This was part of a bigger project of the platform era, one that suggested data-driven success was a meritocracy, that virality reflected the will of the people, and that social media had somehow empowered fans to nominate pop stars to power. It’s present, too, in how Spotify’s official “Charts” website claims that “hundreds of millions of listeners shape today’s streaming charts, every day.” Truthfully, though, success was also influenced by contracts, connections, and streaming-friendly music.19
