Netizens Slam Spotify for 'Underwhelming' 2024 Wrapped, Accuse Platform of Overusing AI

Spotify released its highly anticipated 2024 Wrapped on Wednesday, December 4, but instead of excitement, the platform’s annual year-in-review left many users feeling disappointed. A wave of backlash flooded social media as listeners expressed their dissatisfaction with this year's wrapped. Many took to X to share their dissatisfaction. 

This year, Spotify introduced a "Wrapped AI podcast" that used Google's NotebookLM technology to verbally recap users' listening habits. The AI-generated voices from Wrapped, sparked frustration among listeners who felt the experience lacked the personal touch of previous years.

Social media quickly exploded with complaints about Spotify's heavy reliance on AI. Many users felt this year's Wrapped format was unlike the traditional annual recap. 

One user shared: "Spotify Wrapped is so underwhelming and reeks of AI... there seems to be a real lack of effort this year, from the boring visuals to the missing genres and quirks."

 Another added: "Hi, just here to remind everyone that AI is going to ruin the world, and Spotify Wrapped is a perfect dramatic example of that." A third user added: "So apparently Spotify fired a lot of workers and used AI to create this year’s Wrapped—no wonder it sucks."

Listeners also voiced confusion over this year's new features. Last year's Wrapped was praised for introducing the custom "Sound Town," a feature that matched users' musical tastes to real-world locations. However, 2024 Wrapped replaced that with the “Music Evolution” list, which featured bizarrely titled micro-genres like "Coastal Grandmother Fingerstyle Yacht Rock," "Boujee Football Rap," and "Pink Pilates Princess Roller Skating Pop." Users were left puzzled, with many wondering how these descriptions related to their actual listening habits.

What is Spotify Wrapped?

Spotify Wrapped is a viral marketing campaign that Spotify has released annually since 2016, typically between November 30 and December 6. The feature allows users to see a detailed summary of their listening activity over the past year and share it with friends via colorful visuals on social media. Traditionally, Wrapped includes the top songs, artists, and genres that users have streamed the most, making it an eagerly anticipated event for music lovers around the world.