Spotify Wrapped takes over our feeds, but you don’t have to hand over your relationship with the music to AI | outsource Liz Pelly

I like the list season at the end of the year. I like the opportunity to remember and reflect on the notes that have stuck with me over the course of a year – especially when there is an opportunity to recommend something that others may have missed. I like to search through my friends’ favorites for albums that I completely missed, creating a long queue for listeners. I enjoy following critics as they try to determine the “best” of the year, even if I end up shouting in a group chat about how wrong they all are. I like it because it all requires looking back, racking your brain, and processing the year through listening. It requires thinking.

This year, as Spotify Wrapped takes over social media feeds once again, what strikes me is how the entire concept seems to discourage this critical practice into something more passive. It pushes listeners to stop thinking deeply and instead accept a scorecard with a company logo that reflects a very specific perspective on musical value. It encourages music fans to believe…