2025 Spotify Wrapped Podcast Review: Taylor Swift v Joe Rogan?! | Ep 71
Taylor Swift lovers, K-pop Demon Hunters fans, Drake apologists (boo!) and apparently... a Minnesota Vikings superfan who also loves books and biceps. I didn’t make this up, this is who listens to my podcast (on Spotify, at least)!
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Sophia Chang (00:00)
Welcome to the Sophia Chang Show.
It is my favorite time of year. That's right — Spotify Wrapped season. Podcasters who are hosted on the Spotify platform get the 2025 podcast recap.
Did they tell on you?
Which one of you guys is listening to Joe Rogan?
I'm calling it: Winter Hates Women. Every single friend that I have spoken with who is not also going through holiday hell right now — I've been going to bed at like four in the morning.
But you know, it does beat sitting in a wheelchair in the dark by myself, depressed. So I'll take it.
2025 By the Numbers
This year, we have shared 12 episodes so far, including this one, together. Six guests. And way too much Taylor Swift.
So I'm going to talk about what I am proud of from this year. If there is ever a reason to sign up for my newsletter, this episode is it — because only my newsletter subscribers are going to see the visuals for the Spotify Wrapped that I am about to share. You can go to sophiachang.com.
This is a low-spoons, high-cozy year-end recap. If you're listening to this in March — you're right on time.
Alright, here's what we did together in 2025. Quick stats. After about a two or three year hiatus, I restarted the show on August 26th. We put out 12 episodes including this one. We had six guests — some of them came on more than once.
Spotify Wrapped: Top Artists
Let's get right into the Spotify Wrapped. The most entertaining metric that Spotify provides its podcast creators is the other artists and podcasts that you guys are also listening to.
The number one artist my listeners are listening to is Tay Tay. You guys are listening to Taylor Swift. One of my friends already apologized. She was like, I think that's me.
And very happily, the number two artist is HUNTR/X. We are listening to the K-Pop Demon Hunters album together. We are going up, up, up, baby. I am very pleased about this.
Number four — I am not so happy about. Who is listening to Drake? Who is listening to Drake? I am so confused right now.
One interesting thing is that the first iteration — I call it Season One, that's the first four years of my podcast — was mostly listened to by men age 18 to 22, probably because I billed myself as a frat boy stuck in a tiny Asian body. So I think frat boys were listening to that.
The last episode that I put out was the first time women listened to my podcast more than men. I'm going to count that as a win. However, some dude bros are still out there — because who is listening to Drake? Who? If you guys don't know why I'm upset about this, he said something about Rihanna. No one says anything about Queen Riri. All right, let's move on.
Spotify Wrapped: Top Shows
Top shows — these are the other podcasts that you guys are listening to in addition to the Sophia Chang Show. This is my favorite metric. And the funniest thing that's ever happened to me all year on this podcast.
Number five is this guy named Lex Fridman. Apparently he does these podcasts dressed like — I want to say a two-tone 1970s Ska band guy from England. He talks about AI and robotics and deep work and things like that. He hangs out with Andrew Huberman. This fits with my Cal Newport digital minimalist vibe. So I get that.
Number two is SmartLess with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. This also makes sense — this is kind of Hollywood and gay. I'm former Hollywood and half gay, so that makes sense as well.
This one I don't get: number three is Purple Insider — a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast. I hate football. Out of all sports balls, the only reason I know anything is because of Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto — just all the Asians on the Dodgers.
The Dodgers is a team that represents its hometown. Like, when it went to Canada, you saw this white-as-hell Blue Jays team. And then there was just the most vibrant, Asian, Latino — the right representation for Southern California. I was so proud.
I wouldn't have even known anything about it if the male in the house hadn't dragged me to games, and then I was like, "Asians!" and I got into it. Out of all of the sports, I hate football the most. American football — not soccer. I hate the misogyny. I'm not saying there isn't misogyny in the other sports.
So this one is just weird to me. I do like the color purple. I'm just baffled by this. Who is like, "I'm a Minnesotan who loves football and I'm also going to listen to this Asian chick talk about books, biceps, and no B.S." — like, what is happening? I'm so confused. Who are you? You need to reach out to me.
This is the funniest one, though. The number one podcast that people who listen to me on Spotify also listen to is the Joe Rogan Experience. You know, because Joe Rogan and me — same, same.
