The Barbie Phone, much like the doll it pays tribute to, is a thing of beauty. But like that doll whose proportions, historically, are impossible, the Barbie Phone just isnt built for the modern world.Even if the ultra-feminine aesthetic isnt your thing and its not really mine you have to hand it to the Barbie flip phone. From the box it comes in, to the interchangeable back plates, rhinestone stickers, and Barbie-fied interface, its a delight. The charger and battery are both pink, though theyre a lighter shade than Mattels trademarked Barbie Pink (Pantone 219). The phone says Hi Barbie! when you turn it on. Its the definition of committing to the bit.HMD Barbie Phone$100$13023% off$100$100$13023% offThe Barbie Phone is based on one of HMDs feature phones, so its limited to basic connectivity like calling, texting, email, and a rudimentary web browser. Its a fun collectors item, but ultimately frustrating to use in daily life.$130 at HMD$100 at AmazonThe breezy fun of the Barbie aesthetic, Pantone 219 or otherwise, is at odds with the actual experience of using the phone. Its based on one of HMDs feature phones, and it runs an operating system called KaiOS. The phone is designed for basic connectivity texting, calling, emails and even includes a web browser.According to HMD, in addition to being cute,You gotta hand it to HMD, the Barbie Phone commits to the bit.No need to give up the smartphone entirely, reads Barbie Tip 1. Find a balance between your smartphone and your Barbie Phone. Barbie Tip 6 is titled DreamHouse Rule and encourages you to Make tech-free zones in your own DreamHouse. More room for fun! Incidentally, Mattel says it sells a Barbie DreamHouse every two minutes. The DreamHouse retails for $199.99; the Barbie Phone is $129.99.The idea of popping my SIM card in the Barbie phone and running away for a weekend of digital detoxing with my besties sounds great. The reality isnt so easy. Have you ever tried to enter your Google account password with an alphanumeric keypad? Do you know how to find the curly brackets in T9? I have and I do, thanks to the Barbie Phone, and I dont wish that on anyone. Typing out messages with predictive text is more tedious than I remember; if I used this phone regularly, Id probably call people a lot more.If I used this phone regularly, Id probably call people a lot more.Aside from texting, some of the features of this feature phone just didnt work properly for me. I successfully synced my Google calendar, but my appointments appear on the wrong days for reasons I cant discern. I couldnt get the FM radio app to recognize the wired earbuds I plugged into the 3.5mm jack. The web browser is painfully slow and refuses to render The Verge in any usable form, though I realize I am probably the only person who would attempt to read The Verge on the Barbie Phone. The delight I felt when I first unboxed the Barbie Phone was definitely fading. Even the front of the phone, which is mostly covered by a mirror, looked a lot less charming covered in my own fingerprints and smudges. And I guess having a mirror on the front of your phone is cute, because you can frame up your selfies and check your teeth for pieces of kale. Maybe Barbie wants to see her own face every time she checks a notification but I sure do not. Photo: Allison Johnson / The VergeBut you know when its not cute? Having to look at your own face every time you check for a notification. This is a kind of existential dilemma that Barbie doesnt have to endure, because Barbies makeup is pre-applied and shes perpetually twenty twoRelatedBarbies world is a dream. Unfortunately, the world in which the Barbie Phone lets me escape the drudgery of modern connectivity also seems to be a dream. Sure, it let me take a little vacation from my smartphone and still text my friends. But mostly, it just replaced the annoyances of using an ultra-connected device with different annoyances. Someone more committed to using T9 could probably have an enjoyable time with the Barbie Phone. Otherwise, this is just a neat collectible item; something to take out of the box and play with for a while, but ultimately leave in a drawer. Kind of like a doll. Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Host Aaron Sagers visited the East Continental Gems showroom in New York City to see some of the most luxurious Marvel collectibles in existence.The Bad Sisters season 2 finale was titled Cliff Hanger for a reason, and the cast spoke about what the implications are moving forward.Sarah Greene: The weather that night was absolutely chaotic. Every time we went on set, it rained, so we spent most of the night in our trailer together, napping in the bed. It was quite a nice time. The crew were soaked. But, yeah, it was a real cliff, its not CGI, its not a studio somewhere.Read more at VarietyA Dexter prequel following the Trinity Killer is still in the works with original showrunner Clyde Phillips at the helm.The network and studio executives are also likely waiting to see how Original Sin does to gauge if there is appetite for a further Dexter universe expansion before committing to Trinity. So far, things are looking promising as the series premiere of Dexter: Original Sin racked up 2.1M global viewers across Paramount+ and Showtime in the first three days of availability.Read more at DeadlineThe DC Universes animated offering, Creature Commandos, has been renewed at Max for a second season.Thanks to the brilliant imagination of James and the talent of our amazing artists, DC fans fell in love with this new family of heroes, said Peter Girardi, executive vp alternative programming at Warner Bros. Animation. We are excited to continue this wild ride with our partners at Max. You want more monsters, youre getting more monsters.Read more at The Hollywood ReporterRobert Eggers considers his Nosferatu star and regular collaborator Willem Dafoe to be one of the greatest actors of all time.