Passenger Princess Music and Driving Preferences
Are you or someone you know a “passenger princess” — the royalty of the road, reigning from the comfort of the passenger seat? Often embraced with a blend of humor and pride, this title refers to those who prefer the view from the front passenger seat, whether out of choice, convenience, or necessity.
Our most recent study explores what it means to be a passenger princess. We surveyed 1,000 Americans and analyzed Spotify playlists to discover the music they prefer for car rides and the dynamics between drivers and passengers. This article spotlights the choices, preferences, and habits of those who claim the passenger seat as their domain to define what truly makes a passenger princess (or prince).
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 40% of Americans identify as passenger princes/princesses, of whom over 30% demand control over the music while on the road.
- The top song among passenger princes/princesses is “Heartless” by The Weeknd.
- Drake, Deftones, and Lil Peep are the top artists among passenger princes/princesses.
- Rap/hip-hop, pop, and rock are the most popular genres on passenger princes/princesses playlists.
- On average, passenger princes/princesses listen to songs released in the early-to-mid-2010s.
The Passenger Princess Identity
Passenger princesses bring a unique flair to the passenger seat. This section examines how common this identity is among Americans across various demographics, the roles they fulfill in the car, and their music preferences.
Nearly 40% of Americans see themselves as passenger princesses or princes, showcasing a significant portion of the population who proudly embrace this role. Pop, rock, and rap/hip-hop emerged as the top genres for passenger princesses surveyed, with 68%, 63%, and 42% of fans in these genres identifying with this archetype, respectively.
The gender and generation breakdowns also revealed interesting insights. Among those who self-identified as passenger princesses and princes, 79% were women, and 21% were men. Gen Z embraced this identity the most (55%), while baby boomers the least (29%).
Notably, 79% of passenger princesses said they could drive but chose not to, highlighting a preference for fulfilling other roles on the road. These roles included navigating (56%), vibing (51%), and looking cute (45%). Many (40%) considered it a personal responsibility to keep everyone happy with the music, while over 1 in 4 said they keep everyone in the car well-hydrated. More than 30% of them also said they insist on choosing the music, with men being 20% more likely than women to demand this control.
This passenger prince/princess persona is a blend of navigational guru, music aficionado, and style icon, contributing significantly to the driving experience’s overall vibe and dynamics.
The Passenger Princess Criteria
Besides the car tunes, how do you impress a passenger princess or prince? This section reveals what else they prefer along the ride and what they look for in a driver.
A striking aspect of the passenger princess persona is their discerning nature when choosing their drivers. Two in five would not opt to be a passenger princess or prince for someone lacking “rizz,” a slang term denoting charm or attractiveness, underscoring the importance of a driver’s charisma. A passenger princess’s or prince’s role in a relationship is also not without its challenges: 15% of them have fought or broken up with significant others while fulfilling this role.
What else makes a driver appealing to a passenger princess or prince besides charisma? A calm and collected demeanor topped the list with 67%, followed by safe and controlled braking (58%) and maintaining a safe following distance (57%). Conversely, major turnoffs for passenger princesses and princes included aggressive or reckless driving (79%), texting or talking on a phone while driving (71%), and driving under the influence (70%). These preferences reflect the high value these passengers place on a safe and relaxed driving experience.
The Beat of the Passenger Seat
Next, we took to Spotify to see what songs and artists appeared on the most “passenger princess” playlists. Our results offer a glimpse into what these co-pilot experiences often sound like.
An extensive collection of over 10,000 songs from 45 Spotify playlists titled “Passenger Princess” revealed a diverse musical palette. Leading the chart was “Heartless” by The Weeknd, followed closely by “Les” by Childish Gambino and “Telekinesis” by Travis Scott, featuring SZA and Future.
Our analysis of these song selections uncovered a clear preference for rap, hip-hop, pop, and rock music, with Drake, Deftones, and Lil Peep being the most popular artists overall. Each genre’s leading artist — Drake for rap/hip-hop, The Weeknd for pop, Arctic Monkeys for rock, SZA for R&B/soul, Zach Bryan for country, Deftones for heavy metal, and Azealia Banks for EDM — helped to define the diverse passenger princess musical experience. Now that we know who and what they’re listening to, we wanted to analyze how their choice of music sounds.
Valence in music refers to a song’s ability to convey emotion. Higher valence represents positive, happy emotions; lower valence indicates negative, sad emotions. These playlist songs’ average valence of 0.47 suggests a nuanced emotional listening experience, where songs may evoke a mix of feelings. There were some more positive tracks (30% of the songs had a valence over 0.6), yet 40% fell under 0.4, meaning there were more sad than happy songs on passenger princess playlists.
We also found that the average tempo of passenger princess playlists was 122 beats per minute. Music at this tempo can be versatile and suitable for various settings. It often strikes a balance that keeps listeners energized. In addition, the predominance of tracks from the early-to-mid 2010s indicated a nostalgic bend, suggesting that passenger princesses gravitated toward music from this era, perhaps reflecting the formative years of many within this group.
This blend of musical elements reveals the eclectic taste of passenger princesses and illustrates music’s role in shaping the ambiance and emotional tone of their travel experiences.
The Journey Ahead for Passenger Princesses
The essence of being a passenger princess or prince transcends travel, embodying a connection with their driving companions and the journeys they share. These individuals (many of whom are Gen Zers) tend to prefer controlling the music, often choosing favorites like "Heartless" by The Weeknd or gravitating towards artists such as Drake, Deftones, and Lil Peep. They value the journey as much as the destination, with personal expression and shared experiences at the forefront.
Methodology
For this study, we analyzed 45 playlists and over 10,000 songs from “Passenger Princess” playlists on Spotify. Additionally, we surveyed 1,000 Americans to explore perceptions of passenger princes and princesses. The average age of respondents was 40; 39% were male, and 61% were female. The generational representation was 9% baby boomers, 25% Gen X, 50% millennials, and 16% Gen Z.
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