It's that time of the year again – roundups, mashups, wraps, whatever you want to call them. These things present a great chance to look back at what we all hoped would be a better year, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And to a certain extent, things are looking up for most of us.
And getting us through all the ups and downs was the music we listened to – on the work commute, your gym session, or simply during a lazy Sunday at home.
So it's not surprising that you've probably taken a gander at your Spotify 2021 Wrapped recap. Heck, you may have even shared it with your friends on social media. Kind of hard to miss, if we're being honest!
Here are the top tracks that Southeast Asia obsessed over in 2021.
Malaysia
It comes to no one's surprise that Korean boy group BTS dominated Spotify streams in Malaysia with the meteoric hit, Butter. The single also broke the record for most viewers for the premiere of a video on YouTube – at 3.9 million concurrent viewers.
Malaysia's Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. Butter – BTS.
2. Heartbreak Anniversary – Giveon.
3. drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo.
4. At My Worst – Pink Sweat$.
5. STAY (with Justin Bieber) – The Kid LAROI.
The Philippines
With the running joke that all Filipinos can sing, it's great to see local talent taking up the top spot in the Philippines, in the form of Binibini by Zack Tabudlo. It's a rather heartbreaking ballad about two people who find a romantic connection with each other, but feel the need to wait for the right moment to say what's in their hearts.
The Philippines' Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. Binibini – Zack Tabudlo.
2. Butter – BTS.
3. drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo.
4. At My Worst – Pink Sweat$.
5. Leave The Door Open – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic.
Singapore
As much as we hate to admit it, it hurts seeing a former lover move on with their life and find someone new. But it seems that most Singaporeans gravitate towards that kind of energy, since Olivia Rodrigo's debut single, drivers license, sits comfortably in the top spot as the most streamed song in the island nation. Of course, it tugs at heart strings, and is painfully relatable to a lot of folks out there.
Singapore's Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo.
2. STAY (with Justin Bieber) – The Kid LAROI.
3. At My Worst – Pink Sweat$.
4. Heartbreak Anniversary – Giveon.
5. Kiss Me More (Feat. SZA) – Doja Cat.
Vietnam
Chúng Ta Của Hiện Tại, or We Are Now in English, has proven to be a popular track in Vietnam, sung by none other than local artist Sơn Tùng M-TP. The song takes on a more retro vibe, revolving around a 'young mafia boss' of sorts who finds himself fixated on a mysterious woman he saw after leaving an important meeting with other mafia hotshots.
Vietnam's Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. Chúng Ta Của Hiện Tại – Sơn Tùng M-TP.
2. Butter – BTS.
3. Muộn Rồi Mà Sao Còn – Sơn Tùng M-TP.
4. Nàng Thơ – Hoàng Dũng.
5. Bước Qua Mùa Cô Đơn – Vũ.
Thailand
ถ้าเธอรักฉันจริง (If You Truly Love Me) is the 15th single to have come from Thai band Three Man Down. The song goes through a whirlwind of emotions, centering around a man who's in a relationship but still has feelings for his ex. The name of the song itself stems from his pleading with his current significant other to leave him if she actually loves him, solely due to his unrequited love for someone in the past.
Thailand's Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. ถ้าเธอรักฉันจริง – Three Man Down.
2. จำเลยรัก (Defendant Of Love) – F.HERO, Txrbo.
3. เพื่อนเล่น ไม่เล่นเพื่อน (Just Being Friendly) – Tilly Birds, MILLI.
4. แปะหัวใจ (14th Feb) – Jaonaay, Juné.
5. Leave The Door Open – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic.
Indonesia
If you've spent any time on TikTok, you'll most probably have heard To The Bone by Pamungkas. The song went incredibly viral, with Spotify announcing in April 2021 that the single had become the longest-running song on Spotify Indonesia's Top 50 list, spending seven consecutive weeks at the top of the chart.
Indonesia's Top 5 Most Streamed Tracks:
1. To The Bone – Pamungkas.
2. Blue Jeans – GANGGA.
3. Bertaut – Nadin Amizah.
4. Here's Your Perfect – Jamie Miller.
5. happier – Olivia Rodrigo.
And now that we've got Southeast Asia's Spotify obsession wrapped (yes, we'll take this pun), what was your favorite track of 2021?
Read more entertainment stories:
This film festival celebrates movies that are censored in Malaysia
Spotify Wrapped's latest feature reads Your Audio Aura
'Billion Dollar Whale' book about Jho Low to be adapted into TV series
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Cover image sourced from Spotify and lookstudio / Freepik.