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Willem Dafoe: I want to try to be that guy that he thinks I am. But its a mutual respect and he inspires me terrifically. And not just his way of working and what he does, but his character, where creating this stuff fits into his life. Its pretty extraordinary.Read more at The Wrap

Apple has yet to complete its transition from LCD to OLED, but will at some point move beyond this to microLED screens. Key supplier Foxconn has announced that it expects to begin mass production of the advanced display tech late next year.Foxconn made the announcement as it revealed a partnership with Porotech for microLED to be used in future AR headsets Apples move toward micro-LEDApple is so still to complete its transition to its third display technology, OLED:Originally, it used LCD with conventional backlightingThen it moved on to LCD with mini-LED backlightingThe Apple Watch, iPhone, and latest iPads currently use OLEDWith MacBooks to follow, likely in 2026Apple is already looking ahead to an even more advanced display tech, however, known as micro-LED. This offers even brighter displays with greater color accuracy, longevity, and power efficiency, and without the burn-in weakness of OLED.The company was expected to begin this move with a microLED Apple Watch, but later cancelled (or, likely, postponed) this plan as the tech wasnt sufficiently advanced.Foxconn preps for mass production of microLEDKey Apple partner Foxconn has announced that it expects to begin mass production of its first microLED screens late next year. These are tiny displays destined for a future AR headset.Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) has announced a partnership with Porotech to enter the augmented reality (AR) glasses market.Leveraging Porotechs cutting-edge gallium nitride (GaN) technology and Foxconns vertically integrated services, from MicroLED wafer processing to packaging and optical modules, the collaboration aims to meet the demands for micro-display chips and AR glasses production. Together, they will provide high-performance, high-brightness, compact, and lightweight AR display solutions to advance global AR and micro-display technology development []The company plans to establish a MicroLED wafer processing production line in Taichung, with mass production slated to begin in Q4 2025.That would likely indicate the first products incorporating the tech launching in Q1 2025.Foxconn says that the tech would meet the needs of future mainstream global clients, but doesnt get any more specific than this.Photo byDaniel OlahonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Samsung's Galaxy Edge 7 shown no side bezels, but a huge forehead and chinFormer Apple design chief Jony Ive had long seen the holy grail of iPhone design to be a single slab of glass without any bezels. A new supply-chain report says Apple had hoped that the iPhone 18 would see it achieve that objective, but it now looks unlikely.The goal, says the report, is to have the entirety of the front of the device be display, with the screen flowing seamlessly into the sides of the phone The single slab of glass visionIve may be long gone, but the company is believed to be still working toward his vision of a device which would look like a single slab of glass. From the front, you would see no bezels at all, only display.The companys first major step toward that was the launch of the iPhone X back in 2017, but progress since then has been incremental. Bezels have gradually decreased in width, but are still very much in evidence.Eliminating them altogether would require a curved display which bends around the sides of the device. The Apple Watch kind of fakes this look, by hiding the bezels beneath curved glass, but the companys goal for the iPhone is for the display to be active all the way into those curved edges.Samsung achieved this with the sides of its Galaxy Edge series, but there were very substantial forehead and chin areas.What Apple wants is the same thing on all four sides.iPhone 18 was the goal, but looking unlikelyTheElec reports that Apple was hoping to achieve a zero-bezel phone in 2026, with at least one iPhone 18 model, but its display suppliers have been struggling to deliver on what the company wants.At the request of Apple, it is known that Samsung Display and LG Display are developing an iPhone organic light-emitting diode (OLED) without a bezel, but[] the release of the zero-bezel OLED iPhone is currently uncertain in 2026 because there is not enough technology development to eliminate all the bezels.An industry official