While snow may not be in the air, love might be. ICYMI, it’s cuffing season, and while you may be inclined to open your Tinder app (or reactivate your Hinge), there’s another platform that’s a proven matchmaker: Spotify. Believe it or not, Spotify might be your secret weapon when it comes to finding that special someone during the holiday season.
Call me what you want, but when it comes to dating, I prioritize two things before looks: personality and music taste. (You will never catch me with a person who has Morgan Wallen as their No. 1 artist. I’m sorry — I am who I am.) And I’m not alone in that: A 2019 survey by the UK-based dating website Badoo found 70% of respondents believe shared music taste is one of the most important qualities in a partner. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Spotify has tools to help you connect with your special someone through the power of music.
Ready to go all-in on the cuffing season vibes? I spoke to Spotify’s resident Trends Expert Lea Palmieri to discuss listening habits during cuffing season, how to set the mood, and how Spotify can help you connect to the person you’re hoping to cuff — even if they’re a Morgan Wallen stan.
The following responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Her Campus: During cuffing season, what genres of music do you find to be the most popular among listeners?
Lea Palmieri: Cuffing season has been off and running on Spotify. Oct. 28 was a pretty key date for us: That was the day where we saw the biggest spike in streams. They went up 550%.
We’re seeing a lot of romantic, R&B songs trending. Some of the artists that have been added to these “cuffing season playlists” are Drake, SZA, the Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and Frank Ocean. It’s very much a vibe of people getting cozy and feeling ready for some romance in the colder months.
HC: So, fall is over and people are ready to shack up?
LP: Oh, they’re ready. It’s like the second the temperatures drop just a little bit, then people are like, “All right, let’s go. Who’s doing this with me?” And that’s sort of the kickoff, but Dec. 13 is a huge day, too. We’ve seen in the past that daily streams have been over 40,000 on that day [in the past].
When I think, “What am I doing on December 13th?” I realize that I’m going to holiday parties, I’m getting dressed up, I’m looking glamorous and gorgeous, and I’m thinking, “Where is my hot date for this party?”
HC: As a Trends expert, were there any trending tracks that stood out to you?
LP: The one that always comes to mind this time of year is “My Boo” by Alicia Keys and USHER; so does “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood. I know it’s very basic, but I don’t know how you listen to that song and don’t pull your sweater sleeves over your hands. It’s such a natural instinct. “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna is always one for me that, once I play it, I just have it on repeat. Those are also tracks that have been added to a lot of cuffing season playlists as well.
HC: Does Spotify have any features that help build these romantic relationships during cuffing season?
LP: I love Blend. We have a ton of artists where you can Blend with them and you get the percentage of your Match score, which is awesome. So, we have the Jonas Brothers, BTS, BLACKPINK, Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone, and all these people that you can actually do a Blend with.
But you can also use Blend with your crushes or dating app matches. If you’re going on a first date, do a Blend with the person — you can just type in “Blend” in the search bar on Spotify and send it to them.
HC: What about when you’re looking to turn up the heat: How can Spotify help you with that?
LP: Go for a collaborative playlist! It’s fun to do it at the start of getting to know somebody, too. You can both add songs that get you in the mood. It really is just a two-become-one type of situation.
A collaborative playlist is our modern mixtape. There is no other way to get directly into my heart than giving me a mixtape or saying the phrase, “This song made me think of you.”
HC: Based on the tracks of the season and other trends you’ve seen on Spotify, what’s the overall vibe of cuffing season 2023?
LP: People are just moving more towards coziness. We are cocooning. People are really feeling stuff that’s going to make them feel warm and cozy. Comfortable. We want to enjoy what we think sounds great and makes us feel at home.