Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) tried to play up his credentials as a fan of New Jersey native rock legend Bruce Springsteen as part of his new campaign for governor — but had to backtrack after savvy internet users noted peculiar discrepancies between his Spotify Wrapped screenshot and the actual service.
According to The Washington Post, Gottheimer posted on X "what appeared to be a screenshot of his Spotify Wrapped, the streaming music service’s end-of-year report on users’ listening habits. Gottheimer’s top five songs for 2024 were all Springsteen: 'Thunder Road,' 'Because the Night,' 'Glory Days,' 'Badlands' and 'The Rising.' He wrote an accompanying message: 'No surprises here … Fun fact: My first ever concert was at Meadowlands to see The Boss!'"
But shrewd observers immediately noticed that Gottheimer's post didn't look like an authentic Spotify Wrapped page — for example, noted Terrence McDonald of the New Jersey Monitor, the fonts were off, and "g" in "Songs" had a looptail rather than an opentail.
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Confronted by this evidence, Gottheimer admitted that the list was fabricated — but insisted he is a Springsteen fan.
“This would be my Spotify Wrapped if I didn’t share my account with my 12- and 15-year-old kids,” he said. “While it’s Springsteen all day for me — don’t get me wrong, I still love listening to Taylor Swift!”
Springsteen is a revered icon in New Jersey, as one of the state's most famous celebrities; his birthday is even officially marked as Bruce Springsteen Day in the state. He is also heavily engaged on political issues, performing as a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris at some campaign events.
With current Gov. Phil Murphy retiring, the Democratic race for 2025 is shaping up to be a crowded field; several other candidates are running in the primary in addition to Gottheimer, including fellow Rep. Mikie Sherrill, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, and a number of mayors including Steven Fulop, Ras Baraka, and Sean Spiller.
