… Sabrina Carpenter, to be exact.
Have you ever found yourself finishing a playlist or an album on Spotify, and all of a sudden, you’re singing and dancing along to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”? Or you’re hit with, “Oh, I leave quite an impression.. five feet to be exact,” from her new hit song “Taste” from her latest album Short and Sweet.
Well, it turns out you aren’t the only one who’s been experiencing this strange repeat of autoplay. Spotify users have taken to social media platforms TikTok and X to express their concerns as to why it constantly keeps happening. On the other hand, it’s not just Sabrina who is filling autoplay with their catchy tunes.
“Espresso” dethroned Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” to take the top spot of the charts, claiming Number One in the UK. That doesn’t come as a surprise to me, as it gets blasted everywhere. But you have to agree, Sabrina’s songs are just so good. Besides, I guess autoplay is blessing our ears in a way.
Spotify’s autoplay feature has been on the app since 2017. It is a feature that recommends songs to the user based on their listening activity.
According to Spotify, they automatically play similar songs to what track, album or playlist you were previously listening to so the music never stops. So, if you’ve been listening to Taylor Swift, be sure to hear Sabrina once your tracks are finished because they are in the same genre: pop music.
Spotify also bases your autoplay on the current popularity of songs. So, if Spotify playlist creators or editors spot a song that is trending, they will give it the time of day in playlists such as “Hot Hits” and “Top Songs UK”. And yep, you guessed it, in your autoplay. These playlists have millions of followers tuning in every day for new releases or to just experience what is currently topping the charts.
“Please, Please, Please” make it stop.
Sabrina’s pop hits “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” and most recently, “Juno” have given her a boost of 78 million Spotify listeners a month. That’s just from four trending songs.
Regular Spotify users are concerned with how she is constantly everywhere, even when they don’t listen to pop music. One user said, ” I had to mute her, her songs play after completely unrelated artists and genres for me. Her rise seems artificial at this point.”
Even Sabrina fans are getting sick of the replays, with one fan posting a TikTok to “Please Please Please” saying, “Sabrina girl, I love you, but please, please, please, can Spotify stop auto-playing this song? I’m trying to listen to a completely different genre. I’m getting sick of it!”
But it turns out it’s not just Sabrina who is dominating the autoplay feature on Spotify at the moment. Upcoming star Gracie Abrams seems to be circulating with a popular song from her second studio album, “I Love You, I’m Sorry”.
Spotify users have noticed Billie Eilish creeps into the autoplay feature also with the viral song “Birds Of A Feather”. Additionally, Chappell Roan autoplays “Good Luck, Babe!” or “HOT TO GO!” And of course, Miss Taylor Swift with “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “Cruel Summer”.
However, the main reason we are probably seeing so much of Sabrina is due to the record label she is signed with. Universal Music Publishing Group owns 3.30 percent of Spotify shares.
“Espresso” now has over 1.4 billion Spotify streams. It is a certified platinum record or higher in 14 countries, including Diamond status in France. ‘Isn’t that sweet? I guess so?’
Let’s put it to the test
I decided to put this autoplay debate to the test with varying genres of music, starting off by playing Taylor Swift’s “Cardigan”. The result was Gracie Abrams “Us,” featuring Taylor. Okay, that’s understandable. She’s collaborated with her.
Next up is Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”. The results: Gracie Abrams with “Risk”. Again?
I tried a different genre and gave Fontaines D.C’s hit track “Favourite” a play; you will never guess the results. Yep, Sabrina Carpenter, but this time it’s “Bed Chem”.
Finally, I put an album to the test to see what it would play once I had finished it. I chose Charli XCX’s album of the summer, Brat. It did automatically play a remix version of “Apple,” but I didn’t take this as my result since I had just finished the original album. But after skipping once more, you guessed it, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”.
It seems to be that no matter what genre you play, Sabrina sneaks her way into your autoplay somehow. However, both of The Eras Tour openers are going neck and neck for most autoplays. Could Gracie Abrams also follow in the same footsteps and take Sabrina’s crown?
Fed up of autoplay?
So, if you’re not feeling the Sabrina Carpenter vibe or any other artists that are constantly flooding your recommended songs, you can actually switch the autoplay feature off. Here’s how:
- Head to your Spotify account and click your profile picture in the top left corner (mobile).
- Click on ‘Settings and Privacy’
- Click the ‘Playback’ tab
- Toggle the ‘Autoplay’ button to off, and that’s it!
No more annoying songs you wouldn’t even dream of listening to.
What’s your Spotify autoplay currently recommending to you? Taylor Swift? Chappell Roan? Gracie Abrams? Billie Eilish? Or the “Queen of Autoplay” herself, Sabrina Carpenter? Let us know!
