Spotify to Phoebe Bridgers Listeners: “You Doing OK?”

This week the popular music streaming platform Spotify released its annual look back at its users most listened to songs, albums, and artists. But for the first time, the app reached out to top listeners of Phoebe Bridgers’ new album Punisher to check in on their mental health.

Users that were in the top 0.05% Punisher listeners all received a similar message: “2020 was a hard year for all, but even tougher for some. You doing ok?” If you clicked yes, the app proceeded to show you the rest of your most listened to songs. If you chose no, listeners were directed towards a playlist including Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” and podcasts about dealing with depression.

Ryan Cartwright, 27 year old a Spotify Premium user, received even more information. “When I skipped past the ‘are you ok’ stuff, Spotify then pointed out that my number two artist was Elliott Smith and I was like… shit. Maybe I am depressed?” Some of his other most listened to albums this year included Taylor Swift’s folklore and Bright Eyes’ Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was.

For Bridgers fans, Spotify partnered with Google to track location data in addition to their music habits. “I actually got a message from Spotify saying that I listened to “Punisher” on repeat for over 20 minutes while standing completely still by Lake Michigan at 10pm on a Tuesday,” explained Cartwright. “In the moment it seemed fine, but looking back… whoof.”

When reached for comment, a Spotify spokesperson said that they are always looking for ways to interact with their users. In 2021, Spotify plans on reaching out to users who like more positive music with more live events and users cancelling the subscriptions of users who like artists like Coldplay and U2.