Latest news with #SpotifyWrapped
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Time to Break Down Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain's Drama
In today's edition of 'two artists on my Spotify Wrapped are actually beefing IRL,' it looks like there's some tension between alt-pop's finest, Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain. While Ethel has been compared to LDR ever since she started posting covers and demos online in 2017, the pair recently got into a tiff online, thanks to Lana soft-launching a new song. It all began on August 13, when Lana posted a video of herself in a car listening to a track where she name-drops Ethel in the first few lyrics. When fans responded with (understandable) confusion, the 'Born to Die' singer then alleged that Ethel had previously body-shamed her—hence the diss track. If you're one of those said confused fans wondering how we even got here in the first place, allow me to break down Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain's drama (for educational purposes, obvi). Ethel—whose real name is Hayden Silas Anhedönia—has been chronically online for a greater part of the last decade. According to a social media post, she listed Lana as one of her favorite artists on her DeviantArt profile in 2015. She also started posting her music online in 2017, including a cover of Lana's hit, 'Born to Die.' Ethel started gaining an audience for her music, which she released under several different monikers until she officially became Ethel Cain in 2019. Lana comparisons came from critics and fans alike, and Ethel eventually started posting about her frustration with it. In a since-deleted 2022 tweet (per i-D), she clapped back at a review that likened her to the 'Ride' singer, writing, 'I love Lana and I love her music but there's a hundred other things at play here. If that's an entry way for a review, that's fine. But sometimes people arrive at Lana Del Rey and stop at Lana Del Rey.' She also defended her and Lana's artistic differences, adding, 'And yeah I called it lazy writing because it's lazy for me and her. I think it's kind of a detriment to the expansive work of two female artists to just reduce them to being similar to each other.' Okay, so here's where things get a little tricky. In 2022, Lana started dating musician Jack Donoghue of the hip-hop duo Salem, and she hard-launched their relationship with a photo outside of Cook County Jail, which has since been deleted. Meanwhile, Ethel once had a close friendship with Jack, and she was even rumored to be dating him after his relationship with LDR. She reportedly posted a similar photo to Lana's and poked fun at it with the caption 'ok wait my turn.' Of course, it has also been deleted. In May 2022, Ethel was profiled by The New York Times, where she's referred to as 'the most famous girl at the Waffle House' in the headline. Lana then made headlines in July 2023 after word got around that she was moonlighting as a waitress at the breakfast establishment in Alabama. Iiiiinteresting connection here. Or, at least, what seems to be an Ethel diss track. On August 13, Lana posted a clip of herself listening to one of her unreleased songs in a car, which happened to name-drop Ethel in its lyrics. She sings, 'Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it's cute reenacting my Chicago pose,' which might allude to both of their pics with Jack Donoghue. In another lyric, she directly references Ethel's New York Times headline as she sings, 'The most famous girl at the Waffle House / I don't regret it.' Lana also alleged that she was body-shamed by Ethel in a comment under Pop Base's post reporting on her unreleased snippet. 'When I heard what she was saying behind closed doors from mutual friends and started inserting herself into my personal life I was definitely disturbed,' she wrote, in part. Shortly after, Ethel revealed that she had been blocked by Lana in a post on her Instagram Stories. 'Update: lana del rey has blocked ethel cain on instagram,' she wrote. While LDR's song may be pointed at Ethel, fans theorized it could also be counted as shade toward her 'Snow on the Beach' collaborator, Taylor Swift. 'Track 13 @jackantonoff,' Lana captioned the post, hinting that the song would be on her upcoming album, The Right Person Will Stay. Of course, 13 famously happens to be Taylor's favorite number. Both artists have worked with Jack Antonoff extensively throughout their careers, and the Grammy-winning producer is noticeably absent from Taylor's The Life of a Showgirl album credits, since she teamed up with Max Martin and Shellback on the project. It's unclear whether she, Jack, and Lana had a falling out or if Lana is remaining loyal to her longtime producer, but the timing of LDR's post considering Taylor's album announcement on the New Heights podcast took place mere hours earlier. TL;DR: Some of this evidence is compelling, but most of it feels like a reach.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Instagram Experiments with ‘Picks' to Connect Friends Through Shared Interests in Movies, Music, and More
