Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here and it’s better than ever. This year, Bad Bunny takes the crown for Global Artist of the Year and Rebecca Yarro’s Fourth Wing wins Audiobook of the Year. Spotify’s slew of programming offers personalized, shareable experiences that celebrate connectivity, and with gamified features such as Wrapped Party, the global streaming platform continues to innovate how Wrapped can provide moments of connection online and IRL. Music fans around the globe look forward to their year’s Wrapped — a retrospective on the moments, memories, discourse and energy embedded in each year, highlighting the top artists, authors, podcasters, and independent musicians garnering global recognition on the charts and beyond.
This year, Spotify drew inspiration from mixtape culture, creating graphic elements emblematic of a diverse sonic tapestry, along with unique user features that are “Unmistakably Yours” — a detailed overview of your listening habits, sonic evolution, and user stats, compiled in fun, personalized playlists and community leaderboards. Users can tap into their Listening Age, interactive Wrapped Clubs (Club Serotonin, Grit Collective, Soft Heart Club, etc.), and Club Titles denoted by their listening history.
Spotify
We sat down with Marc Hazan, Spotify’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships, to get the scoop on this year’s best in music, and more, and how Spotify went all in for 2025 Wrapped. Dive into our conversation below.
Hypebeast: What were learnings from Spotify Wrapped 2024 that informed the user evolution and product rollout of the 2025 rollout?
Marc Hazan: Last year’s Wrapped was our biggest, which meant we also saw a wave of feedback about the experience. So leaned in. It pushed us to be better because we saw how deeply people care about their Wrapped experience. That feedback fueled us and as a result, we created the most innovative, action-packed Wrapped experience yet. 2025 Wrapped has all of the classics our users love, plus nearly a dozen new features and refreshed design that connects fans deeper to the stories, voices and moments that made their year. And the response of day one has been an overwhelming record breaking day.
HB: Why do you think the Wrapped program has generated such a strong following each year? What do you think makes consumers enjoy engaging with the statistics produced by their listening journeys?
MH: Wrapped works because it captures something universal. What we listen to says who we are: what moved us, what we learned and what we needed to hear.When people share their Wrapped, they are sharing the soundtracks that shaped their year, not just metrics. That sense of connection – between artists, creators, authors and fans – is what makes Wrapped work.
HB: Can you dive into the ideation behind the Wrapped Party feature? How do you think music aficionados will incorporate this feature into their inner circles?
MH: Wrapped Party was born from the idea that music is inherently social. While Wrapped has always been a personal journey, we wanted to take that shared excitement and turn it into a live, interactive experience. So, we designed it as a game: bringing friends together to compare listening habits, discover musical compatibility, and earn awards. It’s a level up for Wrapped as a whole.
HB: From a design perspective, what were some of the inspirations behind the 2025 Wrapped rollout? How do these revamped artworks communicate the contemporary music space and the artists that defined the last year?
MH: Our design inspiration this year came from the roots of music fandom, going back to mixtapes and burned CDs you’d share with friends. There was something personal about those physical artifacts. Think layered textures, vibrant colors, and dynamic visuals that feel both nostalgic and incredibly fresh. Every visual in this year’s Wrapped feels handmade, with cut-out images, doodles, textures, and all those other little touches that made every mix feel one of a kind, just like each person’s Wrapped.
HB: How does Wrapped, along with other Spotify-led programs, benefit independent or up-and-coming artists?
MH: It’s visibility. Wrapped is about the artists just as much as the fans, which is why we give artists their own set of data to dig through. They can see where their music is resonating, who their top listeners are, and how their music is being discovered. This pairs nicely with programs like Fresh Finds and Radar which aid in artist discovery throughout the year. In many ways, Wrapped is the artist’s victory lap – they get to celebrate the true reach of their music around the world as a look back on the year.
HB: What do you think is culturally propelling the rise of audiobooks and podcasts? Why are these formats cultivating so much buzz amongst Gen Z and Millenial audiences in particular?
MH: We’re watching a real shift in how people consume content. Podcasting isn’t niche anymore, it’s become a go-to source of news and entertainment for Gen Z and Millennials, right alongside social media. And the rise of audiobooks comes from something simple: people want deeper stories and more flexible ways to engage with them. Audio fits into our lives effortlessly, and it helps listeners feel closer to the authors and narratives they love.
HB: Bad Bunny dominated 2025. What about the artist’s album rollout do you think led to this massive popularity and visibility when compared to other musicians who’ve historically dominated the charts?
MH: This is Bunny’s 4th time being our Global Top Artist, so he’s been dominating for years. Specifically with this album, he really did own the year. The album dropped at the top of January 2025, and was the perfect representation of who he is as an artist. We partnered with him earlier in the year for an event in PR to celebrate the launch. His entire roll out kept him omnipresent in every aspect of culture. There was no 2025 without Bunny.
HB: Considering Bad Bunny is Spotify’s top album of the year, can you open up about some of the special activations in store for fans in the upcoming weeks/months? How will these experiences build upon Spotify’s mission to connect people through music?
MH: We’re doing several special things to celebrate Bunny this year. For starters, fans will find a Sapo Concho easter egg on the Play Button when they play any song from DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. And fans who had Bad Bunny as a top-streamed artist this year will receive a video message from Sapo Concho and Bad Bunny himself as part of their personalized Wrapped experience, rewarding loyal fans who listened all year long.
We’re also popping up with Bad Bunny fan experiences in Bogota, Madrid, Mexico City, Paris, and of course, San Juan – where fans can enjoy activities inspired by Bad Bunny and the album. Finally, we’re releasing a short film honoring the fans that fueled Bad Bunny’s hallmark year – following the iconic Sapo Concho toad that fans will recognize. It will be shown on social, in a special out of home campaign, and in select theaters in the US & Canada.
Bottom line – we’re celebrating the fans for a historic year.
