Caitlin Herz | Features Editor | cherz@mail.smcvt.edu
As 2024 comes to a close, Spotify Wrapped has dropped, the annual accumulation revealing each user’s most-streamed songs, artists, and genres of the year. “It makes me feel like I’m part of the music-listening community,” said Grace Kennedy, ’26.
For Kennedy, music is a huge part of her daily life. “I listen to music to kind of drown out the sound of the world and just focus on one thing. I really like listening to music on my way to class because it makes me feel like I’m really ready for the day,” she said.
Katie Kirby, associate professor of philosophy and director of global studies, said “Music engages our emotions and minds, and inspires critical thinking.” She is currently teaching a philosophy course called: Music, Arts, & Freedom. Students in the class study music and the relationship it has with creative freedom.
When asked why they listen to music, Thalia Guarnieri ’26, said, “(Music) romanticizes your life, making it kind of like a movie.”
Guarneri wears headphones on their way to class because they feel the busy nature of class times can be overwhelming. They said it’s nice to have something to focus on while walking to class.
Guarnieri said they are expecting Chali XCX to be at the top of their 2024 Spotify Wrapped as they listened to the Brat album frequently over the summer, they also think pop artist Chappell Roan will be on the lineup.
Nora Young, ’27, said she listens to music throughout the day, starting her day in the morning and as a wind down before she goes to bed.
Young enjoys listening to music on her way to class but is still mindful of how often she does this. “I try to do a mix like I try not to because I feel like I seem antisocial…I think it’s just a good brain break for in-between classes because a lot of my classes are kind of compacted together.”
She said her music taste depends on her mood, and if anyone were to check what she’s listening to they’d know what she’s feeling.
Kirby said she notices a lot of students wearing headphones to class, she doesn’t necessarily see a problem with this but thinks if students are constantly listening to something then they’re not present.
Students also commented on how they listen to different types of music depending on the season.
“In the fall I definitely feel more nostalgic and listen to music that I liked in middle school and high school, and then in the summer I enjoy more upbeat stuff and those classic throwbacks that everyone knows,” Guarnieri said.
When the weather gets colder, Kennedy said that she listens to more mellow and sad music, like artists such as Jeff Buckley and the Cocteau Twins.
For her 2024 Spotify Wrapped, Kennedy expects albums released by Billie Eilish (Hit me Hard and Soft) and Tyler, the Creator (Chromakopia) will show up on her lineup. Kennedy said, “I feel like my number one is Billie Eilish, she always is no matter what.”
Young said that genres such as Lo-fi make her feel more motivated, especially when studying, but she listens to rap and grungier bands for when she goes to the gym or on walks. Young is expecting Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and possibly Fiona Apple. She thinks her top genre will be indie, as she said it has been that genre in prior years.
After looking at their Spotify Wrapped, Guarnieri said they had a record of minutes of music listened to this year, with 65,530 minutes across all genres. As they predicted, Chappell Roan was their most listened to artist of 2024.
Young’s top genre of 2024 was indie music as she expected and her number one artist is Searows, an independent alternative artist who she said she recently discovered this year.
Kennedy’s number one artist of 2024 is Charli XCX, with artists Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Beyonce being runner ups.
Kirby thinks that music streaming platforms such as Spotify are helpful in getting people to listen to new music, and it also makes music a more social thing because you can see what your friends listen to.
However, she noted this hands-on accessibility to streaming music can sort of make the listening experience less authentic than it used to be.
“(Streaming platforms) are a tool that we can either use in ways that diminish our experience or enliven our experience,” Kirby said.