I’m getting old. I think.

At least that’s how I see it after checking my Spotify Wrapped for 2025. You know, the annual music summary gimmick from Spotify for its users, which is based on your algorithmic use of the platform. Spotify tracks your listening habits, as in it says how much time you use their app, what kind of music you listen to, and gamifies all their collected data to make it more fun and not make it feel creepy that their artificial intelligence is tracking you. It even asks you to share it all in a post.

I digress. Anyway, back to feeling old. I thought I might be a tad, only to find out my Top Artist of the year is a 67-year-old mod pop rocker. Spotify Wrapped: “Paul Weller is your top artist. You spent 708 minutes with them, which makes you a top 0.3 percent global fan.”

Granted, the former The Jam frontman, former Style Council, and eventual solo artist released his latest album “Find El Dorado” (a low-key vibe affair) last July and is very much active. But really, I guess I’m still returning now and then to his truly excellent rhythm and blues rock-inflected 1997 album “Heavy Soul.” Can you blame me for repeatedly listening to a classic ’90s album? To this I say: I bet my Paul Weller is cooler than your top artist OTY.

Oh yeah, apparently I also listened to New Wave. By a lot! Why not? As a music genre, it still sounds freakin’ cool 40-plus years after the fact. And FYI, all the cool acts today are borrowing from New Wave. From The Weeknd, The 1975, to Dua Lipa and Chappell Roan, all are taking a page off the 80s. Locally, Cup Of Joe, IV of Spades, Keneniah, and New Lore (to name some) are also drawing from the spring. The dreamy keyboard synth sound is so back!

Spotify also tracked that I’ve listened to a lot of The Smiths. True! Only because I rediscovered how cool Johnny Marr is and am still figuring out the deceptively intricate guitar parts of “This Charming Man.” Oh yeah, the band had its heyday back in the 80s.

So am I just recycling the sounds of yore? Am I stuck in a groove like a dusty vinyl record jumping in a loop? Nein!¡No creo!

Because Spotify Wrapped also reckons I took in a lot of new music. My year-long listening on the app shows my “Top Genres” are OPM, Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Rap, and New Wave (ok, maybe not the last bit). But yeah, I listened to a lot of local acts. Every week, I check as much new music as I can: Sugarcane, Cup Of Joe, Adie, Ace Banzuelo, Sean Archer, Arthur Miguel, Rob Deniel, Janine Berdin, Dom Guyot, The MNY, Matt Wilson, Dana Paulene, Ena Mori, and more are regulars on my Pinoy Pop Playlist.

In fact, my Number One OPM artist I’ve been listening to all year round? Amiel Sol, whose brand of acoustic pop – glimmering, yearning, and effervescent – has had a breakout year, and evidently, I’ve taken in a lot of time enjoying his songs, in particular “Sa Bawat Sandali.” To which, according to ‘wrapped,’ I listened to 31 times.

Liar! I feel like triple it’s that.

So as far as my music listening goes, I guess, old and young go hand in hand.