Latest news with #ShakeItOff
West Australian
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- West Australian
Spotify AI tool Seat Belters promotes driver safety with playlist hack, based on fresh research
You're driving down the freeway and a car screams past with frenetic music blasting from the windows. There's every chance those blaring beats are directly linked with the driver's reckless behaviour. We know music can have a powerful effect on our emotions, and it turns out it has a major impact on how safely we drive, too, with studies showing songs with a beat-per-minute count of more than 120 to be the worst culprits. These up-tempo tracks have been proven to negatively affect reaction times and overall awareness, producing more erratic driving patterns and riskier on-road attitudes. New research from Allianz Australia reveals one in three (32 per cent) Aussie drivers believes music affects their driving, with a third of those (33 per cent) reporting decreased concentration when listening to high-bpm music on the road. But if you think this category of music is reserved for heavy metal or bass-rich techno, think again. Your favourite song may well be within the BPM danger zone. Taylor Swift's pop banger Shake It Off and OutKast's Hey Ya! both come in at 160bpm, while Beat It by Michael Jackson (138), I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor (132) and Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC (173) are all well over what is considered safe for on-road listening. At exactly 120bpm, Lady Gaga's Poker Face, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk, Adele's Rolling In The Deep and ABBA's Dancing Queen are also just out of bounds. According to Allianz's data, more than half (52 per cent) of Aussie drivers sing along to music while in their car and 44 per cent will crank up the volume when their favourite song comes on, potentially creating dangerous conditions without us even realising. Road safety expert Andry Rakotonirainy has investigated the connection between auditory inputs, like music, and cognitive performance while driving and was fascinated by the findings. 'The emerging data from Allianz Australia is particularly interesting to me, as it shows how music tempo can influence concentration, reaction time and even speeding, highlighting the need for me to explore this further, especially as in-car entertainment becomes more pervasive and immersive,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'When we think about running, we often choose fast-tempo music to push our pace. The same concept applies to driving, as higher bpm tracks can subconsciously encourage faster speeds and reduce concentration. 'It's not surprising that the tempo of the music we listen to can influence how we behave behind the wheel.' Yet clearly it's hard to pick a harmonic hazard if earlier examples are anything to go by. Dr Rakotonirainy says there are some genres that are more likely to have a lower bpm, in the 'ideal' range of 60-80, including classical, ambient, acoustic and jazz. 'These types of genres generally have slower tempos and fewer sudden changes, which could help maintain a steady pace and reduce the likelihood of risky driving behaviours, such as speeding or reduced reaction times,' he explains. Some popular songs that fall into the 60-80bpm category are The Beatles' Let It Be (72), Etta James' At Last (87), Billie Eilish's Ocean Eyes (73), Sam Smith's Stay With Me (84) and TLC's Waterfalls (89). However, we don't have to manually look up the bpm of our favourite songs to make sure they are suitable for driving. Bolstered by the research, Allianz has partnered with Spotify to create a new in-app tool, Seat Belters, which generates personalised playlists that sit within the 60-80bpm range while considering users' music interests. Utilising Spotify's steaming intelligence to promote a more focused state for those behind the wheel is a crucial innovation, Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'Tech platforms like Spotify have enormous reach and can personalise content in real time,' he says. 'By embedding safety-focused experiences like Allianz Seat Belters into everyday music listening and making the experience available to all Spotify users, Allianz is helping to encourage safer driving behaviours at scale.' He adds, 'If Australians could take a moment to consider the music they are listening to before getting behind the wheel, it could have a positive impact on their behaviour.' As for whether there is a genre of music that can turn us into better drivers, there isn't yet conclusive research. 'Driving behaviour is closely linked to psychological states such as mood and arousal,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. 'Music has the potential to positively influence mood and enhance the driving experience. However, from a research perspective, isolating the effect of specific types of music on driving performance is methodologically complex, due to individual variability in music preferences, baseline mood and driving context.' While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Seat Belters aims to strike a balance — especially when 58 per cent of Aussie drivers say they 'always' listen to music while on the road and 13 million people around the country are active Spotify users every month. 'The in-app experience is a great chance for music lovers to combine safety and entertainment in a fun, relatable and accessible way,' Dr Rakotonirainy says. As artificial intelligence infiltrates our daily life at an exponential rate, Dr Rakotonirainy is continuing to investigate the intersection between technology and driver safety. 'While many people are familiar with automated or driverless cars, technologies heavily reliant on AI, its potential goes well beyond automation — it will improve safety,' he says. 'AI can also enable real-time monitoring of driving conditions, detect distraction or drowsiness, assess cognitive load, and even adapt in-car environments or vehicle speed accordingly. 'Beyond music, AI could also enhance route planning and deliver smarter in-vehicle alerts, creating a more responsive and human-centred driving experience.' + To create your own personalised Seat Belters playlist, visit + Allianz's research was conducted in April 2025 and sampled more than 1000 Australians aged 18 and above who hold valid driver's licences and listen to music while driving.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift's Latest Public Appearance Without Travis Kelce Raises Eyebrows
