Filipinos shared how music has helped them cope with the eventful year by sharing their Spotify favorites through the music streaming service’s “Wrapped” feature which reveals insights about a user’s listening habits.
The Swedish-based audio streaming service recently released its annual Spotify Wrapped which analyzes data unique to every user, from his or her preferred artists, songs, genres and podcasts.
This year’s Wrapped introduced new features such as in-app quizzes and new personalized playlists such as “Your Top Songs” and “Missed Hits.”
It also released notable insights both from around the world and unique to the user’s country, apart from the personalized analysis unique to every listener.
Spotify noted that users around the world listened to Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny or Benito Ocasio the most, having “more than 8.3 billion streams” in 2020.
The most streamed song on the platform went to “Blinding Lights” sung by Canadian artist Abel Tesfaye or more popularly known as The Weeknd.
The most streamed album, meanwhile, went to “YHLQMDLG” by Bad Bunny.
Reports said that in the Philippines, indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben landed as the most streamed artist for the year, as well as the most streamed music group.
The album of American singer Ari Staprans Leff or Lauv, “~how i’m feeling~” landed as the most listened to album in the country.
Meanwhile, Filipinos shared how their favorite songs and artists from the Wrapped featured helped them cope in 2020, a year when a major pandemic had once again gripped humanity and upended lives.
It was also the same year that saw Taal Volcano erupted after more than 40 years of slumber, displacing several Filipinos.
2020 also witnessed the historic shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN after it was denied a franchise renewal by the House of Representatives. The last time it was forced to closed was during Martial Law.
A Twitter user shared that listening to Ben&Ben in Spotify “helped” him get through the year.
Another online user said that South Korean boy group BTOB’s “The Feeling” has “saved” her 2020.
A different Filipino commented on turning to “90s and early 2000s sentimental and corny songs” in light of the events that has happened in the year, which he described as “stressful and depressing.”
“Funky Uncle helped me get through this year. Thanks for the funky fresh beats @Hideki_Naganuma,” another Twitter user shared.
Senior lecturer Leah Coutts of Australia’s Queensland Conservatorium said there is a strong scientific evidence that music could help improve one’s mental health and well-being.
“When we listen to music, it boosts oxytocin, which is the feel good hormone, and elevates dopamine, which helps us to feel connected,” she said to Griffith News.
“It’s not always upbeat music that brings us joy – a lot of people are surprised to hear that sad songs can also help boost our wellbeing. It seems counterintuitive, but it can help us to process our emotions and to feel like we’re not going it alone,” Coutts added.
She also noted that musicians have been turning to their craft in this time “to stay connected to themselves” and “bring joy, healing and connection to people everywhere.”
