Every December, for only a day or so, the conversation starter from practically everyone is this: “How’s your Spotify Wrapped?” My answer changes every year. 

This year, my truthful answer is that my results were expected. But the path my listening habits went through to get where they are has been an ever changing one over the years – and they have been tracked by Wrapped.

If we go back to my eighth grade and freshman years of school, my top genre both years was pop punk. Every song I played was youthful, chaotic, and revved up – all qualities that I found to be in contrast with who I was. I was quiet and shy, so I listened to music that brought the energy. I listened to songs that, although interesting to me at the time, didn’t represent who I was or who I wanted to be.

By my sophomore year, I started to choose tracks that supported me while I pushed into new activities. Just as I stepped out of my comfort zone in the world, joining more clubs and talking to more people, I opened my boundaries for music. My Wrapped showed that I started listening to 2000s music and classic rock bands. The themes, sounds, and vibes of the tunes I streamed changed by the day. 

By this year’s Wrapped, my results were much more mature and developed. Fleetwood Mac dominated my statistics, and my top three genres were soft rock, classic rock, and soundtracks. My vibes were cozy – very nostalgic, soothing, and quiet in its comfort. Just as I’ve found my interests and grown into a young adult instead of a pre-teen, my music taste has changed into something more relaxed.

This is not to discredit my past music choices; that music taste is still with me. My past favorites will still get a toe tap or a lip sync if I hear them playing. But my primary interest in music, and life overall, has changed. I find comfort in the new things. With the change of my personality comes the change of my music taste, and there is no doubt I’ve changed a lot in just a few years.