From embracing “main character energy” to going “genre-hybrid” on Spotify—here are the top trends that defined 2023.
A 2023 wrap-up: humanitarian posts flooded social media, Taylor Swift shook the world with her three-hour concert, an autobiographical tribute to her musical journey, Elon Musk took the helm as X’s new CEO, ChatGPT transformed artificial intelligence—allowing the layman to understand its prowess and much more.
On an individual level, people continued their quest for self-innovation. These trends are reflected in their usage of everyday apps like Spotify and Tinder that capture evolving consumer sentiment. Notable, Tinder reported that 69% of Gen Zs challenge conventional dating and relationship norms. For this generation, the journey took precedence over the outcome.
Here, we look at the Spotify, Tinder and Instagram trends that defined 2023:
Spotify Wrapped: It’s a woman’s world; we’re just living in it
Image by Spotify on Instagram
Top artists of 2023
2023 was marked by the triumphant return of prominent female pop stars, but none shone brighter than Taylor Swift, whose songs amassed 26.1 billion global streams since January 1. But she wasn’t the only one dominating the charts.
Hot on Swift’s heels, reggaeton sensation Bad Bunny secured the second spot, boasting a standout year fueled by the release of his new album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. Rounding out the top five were The Weeknd, Drake and Peso Pluma.
Singles that made it big
Switching to individual tracks, we see Miley Cyrus dominate with her single “Flowers”, amassing 1.6 billion streams globally. As of April 2023, it became the fastest song to hit a billion streams on Spotify. Following closely were SZA’s “Kill Bill” and Harry Styles’s “As It Was” in the second and third spots, respectively. The fourth and fifth positions were claimed by Jung Kook’s “Seven (feat. Latto)” and Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola”.
No genre pigeonholes
Beyond specific genres, the influence of Gen Z was palpable, as they continued to embrace the genreless and genre-hybrid trend. Rejecting confinement to a single genre, they switched between a multitude of songs. Plus, this generation’s affinity for moods was evident, with playlists and songs chosen based on their ability to encapsulate the mood or moment of the listener’s experience.
Tinder’s year in swipes 2023: Focusing on the journey
Reporting on the popular dating trends for 2023, the dating app Tinder summed up in its press release, “Overall, daters were less concerned about where their relationships were headed and more interested in creating opportunities to have new memorable experiences.” Plus, dating in 2023 was driven by a desire to improve oneself. Here are some trends Tinder listed:
- Putting the fairytale on hold: This year, singles fully embraced having “main character energy”. They tossed aside the rush for a fairy-tale ending and decided to use dating to gather cool experiences that added spice to their personal stories. This positive and carefree approach meant less stress about labels and outcomes, leaving more room for self-discovery while dating.
- Not Attached To an Outcome (NATO) dating: Lots of singles stopped worrying too much about where a relationship was headed and started enjoying the process of getting to know someone. About 27% of 18-25-year-olds on Tinder said they’re “open to exploring”, and 22% mentioned they’re “still figuring it out”.
- Dating “For the Plot”: People globally hopped on the trend of dating “for the plot”, i.e. every dating experience is part of a larger narrative. There was a 5.5X increase in users using phrases like “Everything I do is for the plot, let’s make some memories” in their Tinder bios. It meant that in 2023, dating was more about the journey and making cool memories than hitting specific goals.
- Wasting no time: Singles on Tinder were smart about their time. They not only watch out for red flags but also get creative with dating techniques like stack dating (fitting quick dates into your everyday schedules to save time), multi-dating (dating multiple people at once) and alphabet dating (planning dates based on the alphabet). 51 percent of surveyed young singles said they were open to new ways of fitting dating around their daily schedules.
- Keeping it real with in-person vibes: In 2023, the coolest communication style was meeting in person, followed by being a big texter, calling on the phone, not being great at texting and video chatting. It was all about keeping things simple, real and fun. More than half of young singles preferred quality time spent together over other means.
Instagram: Barbieheimer, girl dinner and more
The Barbie movie came out this year, turning our social media feeds pink. Besides that, at large, Instagram—which has over 1.3 billion users—sees trends evolve and change nearly every week. What is trending today might be cringe next month. In 2023, the app saw Barbie-core painting the world pink, the rise of the “girl dinner” and more that are influencing Gen Z’s next move.
Looking ahead to 2024, Instagram predicts a boom in hairstyle trends and fragrance creators. In the dating scene, reports suggest a trend towards more introspection. Will it spark a surge in Spotify breakup playlists or new love songs?
Also read:
- The Economics of a Concert: From Taylor Swift to Beyonce
- TikTok Launches “Add to Music App” Feature for Easy Song Saving
- 4 Budget-Friendly Smartwatches for 2023
Header Image by Unsplash
