We’re seeing weird music genres and unique Spotify moods pop up like Otacore, Alt Z, Shoegaze and more. But what on earth are they?! We’ve done some digging (and listening) and here’s what we’ve found.
Spotify Wrapped Moods
Alt Z
What is the Alt Z music genre? According to Spotify, this mood is “alt pop with story-full lyrics that theater kids are likely to love,” with artists that include Halsey, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lewis Capaldi, Alessia Cara and Julia Michaels.
Amapiano
Described as “South African house music that combines sounds of jazz, deep house, and local genres like kwaito.” Related artists include DBN Gogo, Kabza De Small, Focalistic, Felo Le Tee and DJ Maphorisa.
Anime
“Combines the sounds of J-pop and manga, animation/TV and video-game culture,” Spotify shares, listing artists like YOASOBI, LiSA, Kenshi Yonezu, Aimer and Eve.
Bronx Drill
This style refers to “a subset of New York drill that emphasizes distortion and long, clean 808 notes,” with artists like Kay Flock, B-Lovee, Dougie B, Ice Spice and DD Osama.
CCM
Many people are searching, “What is CCM music genre?” right now, and we don’t blame them one bit—there’s not many clues with just three letters. However, CCM stands for “Contemporary Christian Music,” so it’s more like pop music related to the Christian faith.
Dance Pop
Spotify says it’s “dance-oriented pop music with driven beats, upbeat and melodic tempos and catchy vocals.” Think: Rina Sawayama, Tove Lo, Galantis, David Guetta and Years & Years.
Desi Pop
According to Spotify, “Pop music India is truly representative of Desi culture, spanning both genre-fluid film music and independent pop, hip-hop, and EDM sounds.” They list Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, A.R. Rahman, Badshah and AP Dhillon in this specific mood.
Goblincore
Think moss, mushrooms and a woodsy lifestyle, and you’ve got “Goblincore.” Spotify hasn’t provided a specific definition, but they do have a Goblincore Mix you can check out and see if it fits your vibe.
Guaracha
This Spotify Wrapped mood is known as “a fusion of tribal and house from Medellín, Colombia that resulted in a tropical take of global EDM with high BPM, sexy vocals, and loud trumpets,” with related artists including Victor Cárdenas, Cornetto, Dayvi, DJ Goozo and Fumaratto.
Hyperpop
“This exaggerated take on popular music styles integrates avant-garde innovations while also drawing from electronic, hip-hop, and dance,” says Spotify, citing artists such as 100 gecs, ElyOtto, glaive, Ericdoa and SOPHIE.
Mellow Gold
“Mellow Gold contains elements of soft rock and folk rock, with emphasis on clean production, harmonies, and melodic compositions,” according to Spotify. This includes rock classics like Queen, U2, ABBA, David Bowie and Tracy Chapman.
Musica Mexicana
This is “a meta-genre that encompasses mariachi, banda, norteño, sierreño, corridos and more traditional genres from Mexico.” Spotify also shares that Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga, Calibre 50, Juan Gabriel, Los Tigres Del Norte and Jenni Rivera fit the mood.
Otacore
While Spotify hasn’t officially defined this mood, The Sounds of Spotify’s “The Sound of Otacore” playlist links to Every Noise at Once, which has pulled out words like “anime,” “Japanese dream pop,” “indie psych-pop” and “j poprock,” amongst others, to describe the genre.
Pop Punk
What’s this one? “Pop punk combines pop, rock, and punk sounds with melancholy yet relatable storytelling for a good dose of righteous anger combined with a catchy tune.” Paramore, blink-182, Avril Lavigne, Magnolia Park and Neck Deep are listed in this Spotify Wrapped mood.
RKT
According to Spotify, “RKT, or Turreo, is the fusion between Reggaeton and Cumbia, most notably through the use of snare drums, percussion, and synthesizers” and includes Callejero Fino, La Joaqui, Rei, Kaleb Di Masi and L-Gante.
Sad Rap
Intriguingly, this is “a subgenre fusing emo and hip-hop, often featuring minor chords and melodies, sad and depressing lyrics, and trap-inspired drums” including iann dior, Powfu, Josh A, 347aidan and Lund.
Shoegaze
“A subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals and guitar distortion,” according to Spotify. Artists include Slowdive, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Alvvays, Cocteau Twins and Pinkshinyultrablast.
Sad Sierreño
Spotify shares, “Sad Sierreño is a slow and yearning strain of Mexican-American country folk ballads created with modern music-producing techniques.” They include artists like Eslabon Armado, Yahritza y su Esencia, Junior H (edited), DannyLux and Los Del Limitultrablast in this mood. And if there are any other weird genres or unfamiliar moods you just can’t figure out, check out Every Noise at Once to see what it reveals! Next up, Everyone’s Sharing Their Yearly Listening Recaps, But We’re All About These Funny Spotify Wrapped Memes!
