I Created My Spotify Pie Chart, and I'm Cringing. Hard.

Image Source: Joely Chilcott Spotify Pie Chart

When I think of the soundtrack to my year so far, I imagine Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lizzo. I consider myself to have a finger on the pulse with new music and have danced in my kitchen to the sounds of “As It Was” more times than I care to count. But the new Spotify Pie Chart has served me a big slice of, well, humble pie. My musical taste is, in fact, embarrassing.

Every December, Spotify’s end-of-year Wrapped feature details the music users listened to on the app the most in the year, and I always suspected mine was skewed thanks to the cheesefest I turn to the second the festive season arrives. But thanks to a new tool, the Spotify Pie Chart, created by UCLA student Darren Huang, I can see in black and white that I am firmly stuck in the noughties with a sprinkling of hip-hop and jazz. I never said my taste was one-dimensional.

The third-party feature has been going viral as it offers a pie chart of the genres users listen to most, split into areas that are seriously specific. From post-teen pop to West Coast rap, there are categories for all. A list of artist names is then displayed underneath in order of the most popular. And this updates monthly so you can regularly check in on your personalised chart. It does only work for Spotify users, so Apple Music-lovers, you’re safe. For now.

Top of my list is Adele. The chart went “Easy on Me” here. I unashamedly love her album “30” and have listened to it on repeat. Next is Kendrick Lamar. Again, so far, so good. He’s headlining Glastonbury Festival, so a definite 2022 win. Little Mix, Drake, and Calvin Harris feature in my most-listened-to artists, as does Michael Bublé, who I will forever love because I’m a Rat Pack crooner at heart.

But Christina Aguilera? Robbie Williams? Olly Murs? All three feature on my list, and I am cringing. Hard. That’s not to say these artists aren’t great, but have I been listening to Aguilera’s 20-year-old “Stripped” album in my sleep? Williams hasn’t had an album out since 2019, and isn’t Murs a TV presenter now? I’m not trying to save face, I have enjoyed their music in years gone by, but I was unaware I was harbouring a deep nostalgic love for them.

So, while the Spotify Pie Chart is undoubtedly fun, it comes with a warning from me. If you thought your musical taste was at the zeitgeist of pop culture, you could be in for a sudden awakening. Now, who wants to listen to “Genie in a Bottle” with me?

How to Get Your Spotify Pie Chart

• Head to Darren Huang’s website to “bake your monthly genre pie”.
• Enter your Spotify login.
• Agree to let the site analyse your data.
• Congratulations, you have your chart.