My Spotify Wrapped 2024

And thus, the 2024 season comes to a close, and in comes the end of the year traditions. I'm drowning in both work and tinsel, the weather is doing it's usual temperature nosedive in spite of my central heating, and Mariah Carey has fully defrosted like a festive ready meal from the depths of Nans freezer. It also means that Spotify Wrapped is here, after their relentless teasing, so lets have a peek at what happened this year, how it affected my last guesses in 2023, and what I reckon is coming up next. So, let's have a stare shall we?

Lets crack into my top tracks shall we, because most of them come from the same damn place. At numbers one, two and four respectively are tracks by Twenty One Pilots from their new record Clancy. I was absolutely enchanted by their latest album, playing it on repeat over and over again, and although I don't think Overcompensate or Next Semester are my favourite tracks off the album, they were both exceptional singles, and at the time, I streamed them both religiously to dissect them for everything they had. Routines in the Night however was a firm favourite, and although it only got to number four, it was definitely the one that got the most plays once the entire thing was released. It's a solid track, full of signature lyricism that's introspective and beautiful, a solid drum groove and just overall solid vibes. No wonder I wore it out this year to the number four spot.

In at number three is Boston Manor's Container. Once again a single I played the shit out of, but I will also say it's not my favourite off the record it came from. I seemed to have had a bit of a habit this year of indulging into the singles from the newest records because I'm physically so excited for them, and with Sundiver that was no exception. It was a super solid record, maybe even my favourite of this year, and this song was just brilliant. The energy this one has in it, and that real physical bite, what more could you ask for from these guys?

And, in a bit of a suprise appearance, we have Nazareth by Sleep Token. I love these guys, for many reasons, but have been really enjoying a lot of their older stuff, seeming as my stepping on point was Take Me Back to Eden. I am actually lucky enough to say I saw this song performed live when I saw Sleep Token for the first time, and thought as soon as I left the OVO that I needed to listen to the track properly. From their second EP, simply named Two, this track oozes violence, but with an undeniable funk and swagger that creates a beautiful dichotomy. Its a song that is simply the signature sound of this band distilled down to a pretty pitch perfect experience, balancing perfectly the grunting bass and guitars with glittery piano and immense soundscape. I'm glad this track snuck its way into my Wrapped this year, because it's been a pleasure to get to experience this song.

Next up is top artists...

For reference, that means that I spent 2.8 days straight listening to Twenty One Pilots. That's around a fifth of my total listening time, and again it's really no suprise. Clancy not only captured my ears with captivating music, brilliantly written and complexly produced, but it also captured my imagination. Once again bringing us into the narrative started in Trench this record bought the story to a boiling point, promising a final battle, and leaving us all with baited breath at the next moves of the main character. I hyper fixated on this record, on the fans responses, on the story and picked apart every lyric, every warped vocal or strange wording. This album blew me away on first listen, and snared me on every single revisit on just how brilliant it is. Twenty One Pilots have earnt this number one spot, and funnily enough I didn't even predict this one last year.

One I did predict however, and pretty pitch perfectly is Sleep Token. Not only did I delve my way through their discography both before and after seeing them live, I also decided to go and see them again this year. Unlike any other band I have listened to before, I am entirely ensnared by Sleep Token. Their music balances genre on a razors edge, willing to subvert expectations and blend elements that may not typically fit, but with these guys you never know where it's going to go next. Plus, they put on one hell of a live show. I have never seen such a spectacle on a live scale before - and I doubt I ever really will. From their first EPs and their later albums, the semi-perfection of their entire catalogue speaks for the insane talent and limitless potential of this band, and I hope we get to experience more of that in the new year.

I am so glad that Boston Manor also made this list. Also coming off the back of an insane new release, these guys are another band you really shouldn't be sleeping on. Blending rock, punk, hardcore and metal, these UK legends have been roaring their own path through the scene, both on their home turf, and across Europe and the US. Their latest offering Sundiver is sparkly and bright, but still brimming with their brooding bass tone and edge that have come to define their sound. It's another album I constantly have on repeat, not only because it's crazily replayable, but because the songs are so well put together you hear something brand new on almost every listen. A subtle bass twang, a drum groove, a line of lead guitar you never noticed, all wrapped up in their insane vigour and energy. What makes this so much more amazing is that the guys in this band are genuinely lovely people. I was lucky enough to meet the guys in London, and after being able to talk to them for a while, it only made me want to cheer them on more.

The last two are dead giveaways, and ones I also predicted last year. Both Green Day and Fall Out Boy have been staples of my listening habits since Wrapped began. They are both groups of musicians that have influenced my tastes, my attitudes, the ways I see the world and myself - and these feelings have been seriously compounded by the fact I have been able to see them both live recently. They are all still nailing it all these years on, and their latest records have been jaw dropping. Saviours was an emotional tour de force, full of punk song writing and catchy hooks, capturing the bands frustration at their political enviroment. In a similar vein, So Much (for) Stardust puts a spin on Pete Wentz's bleak world views, balancing the depressing with the joyous in a flurry of instrumentation. Both bands however, do find themselves at the bottom of this list - and I'll be honest when I say that I don't think they'll last another year. Let's talk about that a little...

Next Years Predictions

Sadly, I think Green Day and Fall Out Boy will end up falling off the list of my top artists come next year. Although they've been a mainstay of my taste in music for a very long time, they are starting to become more nostalgic in my mind as I move along in my musical journey. That's not to say I won't be listening to them anymore, quite the contrary, but I think that I'll be revisiting their music every now and again as more of a reminder of the past, than a commitment to the future.

I reckon Sleep Token will hold strong. With the murmurings of new music coming at some point in the future, and my current obsession with the band, I think I'll be enjoying their tunes for a while to come. Plus with a discography as broad, tonally, as theirs you can't really go wrong. There's literally a different album for every mood you find yourself in!

Twenty One Pilots is an iffy one for me. It's again been teased that Clancy isn't the end of this insane narrative the two piece have been teasing, but I think once again the listening may start to become a little more nostalgic as time goes on. However, I'm lucky enough to say I'm going to be seeing them live soon at the 02 on the final night of the Clancy Tour so I reckon the listening numbers will be bolstered for that - and if an announcement comes that new music is on its way, I won't be mad for something new to spin.

In terms of who I reckon will be on the list next year, I want to make a couple of predictions. I reckon LS Dunes will appear on the list in some description. It's usually bands I love that I get to see live that I end up fixating on, and seeing them next year support Rise Against as well as the release of their new record soon probably means that they'll be making their way up my listening playlists.

I also want to make a prediction that some Midwest Emo artists will begin to appear more next year. I've been really enjoying listening to The Front Bottoms, Modern Baseball, Turnover and Sundays at Your Place and reckon they'll make an appearance in next years listening metrics somehow. This year I think I was too late for it to be picked up, but next year I feel like it'll make its way into the metrics for sure - well if I carry on the way I am already.

So there we go, another Wrapped over, and another prediction made. I know it's a bit of a nothing event, but I think it's cool to keep an eye on our listening habits, and see what we're really enjoying at the moment. No matter what it is, I hope your wrapped was as good for you guys as mine was, and hope it looks the way you wanted it to - and hopefully without anyone who's in the firing line to be cancelled in the next 365 day stretch.