From JD Vance’s dinnertime Bieber to Sam Altman’s Shazaming of extremely fashionable 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 time 2024. Playlists, reside listening feed, all the things. We all know what songs they performed, when, and what number of instances,” the Panama Playlists website reads, alleging, “With a bit sleuthing, I might say with near-certainty: Yep, that is them.”
Are the entire accounts actual? At this level, it’s laborious 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 identify 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 knowledge. So, I’ve spent all morning obsessively listening to each tune on the Panama Playlists, having fun with a voyeuristic look into the listening habits of highly effective folks.
Representatives of the general public figures whose playlists have been featured didn’t reply to fast requests for remark.
Vance’s potential cooking playlist, which which had been reported on earlier than this drop, has Justin Bieber’s “One Time” and the Backstreet Boys’ “I Need It That Means” in rotation. The Panama Playlists additionally declare US lawyer normal Pam Bondi jams out to Nelly’s “Sizzling in Herre” and Foreigner’s “Chilly as Ice,” (the latter seems 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 “Ladies 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 time, it appears, with nominee for US undersecretary of state for financial development, power, and the atmosphere Jacob Helberg listening to Charli XCX’s “Apple” over 50 instances previously 12 months. If the lists are correct, Helberg might quickly turn out to be the member of the Trump administration most on the gay-pop prepare. Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” and Addison Rae’s “Food regimen 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 mentioned “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 observe playlists from certainly one of Altman’s longtime associates, comprises 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 especially simply the lyrics “get ur freak on” repeated time and again, making it notably ironic to Shazam. Further songs that Altman seems to have Shazamed embrace: “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.
