Spotify Wrapped's 'Me in 2023' feature spotlights your embarrassing listening habits
Spotify knows about your complicated relationship with your annual Spotify Wrapped, and the company fully leaned into it this year. Its new "Me in 2023" feature reminds us that not only does Spotify know what you listen to, but it also knows the dirty secret of how you listen as well.
Similar to last year's Listening Personalities, Me in 2023 assigns you one of 12 "listening characters" which reveal the distinct way you listened to music this year. They expose if you're someone who listens to sad music in the dark (the "Vampire") or if you're the type to listen to the same song on repeat until you physically can't stand it anymore (the "Time Traveler").
Other listening characters include the "Shapeshifter" (you move on quickly from one artist to the next), the "Luminary" (you are well-adjusted and play light, upbeat music), the "Hypnotist" (you're the type to play albums all the way through in deep focus), and the "Alchemist" (you make a lot of playlists). Each character is presented with its own unique graphic reminiscent of a tarot card. (Audio Aura, we will never forget you.)
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Me in 2023 signifies a shift by the streaming giant to embrace the way Wrapped is talked about on social media, as something that is deeply revealing and sometimes humiliating. It even debuted Wrapped stickers across social and messaging platforms like Instagram Stories that you can use to censor your more unsavory and embarrassing top songs and artists. One reads, "redacted" and another says, "If you know you know."
And for each of your top artists, Spotify will reveal your "peak listening month" in case you want to revisit the time that particular artist soundtracked your life. Additional data this year includes the day you listened to the most music, which, again, is one way to reflect on the past year — the good, the bad, and the highly emotional. Ask yourself: Why did you listen to 497 minutes of music on June 4?
While Me in 2023 might disclose something about the way you listen to music that mortifies you, that kind of collective commiseration does numbers on social media. Remember: Spotify is always watching.
Elena is a tech reporter and the resident Gen Z expert at Mashable. She covers TikTok and digital trends. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American History. Email her at [email protected] or follow her @ecaviar_.