said, If Apple wants to launch a zero-bezel OLED iPhone in 2026, we should have already finished technical discussions with domestic panel companies, but we are still discussing it.While the core goal is feasible today, there are practical challenges which Apple wants to overcome before launching the design:Making the join between curved display and body waterproofAvoiding the magnifying glass effect you typically get with curved display edgesEnsuring the antenna still works effectivelyAddressing the vulnerability of the screen edges to impact damageIts believed Apples goal for 2026 would still have seen a punch-hole camera, as the tech needed to embed the front-facing camera beneath the display is unlikely to meet the companys quality standards by then, but this is the longer-term goal.Photos: Main Rzvan Bltreu (CC2.0); Watch Apple; Galaxy Edge 7 9to5GoogleAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

After months of speculation, the subject of Christopher Nolans next big-budget blockbuster has been revealed. Nolan is makingThe Odyssey.(And yes, itsthat The Odyssey.)According to a tweet on X from the Universal Pictures, the movies distributor, Christopher Nolans next filmThe Odysseyis a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homers foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.READ MORE: Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked, From Worst to BestThe cast of the film is said to include Matt Damon,Tom Holland,Anne Hathaway, Zendaya,Lupita Nyongo,Robert Pattinsonand Charlize Theron. (Specific roles have not been announced.)The Odysseywill be Nolans13th film as director. His previous effort, the historical biopicOppenheimer, defied the Hollywood odds to become not only a massive summer blockbuster that was also a thoughtful drama about the life of a scientist, and 2023s winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Its almost impossible to top that kind of success although Nolans track record at this point speaks for itself.The Odysseyis an ancient epic poem attribute to the Greek poet Homer, which isone of the oldest works that modern audiences still read and study. It follows a man named Odysseus as he struggles to return home to his wife Penelope after the Trojan War. (The war is depicted in Homers other epic poem,The Iliad, so dont worry; if Nolans feeling frisky, hes got a ready-made prequel to his movie already built-in.) His journey takes years, and along the way he encountersgiants, sorcerers, and even a cyclops. (Not the X-Man.)Nolans (Homers)The Odyssey, is scheduled to open in theaters on July 17, 2026.Get our free mobile appThe Best Netflix Movies of 2024These are the Netflix movies worth putting on your end-of-the-year watchlist.Gallery Credit: Emma StefanskyFiled Under: Christopher Nolan, The OdysseyCategories: Movie News

Submitted by WA ContentsDesignart Tokyo installations explore new perspectives through art, design, craft, and technology Japan Architecture News - Dec 24, 2024 - 14:24 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Designwork Tokyo hosted one of the biggest design and art festivals in Japan, encompassing a broad range of fields like fashion, interior design, design, and art.Themed as Reframing - the Beginning of a Shift, this year's design event hosted 117 exhibitions at 96 venues presented works and content from around the world. This year's event recorded over 227,000 visitors for its 117 exhibitions.The 10-day event transformed the city of Tokyo into an art museum. Artists presented new values through reimagining conventional frameworks.The official show this year highlighted the creations of artists who, by presenting new ideals through unconventional viewpoints, are not constrained by traditional frameworks.Four artists at the vanguard of several industries, including art, design, craft, and technology, along with eighteen groups of creators, curated the "Reframing" exhibition. The exhibition was intentionally not separated by the aforementioned fields in order to prevent restricting the spectators' perspective, which gave visitors an extremely engaging experience.Space Design: HYBE Design Team In collaboration with: World Co. / Nomura Co. / Stylem Takesada Osaka / Setup / Timber Crew / MDES / Reset / K3 / Mimaki Engineering / Lintec Sign System. Image Nacasa & PartnersTo draw attention to the appealing aspects of each piece, the HYBE Design Team, under the direction of Jun Takeda, employed stands composed completely of solid recycled material called "TUTTI" for the spatial design. It seemed as though the exhibition stands were a natural extension of the artwork.They not only made it possible for guests to move freely and take in the artwork without feeling alone, but they also infused the space with vitality. Overall, the design decision demonstrated a fresh viewpoint, a new "standard," by utilizing presence and texture without the usage of expensive materials.The four curators were contemporary art curator Kodama Kanazawa for the Art, interior stylist and Space Designer Masato Kawai for Design, Yudai Tachikawa, and artistic director, social sculptor Ryuta Aoki for Craft.World Architecture Community is official media partner of Designart Tokyo 2024, and bringing you the most captivating installations