I do not have Spotify. That isn’t a brag or a stance, I just don’t have a monthly music service. I mostly purchase albums or single songs I’m interested in on my iTunes, ignorantly believing I will have access to them forever. It is, arguably, financially irresponsible. But that isn’t the only drawback! Every year, I watch folks post their Spotify Wrapped, displaying what they’ve been listening to all year, and I feel a little left out. FOMO is real, but not real enough to make me fabricate a Spotify Wrapped. That would be sad.
Welcome to Jersey, baby! I moved here almost exactly a year ago and have not gotten into the political scene as much as I should have. I’m still tied up in NYC politics (especially because that’s where I work). I voted as an NJ resident this year and know enough to get by, but a political “scandal” has yet to grab me the same way an Eric Adams flub-up would. Then, the Jersey god looked down at me, wiped their pizza-dough-covered hands on their apron, and said, “Have I got something for yous!”
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer posted a Spotify Wrapped pic on Twitter earlier this month with five Springsteen hits. “No surprises here,” the Dem politician wrote. “Fun fact: my first ever concert was at Meadowlands to see The Boss!” It would have fooled a non-Spotify user like myself! However, regular folks quickly pointed out that the picture he posted was not in the format the pics usually come in. That would be embarrassing enough, but then Gottheimer tried to play it off.
First, he had an explanation for the folks at NJ.com. “This would be my Spotify Wrapped if I didn’t share my account with my 12- and 15-year-old kids,” he explained. “While it’s Springsteen all day for me — don’t get me wrong, I still love listening to Taylor Swift!” Don’t bring Taylor into this, Josh! Have you ever met a young person?! They’re going to eviscerate you if you keep this up!
The whole thing reeks of trying too hard. The Rep just dug himself a deeper hole, even going back on to Twitter to do what everyone does when they screw up: claim it was all a joke! “This was a fun holiday tweet,” he wrote. “It’s a joke to question my Springsteen creds, just ask my dog named Rosalita!” Josh, no! Just own it, man. You tried to pull a fast one and it didn’t work. This is not how to handle it if you want your time in Jersey politics to be your Glory Days (f***ing naaaaailed it).