The Weeknd
Every year, Spotify listeners win out over devotees to other streaming platforms when they unveil their Spotify Wrapped playlists — a data driven analysis of what the year sounded like.
And while this year's personal Spotify Wrapped summaries are still loading, Spotify just released their data for their most streamed global music and podcasts of the year.
Announced the week following the Grammy nominations, Spotify Wrapped feels like vindication for artists who were snubbed by the awards committee, like The Weeknd and Halsey.
The summary also analyzed trends of when and how people were listening to content, noting increased popularity in nostalgia-themed playlists and work-from-home-themed playlists. Spotify users were understandably playing music from home more, which even caused an uptick in streaming music from gaming consoles. Listeners also tuned obsessively into wellness podcasts like never before.
While Spotify's full wrapped summary can be found on their website, here are the highlights:
MOST STREAMED OF THE YEAR
Most Streamed Songs Globally
1. "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
2. "Dance Monkey" by Tones And I
3. "The Box" by Roddy Ricch
4. "Roses – Imanbek Remix" by Imanbek and SAINt JHN
5. "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa
Most Streamed Artists Globally
1. Bad Bunny
2. Drake
3. J Balvin
4. Juice WRLD
5. The Weeknd
Bad Bunny took the crown as most streamed artist of the year with over 8.3 billion streams. His album, YHLQMDLG, released in February and, stacked with collaborations with Daddy Yankee and other big names, topped in global album streams. He reaches the top spot after appearing at 5th most streamed artist in 2019.
Another Latin star in the top three is J Balvin, the 5th most streamed male artist last year, making the top 5 for the second year in a row.
Drake takes the second spot, after a series of successful singles and an album this year. Though he didn't make the 2019 top 10, he was the most streamed artist of the 2010s in last year's Spotify Wrapped of the decade. The Weeknd appears at number 5 globally and his song "Blinding Lights" was the most streamed of the year.
His summer album After Hours was second only to Bad Bunny. The album showcased The Weeknd's signature performance character at his most glamorized and exaggerated. Yes, it was toxic. Yes, the people loved it. This is some much needed validation for The Weeknd and his fans after receiving no nominations from the Grammys.
Meanwhile in the U.S, the Most-Streamed Artists were:
1. Juice WRLD
2. Drake
3. Lil Uzi Vert
4. Post Malone
5. Taylor Swift
The US charts were quite distinct, with the late Juice WRLD racking up big numbers. The only other name consistent between the two lists is Drake, who keeps his number 2 spot.
New additions include Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, who topped the global list in 2019, and Taylor Swift. With the latter two up for a large number of Grammys for their albums, Hollywood's Bleeding and Folklore, this is no surprise.
FEMALE ARTISTS
Taylor is the only female artist that made the top list in the US, as opposed to 2019 when both Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish made the top 5. However "Dance Monkey" by Tones And I and "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa were both songs by female artists which were in the top 5 streamed songs globally.
The Most Streamed Female Artists Globally were:
1. Billie Eilish
2. Taylor Swift
3. Ariana Grande
4. Dua Lipa
5. Halsey
And in the U.S, the Most-Streamed Female Artists were:
1. Taylor Swift
2. Billie Eilish
3. Ariana Grande
4. Halsey
5. Megan Thee Stallion
Again, Ariana and Billie Eilish were in the top 3. Both have released high-streaming singles this year, most recently Billie's "I Think Therefore I Am" and Ariana's "Positions" and subsequent surprise album. Taylor's
Folklore brought her to 2nd in comparison to last year's 3rd.
Dua Lipa replaced Camila Cabello this year, and her Future Nostalgia scored her some Grammy nominations, after having won Best New Artist in 2016. Halsey stays in the top 5, though like the Weeknd she has commented on her lack of recognition by the Grammys as unfair, blaming bribes for the results.
Megan Thee Stallion unsurprisingly makes the US list. She's up this year for a number of Grammys, including Record of the Year and Best New Artist. Her songs "Savage," including the Remix featuring Beyonce, and "WAP" have all been viral hits — a recipe for instant charting success.
MOST STREAMED ALBUMS
Most Streamed Albums Globally:
1. YHLQMDLG, Bad Bunny
2. After Hours, The Weeknd
3. Hollywood's Bleeding, Post Malone
4. Fine Line, Harry Styles
5. Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Harry Styles's Fine Line makes it to the top 4, which for some is further proof that he was robbed of one of the big three nominations at the Grammys – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, or Song of the Year.
U.S. Most Streamed Albums:
1. Legends Never Die, Juice WRLD
2. Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2, Lil Uzi Vert
3. Hollywood's Bleeding, Post Malone
4. After Hours, The Weeknd
5. Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Roddy Ricch
The US was more rap heavy, paying tribute to the late Juice WRLD and bumping Uzi. After Hours and Legends Never Die epitomize the trend of lovably toxic rappers — which also makes us surprised that "Dior" by the late Pop Smoke didn't make the list. And though Drake was streamed heavily, his recent album didn't make the cut either.
Roddy Rich makes it to the US list, after his massive single "The Box" from earlier this year, which was the third most played of the year and earned him Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
But until the Grammys in February, we'll be waiting for our own personal Spotify wrap-ups.