from this year's festival.The fascinating power of natural materialsJoint Exhibition: Woodwork at Axis GalleryFort's new series(ODS / Oniki Design Studio). Image RYO USAMIWith the renewed interest in wood as an essential material for furniture and interior design, a dedicated exhibition was held at the Axis Gallery in Roppongi. Featured works included architect and designer Koichiro Oniki's ODS / Oniki Design Studio's new Fort series, three-dimensional assemblages using Japanese Kumiko techniques.Additionally, Takusei Kajitani presented a 10 years labor in his work Consentable, which captured and evoked the theme of "Deep dive into what I want." The Shizuoka based custom- made furniture workshop iwakagu presented wooden furniture that reflected on the nature of wood itself and reimagined the relationship between the home and woodworking. Maruhon exhibited flooring utilizing Japanese Oak wilt and custom-made furniture fabricated in a way that highlighted the natural charm of the wood, iron, and stone materials.Courtesy of StraftStraft, Exhibition "Nest" (Under 30)Under the title of Exhibition Nest, Straft, a craft unit consisting of Tamaki Ishii and Kazuma Yamagami, exhibited works using rice straw, which has long been revered as a holy material.Throughout history it has served a variety of purposes including creating roofing, walls, and daily tools, as well as being used in Shinto rituals. The exhibition explored the essence of spiritual richness needed today through a perspective that captured the importance of coexisting in harmony with nature. The works shown included impressive and powerful works of clothing and furniture.Expanding the possibilities of product design through new perspectivesSaki Takeshita, 130, AAAQ. Image Kohei YamamatoAAAQ (Under 30)AAAQ is a creative unit of product designer/producer Atsuro Miyako and UI designer So Ohta. This year, the duo presented Visible Stress, an appreciation of the texture of light.The work was created through photoelasticity, a phenomenon that vividly visualizes forces that are typically invisible to the eye. The artists conceived the piece by taking a fresh look at the materials around us and considering their latent power of beauty.Image Ryo UsamiFarm and BuildFarm and Build member Ken Sato introduced a series of furniture made from Najio Washi in his Najio Series. Najio Washi is a type of paper that has been produced in the northern part of Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture since the Edo period, known for its resistance to stains and discoloration even when placed in direct sunlight.The "Pillar Stool" (white) was made by pasting Naijo Washi with starch glue and applying a thin layer of shellac varnish using a technique called French polish to reveal the texture of the fibers and mud in the paper. The work Pedestl Table (black/left) was also presented.Farm And Build, Pulse in collaboration with. Image Ryo UsamiPulsePulse member Daiki Mitsui introduced a new type of ikkanbari (Japanese lacquered papier-mch), soga ikkanbari, which incorporates the traditional techniques of ikkanbari to give the inorganic materials of today the quality of a hand crafted product.Ikkanbari is a technique of layering Japanese paper over bamboo baskets or woven bamboo and applying persimmon tannin or lacquer to increase strength and create a form that can be used for a long time. For this series, five different materials were used to create vases.Beautiful design and art presentationImage Nacasa & PartnersKEF A Celebration of Space Immersed in Sound and LightThe British audio brand KEF came together for a collaboration with renowned designer Michael Young and Klein Dytham architecture (KDa), designer of the KEF Music Gallery in Aoyama.The exhibit included Sticklight, a vibrantly colored display and innovative design work by Michael Young from the 1990s. As well as this, KEF's LS60 Wireless speakers (also designed by Young) were featured in a striking, loud speaker-shaped space at the KEF Music Gallery. The exhibit was an impressive fusion of the three artists' creations.Image Kohei YamamatoFujifilm Design CenterA Taste of Fuji: A Journey with Fujioh SakeFujioh is an original Japanese sake brewed with high-quality spring water from the Fujifilm film factory grounds. In conjunction with the release of a new single-serving cans (a special sized 180ml sake can), an installation was held to take visitors on a journey to Mount Fuji. The production took place in the Clay Studio, a large underground space that was originally designed by all 80 of Fujifilm's in-house designers.Evolving upcyclingReusing discarded materials in a new wayCourtesy of HonokaAqua Clara Honoka Trace of Water"Aqua Clara," a leading company in the water server industry in Japan, showcased a bottle upcycling exhibition in collaboration with the design lab "Honoka" to explore the potential of bottle materials. Returnable bottles, which have absorbed significant moisture after serving their purpose, undergo processing with heat to create subtle changes in color and texture that evoke traces of water.Honoka, with its extensive experience in various processing methods and materials, harnessed the potential of polycarbonate bottle materials with their moisture-absorbing properties and