As you walk through the school in the morning, it is expected to see students wearing headphones. Despite the teachers’ disapproval of these devices, people may wonder what could occupy their attention.
Music is something worth sharing with others. Artists are not just able to express themselves through their songs, but the listener can have their own unique experience. Recommending an artist can introduce someone to a new genre they’ve never heard of, and under- standing what we listen to is an incredi- ble way to do that. When WFS students were asked about their most listened-to genre and their top 3 favorite artists, Spotify was the most used platform, with over 79% of people in the school using it. Because of this, the data will include the most listened-to artist in school and their monthly Spotify monthly listeners.
First is the topic of genres, which is pretty straightforward. About a quarter of the school listens to pop music, with 12% saying they listen to rap, not counting answers saying hip-hop. Close to Rap is Country music, with 11% of the answers, and closing is Rock at 9.9%. Of course, some other genres and subgenres took around 5%-7% of the votes, such as Indie, Hip-Hop, and R&B. However, we also need to know what artists hold the top spots at school.
With the fourth most answers is Zach Bryan, who has about 32,000,000 monthly listeners. There’s a tie for third place going to Noah Kahan and Frank Ocean. Kahan has around 31,000,000 monthly listeners, and Ocean has about 36,000,000 (despite his lack of recent music). Taking the silver medal is Travis Scott. Finally, there is Taylor Swift, who has 91,000,000 monthly listeners on Spo- tify. Of the top 5 artist responses, 21% of people put Taylor Swift as one of their top three music artists, making her the most listened-to musician of Friends.
Jordyn Moore, a junior at WFS, shared that her recent music taste consists of R&B and a bit of 50’s rock, featuring artists such as SZA, Lauren Hill, and Elvis. “I listen to most of it in the morning on my way to school, when I’m home, and in the afternoon. So basically, all the time,” says Moore. “Ever since I was in my mom’s stomach, I’ve been listening to music.” Jordyn gave the song recommendation of “The Need to Know” by Wales ft. SZA.
Chuma Chukwuocha, a sopho- more at Friends, told me he usually lis- tens to rap and R&B. He enjoys listening to artists like Brent Faiyaz, Mac Miller, 21 Savage, and Lil’ Baby. Most of his music listening takes place after school, and he mentions, “It has helped calm me down in heated situations or get me ready for games.” He recommends the song “Me and You” from the Let It Shine soundtrack by Coco Jones and Tyler James Williams. As trends change and music evolves, it is difficult to predict what Friends students will be listening to in the future. However, there is certainty that WFS students will continue to enjoy lives filled with the sound of music.
