Tag: 2022 Spotify Wrapped

EQUAL Global Ambassador Sara James Celebrates Her First Artist Wrapped After a Breakthrough Year

December 1, 2022

Spotify listeners all over the world are taking part in Wrapped and learning about their listening habits. And just as Wrapped is an exciting time for fans, creators are feeling the anticipation too.

Now in its sixth year, Artist Wrapped delivers a personalized experience through a microsite presented by Spotify for Artists. It’s a moment just for the creators, who can get in on the global Wrapped experience by discovering how their music connected with fans across the world. This includes a breakdown of the total hours their music has been streamed, follower and listener stats, playlist adds, total numbers of shares, and more.

New to Wrapped this year is Songwriter Wrapped: Spotify’s celebration dedicated to the storytellers behind some of the most beloved lyrics that soundtracked 2022. Songwriter Wrapped recognizes a wide range of songwriters who have official Songwriter Pages on Spotify, including the likes of Max Martin [the Swedish mastermind who worked on Lizzo’s Special and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM], Tainy [the Puerto Rican producer who had a major hand in Bad Bunny’s blockbuster album, Un Verano Sin Ti], Louis Bell, Kid Harpoon, and, of course, NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Decade, Taylor Swift.

One rising star who has been waiting for their Artist Wrapped to drop is Polish singer Sara James, who made history this past June after she became the youngest-ever EQUAL Global Ambassador at age thirteen. 

Since then, Sara’s celebrated her fourteenth birthday, reached the finals on the most recent season of America’s Got Talent, made an appearance on the Spotify: Mic Check podcast, and become the first Polish artist to take part in the Spotify Singles program, with “My Wave” and her cover of Billie Eilish’s “lovely.” Throw in the continued success of her hit single “Somebody,” and Sara will finish the year as the Most Streamed Artist on Spotify’s global EQUAL Playlist in 2022.

For the Record caught up with Sara to talk about her breakout year, her music, and what she’s excited to discover on her 2022 Artist Wrapped.

For the Record caught up with Sara to talk about her breakout year, her music, and what she’s excited to discover on her 2022 Artist Wrapped.

What were some of your personal 2022 highlights? 

I think my favorite highlight was reaching the finals of America’s Got Talent and getting the golden buzzer from Simon Cowell. That was a huge deal to me because I wasn’t just in Poland, but in America. And obviously, being a part of EQUAL was wonderful.

June 2022 saw you named the youngest EQUAL Global Ambassador, and now Wrapped has revealed that you’re the #1 Most Streamed Artist on Spotify’s global EQUAL Playlist in 2022. How are you feeling about your accomplishments this year? 

That’s crazy. Like, actually crazy. And I’m just so happy and so honored to serve as an example for women and younger people, and show that you can do it and nothing’s going to stop you. You just have to follow your dreams.

Which women artists have you been listening to most this year?

There were a lot, but I would definitely say ROSALÍA, that’s for sure. I would also say Billie Eilish, Tems, and Beyoncé’s album RENAISSANCE. 

What are you excited for most in your 2022 Artist Wrapped? How do you think you’ll use the learnings going forward?

This is going to be my first year experiencing my Artist Wrapped. I’m really excited and just want to see what I’m going to find out. I’m super excited and I’ll probably learn a lot of stuff. For example, I’m interested to see where people listen to me. For example, if I discover people in Spain listen to me a lot, then maybe I will release a song in Spanish.

What does Sara James have in store for the world in 2023?

Music, music, music, that’s for sure. I want to go on tour for my new album. I also want to show the world the more mature Sara James.

Want to learn more about one of 2022’s hottest songwriters? Listen to our Wrapped episode of Spotify: Discover This with Tainy.

It’s Here: The Top Songs, Artists, Podcasts, and Listening Trends of 2022

November 30, 2022

Gif of the Wrapped lockup on a purple background

There’s no single way to define what a year 2022 has been. Coming back after a few years of uncertainty has led each of us to create a “new normal” in our relationships to culture—and to each other. This year, Spotify listeners especially took the chance to redefine how they find joy. And now, it’s time to unveil what the world collectively delighted in and obsessed over with Spotify’s 2022 Wrapped. 

From the music that makes us dance to the podcasts that keep us riveted, this is the audio that bubbled to the top of Spotify listeners’ playlists.

The top global artists of 2022

It’s a three-peat for global recording artist Bad Bunny. The singer-songwriter is the year’s most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify—a spot he’s held since 2020. No other artist has ever accomplished the feat before, so to celebrate, we’ve turned the heart button on Spotify into the singer’s custom red-heart icon.

Taylor Swift held true to her invitation to meet her at midnight, and it propelled her to become the second-most-streamed artist of the year globally—and the top artist in Australia, the U.K., Ireland, Malaysia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Qatar, Slovenia, and Singapore. Rounding out the top five artists are the two very familiar Toronto powerhouses Drake and The Weeknd, along with K-Pop band BTS. 