strength. By developing "architectural materials" that combine aesthetics and functionality and presenting products applying these materials, they demonstrated the future potential of upcycling.Image Nacasa & PartnersHiroto Ikebe (Under 30) Cocoon AnatomyHiroto Ikebe aims to bring new perspectives and values to the diminishing practice of sericulture (silk farming). By reading and reinterpreting its existence and combining traditional techniques rooted in the land with the latest technology, he has created a new kind of garment made from the waste products of cocoons, this is "Cocoon Anatomy."Through a captivating exhibition, the importance of revitalizing and carrying on the memory of sericulture was conveyed through visualizing the relationship between materials and producers. As this relationship grows invisible due to industrialization, the artist restores understanding of the textile manufacturing process.From new products to new perspectives, interiors that enrich lifestylesBridge sofa & table / ixc. Edition. Image Nacasa & PartnersLIXIL | bathtopethinking of the earth & people, bathrooms evolveCelebrating the 100th anniversary of its water and tile business in Japan, LIXIL introduced bathtope, a bathroom space based on the concept that A new era of freedom in bathing. Equipped with a foldable fabric bathtub, the exhibit posed the question: Is it okay for the daily bathing custom loved by so many Japanese people to remain unchanged in the future?The result of the exploration posed was bathtope, a flexible bathroom space that can adapt to suit a variety of personalities and lifestyles, as well as a bathing method that can reduce environmental impact and while also providing enjoyment. bathtope is neither a shower room nor a bathroom, but rather a single space that can be freely switched between the two. The exhibition proposed a new way of thinking that embraces diversity and provides free choices according to the time of day, season, and one's mood.Image Nacasa & PartnersNomura Co., Ltd. "Being - What if furniture had a life of its own?"Nomura Co., Ltd., the team of professionals focuses on the integrated creation of spaces where people gather, including commercial facilities, hotels, workplaces, expos, and museums. The Nomura design team reimagined the relationship between people and architectural objects, creating environments that foster connection and experience. One challenge they faced was the tendency to discard perfectly usable furniture, often due to a lack of emotional connection.By cultivating long-term care and attachment, they believed there could be a shift from merely "owning and using" objects to "being with" them, establishing a deeper bond.This exhibition explored how our perception of furniture might evolve if we saw it as having a life rather than simply existing. Through a series of experimental designs, it invited society to reconsider the changing value and relationship between people and objects. This sustainable design approach was well received by visitors from outside of Japan, who requested that the exhibition be expanded to other countries.Artwork to color the spaceManami Numata sync Inc. Sky Pocket. Image Yosuke OwashiManami Numata sync Inc. Sky Pocket"sync public" which is attached to sync Inc. at their new Aoyama-dori location, held a solo exhibition of Manami Numata, a remarkable artist who has received numerous awards post graduation from the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts. Based in her hometown of Hagi City, she creates works while experiencing the eloquence of nature.She had added a new colorful series based on the concept of sky to her body of work, which overlaps her life and journey using maps and still life as motifs. The exhibition featured colorful works from this new series, capturing the moment when the sky is at its most beautiful transformation.Image Nacasa & PartnersLionrugs X Kaoruko Fusion of Japonism and Persian carpetsLionrugs Aoyama, A gallery store specializing in Persian carpets, exhibited the latest works created by New York based contemporary artist Kaoruko. In addition to her recent works, Persian carpets from her past works were also exhibited.The delicate colors of Kaorukos artwork beautifully decorated the interior and attracted visitors into a world where feminine Japonism met the traditional crafts of the Middle East.An exhibition that goes behind the scenes of the design processImage Kohei YamamatoBehind the scenes of Takrams product designTakram, a design innovation firm that has worked with innovators in a variety of fields, held an exhibition focusing on product design from among the many projects it has worked on. The exhibition revealed the behind-the-scenes design process along with actual products. What is the design process when seeking to create new value together with a client?The exhibition revealed the materials and prototypes from the project period, as well as the methods used to achieve high quality. Many people visited during the exhibition period, as it was a rare chance to see behind-the-scenes of the design process.Image Kohei YamamatoThe Conran Shop, 30th Anniversary Inspirations for the NextCelebrating its 30th anniversary, the Conran Shop Marunouchi store introduced a new project "Inspirations for the Next with four designers (Akihiro Kumagaya, Momoko Kudo, Shigeki Fujishiro, and Sera Yanagisawa), which aimed to create contemporary furniture by collaborating with crafts and makers unique to Japan, as well as cultures and materials rooted in Asia and Japan.In the center table of the event, various inspirations were displayed that represented cornerstones of product development, focusing on the seven functions and structures including placing, solidifying, stacking, carrying, wrapping, bending, and hanging. Items displayed included folk tools, crafts, and tools researched by the designers of the Conran Shop.Top image in the article: View of Reframing Exhibition. Image Nacasa & Partners.> via Designart Tokyo

