How At-Home Activities Are Inspiring New Playlists
People around the world are continuing to spend most of their time indoors—but they’re doing plenty to keep busy. Between baking, homeschooling, crafts, and home improvement, people are finding creative and meaningful ways to make the best use of their time.
We took a look at streaming data between April 17 and May 17 for Spotify users worldwide. As it turns out, listeners are getting in on the latest at-home trends and even creating playlists to match.
Read on for some of the trends, tracks, and playlists marking this unique time.
Hair today, gone tomorrow
With many salons closed over the last month, users have taken their hair into their own hands. There has been a 50% increase in the creation of playlists using keywords like “haircut,” “dying hair,” and “hair dye.” Popular songs on these playlists speak to the seemingly impossible task and include “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy, “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World, “High Hopes” by Panic! At The Disco, “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots, and (more obviously) “Hair Cutter” by Animal Collective.
DIY
At-home hobbies have also been a huge source of inspiration. Coloring-themed playlists have increased by about 40%, and painting playlists more than 90%. Plus, gardening playlists have grown 430% (with songs like “Avant Gardener” by Courtney Barnett, “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra, and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee). And baking playlists have risen 120%. Listeners are especially going bananas for banana bread, with 2,750 Spotify playlists dedicated to the sweet treat.
Hobby podcasts are also having a moment. For arts and crafts inspo, listeners are tuning in to Just Wanna Quilt, with streams up more than 125%, while WeCrochet has seen streams increase more than 60%. Those who like to get down and dirty are checking out gardening-themed podcasts, the most popular being The Joe Gardener Show, Epic Gardening: Daily Growing Tips and Advice, and The RHS Gardening Podcast.
School’s out
With kids home from school, parents are facing a whole new set of challenges, and with a more than 1,000% increase in homeschool-themed playlists, it’s clear that many are turning to music to get through the day. “Supalonely” by BENEE and Gus Dapperton, “Sucker” by Jonas Brothers, “Circles” by Post Malone, and “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa are among the most popular songs choices on these playlists.
It’s not all work and no play, though. Users are also combining music with a popular family-friendly, at-home escape that might ring a bell: Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons video game. Animal Crossing-themed playlists are up 1,000%.
WFH
Anyone who has recently turned their spare bedroom or dining room into their office probably won’t be surprised to learn that working-from-home-themed playlists have seen a massive 1,400% increase compared to the first 10 days of March. Appropriately, the most-added track to these playlists is “Work From Home” by Fifth Harmony (feat. Ty Dolla $ign). Also popular is “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Light On” by Maggie Rogers, “10,000 hours” by Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber), “Boss Bitch” by Doja Cat, “Delicate” by Taylor Swift, and “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala.
Those who prefer something a little more old school are turning to Beethoven and Bach, with pianist Lang Lang’s version of “Für Elise” a top classical pick.
Scrub-a-dub
With more than 940,000 cleaning playlists on Spotify, listeners are taking this year’s spring cleaning to a whole new level. Spotify’s Cleaning Kit playlist has seen a 30% increase in streaming, while user-generated cleaning playlists have increased 40%; overall streams have increased more than 65%. Yet, there seems to be a slight reluctance to the chore, as TLC’s “No Scrubs” has been a popular choice for listeners who are scrubbing their homes.
For those who are getting into the groove while cleaning, users are moppin’ and showstoppin’ with songs made for dancing like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, “Roar” by Katy Perry, “Toxic” by Britney Spears, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, and “Work” by Drake and Rihanna.
No-bummer summer
While summer might look a little different this year, listeners are still seeking out warm-weather vibes. As the temperatures rise in the northern hemisphere, there has been a 245% increase in summer-themed soundtracks to set the mood. These feel-good jams are ideal for throwing your window open or heading outside to soak up some sun—at a social distance of course.
We hope that Spotify can be used as an escape and source of inspiration during this unprecedented time. Create your own at-home playlist—full of music or podcasts—by opening up Spotify. Need a refresher on how? Check out some recommendations here.
