Spotify analyzed Des Moines' most-loved songs and no surprises here: Taylor Swift and country music reigned supreme.

The big picture: Swift was also Spotify's most-listened to artist globally for the second year in a row.

• Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Drake and Kanye West also made the state's top five.

👀 The bottom line: It seems like Des Moines is not #TeamKendrick.

Des Moines' top songs:

1. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey
2. "I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen)" by Post Malone
3. "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone
4. "Stick Season" by Noah Kahan
5. "I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves)" by Zach Bryan

Des Moines' top albums:

1. "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" by Taylor Swift
2. "Stick Season" by Noah Kahan
3. "One Thing At A Time" by Morgan Wallen
4. "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" by Chappell Roan
5. "Short n' Sweet" by Sabrina Carpenter

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A Des Moines center for substance abuse and mental health treatment has admitted over 30 people since opening last month, exceeding operators' expectations.

Why it matters: Until recently, metro law enforcement had few places to take people facing addiction for help other than emergency rooms or jails.

• Polk County supervisors and other metro officials modeled the location on "sobering centers" in other states credited with saving taxpayer money and reducing homelessness.

Zoom in: Two connected buildings previously used for human services in the 1900 block of Carpenter Avenue are part of a $5 million renovation that began about a year ago.

• The Life Services Center side opened Nov. 18 and provides substance abuse and mental health treatment.
• The other side, with an immigrant and refugee center, is expected to be completed in about a year.

State of play: The DSM center already averages two people helped per day, about the same as one in Iowa City.

• It's a level operators thought would take months longer to reach, Annie Uetz, CEO of Polk County Behavioral Health & Disability Services, tells Axios.

Yes, but: The center has five regular spots and can accommodate up to 10 people if needed.

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Together, we can ensure our neighbors stay informed.

🍽️ More than 150 groups are urging Gov. Kim Reynolds to accept help from a federal summer food assistance program for kids after rejecting more than $29 million for this year's program. (KCCI)

🚫 New local government revenue restrictions have resulted with Altoona beginning a process to stop its $600,000 annual contribution to Bravo of Greater DSM, an arts advocacy group. (Business Record)

👿 Satanic Temple of Iowa officials contend the state government's decision to cancel their holiday event at the Capitol violates its members' freedom of speech and they plan to sue. (WHO-13)

⭐️ Today's headline maker: Christine Marchand of Cumming

Interactive sing-along screenings of "Wicked" are coming to major movie theaters — including in the metro.

Why it matters: Some musical-loving moviegoers yearn to belt out their favorite songs alongside the stars on screen, while others prefer to leave the gravity-defying scales to the pros.

Driving the news: Tickets for the special showings, which begin on Dec. 25 and run through Jan. 2, are now available via the film's official website.

• Cinemark Century Jordan Creek 20 and XD in West Des Moines is among the roughly 1,000 theaters nationwide offering the option.

The intrigue: AMC and other big chains had previously warned customers to stay quiet until the sing-along version was released.

We and our respective partners got together for dinner at Bar Nico last week to celebrate another year of local journalism.

By the numbers: Next February marks our newsletter's fourth year!

• In 2024, we sent about 250 newsletters to your inboxes.
• Our thanks to each of our 72,000+ subscribers.

Cheers to you and all the newsletters to come in 2025!