Each December, the audio streaming app Spotify drops Spotify Wrapped. Some may assume it’s simply for the entertainment of their users, but it is much more than that. Spotify Wrapped is an annual, personalized year-in-review in which Spotify curates an engaging and shareable story revealing users top songs, artists, genres, and total listening minutes. It additionally features other fun yet creative aspects like the users estimated listening age based on their music taste. It even includes fan leaderboards, allowing users to see how they rank globally among other fans of their favorite artist. Spotify designs these features to be easily shared on social media, spreading the popularity over multiple platforms and turning individual listening into a larger communal experience.
So, what is behind Spotify’s special feature that has listeners waiting for it to drop all year? It is one of the platform’s largest marketing campaigns which encourages users to share their results on social media, specifically Instagram stories, turning them into unwitting brand advocates.
This initial idea was created by former Spotify intern Jewel Ham in 2019, who suggested the idea to make the yearly recap more engaging for Gen Z listeners. Her design included shareable cards, allowing listeners to tag their friends and repost their top artists, transforming data into a highlight reel of music. Although Ham’s idea was used and brought to life a few months later, she felt uncredited for her work as Spotify named it a “team effort,” sparking wider conversations about intern recognition.
This year, Spotify’s top artist was Bad Bunny, marking his fourth time holding the spot with nearly 20 billion global streams. He took the lead with his album DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS, which was released in January, 2025. The Puerto Rican superstar was followed by Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Billie Eilish. In previous years, Taylor Swift took the title for most streamed Spotify artist, though there was a mix of artists when it came to top streamed songs and albums. For example, in 2023, the top album was written by country singer Morgan Wallen and the top song was by artist Miley Cyrus. This is another reason Spotify Wrapped is so engaging to users; its mix of statistics creates excitement for all music listeners.
Concord Academy’s campus was buzzing about Spotify Wrapped when it was released on Wednesday, December 3. Although another music streaming app, Apple Music, released their version of the music year in review the night before—Apple Music Replay—the majority of CA students are Spotify users. Students were comparing their top artists, total listening minutes for the year, and their so-called listening age. Spotify Wrapped remains a global phenomenon. It is part analytics, part nostalgia, and entirely a celebration of music and how it brings us together.