2024
2023: In Review
Composition “Self Portrait in September” Sep. 2024
INTRODUCTION
Hello, my name is Isaiah. Welcome to my passion project, Year In Review. Year In Review (YIR) is a project that I created during the pandemic that allowed me to listen to a ton of music and research my listening habits. It has since progressed to include more scientific methods of research while also incorporating newfound skills acquired throughout the year. Coding, harmonic analysis, and music have become integral elements in creating this year’s iteration. This platform serves as a canvas to showcase the fusion of these skills and connections, a creative tapestry to share with discerning individuals like yourself.
Two aspects of this project serve as the backbone of YIR: Review and Analysis. The analysis is the brain of the project that delves into the inner workings of the data collected from listening to the previous year’s albums. This year, we are utilizing Spotify’s API database to analyze further trends that happen in the titan streaming service throughout the year. The review is the heart of the project, answering questions about what I like, why I like it, and how to share my preferences with others. Really, this portion of the project is all about self-discovery.
My goal for YIR is to be as curious as I can be with data and utilize music to answer questions we have about trends in music, composition, creation, content, and much, much more.
Before we start, please make sure to check out the work that I’ve done on this website, but also on the buttons above, which showcase all of the albums I reviewed and some of my musical achievements in the past year, including performances and compositions.
Scroll down to read chronologically or read individual pages by clicking on the table of contents to your right.
So, I pose you the question:
INTRODUCTION
Welcome! What is YIR?
INSPIRATION
Background information about how YIR 2023 came to be.
METHODS
How YIR was executed.
SPOTIFY API ANALYSIS
Technical walkthrough of code that accesses Spotify’s API.
REVIEW AND DATA
What did I listen to? What did I like?
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
Five of my favorite albums of the year.
HARMONIC ANALYSIS
Five of my favorite songs of the year deconstructed.
MP3 ANALYSIS
Technical walkthrough of code that analyzes MP3 files.
CONCLUSIONS
Summarization of findings.
PROFILES AND EXTRA
A little about me and what I’ve been doing.
Where the h**k did Ice Spice come from?
Being chronically offline (or at least giving off the illusion of doing so), I’m not as connected to the world as some of my online friends. Yet, it’s been difficult to ignore the meteoric rise of one of the most standout personalities of 2023, Ice Spice. I remember the first time I heard the catchy “Boy’s a Liar Pt.2”, on a cold February day in my room. Weeks had passed by, and I continued to hear her rhythmic triplet flow incessantly bouncing within the fabric of the internet. It was around the time that she began to headline and co-headline huge music festivals with enormous talent that I realized I’d hardly ever heard of this person before this year. It was also around this time that I learned that Spotify makes its data available for developers through its API system. This newfound knowledge sparked an idea - a realization that I could delve into Spotify’s data and tell a story about how Ice Spice took over the music industry.
Many factors influence fame, and the idea that the internet serves as a modern stage is far from new. However, determining the extent to which the internet contributed to Ice Spice’s meteoric rise requires further examination. The graphs below illustrate her popularity metrics over time, showing a steady base of nearly 5 million monthly followers—a noteworthy achievement in itself. But her trajectory shifted dramatically with the release of her hit single, Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2. Following its debut, Ice Spice saw a staggering 581% increase in monthly listeners, reaching a peak Spotify Popularity score of 85/100 on March 9, 2023. In just one month, her monthly listeners skyrocketed by 30 million.
This type of rapid ascent is rare but not unheard of. Artists like Chappell Roan and Laufey also experienced significant surges in popularity in 2023. Yet, Ice Spice’s success was more than a viral moment—it was a calculated collaboration. Her partnership with the rising artist PinkPanthress played a pivotal role, as highlighted in a Variety article. Jesse Gassongo-Alexander catalyzed the collaboration, reaching out to Ice after Boy’s a Liar Pt. 1 went viral, aiming to expand its audience. Ice returned her verse within three days, and focus groups of influencers ensured her lyrics resonated with listeners.
300 Entertainment, deeply invested in both artists’ success, deployed strategic marketing efforts to amplify their reach. This included partnerships with popular streamers and ensuring their music played “wherever there was a DJ.” These efforts bolstered PinkPanthress’s U.S. presence while solidifying Ice Spice’s rise.
Ice Spice’s ascent is a testament to the synergy of talent and strategy. Her producer and college friend, RiotUSA, began putting out her music early on, laying the groundwork for her success. By 2023, she was performing at festivals across Europe and Australia, and in 2024, she launched her own world tour.
Below, find a graph illustrating Ice Spice’s monthly listeners and Spotify Popularity rating over time.
NOTE: There is an unknown discrepancy between Tableau and this website's host that blocks communication between the following graphs. I’ve tried to solve this issue countless times, and I’ve surrendered to screenshots of this work. Apologies!
In this graph, notice the frequency of change of concerts over time. Starting off with 5 festival appearances in 2022, she grew more popular in 2023 and embarked on a world tour in 2024. (Data pulled August 2024).