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Was there any material, texture, or color that was a key inspiration in designing your home?I was obsessed with creating a mix of materials, but I knew that I wanted to use high-gloss lacquer and also natural stone surfaces. I had been thinking about natural stone for a whileits something that always accompanies me wherever I go, there are so many varieties and options that one never gets bored.Custom headboard with a curved profile. Rug by Javier Velarde, bedside table from The Masie, Murano glass lamp, framed work by Atelier P. Frognier, Eames Elephant by Vitra, curtains and square-cushion fabric by Gancedo, and round pillow by Redondo Brand.Murano crystal chandelier from La Brocanterie.What advice would you give to someone designing the interiors of their first home?Take risks pursuing what you really like, dont blindly imitate other projects, and find ways to introduce your own personality into every corner.Is there any piece of furniture, work of art, or decorative objective that has a special significance for you?There are many items that remind me of favorite moments, especially travel, which is what I like to do most. But the piece that perhaps means the most to me is the painting by Emeca. It was one of the first works of art that I acquired for my home.This 969-square-foot apartment tour was first published by AD Spain. It was translated by John Newton.Decorative objects from The Masie; blanket by Ezcaray.

In early 2022, I started noticing something strange in Spotifys jazz playlists.I listen to jazz every day, and pay close attention to new releases. But these Spotify playlists were filled with artists Id never heard of before.Who were they? Where did they come from? Did they even exist?In April 2022, I finally felt justified in sharing my concerns with readers. So I published an article here called The Fake Artists Problem Is Much Worse Than You Realize.I was careful not to make accusations I couldnt prove. But I pointed out some puzzling facts.If you want to support my work, please take out a premium subscription (just $6 per month).Many of these artists live in Swedenwhere Spotify has its headquarters. According to one source, a huge amount of streaming music originates from just 20 people, who operate under 500 different names.Some of them were generating supersized numbers. An obscure Swedish jazz musician got more plays than most of the tracks on Jon Batistes We Arewhich had just won the Grammy for Album of the Year (not just the best jazz album, but the best album in any genre).How was that even possible?I continued to make inquiries, and brooded over this strange situation. But something even stranger happened a few months later.A listener noticed that he kept hearing the same track over and over on Spotify. But when he checked the name of the song, it was always different. Even worse, these almost identical tracks were attributed to different artists and composers.He created a playlist, and soon had 49 different versions of this song under various names. The titles sounded as if they had come out of a random text generatoralmost as if the goal was to make them hard to remember. Trumpet BumblefigBumble MistywillWhomping CloverQeazpoorSwiftsparkVattio BudI reported on this odd situation. Others joined in the hunt, and found more versions of the track under still different names. The track itself was boring and non-descript, but it was showing up everywhere on the platform. Around this same time, I started hearing jazz piano playlists on Spotify that disturbed me. Every track sounded like it was played on the same instrument with the exact same touch and tone. Yet the names of the artists were all different.Were these AI generated? Was Spotify doing this to avoid paying royalties to human musicians?Spotify issued a statement in the face of these controversies. But I couldnt find any denial that they were playing games with playlists in order to boost profits.By total coincidence, Spotifys profitability started to improve markedly around this time. A few months ago, I spoke with an editor at one of the largest newspapers in the world. I begged him to put together a team of investigative journalists to get to the bottom of this. You need to send people to Sweden. You need to find sources. You need to find out whats really going on.He wasnt interested in any of that. He just wanted a spicy opinon piece. I declined his invitation to write it.We now finally have the ugly truth on these fake artistsbut no thanks