Spotify Wrapped’s new sound town feature becomes a meme
The streaming giant has given users yet another data point about their listening habits, and that new feature has received the meme treatment.
This year, in addition to showing users their top songs, artists, and genres, Spotify Wrapped includes listeners' "sound town," or a place with a large concentration of other that listen to their assortment of top artists. Spotify users have taken to X, identifying with their sound towns and decoding what their placements mean.
Burlington, Berkeley, and Cambridge
The most memed cities thus far have been Burlington, Vermont; Berkeley, California; and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Many LGBTQ+ users have shared that their music tastes correspond with one of those three cities, and joke that Burlington, Berkely, and Cambridge are like secret symbols for the LGBTQ+ community.
"Does she…you know…have Spotify listening habits in common with Berkeley, Burlington, or Cambridge?" Abby Monteil posted on X.
does she…you know…have spotify listening habits in common with berkeley, burlington, or cambridge?
— abby monteil (@abbyemonteil) November 29, 2023
"You would do well in Burlington, Vermont (Derogatory)," @SoftGrungeDad tweeted.
You would do well in Burlington, Vermont (Derogatory)
— Tacitus Kilgore (@SoftGrungeDad) November 29, 2023
Others shared visuals of what Spotify imagines Burlington and Berkeley to look like.
"Burlington USA according to Spotify wrapped," Emilio Herce tweeted, alongside a photo of Bushwick, Brooklyn, a New York neighborhood with a large LGBTQ+ population.
burlington usa according to spotify wrapped pic.twitter.com/dAJPiSL5WS
— Emilio Herce (@emilioherce) November 29, 2023
Some people felt humbled by their sound town
Some Spotify users received their sound towns and saw the placement as an insult to their music taste.
"Getting a college town in your 'sound town' for Spotify wrapped is so humbling," @christianblqes tweeted. "Yes you ARE basic."
getting a college town in your “sound town” for spotify wrapped is so humbling like… yes you ARE basic
— jacey (@christianbqles) November 29, 2023
And one Spotify user got one college town in particular: Provo, Utah, where Brigham Young University (BYU) is located. The University's student population is overwhelmingly Mormon, and has become infamous for TikTok interviews by campus organization The Black Menaces, who recently reported incidents of racism on campus.
"I have the music taste of a Brigham Young University student," Kelly Blaus tweeted. "This is devastating."
Non-college towns were also embarrassing for some Spotify users.
"My sound town was Flagstaff [AZ]," @reddskyy tweeted. "Im not posting that shit."
my sound town was flagstaff im not posting that shit
— cheyenne ???? (@reddskyy_) November 29, 2023
Unfortunately, not everyone received a sound town in their Wrapped. In response, some sound town-less netizens are wearing their nomad nature as a badge of honor.
"Spotify Wrapped was incapable of giving me a sound town," @shaolinalan tweeted. "Probably because I'm a phantom drifting across the temporal world and not an actual person embedded in a singular tangible location."
spotify wrapped was incapable of giving me a sound town probably because i'm a phantom drifting across the temporal world and not an actual person embedded in a singular tangible location
— roum kalthoum (@shaolinalan) November 29, 2023
"I didn't get a Spotify Sound Town because apparently my music taste makes me a refugee/sovereign citizen," @alltimeworst tweeted.
However, others were just annoyed to have not received a geographical placement.
"I think I’m the only person who didn’t get a sound town on Spotify Wrapped," @liltropicalsong tweeted, alongside a GIF of a sad dog smoking a cigarette.
i think i’m the only person who didn’t get a sound town on spotify wrapped pic.twitter.com/sJAiQ5JnMH
— lex (@liltropicalsong) November 29, 2023
"I didn’t get a Spotify sound town," @missbatlee tweeted. "So how am I supposed to know what my sexuality is."
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