Instagram is quietly working on a fresh way to get users talking — and it's all about shared tastes. The social media giant is developing a new feature called 'Picks', designed to match friends based on common favourites in categories like movies, TV shows, books, music, and games. The concept is simple: you select your personal favourites, and Instagram compares them with your friends' selections to highlight overlaps. Think of it as a mash-up between Spotify Wrapped and a friendship compatibility test, built directly into the app. The goal? To nudge people toward real conversations instead of sticking to double-taps and emoji replies. Meta, Instagram's parent company, confirmed to TechCrunch that Picks is still an internal prototype. The tool is in what one might call the 'lab experiment' stage — far from a public release. And, like many of Instagram's experimental features, there's no guarantee it will ever roll out. The first hint of its existence came from Alessandro Paluzzi, a well-known app researcher and reverse engineer famous for unearthing unreleased social media tools. Paluzzi shared screenshots showing how users could browse different categories and pick their top favorites. Those choices would then be cross-referenced with friends' lists to reveal shared interests — perhaps opening the door to debates over the best '90s indie band or swapping recommendations for niche TV dramas. The idea fits neatly with Instagram head Adam Mosseri's vision for the platform in 2025. Back in January, Mosseri wrote: 'To help people connect with friends over the things they discover on Instagram, we're going to double down on messaging, make consuming content more interactive and social, and explore new ways to connect with friends.' In essence, Instagram is aiming to shift from being just a content feed to becoming more like a bustling online hangout spot — a place where you share, chat, and even argue about sequels versus originals. However, new features on Instagram often meet mixed reactions. Over the years, the app has been criticized for piling on tools, leading some users to feel it's becoming cluttered. The recent launch of Instagram Map sparked backlash from users puzzled about why they suddenly had a new location feature they never requested. Given its current prototype status, there's no timeline for Picks, and there's every chance it could join Instagram's long list of 'features that never were.' Meta regularly experiments with concepts that never make it past the testing phase. Still, for users who enjoy personality quizzes or discovering unexpected common ground with friends, Picks has the potential to become an engaging new way to interact. Whether it turns into the next Stories-style success or fades quietly into the background will depend on how users respond — and whether Instagram can keep it fun without turning it into yet another ad-focused algorithm tool.
India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Instagram testing Picks feature to match users by shared movies, music, books, and more
Instagram is cooking up yet another way to keep you glued to the app, this time by playing matchmaker over your taste in films, music, books, and more. The new tool, called 'Picks,' is designed to help you discover what you have in common with friends, potentially sparking more conversation beyond the usual double-taps and emoji Instagram's parent company, confirmed to TechCrunch that Picks is currently an internal prototype. It's still in the 'playing around with it in the lab' phase and nowhere near your feed, feature was first spotted by serial app sleuth and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who has a knack for digging up Instagram's unreleased experiments. In the screenshots he shared, users can select their personal favourites across categories like films, TV shows, books, games, and music. These 'Picks' are then cross-referenced with your friends' selections, highlighting shared tastes. Think Spotify Wrapped meets friendship compatibility test, but baked into Instagram. Instagram hasn't provided any official details on how it would work in practice, but it's not hard to imagine the motivation. In theory, Picks could encourage users to connect on a more personal level, nudging them to swap recommendations or debate the merits of each other's choices. Instead of endlessly scrolling past content, you might actually message someone because you both love the same niche TV drama or 90s indie idea aligns neatly with Instagram head Adam Mosseri's stated vision for the platform in 2025. Back in January, Mosseri posted: 'To help people connect with friends over the things they discover on Instagram, we're going to double down on messaging, make consuming content more interactive and social, and explore new ways to connect with friends.'In other words, Instagram wants to feel less like a content vending machine and more like the internet's busiest pub, full of chatter, sharing, and the occasional