to Spotify. Or to that prestigious newspaper whose editor I petitioned. Instead journalist Liz Pelly has conducted an in-depth investigation, and published her findings in Harpersthey are part of her forthcoming book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. Mood Machine will show up in bookstores in January and may finally wake up the music industry to the dangers it faces.Pelly started by knocking on the doors of these mysterious viral artists in Sweden.Guess what? Nobody wanted to talk. At least not at first. But Pelly kept pursuing this story for a year. She convinced former employees to reveal what they knew. She got her hands on internal documents. She read Slack messages from the company. And she slowly put the pieces together. Now she writes:What I uncovered was an elaborate internal program. Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with music we benefited from financially, but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform. In doing so, they are effectively working to grow the percentage of total streams of music that is cheaper for the platform. In other words, Spotify has gone to war against musicians and record labels. At Spotify they call this the Perfect Fit Content (PFC) program. Musicians who provide PFC tracks must often give up control of certain royalty rights that, if a track becomes popular, could be highly lucrative.Spotify apparently targeted genres where they could promote passive consumption. They identified situations in which listeners use playlists for background music. Thats why I noticed the fake artists problem first in my jazz listening.According to Pelly, the focal points of PFC were ambient, classical, electronic, jazz, and lo-fi beats.When some employees expressed concerns about this, Spotify managers replied (according to Pellys sources) that listeners wouldnt know the difference.They called it payola in the 1950s. The public learned that radio deejays picked songs for airplay based on cash kickbacks, not musical merit.Music fans got angry and demanded action. In 1959, both the US Senate and House launched investigations. Famous deejay Alan Freed got fired from WABC after refusing to sign a statement claiming that he had never taken bribes.They called it Payola, and people got firedTransactions nowadays are handled more delicatelyand seemingly in full compliance with the laws. Nobody gives Spotify execs an envelope filled with cash.But this is better than payola:On February 7, Spotifys CEO sold 250K shares for $57.5 million.On April 24, Spotifys CEO sold 400K shares for $118.8 million.On November 15, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $35.8 million.On November 20, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $34.8 million.On November 26, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $36.1 million.On December 4, Spotifys CEO sold 75K shares for $37 million.On December 11, Spotifys CEO sold 60K shares for $28.3 million.Deejay Alan Freed couldnt dream of such riches. In fact, nobody in the history of music has made more money than the CEO of Spotify. Taylor Swift doesnt earn that much. Even after fifty years of concertizing, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger cant match this kind of wealth. At this point, I need to complain about the stupid major record labels who have empowered and supported Spotify during its long history. At some junctures, they have even been shareholders.Ive warned repeatedly that this is a huge mistake. Spotify is their adversary, not their partner. The longer they avoid admitting this to themselves, the worse things will get. The music media isnt much betterthese new revelations came from a freelancer publishing in Harpers, not from Rolling Stone or Billboard or Variety. And I could say the same for the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Why didnt they investigate this? Why dont they care?But I am grateful for independent journalism, which is now my main hope for the future. Lets turn to the bigger question: What do we do about this?By all means, lets name and shame the perpetrators. But we need more than that.Congress should investigate ethical violations at music streaming businessesjust like they did with payola. Laws must be passed requiring full transparency. Even better, lets prevent huge streaming platforms from promoting songs based on financial incentives.I dont do that as a critic. People sometimes try to offer me money for coverage, and I tell them off. It happened again this week, and I got upset. No honest person could take those payoffs.Streaming platforms ought to have similar standards. And if they wont do it voluntarily, legislators and courts should force their hand.And let me express a futile wish that the major record labels will find a spine. They need to create an alternativeeven if it requires an antitrust exemption from Congress (much like major league sports). Our single best hope is a cooperative streaming platform owned by labels and musicians. Lets reclaim music from the technocrats. They have not proven themselves worthy of our trust. If the music industry leaders havent figured that out by nowespecially after the latest revelationswe are in bad shape indeed.

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