Changing my Music Habits to Influence my Spotify Wrapped

One of my favorite things in life is sharing music. Like many people, I look forward to my Spotify Wrapped each year. And this year, I want to talk about some of them.

I'll be talking exclusively about songs this year, because I didn't do much in the way of listening to whole albums or single artists like I have in the past.

That is largely due to how I now treat new songs on spotify.

Changing the Way I "Like" Songs

In 2022, I purged my Liked Songs on Spotify, which was bloated with songs that I barely knew, listened to once, or were just part of an album I liked. With the Great Purge, I brought it down from over 2000 songs to just 700 that I knew I liked.

To keep my Liked Songs in check, I changed the way I added new music. I created a playlist called "Songs to Listen To" which... well you can guess the purpose of it. Every new song I was even marginally interested in was added to it. I'd then listen to the playlist and occasionally decide which songs get added to my liked songs and which don't. Once that decision is made, the song is removed from the playlist.

Because of this new process, I've found that I've had a lot more fun discovering new music. I find myself trying out new songs all the time, rather than diving deep into a single album or artist at a time. And, at least for now, I really like the change.

Just because I like the change doesn't mean the playlist i easy to keep short. My goal is to keep it to about 5 hours long... the playlist currently sits at almost 8 hours long, with 122 songs to go through.

With that out of the way, let's get into the list!

Top Track: "Dream House" by Deafheaven (2013)

A phenomenal track from a great album. I've yet to meet anyone who agrees with me, but at least I've found an online community who appreciates it.

I found this track (and artist) from a friend, who saw them open for Coheed and Cambria. She hated it, and I wanted to see for myself. I was not expecting to fall in love with the album.

I've been an amateur metal fan for years, so this was my first foray into black metal and shoegaze (which is apparently not an insult of some sort).

All I know is that I can describe this song as oddly calming. Its a high tempo song with (as a friend described it) "screaming quietly," but I find it relaxing in a way. Depending on my mood, this song is either a hype up or a relaxer.

I highly recommend listening to this track. I understand its not for everyone, but it might just be for you!

My Favorite Single: "Save Me" by Empress Of (2022)

An indie dance track that I just couldn't get enough of this year.

The electronic beat is just intoxicating, I can't stop myself from dancing to it. The opening of the chorus is perfect.

Her delivery of the lyrics are this weird mix of powerful and begging. You get the feeling that she knows that this person can't "save" her, but she still wants them to.

This one was an almost instant classic when I first heard it.

Selena Finds Her Voice: "Baila Conmigo" by Selena Gomez and Rauw Alejandro (2021)

I find myself really wanting to like Selena Gomez, and I'm not entirely sure why. Sometimes I feel like I'm putting more effort into being interested in her music than she is.

Her Revelación EP is the exception. I do really enjoy it, but I feel like its best listened to while doing something else. Selena isn't particularly good at commanding a room with her voice. She uses this as a strength in some songs, like "Good For You."

However, this EP wasn't about grabbing your attention, it was about showing Selena's personality. And she has more personality on this short EP than I've ever seen before, and I really appreciate that.

This whole EP feels like she was genuinely interested in making it. It isn't her making music because she was a Disney star and that's what they do. It's Selena finally sharing what makes her a unique popstar.

It is, by far, some of her best work (yes, much better than the annoying ear-worm "Calm Down").

The Punk Jam: "They Wouldn't Let Me In" by Alex Lahey (2023)

Alright, Alex Lahey isn't quite punk. But I'd describe her as indie with a touch of Australian punk. She's got that raw sound that only punk (and honestly only Australian punk) has.

I discovered Alex Lahey several years ago when she opened for Jimmy Eat World, and I've been a fan ever since. I got to see her live again (and meet her this time!) this June, and it was a great show. Intimate venue, great music, cheap(-ish) drinks. That's all I want from a show.

This song in particular is just a lot of fun. It's a funny song, but that's not all its got going for it. The flow she uses to deliver lyrics is just fun to try to sing along to, and there is a just great bassline in there.

"Wild Girl" by Kito and Empress Of (2021)

I like this song. I do. I was not expecting it to show up on this list.

It takes a bit to get started (especially considering its short length). Once it does, it feels like a precursor to Empress Of's delivery on "Save Me." She's not quite in pain because she's supposed to be wild, but she doesn't quite deliver in the wildness either.

I honestly believe this song is so high because it was right after "Save Me" in my Liked Songs. This is a good song, but compared to "Save Me," it gets blown out of the water.

Honorable Mentions

With my top 5 out of the way, I'll pick out a few others that I think are worth discussing. If you're interested in the full list, you can find the playlist at the bottom of the article.

"jealous of my friends" by Bea Miller (2023)

I love Bea Miller. I've loved her work for years now. But by far, her new stuff is her best.

When Olivia Rodrigo signaled to the pop world that guitars were back, I didn't expect Bea Miller to take that baton. But it felt like that's all that she was waiting for.

She's great at writing lyrics that are clearly personal to her, and I love that. I hope she sticks with this, because this sound suits her.

Side note: I hadn't watch the video for this song before writing this list, but I love it. Simple, creepy, personal. Wonderful use of a one take.

"Outlines" by Gereon (2020)

I love synths. I won't deny that. Anyone who knows my taste in music knows that. And Gereon gets synths.

I found Gereon from a Youtuber that recommended his synthwave stuff, and that guy was right.

Initiation is just gold. It's Gereon's first (and to date only) EP. I've been listening to it for years now.

I turn this on any time I want to get something done. It's perfect music for when you need to think, but need to think fast.

"Cheerleader" by Liza Anne (2023)

I saw Liza Anne open for Alex Lahey this year, and this was the song that got me into their set. It's a fun and simple song, but unique in Liza's cheeriness and delivery.

I later found "I Love You, But I Need Another Year" (2018), which is another great song. This one's all about about pain, love, and self-doubt. I've found this song sticks with me more than Cheerleader does, but they were different enough from each other to justify both being included.

"Turn The Page - Live" by Bob Seger (1975)

I have a lot of mixed feelings about saxophones. I know that's sort of a weird thing to say, but I feel very strongly about this.

In my experience, adding a saxophone to your rock song is a huge risk. I've never done it, but from what I can tell, it's really easy to mess up. And it's really hard to get right.

This gets it right. The opening sax is just... incredible. The whole song is solid, but it's carried by that saxophone.

"Dead Man Trail" by holybookofwang (2022)

Honestly I just need to call this one out because I definitely didn't expect it to show up on my top listens. This guy absolutely gives it his all and just kills it.

And if you don't watch Pat Finnerty on Youtube, you should.

"You Gon' Learn" by Eminem, Royce Da 5'9", and White Gold (2020)

This is here just because of Royce's verse. Its one of my favorite rap verses out there, and I recommend it solely for that.

Actually also White Gold's chorus is pretty solid.

You can skip Em's verse.

And those are some of my favorites listens of the last year. I love sharing music and love getting new recommendations.

Feel free to peruse my Top Songs of 2023. If you have any recommendations for me, share them with me on Twitter!