Tag: NYE 2021

Parties, Playlists, and New Year’s Bops: The Music the World Is Playing to Ring in 2023

December 29, 2022

As the year comes to a close, we can’t help but be amazed at what a landmark year 2022 was for music. But now it’s time to look ahead and ring in 2023 with style.

New year, new hub

We’ve got plenty of music to kickstart your celebration, and it’s all in our freshly launched New Year’s Hub. At this one-stop destination you can find classic party playlists and special takeovers from artists like Charli XCX, Rita Ora, N-Dubz, and Madame Canada herself, Céline Dion. And whether you want a low-key night or a heart-pounding dancefest, we have you set with featured playlists to match the vibe you’re channeling. Plus, on Home starting January 1, you can find content to help you set your resolutions.

So that’s what Spotify is doing . . . but how do Spotify listeners like to ring in the new year? The best way to predict the future is to look at past results, so we checked the data archives to see how the world was celebrating in December 2021.

What the world is playing

There’s always some level of anticipation around the new year and that shows in the playlists fans put together. Last year 82,000 New Year’s Eve playlists were created between Christmas and January 31, with nearly 40,000 created on the night itself. 

When it comes to genres, as expected listeners went straight for the uplifting bops and hits. Pop, hip-hop, trap, k-pop, and indie pop were the top genres played worldwide. Genres that saw the most significant rises in listeners were cumbia, discofox, volksmusik, schlager, and partyschlager (for those who think regular schlager isn’t festive enough.)

NYE 2021 was all about the tracks you could sing and dance along to. “Hey Ya!,” “Uptown Funk”, and “Mr. Brightside” all received plenty of attention. Many of the songs that gained more streams were New Year-specific tracks like Mariah Carey‘s rendition of “Auld Lang Syne – The New Year’s Anthem” and ABBA’s “Happy New Year,” which led the pack with an approximately 2,000% increase in plays.

Whatever your plans are for ringing in the new year, we hope that 2023 is just as fantastic for listening as this one was. 

Plan your party now over on our New Year’s Hub or with the featured New Year’s Eve 2023 playlist.

Ring in the New Year With Curated Playlists From Kylie Minogue, Olivia Neill, Craig David, and More

December 30, 2021

New Year’s Eve is sure to be a bit different this year, but fear not! There’s a party playlist ready to brighten your night. To help ring in 2022, Spotify worked with artists and creators around the world to curate nearly 20 of our most head-banging, fist-pumping, karaoke-ready playlists. From Kylie Minogue taking over 80s Hits to a brand new playlist from the internet’s bestie, podcaster Olivia Neill, the danceable playlists span themes, genres, and decades to fit every listener’s tastes.

Whether you’re hoping to start the year discovering a new song or remembering a past favorite, here are the tracklists handpicked by your favorite musicians, podcasters, and DJs for the ultimate celebration.

Kick off your NYE soiree with nothing but bangers. Kylie Minogue has selected the top ’80s discs for her takeover of 80s Hits. These nostalgic beats will have you out of your seat in no time—no leg warmers required.

Fans already rely on Olivia Neill, known for her Inner Monologue podcast, for company and conversation. Now, she’s created a brand-new playlist for anyone spending NYE on the go. The peppy playlist called Driving With Olivia Neill features singable hits from Rihanna, Drake, Orlando, Her’s, and Tyler, The Creator.

Push back the sofa, switch on the strobe lights, and turn your living room into the most exclusive club in town with the help of noughties favorite Craig David. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of his debut album, Born to Do It, the U.K. popstar has brought his signature style to curate Spotify’s old-school anthems playlist Room 2: Classics. There, R&B and U.K. garage come together in the form of more than six hours of throwback tunes.

Katy B, the original queen of dubstep and U.K. funky, played on dance floors across the U.K. in the early 2010s. Now, she’s taken over Spotify’s high-energy UK Funky playlist for NYE as she continues her musical return. The On A Mission star has mixed up her favorite classic dance hits, along with recent funky discoveries, to get the party started at any time of the day.

Dutch DJ and EDM veteran Armin van Buuren, who’s known for his annual end-of-year mixes, has joined forces with Spotify to curate our number one electronic playlist, Trance Classics. Taking inspiration from his latest release, A State Of Trance Year Mix 2021, Armin’s exclusive playlist features his ultimate trance anthems and euphoric beats to bring 2021 to a hypnotic finish.

The British indie trio Foals is back, and they’ve brought dance floor hits with them. Taking over the Sticky Floors playlist, the English rock band has mashed indie classics with dance tracks in a style that reflects their new direction and first release in two years—a synth-filled dance remix of “Wake Me Up” with Gaspard Augé and Victor Le Masne.

Last and loudest is British MC and rapper Bru-C, who has unveiled some of the naughtiest bass bangers on the Proper Naughty playlist. The rising U.K. star has brought the same sound system-jumping energy to the playlist as he did to his recently sold out home-city concert. This cheeky tracklist is made for fans of the British rap music genre grime and the electronic music genre drum and bass.

For even more tunes to fuel your kitchen rave or dining room dance party, check out Bad Boy Chiller Crew’s takeover of Charva Night and Pete Tong’s takeover of Ibiza Classics. Happy New Year!