argument over whether a sequel was better than the course, this being Instagram, not everyone will cheer the arrival of another feature. The app has been steadily packing in more bells and whistles over the years, leading some users to complain it's becoming overcrowded and bloated. Instagram is still dealing with backlash from its recent 'Instagram Map' rollout, which left many people wondering why they'd been given a new location feature they never asked because Picks is still in early development, there's no telling when, or if, it will launch. Meta often experiments with features that never see the light of day, so this could end up as another entry in Instagram's long list of 'what could have been.'Still, for those who enjoy a good personality quiz or want to uncover unexpected common ground with their friends, Picks could prove to be a surprisingly engaging addition. Whether it becomes the next Stories-style hit or quietly disappears into the feature graveyard will depend on whether users embrace it, and whether Instagram can resist the urge to turn it into yet another algorithm-driven ad machine.- EndsTrending Reel
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Justin Bieber album Swag review: Bieber needs to take notes from Pritam and keep it simple
At the end of each year, people all across the world grab their phones to check their Spotify Wrapped, and if you're an Indian or listen to Bollywood music in general, your Wrapped top 5 actually has only 4 spots because one of them already belongs to the omnipresent Pritam. This man will somehow slither his way into that yearly playlist. Whatever this unappreciated genius does, it works, and after listening to Justin Bieber's new album Swag, it turns out that the pop musician could take some pointers from our long-bearded Mozart. Swag has Justin Bieber trying to do everything all at once, and it is not a good look. The theme of the overall album seems to revolve around love, intimacy, and the artiste's relationship with a higher power, but the lyrics somehow make the songs sound like Boys II Men never knew how to write hits that assisted in the growth of the workforce. Bieber mentions the bed too many times, and every single time he does, it somehow makes even less sense than the last. The idolatry public will still give props to the 31-year-old for speaking his mind and releasing new music while going through challenges in his personal life, as they should, but the album seems disingenuous, and Bieber himself gives proof of that midway into the project. ALSO READ: Victory Lap: Fred Again needs to give Hanumankind a proper verse, listen to the song before Instagram ruins it The first few tracks seem like remixes of each other, but the bass line is precise and catchy (which is something he maintains throughout the album). For some reason in the third track 'Yukon', Justin Bieber's vocals are pitched up for the entire song; we don't really hear him singing, which is another problem with this project. Bieber refuses to use his greatest asset, his voice, and we only get glimpses of his vocal prowess during some rare moments where the artiste really seems to be belting his heart out. Throughout the album it seems that Bieber himself doesn't believe in his best tracks and keeps running away from the sounds that actually work for him, maybe fearing that he will sound slightly like he used to. The first ray of hope in the album is the fifth track, 'Things You Do', where for the first time in the entire project, a song seems beautifully put together. A simple bass track, coupled with a few clicks and a soothing guitar riff. The linear pattern of the song works perfectly for Bieber, but like a Stan doing something new and profound, the singer quickly abandons that sound. Where some artistes are known to be extremely efficient when it comes to featuring on someone's song, like J. Cole, Eminem, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber facilitates something completely opposite and rather successfully. Throughout his career, some of his biggest tracks have been born out of collaboration with other artistes such as Ludacris, Usher, Drake, and many more. You expect the same when the track 'Way It Is' starts playing, but Gunna drops the ball and then trips on it in the most spectacular way. He raps about the things people accuse rappers of talking about too much, like expensive clothing and cars, and fails to add anything to the almost good song. After a few bumps and bruises, you will move to arguably the best part of this album, tracks 10, 11, and 12. The first is 'Walking Away', where we hear Justin Bieber layer effortless vocals on an instrumental that seems almost altruistic towards the songs that came before it. The song is complete and content within itself, and Bieber's genuine love for his partner Hailey shines through. The next track, 'Glory Voice Memo', is the proof I was talking about earlier. The track is an unmastered voice recording of Bieber singing along with a guitar, and it sounds like the perfect marriage between gospel and blues, just as God intended. He channels his inner BB King and Albert King altogether, and this rough scratch of a song is one of the best things you hear him perform. 