Music has always been the focus of the year Spotify packed experience and offers fans a unique look back at the past year. And 2024 was quite a yearwho emerged with their own trends, moments and movements that redefined the musical landscape.

With a new group of pop stars rising to superstardom, country reaching new heights of popularity, and indie acts 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 prevailed?

To unpack the musical moments that defined 2024 on Spotify, For the record I sat down with two of our editorial experts: John StoneHead of North American editorial team, and Astrid StormSenior Project Manager, Global Editorial.

Happily packaged! Level with us: Which music trend in 2024 surprised you the most?

John: Country appeared to continue to expand its dominance and reach in 2024. We had superstars like… Beyonce And Post Malone We’ve released incredibly successful albums in this genre and we’ve experienced groundbreaking moments Dasha with “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” And Shaboozey with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)– The latter is on track to hit one billion streams in less than eight months. The genre’s sonic reach continues to impress on a global scale.

Astrid: It was also really exciting to see how Afro House has captivated audiences worldwide. The genre has shifted from street parties in Lagos to clubs in Mykonos and beyond. The hit of this summer”Move” from Adam Port, StryvAnd Malachiii is a perfect example of the mix of pop and afro-house and has recorded more than 370 million streams to date. As a genre, Afro House is also conquering the mainstream Afrobeats And Amapianowhich still resonate worldwide. Our dance editors do a great job showcasing this trend in playlists like Umami, TantraAnd Afro House Pulse.

What about emerging genres or subgenres – what has stood out to both of you this year?

John: Every year we see listeners explore new spaces and discover new genres and artists. I enjoyed seeing hard techno have a moment in the dance space this year. It has a high BPM, is aggressive and makes you want to sweat in a crowded club. An artist like Sarah Landry is a prime example.

The continued emergence of alternative country, folk and Americana artists has also been amazing to witness. We have a lot of them in our playlist Nativeand in 2024 we realized the true audience potential of the genre and community.

Astrid: What we know today as “Sexy Drill” really peaked in 2024. New York icons like Ice seasoning, Chow Lee, Bay SwagAnd Cash Cobain– widely considered a pioneer of the genre – paved the way for the explosive rise of Sexy Drill. Still, it was like artists Don Toliver with his hit “ATTITUDE” and Belfast Jordan Adetunji with “KEHLANI“, which catapulted the sound to a new level in the charts. Hip-hop and R&B artists all over the world are now embracing sexy drill. In October, our hip-hop editors started this Sexy drill playlistboth a celebration and reflection of the growth of this sound.

How about it your Favorite music trend of 2024?

Astrid: One thing that surprised me this year was that our rock editors opened my eyes – and ears – to the world of hardcore punk. In the wake of the pandemic, hardcore has made a global comeback, becoming even more diverse and resonating with younger listeners like me. Like bands turnstile, speed, Scowl, DRAIN, High visibilityAnd Drug church are at the forefront of this movement and are attracting mainstream attention. Liked our playlists The collapse And Hardcore is rising helping me delve deeper into the adrenaline and raw energy of this subculture.

John: My favorite music trend of 2024 was the (re)emergence of pop stars. It’s been a quiet few years for emerging pop artists, but this year we’ve had major breakthroughs Sabrina Carpenter And Chappell Roanamong other things. Each of these artists not only had great songs, but their albums were also well received. For the first time in a long time we had several major albums out at the same time. I think it’s safe to say it’s been the year of women in pop, and our year List of top albums shows that too.

Social media influences everything these days. How have you seen this reflected in music trends and discoveries in 2024?

John: We’re not seeing the massive influx of viral titles we’ve seen in years past. What we are seeing is more and more dedicated fandoms emerging and generating virality –Charli xcx‘S BRAT Summer meant that many tracks on their album had viral moments and lifespan beyond their release moment. In general, we’re seeing greater depth of listening for artists and genres than the ephemera of recent years.

Speaking of influential forces, how has Generation Z influenced the music landscape this year?

Astrid: Something that excites me and our indie editors—which is particularly popular with Gen Z women—is “fantasy/theatrical indie.” It features bold, expressive storytelling and world-building, often with a darker, witchy tone. Think of the mythical folklore of Yaelokreor the baroque pop renaissance of The last dinner partyor the visceral narratives of Paris Paloma. For me it is in the lineage of otherworldly, slightly left of center stars Bjork And Kate Bushbut with a very modern touch.

John: Generation Z’s openness to music from any place and time in history continues to shape the landscape at large. The fact that shoegaze, a genre that emerged from the British counterculture in the late ’80s, could have such a big influence on American teenagers in 2024 really speaks to that. Shoegaze now is one of the playlists where we saw this discovery.

What did our influential editorial playlists contribute to music trends this year?

John: We’re always at the forefront of new trends and working to create new genre spaces, introduce listeners to emerging artists and provide them with context. Our Afro Ritmo The playlist is a good example – the list embodies the transition between the Afrobeats and Reggaeton genres. Fans of individual artists may not even be aware of the cultural influences, but listening through the playlist you can feel this melting pot of sounds.

Additionally, the Playlist on mobile features an Editorial Watch Feed, a new feature that provides editor-written context about artists and songs in the Playlist. This is a very exciting new strategy for our editorial team. Editors spend all day every day listening to new music and researching the best new artists – it’s time we spoke directly to listeners about these discoveries. On your mobile device, you can tap the rectangle below the Afro Ritmo playlist to read track reviews directly from the experts.

Let’s get out your crystal balls: Are there any music trends you’re predicting here for 2025?

John: I think we’ll continue to see more and more new subgenres emerge. 2024 was probably the most sonically diverse year for pop music in history, and I don’t think that will change in 2025. The monoculture will never be what it was, but people are still looking for points of contact: brat summer, that Epoch tour“Not like us.” These piercing moments will be bigger than ever in 2025 – look for Christmas music to grow even more next year.

To make a more accurate prediction, this feels like the right time for confessional, theater-kid and pop-rock inspired artists to emerge – imagine that Gavin Degraw And Lady Gaga had a baby and were addicted to their phones. Benson Boone(the animated musical series) Hazbin HotelAnd Olivia Rodrigo In my opinion, these are all indications of the preferences of Generation Z.

Discover your personalized one Packed in 2024 and find out more about this year’s campaign and experiences on our 2024 Covered Hub.