The US pop star's Number One single is encroaching into people's streaming queues without prompt. Is 'Espresso' really just that sweet? I’m listening to Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C.
’s new track ‘Starburster’. It fades out and Spotify selects popstar du jour Sabrina Carpenter’s bop ‘Espresso’. Not entirely on brand but OK.
A few days later I’m obviously listening to song of the summer and Drake’s public humiliation/ Kendrick’s diss track ‘Not Like Us’ when it ends and I’m served, yep, popstar du jour Sabrina Carpenter’s bop ‘Espresso’. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the audio thirst trap has been spreading out across people’s algorithms with increasing intensity , regardless of whether they’re a ‘Carpenter’ or not. ‘Espresso’ has dethroned Taylor Swift’s track ‘Fortnight’’s position at the top of the charts to claim Number One in the UK, and at the rate oxygen is being replaced by “That’s that me, espresso” wherever you go, it’s set to become a song of the summer contender.
Which raises the question...
What exactly is happening behind the scenes of this delicious brew? Is there an industry plot to get ‘Espresso’ fused to our frontal lobes, or is it the natural conclusion to a shit hot marketing campaign and a talented popstar having her moment? According to Spotify, “multiple factors” go into a track appearing as your next song. That includes everything from how popular a song is at that momen.
