‘Dismantled’, ‘Dead’: Why Israel’s ‘Spotify Wrapped’ joke is facing backlash

Spotify has launched its annual Wrapped feature, providing users with personalised recaps of their listening habits and year in audio. The campaign has once again taken social media by storm, with users sharing and comparing their data with friends and followers.

To everyone’s surprise, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) joined the trend by posting a satirical take on their own “Spotify Wrapped.”

The post seemingly bragged about military operations against Hezbollah and Hamas, reimagining the acts as a “playlist.” It included references to the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.

ALSO READ | 'All hell to pay': Trump vows to hit hard Hamas if hostages are not released by Jan 20

What did IDF post?

The IDF shared their satirical “Wrapped” on X, presenting a playlist-style summary of their military operations. Styled after Spotify’s “Your Top Songs 2024,” the post included titles resembling song names but focused on key targets and actions.

More from Explainers

How ChatGPT is becoming everyone’s BFF and why that’s dangerous This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

Thought we would share our year, wrapped. pic.twitter.com/Yc9fArXceW

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 4, 2024

“Thought we would share our year, wrapped,” the IDF posted on X.

Notably, the post featured five “tracks” named after deceased Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Editor’s Picks

1

Hamas threatens to 'neutralize' hostages if Israel launches rescue op, claims intelligence of planned action 2

Israel and Hezbollah have signed a truce. But can it last?

Some of the “songs” were “Dead,” referencing the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, and “Dead Pt. II,” a reference to Yahya Sinwar. Other entries included “365,” which was inspired by Charli XCX’s hit, to represent a year of “protecting our civilians”.

Another striking entry was “19,000+ Terrorists Eliminated,” which was paired with a mock album title, “Bye Bye Bye”. This was a reference to a popular NSYNC song. Several other mock albums listed were “Dead Hezbollah Terrorists” and “Dead Hamas Terrorists.”

How did internet react to this?

The IDF’s Spotify Wrapped parody was met with widespread backlash online, as many accused the organisation of making fun of the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict.

Social media users were quick to criticise the post, with several creating their own versions of Wrapped to point out the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

One of the users wrote on X, “Turning death and destruction into a Spotify Wrapped parody?”

Turning death and destruction into a Spotify Wrapped parody? This is grotesque on a whole new level. Celebrating violence like it's a greatest hits album only highlights how far the humanity has been stripped out of this conflict. War crimes as "accomplishments"? Shameful.

— NaanSenseGuy (@NanSenseGuy) December 4, 2024

“This is grotesque on a whole new level. Celebrating violence like it’s a greatest hits album only highlights how far the humanity has been stripped out of this conflict. War crimes as “accomplishments”? Shameful.”

Another commenter used the format to list alleged war crimes, writing, “Don’t be shy, post your real one,” followed by statistics about the destruction in Gaza.

“Your top war crimes: Killing over 100,000 people in Gaza, displacing millions in Gaza, leaving 0 functioning hospitals in Gaza, destroying over 80 per cent of all buildings in Gaza, causing mass starvation in Gaza,” the post read.

A third user posted, “What a disgrace. How far you have fallen.”

Notably, the IDF’s post has received over 6.5 million views, with more than 13,000 likes and 1,000 reposts. While many expressed outrage, some praised the IDF’s post and its military actions.

One supporter wrote that the “entire world owes you an endless debt of gratitude for doing everything in your loving power to block and eliminate the darkest evil.

In response, news outlet Mondoweiss created its own Wrapped parody titled “Israel’s Genocide Wrapped.”

Using the same template, it pointed out statistics from the conflict, including over 2,00,000 Palestinians killed, more than 1.5 million displaced, and 20,000 children reported missing. It also detailed injuries, imprisonments, and extensive destruction in Gaza.

Gaza war continues, ceasefire in Lebanon takes effect

The war in Gaza continues with a focus on the northern region, where the IDF has intensified its operations. Beit Lahia has seen a massive evacuation effort, with over 10,000 people displaced in just the last 24 hours.

On Wednesday, Amnesty International released a report accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. The report alleged that the IDF has committed at least three of the five acts prohibited under the 1948 Genocide Convention, including indiscriminate civilian killings, causing severe harm, and imposing “on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction”.

ALSO READ | Will the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah hold?

Meanwhile, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon came into effect on Wednesday after more than a year of conflict that claimed thousands of lives. Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army has warned residents of southern Lebanon to avoid approaching IDF positions and villages marked for evacuation.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X, “With the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement and based on its provisions, the IDF remains deployed in its positions inside southern Lebanon.”

The fighting in Lebanon escalated after Hezbollah launched cross-border strikes in solidarity with Hamas, following the latter’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

What is Spotify Wrapped? Where can you find it?

Spotify Wrapped is the streaming platform’s yearly summary of listening habits, offering users a personalised, interactive breakdown of their music and podcast preferences. It highlights top artists, songs, genres, albums, and podcasts for each individual, alongside global trends.

Users can also discover if they rank among the top listeners of specific artists and receive a custom playlist of their top 100 songs from the year.

Both Premium and free users can view Wrapped. Starting Wednesday, Spotify allows users to explore their personalised data via the smartphone or desktop app. Alternatively, you can visit Spotify.com/Wrapped to scan a QR code that directs you to your presentation.

Streaming rivals like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music have also introduced their own versions of Wrapped in recent years.

With inputs from agencies