Photo Credit: Gwyneth Paltrow by Georges Baird / CC by 3.0
Gwyneth Paltrow’s skepticism over the data on her Spotify Wrapped playlist sparks further debate about whether Spotify fudges listener data.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow expressed skepticism over the data on her Spotify Wrapped playlist for 2024, insisting the results were inaccurate and did not properly reflect her listening habits. Her skepticism has sparked further debate over whether Spotify’s listener data is manufactured to favor certain artists over others.
“My data was not accurate,” the Oscar winner told Yahoo News during a question-and-answer session with her lifestyle brand, Goop. “I listened to João Gilberto, like at dinner parties, but it has him as my number one artist, and that’s impossible because I had it on a couple of times, but not enough to warrant that spot.”
By itself, Paltrow’s speculation might not seem like much. But a major Hollywood figure questioning the streaming service’s data has sparked further discussion among netizens who suspect the listener results have been doctored.
Music fans approach the year’s end with excitement, awaiting Spotify’s reveal of the top artists and songs that individual users have listened to over the past 12 months. But this year, the results saw music fans worldwide questioning the information presented to them, insisting the artists or music presented were not actually their top listens.
Spotify has faced a number of conspiracy theories from music enthusiasts throughout the year, with many questioning why artists like Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter appeared in their most listened-to artists or in unrelated playlists. Some have theorized that Spotify was paid to artificially inflate certain artists’ popularity on the platform.
Regardless of any suspicions of foul play, Taylor Swift appeared at No. 1 on both the UK and global Top Artists lists, which also featured artists like The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, and Drake. Ariana Grande and Bad Bunny were both included among the biggest acts worldwide. In the UK, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis topped the list, along with The Smiths, Radiohead, and Gorillaz.
Thousands of artists, such as Billie Eilish, Usher, Sabrina Carpenter, and Mariah Carey, recorded video messages to thank fans who had them among their top acts on their Spotify Wrapped playlists for 2024.