In true Gen Z fashion, I need constant stimulation and cannot be alone with my thoughts. Hence, Spotify is my most used app. Considering that Spotify and Apple Music pretty much dominate the music streaming industry, it hard not to pick sides and I am so #teamSpotify that I have a Notes app page dedicated to my thoughts on Spotify’s superiority. One of those reasons is that the product management team does a great job at creating a personal experience. It was the first to come out with Daily Mixes, Daily Drives, Summer Rewinds and now, Blend. This new feature merges some of your recent favorite songs with one other Spotify user to create a custom-generated BFF playlist. Unlike shared playlists, you do not add your own songs—instead, Spotify does the work to create what is essentially a modern mixtape.
Initially, I was excited to have found a no-brainer solution to the age-old “who’s on aux?” dilemma of picking songs to match everyone’s vibe. However, the Blend feature turned out to be more of a fun “let’s check out our result” activity rather than a playlist to be used. The concept itself is fun; you don’t have to do any work other than send your friend a link and it will tell you how much of a match you are with your friend’s music taste. It also will tell you the song that brings you together: our song was Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (feat. SZA) … thanks, TikTok. However, I don’t find myself as compelled to listen to the playlist as I would if I had made a collaborative one with my friends because, arguably, the most important aspect of a playlist is the vibe it creates.
Every good playlist needs some cohesive element, whether it is meant to be listened to in order to tell a story, meant for a certain activity or belongs to a particular genre. The Blend feature lacks cohesion because it matches seemingly random songs that you listen to with some that your friend listens to without any discernible rhyme or reason. One second you’re listening to “Self Care” by Mac Miller, and the next you’re listening to “Bye Bye Baby” by Taylor Swift, leaving you confused and in the mood to listen to neither. It is truly an emotional rollercoaster.
That being said, it’s still fun to play the game of musical roulette that Spotify generates for you and your bestie. While it may be more for kicks than for listening purposes, there’s no harm in seeing what brings you together and how compatible your music tastes are. It is definitely creative and I appreciate Spotify coming up with new features like these to keep us sated until the highly anticipated annual “Your Top Songs 2021” playlist is released. Apple Music could never.
