Presents aren’t the only things students are unwrapping this holiday season. The buzz around the Arcata High campus on December 4th was tangible, as Spotify Wrapped released that morning. Top songs, artists, and albums became the only conversations for the rest of the day. Screenshots of everyone’s Wrapped flooded Instagram stories. With the massive cultural impact Spotify Wrapped has, the importance of your individual Wrapped feels massive, and everyone is constantly trying to ensure that they will have a “good” Wrapped.
While designed to show an unbiased reflection of one’s music taste for the year, the original intent has been skewed. Judgment of others’ Spotify Wrapped is becoming increasingly common.
“Everyone asks you about it, and you can’t have embarrassing music on there,” senior Hiro Sugata said. “I think there’s a stigma around certain artists, especially because of where we live. For example, people are very divided on country music.”
For sophomore Dalia Kalson, Wrapped can also be embarrassing “if there is something off, outside of what people think you listen to. When I’m studying, I’ll listen to different types of music, something more chill to keep me focused.” Kalson wouldn’t classify this as her actual music taste, yet it showed up on her Wrapped.
Similarly, both Kalson and freshman Sadie Barret note that some of their top artists seemed out of place. These students’ music tastes changed a lot throughout the year, but artists they listened to in January or February showed up even though they don’t listen to them anymore. Changes in music taste during the year were a feature on this year’s Wrapped, but it can still be frustrating when your current musical taste isn’t represented.
While the cultural importance of Spotify Wrapped can make it a fun moment that brings people together, this exact documentation can make listening to music more about how others perceive you than your own enjoyment. When asked about their Wrapped, most people say that they were a little embarrassed by it, but listening to certain music solely because you think you should is the perfect way to suck all of the enjoyment out of it. And if everyone’s Wrapped is “embarrassing,” then no one’s is.