'Devotion' makes up for that Gunna feature, as the subtle and slow tempo of the song takes you on a walk through the artiste's mind. During that walk, there is a verse-long detour towards Dijon town, as the artiste fits the song like the jigsaw piece you never found after it fell through the sofa. There is no gap between the artistes, and Bieber hands off the mic to Dijon in perfect harmony as the two riff off each other with that addictive John Mayer-like guitar lick playing in the background. ALSO READ: Britney Spears and Lata Mangeshkar share the same connection that Parineeta the film and Louis Armstrong do, and it has to do with cheating From there, Justin Bieber again seems to forget his strengths, and the entire second half sounds like songs that you would cut upon reviewing the album. 'Sweet Spot' again ruins the feature power of this album with Sexyy Red performing a shallow and unimpressive verse on a song that was already trying so hard to be relevant. '405' is the track that plays in every modern Netflix-produced rom-com that you won't remember once the protagonists ride off into the sunset. After an underwhelming title track, Bieber kind of brings it back with 'Zuma House', with a Shiloh Dynasty air to him (remember that artiste), while the track 'Too Long' seems to describe the album. The last track is a sampled and edited version of the popular gospel song 'Lord, I Lift Your Name High' by Praise Band 1 from Maranatha! Music. The vision of the project is very clear, with all worthwhile songs focusing on Justin Bieber's relationship with his family and God. It's a good theme to have, and just like the Bhakti and Sufi movements, it plays with the line of praising your god like you are praising your loved one. The only problem arises when Bieber himself seems to forget his vision and starts layering too much sound while trying to say nothing. The irony of the album is that the tracks that seem the most linear in nature are the ones that truly shine through; they give an insight into the mind of a broken artiste trying to heal and succeeding in his quest to do so. At least it proves that Bieber hasn't lost his sound or his effortless charm; he just needs to stick to it, just like Pritam, and all will be 2015 again.
Metro
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
I'm a freshly graduated mess – and Noah Kahan set me off
As someone whose Spotify Wrapped looks like a psychoanalyst's worst nightmare, seeing Noah Kahan at BST felt like a trip to therapy. Last night, I cried into my warm cider with 65,000 strangers while a man in Dutch braids sang about leaving home, seasonal depression, and the emotional weight of New England. The number of times I went from sobbing to crying with laughter – if singing didn't work out, he could have always taken up comedy (PSA I am glad the singing worked out). It felt like a giant group hug between friends, fathers and daughters and people who met five minutes ago in the queue. It was definitely a night to remember. British Summer Time opened with three incredibly talented artists on The Great Oak Stage: Gigi Perez, Finneas and Gracie Abrams. I was a fan of each of these artists prior to going, but hearing them all live was an out-of-body experience; as a girl currently crashing out about leaving university, nothing quite compares to screaming 'Free Now' in a sunny field with your best friend. Not forgetting to mention the roar of the crowd when Finneas brought out new bandmate Ashe to perform their iconic hit 'Til Forever Falls Apart'. The pair (now in a band titled 'The Favours') also performed a new song titled 'The Hudson' which is set to release on July 11th. After our voices were well and truly warmed up a crowd of emotionally unstable Noah Kahan fans waited in anticipation. He opened with All My Love, which had every single person jumping up and down from the first guitar chord. Shout out to school assemblies for preparing us for this moment, all 65,000 of us screaming his lyrics back to him – my ears are still ringing. The 28-year-old superstar addressed the crowd after his first song, 'My name is Noah Kahan and this is the biggest show I have ever played in my life'. The 28-year-old was born in Vermont, USA (he sings about this a lot – from what I've gathered he is not a huge fan). He loves to dutch braid his hair. Also is very familiar with a brightly coloured two piece. His hit 'Stick Season' was number one for seven consecutive weeks in the UK. His 2022 album 'Stick Season' was re-released as 'Stick Season: we will all be here forever' in 2023 The re-release featured some of music's biggest names with the likes of Gracie Abrams, Hozier, Sam Fender, Post Malone and a few other incredible artists. TW: His music will make you cry. For the eighth year, 150,000 festival goers will descend on Glasgow Green from 11-13 July to see the liked of 