Skip to content
The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness episode artwork

Jun 18, 2025 35 min

The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness

from Close All Tabs Hosted by KQED

Spotify didn’t just change how we listen to music — it changed what a genre even is. In this episode, producer and rapper Quinn reflects on being thrust into the spotlight at age 15 as one of the breakout faces of Spotify’s meteoric Hyperpop playlist.. Then, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds breaks down how Spotify’s made-up micro-genres—like Goblincore, Anime Drill, and Bubblegrunge—are reshaping music discovery and putting pressure on artists to conform. Guests: Quinn, independent producer and rapper Kieran Press-Reynolds, independent reporter covering music and internet culture Further reading: How to break free of Spotify's algorithm — Tiffany Ng, MIT Technology Review The Lost Promises of Hyperpoptimism — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork Read the transcript here Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected] You can also follow us on Instagram Credits: This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Theme and credits music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness

0:00 35:16

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Close All Tabs?

This episode is 35 minutes long.

When was this Close All Tabs episode published?

This episode was published on June 18, 2025.

Can I download this Close All Tabs episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.