Did You Know 'Spotify Wrapped' Was This Former Intern's Idea? Meet Jewel Ham

Every December, social media turns into a kaleidoscope of music stats as people share their Spotify Wrapped. It has become an unmissable year-end ritual. But behind this global cultural moment lies a lesser-known story: the contribution of an intern named Jewel Ham.

How Spotify Wrapped Was Invented

Spotify first launched Wrapped in 2016, but in its early days, it looked nothing like the slick, story-style format we know today. Back then, Wrapped arrived in users’ inboxes as a simple link, with no interactive or social-media-friendly appeal.

The transformation happened in 2019, when Jewel Ham pitched the now-viral format. On December 2, 2020, Ham tweeted from her handle:

i really invented the spotify wrapped story concept as an intern project in 2019 and they havent looked back since LMAO

— jewel (@whateverjewel) December 2, 2020

She even shared the original design she pitched. Ham said she adored Wrapped but felt it needed a complete re-imagining, something more interactive, dynamic, and most importantly, shareable. 

“When I gave the presentation at the end of my intern project, it was received really well. They liked the idea. That was my last day,” Ham recalled in an interview with Refinery29. 

But when Ham later spoke publicly about her contribution, Spotify denied the claim, stating, “Since Spotify’s Wrapped concept was first introduced in 2013, hundreds of employees have contributed ideas and creative concepts. While ideas generated during Spotify’s internship program have on occasion informed campaigns and products, based on our internal review, that is not the case here.”

This conflicting narrative sparked a broader conversation about credit, ownership, and the role of interns in the creative industries.

Who Is Jewel Ham?

At the time, Jewel Ham was a 21-year-old senior at Howard University and already gaining recognition as an artist. She later worked as a curatorial fellow at the Art Students League of New York while pursuing her own creative projects.

Despite her claim that Spotify adopted her concept “wholesale,” she says she never received any acknowledgement.

“This wasn’t my first corporate position,” she said. “I know that legally, they have the right to the work interns do. That’s why it’s such an issue.”

For her, the problem wasn’t just about Spotify; it was about a corporate culture where unpaid or underpaid interns quietly power some of the biggest ideas without ever being recognised.

The Bigger Issue: The Invisible Labour of Interns

Ham’s story resonated because it reflects a widespread issue. Many interns and job applicants submit design samples, campaign ideas, and storyboards during recruitment rounds, work that sometimes ends up being used by companies even if the applicants are never hired. 

Some even pay “internship fees” or work long hours unpaid, hoping for a breakthrough. Meanwhile, their intellectual contributions often remain uncredited, buried under corporate ownership policies.

Spotify Wrapped may be the most famous example that caught public attention, but it’s far from the only one. Behind many successful campaigns, products, and creative breakthroughs are unnamed interns whose ideas never get the spotlight.

Whether or not Ham solely created the Wrapped story format, her claim sparked an important debate: Who gets credit for creative ideas? How should companies treat interns whose work helps shape major products? And at what point does “standard corporate practice” become exploitation?

Views expressed by the author are their own.