Spotify's annual Wrapped feature has introduced a new 'listening age' tool, sparking both delight and dismay among users. The feature analyses listening habits to assign a playful age based on musical preferences, with some younger users finding themselves labelled as retirees and older listeners discovering a youthful musical profile.
Among those surprised by their results was Grimes, who posted a listening age of 92, attributing it to her 'love of the oldies'. Mark Morgan, 37, received a listening age of 72, which he linked to his enjoyment of Linda Ronstadt's 'Long Long Time'. In contrast, John Howes, 67, was given a listening age of 17 thanks to his engagement with new music through a local sharing group.
Spotify explains that the feature is based on a 'reminiscence bump', comparing users' listening history with others of similar generations. The aim is to encourage sharing of Wrapped findings, a tactic described by digital marketing entrepreneur Troy Osinoff as 'the most successful marketing tactic of the last 10 years'.
Taylor Swift topped UK streams for the third consecutive year, followed by Drake, Sabrina Carpenter, and The Weeknd. The most streamed song was Alex Warren's 'Ordinary'. Meanwhile, a rival campaign called Unwrapped has criticised Spotify for hosting AI-generated music and running ads from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which Spotify defends as part of a broader government campaign.