Taylor Swift's Latest Public Appearance Without Travis Kelce Raises Eyebrows originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Fans of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and girlfriend Taylor Swift have been starved for couples content this offseason. Ever since the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX back on Feb. 9, Kelce and Swift, who were photographed together quite a bit and had many public date nights, essentially disappeared from the spotlight amid some public backlash centered around their overexposure during the NFL season. Though the couple was spotted having dinner in Florida just days ago, it was a rare sighting for them amid their desire to keep a low profile during the NFL's offseason hiatus. But it appears things are slowly inching back toward normal for the high-profile A-listers as a new video of Swift made the rounds on social media late Thursday night/early Saturday morning as she made a solo appearance in New York City at Italian hotspot Via Carota in West Village. Several fans immediately noted that Kelce, who was in Florida training and recently returned to Kansas City for Chiefs OTAs, wasn't with Swift, who had been the talk of social media recently after not winning any of the six American Music Awards she was nominated for during Monday's event. And while fans Swift may have been momentarily surprised by Swift's rare Kelce-less appearance, they got over it pretty quickly as several applauded the 'Shake It Off' singer for stepping back into the public eye after she was booed during the Super Bowl just three months ago. 'She's so not used to holding a door since Travis would have handled that lol' one fan joked. 'She's back ready to dominate the second half of the year,' declared another. 'The first *actual* taysighting in a long time, oh we're getting closer and closer,' a third fan replied. 'PAPARAZZI TAYLOR IS BACK. OUR GIRL IS BACK,' one user exclaimed. 'A Taylor swift sighting these days is the equivalent of adding thirteen years to my lifespan,' remarked another user. 'THIS is what main character energy looks like 🔥' one fan wrote. Kelce will likely be back on social media with the second and third Chiefs OTAs grouping on June 2-4 and June 10-13, followed by mandatory minicamp June 17-19 and training camp sometime in late July. Kansas City opens the season at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 5 at Arrowhead Stadium. They also play two of their following three games at home against the Eagles on Sept. 14 and the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 28. Swift is expected to be at most, if not all of the Chiefs' home games this season to support Kelce. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
When will Taylor Swift release Rep TV? Singer makes shocking announcement
Taylor Swift issued an emotional letter to her fans on Friday, revealing she bought back her entire masters. In the lengthy note shared on her website, the 35-year-old seemingly revealed the fate of Reputation (Taylor's Version). 'I know, I know. What about Rep TV?' Swift wrote in her letter, finally addressing the highly anticipated release of the re-recorded version of her 2017 album. 'Full transparency: I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it,' she went on before explaining how Reputation was 'so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping when I tried to remake it.' 'All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief,' Swift continued. The Cruel Summer hitmaker made an 'honest' confession that Reputation is the 'one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it.' 'Not the music, or photos, or videos. So I kept putting it off,' she shared. Although Swift hinted at the possibility of never releasing Rep TV, she assured her fans that 'there will be a time (if you're into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to hatch.' Swift began re-recording her music to reclaim ownership after her first six albums were sold by Big Machine Recordings. So far, the Shake It Off crooner has released the Taylor's Version of four albums: Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989. In her heartfelt letter, the Midnights singer also addressed her debut album, Taylor Swift, which was released in 2006. 'I've already completely re-recorded my entire debut album, and I really love how it sounds now,' she wrote. 'Those 2 albums [Reputation and Taylor Swift] can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about,' Swift went on to say. 'But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have. It will just be a celebration now,' the I Knew You Were Trouble songstress explained.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The bitter truth behind Taylor Swift's absence from the AMAs
Taylor Swift 's devoted fans were anxiously awaiting the pop star's appearance at the 2025 American Music Awards, only to be wildly disappointed when she never took the stage. Swifties thought she would potentially announce the release of her long awaited Reputation (Taylor's Version) album at the event and were left massively disheartened when the Shake It Off singer skipped out on the Las Vegas awards show Monday night.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The bitter truth behind Taylor Swift's absence at the AMAs
Taylor Swift 's devoted fans were anxiously awaiting the pop star's appearance at the 2025 American Music Awards, only to be wildly disappointed when she never took the stage. Swifties thought she would potentially announce the release of her long awaited Reputation (Taylor's Version) album at the event and were left massively disheartened when the Shake It Off singer skipped out on the Las Vegas awards show Monday night.