I actually got called Joe Rogan once and I was like, that is the funniest thing that's ever happened to me. I would love to get some kind of Joe Rogan deal. The Sophia Chang Show — bring me exclusively to you for millions of dollars, I'm for it.
I should also say — I really like that Lex Fridman is from Tajikistan. If you go to my website and you look at my books, the second book that's there is set in Central Asia. I researched it extensively for years and years, starting over a decade ago. I am a fan of that region.
Minnesota also makes an appearance in one of my books. Is Spotify just like, suggesting things to me? Like, "We know you're writing books about this because we spy on your search history, so here's some podcasts." I don't know what's going on.
I didn't listen to the Joe Rogan Experience at all because I wanted to go into this blind. I asked somebody — said, "What is Joe Rogan about? What's his deal? He seems controversial, yet he is apparently so popular that everyone who listens to me listens to Joe Rogan."
And so he goes, "Well, he talks a lot about bro stuff." I'm like, yeah, okay, that tracks. He talks a lot about fitness and weightlifting. I'm like, okay, I'm starting to feel like this is actually on brand. And if he says controversial things — it's like I say controversial things in private. In public I just try not to get cancelled, because I am a woman of color and we are not allowed to have opinions.
This is great. Thank you, guys. Little known fact: when Joe Rogan downloaded his Spotify Wrapped, he was like, "My number one show is the Sophia Chang Show. What's this?" And then he goes, "Biceps, no B.S. I like this girl." Yeah. So I guess I'm Joe Rogan stuck inside a tiny Asian body. One day in the future there's going to be a publicist who's going to be like, "Why did you say that sentence?"
Number five of the top artists, by the way, is Blake Shelton. I know exactly who you are. It's one of my best friends. Moving on.
Spotify Wrapped: Awards
To the awards — this is actually really gratifying. I am a 2025 Fan Favorite. I am also a 2025 Rising Star. This year, my show's growth outpaced 80% of other shows. That's kind of amazing considering I only pumped out three months' worth of podcast episodes. It's as much work as you think it is.
I am very gratified that that was recognized. This one is great, too: I'm a 2025 Most Shared Show — that means I received more shares than 80% of other shows on Spotify, which boggles my mind. I am grateful. I just want to thank you guys, because that's you. I mean, that's also me forcing all my friends to listen — but not more than 80% of other shows. So that means you guys have been sharing my show. I am bowled over.
The Real Win of 2025
Out of all the metrics and the humorous things, the most meaningful thing that happened in restarting the podcast was getting back into this writing community and meeting people who I never would have connected with if I hadn't reached out and said, "I want you to be on this show."
This wasn't just me randomly reaching out. This was a very intentional effort. Sometimes, you strike out. There are a couple of people where I say, "Hey, do you want to be on the show?" and I'll get a "Sure" and we'll chat — and then it kind of fizzles out, they don't respond anymore. Are these Southern Californians? 100%.
But everyone else — I know it sounds so hokey, but the real lesson is the friends we made along the way. It's really true. I wouldn't have connected or reconnected with all these people. There is something that feels really good about being able to platform these people, showcase them, and learn things about them that I never would have if I didn't have a vehicle like a podcast.
Thank you, guys, who have been watching on YouTube, who have subscribed to my newsletter — my very, very nascent, tiny mailing list.
What's Coming in 2026
Stay tuned — in the new year, I've got an episode about what I'm looking forward to in 2026. I do not record that far in advance, so I have no idea what's going to come out. I'm going to be talking about why I even started this podcast, there'll be more about my actual lifting program, and I'm going to talk about my journey into traditional publishing.
So if you want to see the actual Spotify Wrapped screenshots — the top episodes — I will be putting them into this week's Substack. It is the best and actually the only way to keep up with me, because I am not on social media. You also get behind-the-scenes "little did you knows" about me.
Did you know that I used to host events for the Los Angeles Twilight Lovers Meetup Group? You would if you were on the newsletter.
If that is not enough, you get a freebie — a very fun flowchart that, like me, is 100% accurate all the time forever. It's called "Are You Ready for Traditional Publishing?" — as well as access to an Ask Sophia, where you and your question can be featured on a future episode of the Sophia Chang Show. I am laying myself bare.
If this podcast has been a part of your year in any way, I would love for you to send this episode to a friend who listens to too much Taylor Swift at the gym. Apparently that's my ideal demographic.
Sophia Chang (03:28)
I appreciate you, and I will see you just around the corner.
