*Usher voice* these are my (Wrapped) reflections

🐞 @marissa1Daf

how i’m sleepin the night b4 spotify wrapped is released https://t.co/PLKam8E2Mc

Spotify’s viral campaign capitalizes on the general curiosity we’ve all got through something we all can appreciate — music. And the keyword here is “all,” because that’s oftentimes what music is about. There’s intimacy in the All: fixating on sonic pleasures together, experiencing emotional atmospheres that others bask in, too. The desire to establish community and resonance through music — even if only for a moment — is an enduring and universal want. It’s why we tolerate hefty ticket processing fees to witness musicians dazzle under stage lights while swaying (or booty-shaking, or moshing) alongside fellow fans. It’s why playing DJ on the family road trip is such an honorable-yet-dicey responsibility. It’s why you and your friends need nothing short of sativa and a Bluetooth speaker to have a good Sunday afternoon. Heck, it’s likely why your favorite band exists.

I, myself, love Wrapped because it’s not only a wholesome opportunity for stans and supporters to connect with and learn more about each other but also a way to understand ourselves better. With every passing year, Wrapped has grown increasingly personal. What began in 2016 as a shareable, inchoate Cliffs Notes of a Spotify user’s most-streamed songs is now a full-fledged data graphic biography. With precision, Spotify knows everything we love, and, most remarkably, how much we love it.

kira ~ @Sadcrib

tbh who cares about the Grammys when we got Spotify Wrapped

The long, data-driven stories that Spotify computes trigger self-examination amongst the most introspective music lovers. What is it about your top artist or genre that earned so much of your ears’ attention over these last 365 days? How many more hours did you spend listening to music this year in comparison to last? Most importantly, why that song? You know the one I’m talking about — the one that you had stuck in your head all year, the one you dropped a link to in the groupchat, the one that, once you heard it, you couldn’t imagine doing without. Why did you listen to that track more than any other, and what does that say about you? I find it interesting that, in terms of volume, Wrapped continues to offer us more information about ourselves, and yet, one uncomplicated morsel of data that’s they’ve always captured, even way back in 2016, is the fact that reverberates most intensely: a user’s most-streamed track, often a minutes-long representation of a year-long journey. Indeed, so much can be said in song.

I’m a writer, an introvert, and a twentysomething; thus, I’m big on reflection and generally trying (sometimes too) hard to decipher my behaviors and inclinations in retrospect. I guess you could say I’m obsessed with “getting” myself — figuring out how I’ve changed from late adolescence (I was mostly 19 in 2016) to my mid-20s, both celebrating and frowning upon the fact that many parts of me are the same, others different, for better and worse. Twenty is nothing like 25. But it’s not a different planet, either, and evidencing this are the songs that have crowned my Your Top Songs playlists over this past half-decade. These tracks fall into varying genres, and some are far more popular than others; they also have disparate lyrical themes, production characteristics, and overall vibes. But despite lacking so many commonalities and symbolizing so many distinctly different phases in my life, these songs still share one thing: my admiration. (I’ve always had good taste… and a big ego.)

Ran @kiyokianlovee

When #SpotifyWrapped comes out and my top artists/songs are exactly what i thought they would be https://t.co/TA7Lz0m3Dj

For my first issue of Unsolicited, I wanted to reflect on the music I’ve loved most — because, again, I have a gargantuan ego. (All writers do!!!!!!) But also because I believe everyone’s Top Songs are super biographical and interesting enough to think hard about. Here, I dive into mine, and I hope my doing so inspires you to wax introspective about yours. And if you do, pretty pls let me know what your top tracks have been over these last five years. Or else!

2016 - "In the Morning" by Nao (r. 2016)

Five years ago, I fell in love with Nao and her debut album, For All We Know, which is a mostly-bright collection of neo-soul and alternative R&B. "In the Morning," however, is one of her darkest, moodiest moments. My favorite thing about this song is how fucking hard its production goes; it's indietronica through and through, with an insane drop at the 2:22 mark.

Nao's range (breathtaking as always), the eerie drums, the anxious synths — ugh, I'm still not over any of it, even now. The only tragic bit about this song is that it still reminds me of the problematic white guy who put me on Nao. He was a mistake... but every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose.

Reminds me of: Driving back and forth from San Diego to LA; my tiny college apartment; my old vinyl set-up; my pretentious indie girl days; 19-year-old angst

Honorable mentions: "Shadow" by Wild Nothing; "New Scream" by Turnover

2017 - "What Once Was" by Her's (r. 2017)

The truncated story of Her's is one I don't like to think about often; they were viciously taken from us too soon. But years before Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading became angels, they were the brains behind what I'll forever recognize as one of the best dream pop songs ever crafted.

"What Once Was" is a cut for anyone who's a sucker for sanguine, sweet guitar hooks — which explains why it had me in such a chokehold in 2017. In my early, early 20s, I was heavy into guitar-driven music, whether it was indie pop or rock, and I found late '80s and early '90s-indebted sounds particularly addictive. (Also, when I was 18, I also went through a really intense New Order phase, which subconsciously informed my later adoration for tons of DIY/bedroom artists.)

