DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Lifestyle
German news & articles
Spotify Wrapped: Germans had rap (& Layla) on repeat in 2022
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Spotify Wrapped: Germans had rap (& Layla) on repeat in 2022

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Why is the internet in Germany still so slow?Why is the internet in Germany still so slow?
7 famous German operas to see once in your life7 famous German operas to see once in your life
[Video] Dinner for One: Behind the bizarre German New Year's Eve tradition[Video] Dinner for One: Behind the bizarre German New Year's Eve tradition
German TV shows on Netflix to binge in cold weatherGerman TV shows on Netflix to binge in cold weather
6 best German TV shows on Netflix6 best German TV shows on Netflix
6 best German movies on Netflix6 best German movies on Netflix
All Quiet on the Western Front cleans up at BAFTAs with 7 winsAll Quiet on the Western Front cleans up at BAFTAs with 7 wins
These are the best cocktail bars in BerlinThese are the best cocktail bars in Berlin
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Dec 26, 2022
Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

In case you somehow missed your social media feed being flooded with screenshots detailing the listening habits of your friends, family and influencers, the streaming service Spotify has, once again, dropped its list of the year’s most popular tracks - and the results are quite illuminating. 

Beautiful Girl and Layla among Germany’s top songs in 2022

If you’re a Spotify subscriber, you’ll know that each year your Spotify Wrapped rundown can reveal both surprising and unsurprising things about your listening habits - and not always stuff you’d want to share. 

This is certainly true of the list of the most-played songs in Germany this year, which includes a great mix of songs we hate to love, and songs we love to hate - from TikTok sensations to Schlager bones of contention - with the usual smattering of German rap. 

Top of the list is the hit Beautiful Girl by Luciano, a TikTok smash hit that combines samples of Sean Kingston’s Beautiful Girls with synthesised vocals and fresh lines penned by the rapper from Berlin. German rappers Miksu / Macloud and t-low come second with their song Sehnsucht. 

Third place is a Schlager hit that kicked up a social media storm this summer when several festivals declared it too sexist to be played, sparking a debate about artistic licence and freedom of speech. DJ Robin and Schürze’s song tells the story of a brothel madam called Layla, who is said to be “schöner, jünger, geiler” than all the rest. It could be the controversy that pushed it to number one, or perhaps there’s some guilty fans out there playing it on repeat. 

What did Germany and the world listen to most in 2022?

The top five songs in Germany in 2022 were as follows: 

  1. Beautiful Girl - Luciano
  2. Sehnsucht - Miksu / Macloud, t-low
  3. Layla - DJ Robin, Schürze 
  4. Heat Waves - Glass Animals
  5. As It Was - Harry Styles

Harry Styles and Glass Animals’ hits both featured on the worldwide most played list. 

The top most played albums in Germany were mostly rap as well, with Ed Sheeren and Harry Styles’ respective pop albums being the only exceptions: 

  1. Majestic - Luciano
  2. = - Ed Sheeren
  3. Zukunft 1 & 2 - RAF Camora
  4. Harry’s House - Harry Styles
  5. Zukunft - RAF Camora

Worldwide, the most popular artists in 2022 were Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd, and BTS. 

By Abi Carter