From Sexy Drill to Boom Bap, here’s what all the rogue genres in 2025’s Spotify Wrapped mean

Guys, Spotify Wrapped is back once again, and for 2025, the music streaming platform has once again provided us with some of the most niche genres you’ve never heard of. I knew pop was going to be on there – thank you, Lady Gaga – but little did I know that I was a connoisseur of jarring styles like Dark wave, Folktronica, and Riddim.

Apparently, there are over 6,000 genres on Spotify, with more and more being added each day as the music industry expands. Some are really obvious, think pop, rock, K-pop, and country, but others are more than confusing.

Here are explanations for some of the more rogue genres on Spotify Wrapped 2025.

Credit: Spotify

Folktronica

On a scale from totally normal to what the hell is that, Folktronica sits somewhere in the middle. According to Google, it’s a style of indie electronic music that blends folk music with electronic elements.

Wikipedia lists the following artists as dabbling in Folktronica: Avicii, Bon Iver, and Björk.

Drone

No, this is not what your dad wants for Christmas for the third year in a row. Instead, the Drone genre is described as a minimalist approach to music that is primarily comprised of sustained sounds, notes, or tone clusters called drones. It’s like the music you’d be listening to during a sound bath.

Private school piano

The top genre for someone on Twitter was Private School Piano, which is not to be confused with Public School Piano. It’s actually a subgenre of amapiano, but with distinct differences in shakers, mellow log drum sounds and progressive chord sequences.

Sexy drill

The genres I listened to most this year. #SpotifyWrapped https://t.co/eAnoE3z5B2 pic.twitter.com/BrWbBgndhn

— kath⁷ (@minhollynight) December 3, 2025

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What sounds like a naughty article in Cosmo is actually a subgenre of drill music that blends the aggressive, heavy beats of traditional drill with softer, more sensual elements and lyrics focused on love and desire. Cash Cobain and Central Cee have reportedly been influenced by the sound.

Hyperpop

There are thousands of pop variations, and Hyperpop is exactly what it says on the tin: It’s super hyper. Think Charli XCX.

Altè

Altè, which is the Nigerian slang term for alternative, is the name of a musical genre that blends elements from dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and R&B with Afrobeats.

Afro-Adura

Staying on the Afrobeats train, which Spotify said was hugely popular this year, Afro-Adura is what happens when Afrobeats is mixed with spiritual themes, gospel lyrics, and prayers. It’s one for the religious girlies, or anyone with taste.

#SpotifyWrapped pic.twitter.com/LKkOUmESMJ

— AARON (@lidolmix) December 3, 2025

Dark Cabaret

If Burlesque had a baby with the punk era, then Dark Cabaret would be that baby. It draws from rock and roll, 1970s punk, vaudeville, and cabaret to create a mish-mash of vibes you never knew you needed.

Riddim

Riddim is another mish-mash genre on Spotify Wrapped 2025. Originating in Croydon in the early 2010s, Riddim combines elements from dubstep, reggae, dancehall, and electronica.

Boom Bap

Boom Bap might sound completely made up, but it’s actually a genre from the late 1980s to the early 1990s that uses snare drums and bass. It’s influenced music from Wu-Tang Clan and Jay Z, so don’t judge a Spotify Wrapped genre by its poorly chosen name.

Exactly, that soundtrack #SpotifyWrapped pic.twitter.com/4OUgflWpIE

— Kay (@legendaarykay) December 3, 2025

Dark wave

If you’ve had a lot of menty Bs during 2025, that might explain why Dark Wave is one of your Spotify Wrapped genres. It came from the 1970s era, with emphasis put on dark, romantic, and bleak themes.

Wikipedia says it’s got an “undertone of sorrow.” Yay?

AOR seems confusing, but it’s actually not

A lot of people on Twitter are complaining that they have no idea what AOR is. It actually stands for Album-Oriented Rock, meaning rock music recorded in the 1960s and 1970s.

Yé-yé, not to be associated with Kanye West

#SpotifyWrapped 2025 https://t.co/4vUihqZKbZ pic.twitter.com/MB6BEmfn2c

— Wicked Igbo feminist⁷ ⓥ💜💜 (@kosi_annie) December 3, 2025

Ye has been given a bad name thanks to a certain rapper, but Yé-yé is a fun French genre that is characterised by catchy, upbeat melodies with influences from rock and roll, pop, and French chanson.

Kawaii future bass

Last but not least on this jarring list of Spotify Wrapped genres you’ve never heard of is Kawaii future bass. Apparently, it’s electronic music influenced by anime culture. There are lots of bright, soft lyrics with an emphasis on being cutesy.

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Featured image credit: Spotify