50 Cent, Gracie Abrams and Biffy Clyro, and you could be there! Metro has teamed up with Rockstar Energy presents TRNSMT Festival to offer four VIP tickets to one lucky winner. For a chance to win this massive music prize, simply enter your details here. You have until midnight on Sunday 6 July 2025 to enter using the form below. Entrants must be 18+. Good luck! T&Cs apply*. Click here if form is not loading. * Open to legal residents of Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland) aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 18:01 BST on 2 July 2025 and closes at 23:59 BST on 6 July 2025. The promotion is free to enter; however internet access is required. Entrant must visit and when prompted by the form, submit their name, email, telephone number, date of birth and postcode. Acceptance of the terms and conditions is necessary to enter the promotion. There will be one (1) winner. The winner will win four (4) VIP weekend tickets for TRNSMT Festival, running from 11th – 13th July 2025 at Glasgow Green, in Glasgow ('Prize'). Proof of age and photographic ID are required for entry for all guests (the guests of the winner must be at least 16 years old at the time of entry). The Prize, including entry and attendance at TRSNMT festival, is subject to and governed by the Promoter's full ticket terms and conditions. 1 prize available. 1 entry per person. Full T&Cs apply, see here. As the crowd continued to scream and cheer, the chords of 'Everywhere Everything' started to play – a clear fan favourite. Noah's vocals were pitch-perfect and after posting on his Instagram 'Special surprises for you tonight' everyone was on edge wondering which guests he would bring on to the stage. There were whispers in the crowds of Sam Fender, Hozier and even a potential surprise performance of 'Dial Drunk' with Post Malone. After the first chorus, Noah shouted 'Make some noise for Gracie Abrams' as the 25-year-old pop star walked out onto the stage to sing her verse. I was amongst the girls screaming at this moment as it was a crossover of the most gut-wrenching artists. After the slight disappointment of Post Malone not coming out for 'Dial Drunk', Noah climbed down the stage and ran over to the B stage – high-fiving as many hands as he could on his way there. Noah joked: 'Yes I have two stages, it's like the Eras Tour but the only era is depression'. The number of times I went from sobbing to crying with laughter – if singing didn't work out, he could have always taken up comedy (PSA I am glad the singing worked out). The crowd decided on his 2022 masterpiece, 'Strawberry Wine' which once again had us tearing up at the moving lyrics. This didn't feel like a concert, it felt like collective CPR – the way Noah has the ability to make his sold-out show feel like he is sitting with his guitar in the living room at 2am is all part of his incomparable talent. Back on the main stage, Noah began to play 'You're gonna go far' which sent post-grad me into another emotional breakdown – but it did feel like the perfect remedy. Noah went on to say, 'This is a big night, my mum is here somewhere,' which once again set off the harmonious screaming as people tried to spot the superstar's mum. He then introduced his massive hit, 'Call Your Mom' by saying: 'This one is for your mom haha.' Once again 65,000 Noah fans went wild as he brought out Gigi Perez to sing the second verse, which was nothing far from angelic – side note: Gigi needs way more attention her voice was incredible live. The Stick Season hitmaker darted off the stage as Hyde Park chanted 'Noah, Noah, Noah.' He ran back on the stage sporting a Chelsea FC shirt, where the crowd began to boo in unison causing Noah to break into laughter at the controversy he had created. His band began to play the TikTok hit, 'Northern Attitude' – fans had already noticed an extra mic stand on the stage so the guesses of who would be up there with Noah were being thrown around the crowd. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video To everyone's shock, it was not Hozier, as the light came on no other than Lewis Capaldi was standing dressed as Noah with the matching Chelsea FC top and his hair in braids – words can't describe how loud Hyde Park screamed at the moment. More Trending It was the duet no one expected but everyone there needed, especially after Capaldi's recent hiatus from music – it felt like we were witnessing history. The show closed with his iconic track, 'Stick Season', every single person in the park was dancing, hugging their friends, singing their hearts out as fireworks lit up the sky – it was all very weirdly healing. The whole night felt like a fever dream and it was a lot cheaper than therapy or going travelling to 'find myself'. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Oasis, Lewis Capaldi, Lady Gaga and more: 2025's most anticipated upcoming tours MORE: Lewis Capaldi soars up charts to number 1 after sensational Glastonbury comeback MORE: Not inspired by the Glastonbury headliners? These 6 acts blew me away