But another reason I love "What Once Was" is melancholic lyricism: "Tell me all the important stuff / What's your favorite color? What makes you so tough? Please don't let go when you've had enough / I'm on my knees."

I'm not crying, you are.

Reminds me of: Joshua Tree; Tinder heartbreaks; pink skateboard grip tape

Honorable mentions: "On the Level" by Mac DeMarco; "Find You" by Charlotte Day Wilson

2018 - Conversations by Inner Wave (r. 2017)

Whew, chile — this song. Is a journey. All five minutes and 57 seconds of it. I'll also admit that it's not for everyone, not only because of its length but because of its weirdness and sonic maximalism. If "Conversations" was a place, it would be a psychedelic galaxy. Did I just pull that language out of my ass? Hell yes. Is it an accurate description, though, especially if you listen to the track while you're incredibly faded? Hell yes.

Cinematic, gritty, and totally appropriate for a space western, "Conversations" scored my senior year of college and the summer after, in which I smoked too much weed, pined after an emotionally incompetent Gemini fuckboy (with a nasty bathroom, at that), moved back to LA, and struggled to find people I actually enjoyed being around. Typical 21-year-old shit... but with dope synths and an epic electronic guitar solo as background music.

Reminds me of: going 80 on I-15; being played by emotionally incompetent fuck boys; getting so crossed on NYE 2018 that I blacked out before even getting to the function; chopping all my hair off

Honorable mentions: "Underneath the Stars" by Mariah Carey; "Call Me Up" by Homeshake

2019 - Icy by Kim Petras (r. 2019)

Good people do bad things, sometimes — which is why I listened to Kim Petras's "Icy" in 2019 so many damn times. I know she works with Dr. Luke (🤮); I know she doesn't speak out about transgender issues in a meaningful, authentic or intersectional way. But when I first discovered her debut LP, Clarity, in early 2019, I didn't know about any of that! I just assumed the Spotify algorithm just gifted me 38-minutes of pop gold by some random white gorl with an artistic vision unmatched by any other rising pop star of the 2010s, no problematiqué-ness attached! SUE ME.

Okay, I'm being flippant. Kim Petras sucks in a lot of ways; I can admit it*. But one thing she's objectively good at is conceptualizing and singing some of the most flawless commercial pop songs of the 21st century. Clarity is an album of zero skips, and "Icy" is a Daft Punk-inspired trove of straight-up electropop genius. It's a bitter and anthemic heartbreak track — the kind that makes you want to dump someone and possibly key their car (I've never done that, btw. Just throwing ideas out there!) — but it's also a solid illustration of Petras's badass vocal talents.

Reminds me of: falling in love with pop again; returning to my roots; singing poorly in my old, tiny stall shower

Honorable mentions: "Broken" by Kim Petras; "All I Do Is Cry"... by Kim Petras. Sorry

*In my own defense, this year I've considerably cut back on streaming KP due to her continued association with Lukasz Gottwald (who, as a note, is not credited as Dr. Luke on Clarity; instead, he's listed as MADE IN CHINA). Still, I made the conscious decision of waxing nostalgic about her artistry here because her identity as a young trans woman making mainstream pop to her level of commercial success is notable. She is not great, but what she represents is good. Both of these are facts!

2020 - Let's not talk about it, okay?

But actually. It was "Icy" again. (At that point, it was a comfort song — and we all needed comforting in 2020, lord knows.)

2021 - "Save Room For Us" by Tinashe (r. 2019)

I remember the exact day I realized Tinashe was highly underrated and onto something otherworldly: It was a hot summer afternoon in 2018, and I was driving on the 105, listening to Nao on Spotify's radio setting when Tinashe's "Spacetime" flooded through my speakers. The vibe of the track? Alien sex. Period.

On a serious note, though — I've been absolutely mad about Tinashe ever since I heard that song (which actually came out way back in 2016). Every day thereafter, I've basically assumed the role of Tinashe's volunteer publicist, obviously whom she doesn't even know exists. But as she's finally getting the public recognition she's always deserved as a multi-hyphenate entertainer who refuses to box herself in prisons of neither pop nor R&B (fuck RCA), she doesn't really need me to drunkenly go on about her at every social gathering I attend anymore. (Actually, who am I kidding? I orate about her sober plenty.)

But none of that is the point, 'cause the point is Tinashe is thriving, and it makes me cry happy tears. Those same tears fall whenever I listen to "Save Room For Us," an infectious dance-pop song that brilliantly showcases everything I love about Queen Nashe: her angelic voice (the RANGE!!!!!); her lyrical narratives; her futuristic yet timeless production proclivities and thoughtful collaborations.

"Save Room For Us" isn't popular enough to get played in the club, but if it did, they would have to kick me out for acting like Boo Boo the Fool. As a cherry on top, the choreography in its accompanying music video is clearly Janet-inspired — an automatic yes from me.

Reminds me of: everything. tinashe gives me everything. i would die for tinashe <3

Honorable mentions: "Bad Friend" by Rina Sawayama; "The Chase" by Tinashe