
Music has always been at the heart of the annual Spotify Wrapped experience, offering fans a unique reflection of the year gone by. And 2024 was quite the year, showing up with its own set of trends, moments, and movements that redefined the music landscape.
A new batch of pop stars has entered superstardom, country is reaching new heights of popularity, and indie acts are achieving global streaming success: It's been an exciting year for music. But what are the real stories behind the trends? Which genres surprised us, and which artists broke through the noise?
To unpack the musical moments that defined 2024 on Spotify, For the Record sat down with two of our editorial experts: John Stein, Head of North American Editorial, and Astrid Storm, Senior Project Manager, Global Editorial.
Happy Wrapped! Level with us: Which 2024 music trend surprised you the most? John: Country seemed to further extend its dominance and reach in 2024. We had superstars like Beyonc and Post Malone release incredibly successful albums in the genre, and we saw breakout moments from Dasha with Austin (Boots Stop Workin') and Shaboozey with A Bar Song (Tipsy) -the latter on pace to crack a billion streams in less than eight months. The sonic reach of the genre continues to impress on a global level.
Astrid: It's also been really exciting to see how Afro house has captivated audiences worldwide. The genre has moved from street parties in Lagos to clubs in Mykonos and beyond. This summer's hit Move by Adam Port, Stryv, and Malachiii is a perfect example of the blend of pop and Afro house, racking up more than 370 million streams to date. As a genre, Afro house is hitting the mainstream alongside Afrobeats and Amapiano, which are still resonating globally. Our dance editors are doing a brilliant job showcasing this trend in playlists like Umami, Tantra, and Afro House Pulse.
What about emerging genres or subgenres-what stood out to you both this year? John: Each year we're seeing listeners explore new spaces and discover new genres and artists. I've loved seeing hard techno have a moment in the dance space this year. It's high bpm, aggressive, and makes you want to sweat in a packed club. An artist like Sara Landry is a prime example.
Also, the continued emergence of alternative country, folk, and Americana-leaning artists has been amazing to see. We house a lot of them in our playlist Homegrown, and in 2024 we saw the true audience potential of the genre and community.
Astrid: What we now know as sexy drill really had a moment in 2024. New York icons like Ice Spice, Chow Lee, Bay Swag, and Cash Cobain-who is widely considered the genre's pioneer-paved the way for sexy drill's explosive rise. Yet, it was artists like Don Toliver with his hit ATTITUDE and Belfast's Jordan Adetunji with KEHLANI who propelled the sound to new heights on the charts. Artists from both hip-hop and R&B are now embracing sexy drill across the globe. In October, our hip-hop editors launched the Sexy Drill playlist, both a celebration and reflection of the growth in this sound.
How about your favorite music trend of 2024? Astrid: One thing that took me by surprise this year was our rock editors opening my eyes-and ears-to the world of hardcore punk. In the wake of the pandemic, hardcore has made a global comeback, still becoming more diverse and striking a chord with younger listeners like myself. Bands like Turnstile, Speed, Scowl, DRAIN, High Vis, and Drug Church are at the forefront of this movement, capturing mainstream attention. Our playlists like The Breakdown and Hardcore Rising are helping me dive deeper into the adrenaline and raw energy of this subculture.
John: My favorite music trend of 2024 was pop star (re)emergence. It had been a slow couple years for emerging pop artists, but this year we had huge breakout moments for Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, among others. Not only did each of these artists have huge songs, but their albums resonated as well. For the first time in a while we had multiple huge albums all taking off at once. I think you could confidently say it was the year of women in pop, and our top albums list showcases that as well.
Social media influences everything these days. How did you see that reflected in music trends and discovery in 2024? John: We're not seeing the massive influx of viral tracks as we have in past years. What we are seeing is more dedicated fandoms emerge and create virality-Charli xcx's BRAT summer meant that many tracks on her album had viral moments and lifespans beyond the release moment. In general, we're seeing more depth of listening for artists and genres than the flash-in-the-pan moments of the past few years.
Speaking of influential forces, how has Gen Z influenced the music landscape this year? Astrid: Something myself and our indie editors are excited about-which is particularly popular with Gen Z women-is fantasy/theatrical indie. It's characterized by bold, expressive storytelling and worldbuilding, often with a darker, witchy tone. Think the mythical folklore of Yaelokre, or the baroque-pop renaissance of The Last Dinner Party, or the visceral narratives of Paris Paloma. For me, it follows in the lineage of otherworldly, slightly left-of-center stars like Bj rk and Kate Bush, but with a very modern twist.
John: Gen Z's openness to music from any place and any time in history continues to shape the landscape at large. The fact that shoegaze, a genre that emerged out of the U.K. counterculture in the late '80s, could have so much influence on American teenagers in 2024 really speaks to this. Shoegaze Now is one of the playlists where we've seen this discovery happen.