Top artists globally

Plenty of artists had their worlds rocked this year by the power of social media. The most “viral” artists were those who had their music most frequently shared to social platforms from Spotify. Taylor Swift’s Midnights release certainly got the world talking, and she claims the top spot as the most viral artist globally. The second-place position goes to The Weeknd, followed by Bad Bunny. Rounding out spots four and five are BTS and Lana Del Rey. 

most viral artists globally
The top global songs of 2022

Song of the summer 2022 creator Harry Styles takes the coveted honor of having the most-streamed song around the globe with his hit “As It Was.” British indie rock band Glass Animals’ track “Heat Waves” is the second-most-streamed song of 2022, and fans just can’t get enough. Australian artist The Kid LAROI’s collab with Justin Bieber on “STAY” is the third-most-streamed song of the year. Bad Bunny’s “Me Porto Bonito” feat. Chencho Corleon and “Tití Me Preguntó” take spots four and five, respectively.

most streamed songs globally
The top global albums of 2022

So what collective body of work, in album form, was streamed most in 2022? From Spanish to English, pop to hip-hop, listeners around the world showed a variety of tastes. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti takes the top spot for most-streamed album globally for 2022. Harry Styles‘ Harry’s House comes in at number two. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, SOUR, takes the third spot for most-streamed album. British pop superstar Ed Sheeran’s album = continues to be a fan favorite at number four. And finally, American rapper and singer Doja Cat’s album Planet Her (Deluxe) grabs the fifth spot.

most streamed albums globally

 

The top global podcasts of 2022

This year, Spotify’s podcast offerings expanded into new markets, providing more listeners around the world with new shows to binge. With more than four million podcasts, the platform offers something for every type of podcast listener. But what shows especially made their mark in 2022? Globally, the most popular podcast for the third year running is The Joe Rogan Experience. Call Her Daddy, from host Alex Cooper, takes the spot for second-most popular podcast. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain, a soon-to-be-Spotify Exclusive touching on a variety of topics from the popular American creator, takes the third spot, while Caso 63, a Spotify Original podcast that’s debuted in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Hindi, and English takes the fourth spot with all its language iteration feeds combined. Crime Junkie, a true-crime podcast from Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat, rounds out the list as the fifth-most popular podcast. 

most popular podcasts globally

 

The global trends that shaped our year

These most-streamed artists, songs, albums, and podcasts weren’t the only guideposts that shaped our year. There were also audio trends on Spotify that brought people together through laughter, amusement, and enjoyment.

Nostalgia remains a staple in our listeners’ queues. 

 

This year, Spotify fans were all about the aesthetic. 

After two years of pandemic postponement, 2022 was the year for many to finally say, “I do.” 

Little Miss, the British children’s book character, made a resurgence in 2022 with fill-in-the-blank-style memes. May we suggest “Little Miss can’t stop posting her Wrapped results”? 

But a new topic that surprised everyone was corn, thanks to corn kid. 

And, of course, our listeners really know their shows and movies.

 

And their memes.

 

Have you checked out your own Wrapped yet? Do these artists, songs, albums, podcasts, and trends make an appearance in your end-of-year experience? Find out more about what we have in store specifically for you here.

As we bid farewell to 2022, you can find the full lists of the top songs, artists, albums, and podcasts below.

Most-Streamed Artists Globally

  1. Bad Bunny
  2. Taylor Swift
  3. Drake
  4. The Weeknd
  5. BTS

Most-Streamed Artists in the U.S. 

  1. Drake
  2. Taylor Swift
  3. Bad Bunny
  4. Kanye West
  5. The Weeknd

Most-Streamed Albums Globally

  1. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny
  2. Harry’s House by Harry Styles
  3. SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo
  4. = by Ed Sheeran
  5. Planet Her by Doja Cat

Most-Streamed Albums in the U.S.

  1. Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny
  2. Harry’s House by Harry Styles
  3. Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen
  4. Midnights by Taylor Swift
  5. SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo

Most-Streamed Songs Globally

  1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
  2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
  3. “STAY (with Justin Bieber)” by The Kid LAROI
  4. “Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny feat. Chencho Corleon
  5. “Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny

Most-Streamed Songs in the U.S.

  1. “As It Was” by Harry Styles
  2. “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals
  3. “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy
  4. “Me Porto Bonito” by Bad Bunny feat. Chencho Corleon
  5. “First Class” by Jack Harlow 

Most Popular Podcasts Globally

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
  4. Case 63 (All Languages) 
  5. Crime Junkie 

Most Popular Podcasts in the U.S.

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. Call Her Daddy
  3. Crime Junkie
  4. The Daily
  5. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Learn About Those Music Genres You May Not Have Heard Of

November 30, 2022

This year, you ventured into the genre-verse—and your 2022 Wrapped experience captured your journey. Did you check out the number of musical styles you explored, and gaze at your favorite five genres? Maybe you were fascinated by a genre name you didn’t know before.

There are thousands of genres out there, including new ones that are created each year. The way we see it, coming up with new names or groupings for genres gives us loose categorizations to identify emerging genres or remodel familiar ones so they are more recognizable, representative, and holistic to our listeners and their communities.

Genres like those listed in your Spotify Wrapped allow you to better identify the types of music that get you moving, catch your feels, or enable you to focus—and then find more of the same. Since music is made up of infinite types of sounds, styles, instruments, and lyrics, you can use the constellation of genres to help identify and define the sounds you like most.

Get to Know Your Music Listening Personality from 2022 Wrapped

November 30, 2022

Do you mostly listen to the same artists over and over (and over) again, or are you constantly on the hunt for something new? How about when it comes to classic tracks or recent releases? With music, everyone listens just a little bit differently, which is something 2022 Wrapped celebrates. In your personalized Wrapped experience, you may have noticed a new feature: Your Listening Personality.