’t even know what or who that is…
That is a lot of artists. I guess. But I did not get serious with Eminem. In any way. At all.
Yes. So you keep saying. But I do not know this song. Spotify is broken. These stats and charts and video packages designed to be shared out on social media are all wrong. There’s just no way I -
Oh. Yeah. That’s right. I have a 10-year-old son. He listens to Kendrick. And a few other things. Something called Logic. (Whatever that is?) And he is OBSESSED with Eminem! And he uses my phone, like, all the time. He shuts me out of my own Spotify account and treats himself to music on his computer - under my name!
Now, that’s more like it. Podcasts. And they’re all mine too! I love those shows. I do listen to loads more - but imagine if my own podcast showed up in my list of most-listened-to podcasts. Shame! Phew. (It can turn up in your list though. That is fine!)
This is a lot. But it’s also only part of the story.
I listen to records. I listen to CDs - sometimes. Some still arrive in the post, and I have a few old ones I like to have a hoon on now and then. Likewise, I have some tapes too.
But I reckon I actually listen to music on YouTube more than I listen to Spotify.
And if YouTube did similar stats and packages it would tell you a whole other story. It would tell you that my band of the year was Tangerine Dream (I’m working my way through their 100+ album catalogue). It would tell you, too, about Billie Holiday. And John Carpenter - Again! It would probably mention some other jazz artists - Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Mike Nock.
Of course I chronicle most of what I listen to on my Twitter account. And I share a lot of thoughts about albums I’m listening to on my Off The Tracks Facebook page. And I photograph most of the covers of the albums and share them on Instagram.
So Spotify is just one piece of the puzzle.
And I have no shame in any of this. Just a bit gutted my 10-year-old stole my thunder with the top choice. But at the same time, I’m stoked he’s so passionate about music listening. And now I know what to get him for Christmas: His own bloody Spotify account!
Now, with all that said - and I’m not sure what I actually said, just shared a few picture-charts about Spotify-listens - I am still keen to share a playlist with you, the mixtapes of today. I lamented the new digital mixtapes recently - when compared with the blood, grit and tears of the mixtapes we used to ‘actually’ make. But I love creating a Spotify playlist here each week. And though I’m yet to listen back to it I reckon this week’s one is gonna rip.
So here’s A Little Something For The Weekend…Sounds Good! (Vol. 41).
But also you can check out how silly my top listens of the year playlist looks since it’s merged - uncomfortably - with all Oscar’s selections by checking out my Spotify directly. And help yourself to anything else while you’re there. You’ll find all the weekly playlists for this newsletter saved in a folder. Load of other playlists besides…
I’m keen to know about your top listens of the year and your Spotify Wraps.
And here’s the Linktree which has all the links to all the various social channels and things I’ve shared throughout.