Turning to our influential editorial playlists, how did these shape music trends this year? John: We're always a
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
25/04/2026
Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of ...
25/04/2026
SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 24, 2026
0 Comments
Compact modular set ideal for location sound ...
25/04/2026
Berklee Africana Studies Hosts Gospel Extravaganza 2026 The Signature Series event will honor three new inductees to the Berklee Gospel Hall of Fame and celeb...
25/04/2026
Student Spotlight: Siva Maja Gierszewska, who performs under the artist name Siva, shares how she found her songwriting confidence at Berklee.
April 24, 2026...
25/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/04/2026
Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1/...
24/04/2026
Daktronics has partnered with DCL (Design Communications, Ltd.) to design, manuf...
24/04/2026
Chyron has announced PRIME Translate, a workflow solution that produces live content simultaneously in multiple languages within the PRIME platform. The system ...
24/04/2026
Eutelsat has announced a new partnership with Co-op Cable, introducing an expand...
24/04/2026
Pitch Dublin, an indoor golf simulation and hospitality venue on Dawson Street i...
24/04/2026
G&D and VuWall have announced two senior leadership appointments, effective Apri...
24/04/2026
Victory , the free sports streaming service from A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), has announced a multi-year agreement to become the exclusive local streaming ho...
24/04/2026
The former business major from Massachusetts has found his home in graphics and bug operation while contributing to live ESPN productions
In the live-sports-vi...
24/04/2026
The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) and Spectrum have announced a multiyear carriage agreement making MASN available to Spectrum customers in areas of southe...
24/04/2026
The NFL Draft is rebuilt from the ground up in a new city every year. The three-day fan festival is expected to draw 500,000 or more attendees, with millions fo...
24/04/2026
Diversified has continued expansion of its sports and media capabilities to supp...
24/04/2026
NAB reports that the 2026 NAB Show wrapped with more than 58,000 registered atte...
24/04/2026
Clear-Com has announced significant updates to its Arcadia Central Station and E...
24/04/2026
NAB reports that the 2026 NAB Show wrapped with more than 58,000 registered atte...
24/04/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
24/04/2026
B/R NFL Draft Live' refines the digital giant's productions around footb...
24/04/2026
Study highlights five pillars shaping modern fan engagement as broadcasters reth...
24/04/2026
The 2026 event, the first Draft with NFL Network under the ESPN umbrella, will b...
24/04/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
24/04/2026
Integral to the Draft production for three almost decades, the company tells the...
24/04/2026
Championing documentaries that illuminate and expand the artform is at the core ...
24/04/2026
The Peabody Awards spotlight excellent work that endures. This year's winner...
24/04/2026
Earth Day is a chance to reflect on our connection to the natural world. To mark the 57th Earth Day on April 22, Spotify's editors have pulled together a co...
24/04/2026
This past weekend, Spotify was at the heart of the largest literary event in the...
24/04/2026
All data tells a story, and in our case, that story is written by you. To celebrate 20 years of Spotify, we're sharing bite sized moments that capture how t...
24/04/2026
Over the past 20 years, Spotify's look and feel has evolved with the way people use our platform, while ensuring we preserve an intuitive, personal, and fam...
24/04/2026
It's been 20 years since Spotify began, but the real story is what the world chose to play. For the first time, we're unveiling the most streamed artist...
24/04/2026
Whether you're relaxing at home or on the go, Spotify is there across more than 2,000 devices, ready with your favorites or something new to discover. Now, ...
24/04/2026
Nintendo and Spotify are welcoming fans to the Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary and the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with new playlists and a speci...
24/04/2026
30 October - 1 November 2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) have announced that the AES Show 2026 will be held on Halloween weekend - Friday 30 October...
24/04/2026
New closed-back design promises honest' low end
Sennheiser have just announced the launch of a new pair of flagship closed-back headphones which they s...
24/04/2026
Powerful 12-channel hardware sequencer announced
Cre8audio are renowned for their innovative, and often visually striking designs, and although their latest...
24/04/2026
Room correction now supports full 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos setups
The software element of IK Multimedia's room-correction system has just received an update th...
24/04/2026
New content for BBO Tutti & BBO Riffs
VSL have recently introduced some new free content expansions for two of their most popular Big Bang Orchestra Packs: ...
24/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to highlight its R&S EVSD1000 UAV-based navigation analyzer at I...
24/04/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
24/04/2026
ITV's Director of Drama Polly Hill has commissioned six part propulsive, lun...
24/04/2026
The NASA 777 aircraft departs the L3Harris facility in Waco, Texas....
24/04/2026
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) has closed a $1 b...