The 2024 Spotify Wrapped has officially come out after much anticipation by fans and listeners. However, some changes have been made, and while some listeners are intrigued by the style, others are not. The New Yorker Magazine even described it as having an “uninspired presentation and a lack of personalization,” (Brickner). One of the main changes made to the algorithm has been the addition of AI, which also introduced listeners to “Music Evolution,” which has mixed reviews.
“I disliked the weird terms that the AI used to describe people’s music taste, with unrealistic genres such as ‘pink pilates princess strut pop’ or whatever else people were getting,” junior James Smith said.
While new things can bring better perception into one’s music taste, a large group of listeners left as though they were misrepresented in their results, largely due to the new element of AI.
“It did not [give accurate results] for myself or most people, since many thought the AI-generated results were providing incorrect data,” Smith said
Despite this, other listeners feel as though Spotify did an excellent job at capturing the essence of their personalized music taste.
“I think my Spotify Wrapped always does a good job of showing my growth as a person through the year,” junior Isabella Dawson said.
Although some negative feedback outweighs the positive, each individual’s opinion is different. Some may feel that the new AI and other changes have added new perspectives to Spotify that listeners have never experienced before.
“I think that Spotify Wrapped has gotten better every year. I liked the change this year,” Dawson said.
While avid listeners may have different opinions on how they hoped their Wrapped would be presented, those who aren’t on the app as much enjoy the removal of some categories that they feel don’t serve them as much as others.
“I liked that there were no top genres because I don’t really care that much,” Dawson said
However, for those who enjoy the multilayers of the Wrapped and the in-depth attention to detail, the removal of categories and the addition of the AI have taken the creatively whimsy-ness that listeners and fans wait all year to experience.
“I don’t personally believe that Spotify should have used AI for this year’s Wrap, it took away the art and creativity that people get excited for,” Smith said
Besides the 2024 Spotify Wrapped coming as a disappointment for a lot of fans, 2025 Wrapped may have things in store that could change the dynamic of the program for better or for worse.
