Spotify Wrapped is a successful marketing campaign idea that was developed seven years ago. This promotion runs without any specific date, from the final week of November until the first of December. These days, it has evolved into a popular trend where a lot of people are excited to share their preferences in music with their friends through Instagram stories.

Three third-year international journalism students and one student of information management security from Belgium name their top five most listened-to artists. They discuss the genres of music they listen to the most and share whether they believe that genre is popular in Belgium.

Amber Laenen (22)

‘So, my top five artists are Dylan, Glee Cast, Taylor Swift, FLETCHER, and 5 Seconds of Summer. My favorite genre was pop Music according to Spotify Wrapped. I do think that pop is very popular in Belgium because it’s like very open-coming. If you look up to Taylor Swift, she has been like the top-level artist. So, I think pop music is very popular in Belgium.’

Ona Van Dyck Colomer (22)

‘My top five artists were Noah Kahan, Two Door Cinema Club, Vance Joy, The Wombats, and Bleachers. My favorite genre was modern rock and I don’t think is that popular in Belgium, at least not like other genres, because when they give you where your music is listened to the most, I got like some random city in Minnesota in the United States. So, I don’t think that this genre is that popular in Belgium.’

Stella Delée (21)

‘So, my top artists were Otis Redding, Miserable Johnny, Thee Sacred Souls, Brenton Wood, and Little Beaver. My top genre is soul because I am the biggest fan of Otis Redding.  I am not sure it is that popular. I think that it really depends on who you talked to. I know that, yeah, it is not as popular as pop, but I think is still like a beautiful genre that people should listen to more.’

David Heymans (21)

‘My favorite artists are Yeat, Lil Uzi Vert, JAZZ BRAK, Drake, and Key Glock. My top genre is rap and I think that it is very typical in Belgium.’

These Belgian students varied musical choices, as evidenced by their Spotify Wrapped, highlight the wide diversity of musical preferences in Belgium. Pop music stands out as a genre that is broadly accepted, but other genres, like current rock and soul, have their followers despite different views about how popular they are.

Text: Estela González & Raúl Pérez
Photo: © Raúl Pérez