From JD Vance’s dinnertime Bieber to Sam Altman’s Shazaming of extremely common hit songs, a web site claiming to have printed the Spotify listening habits of members of the Trump administration, tech leaders, and journalists is making the rounds.
“We’ve been scraping their accounts since summer season 2024. Playlists, reside listening feed, all the things. We all know what songs they performed, when, and what number of occasions,” the Panama Playlists web site reads, alleging, “With somewhat sleuthing, I might say with near-certainty: Yep, that is them.”
Are all the accounts actual? At this level, it’s onerous to inform. The accounts listed haven’t been independently verified by WIRED. Reporter Mike Isaac from The New York Occasions tells WIRED that the songs listed on the web site beneath his title match his actual Spotify listening historical past. 5 of the Spotify listeners from the web site confirmed to The Verge the accuracy of their posted information. So, I’ve spent all morning obsessively listening to each track on the Panama Playlists, having fun with a voyeuristic look into the listening habits of highly effective individuals.
Representatives of the general public figures whose playlists had been featured didn’t reply to quick requests for remark.
Vance’s potential cooking playlist, which had been reported on earlier than this drop, has Justin Bieber’s “One Time” and the Backstreet Boys’ “I Need It That Approach” in rotation. The Panama Playlists additionally declare US legal professional normal Pam Bondi jams out to Nelly’s “Sizzling in Herre” and Foreigner’s “Chilly as Ice,” (the latter appears like a mad lib for the administration’s present immigration coverage), Florida governor Ron DeSantis allegedly streams Miley Cyrus’ “Occasion within the USA”, and White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt seems to take pleasure in some Cyndi Lauper with “Women Simply Wish to Have Enjoyable.” (I imply, a few of them additionally need reproductive rights, too).
Even homosexual Republicans couldn’t resist the gravitational pull of Brat summer season, it appears, with nominee for US undersecretary of state for financial progress, power, and the surroundings Jacob Helberg listening to Charli XCX’s “Apple” over 50 occasions up to now 12 months. If the lists are correct, Helberg might quickly turn into the member of the Trump administration most on the gay-pop practice. Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” and Addison Rae’s “Weight-reduction plan Pepsi” clock in as his subsequent high two most-listened songs, in line with the Panama Playlists. I ponder how Helberg’s potential boss would really feel about him being a Chappell-head, particularly contemplating the artist stated “fuck Trump” final 12 months.
The songs Silicon Valley tech leaders allegedly have on repeat are particularly unhinged. The general public Spotify account seemingly linked to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which seems to comply with playlists from considered one of Altman’s longtime buddies, incorporates a number of Shazam playlists of recognized tracks, from Dixon Dallas’ “Good Lookin’,” a homosexual parody of nation music, to Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On.” Elliott’s ubiquitous hit is principally simply the lyrics “get ur freak on” repeated again and again, making it notably ironic to Shazam. Extra songs that Altman seems to have Shazamed embody: “Pumped Up Kicks,” by Foster the Folks, “Legal responsibility,” by Lorde, “The A Group,” by Ed Sheeran, “Fly,” by Nicki Minaj, and “Make You Really feel My Love,” by Adele.
