I see you, and it makes me so happy to see you. There is such a disconnect between what we say America is about and what it is right now. True freedom is the freedom to be who we are, and it hurts my heart so much that in some parts of this country, it is unsafe for trans people to do that right now.
The audio programming blends today's hottest music with real-time conversation, guiding listeners through what's breaking now - from rising creators to new hits, throwback rediscoveries, podcast spotlights and trending topics.
R&B in the 21st century has been in a constant state of flux, tugged between safe traditionalism and blurry attempts at progression. For the last decade-plus that "progression" has seen R&B music become more indebted to trap records and the moody atmospherics of alternative bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, or My Bloody Valentine.
TikTok will soon let you stream full songs in its app via a new integration with Apple Music. The company's new Play Full Song feature makes it possible to link your Apple Music account to TikTok, and play any song that strikes your fancy directly in the app while you're scrolling. Starting a song is as simple as tapping a button in the Sound Details page or your For You page.
The rise of TikTok and YouTube has dramatically changed the lives of content creators by turning social media into a legitimate career path rather than just a hobby. These platforms allow ordinary people to build massive audiences without traditional media connections, often through algorithm-driven exposure.
Natanya tears genres open and rebuilds them in her own image. Her drums swing loose and jazzy over heavy 808s; synths drift dreamily before snapping into gritty guitar riffs. Writing, producing and arranging all her own work, she weaves together neosoul silk, R&B groove, indie edge, and flashes of grunge, all carried by a buttery falsetto that nods to Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson and early Destiny's Child.
Dilated pupils, high on camera and often alone. On TikTok, more and more young people are publicly filming their drug use. The videos reach millions, often under a single hashtag: #Pingtok. The trend reflects a new visibility of drug use on social media. What once happened behind closed doors is now filmed, aestheticized and shared publicly sometimes with life-threatening consequences, and often unnoticed by parents.
For today's young people, online content isn't a backdrop to daily life-it is daily life. Streaming platforms, short-form video, and social media don't just entertain; they influence how young people see themselves, their health, and what behaviors are seen as normal or aspirational. Movies, television, and streaming content still have influence, but as the digital ecosystem expands, so does its power to shape choices-for better and for worse.
Shortly after Kiss All the Time was first announced, fans noticed that the album cover resembles a digital camera screen and buttons. "Aperture" (which dropped on Jan. 22) sticks to that thematic imagery, its title coming from the photography term for the size of a lens opening through which light can enter. As Styles sings in the pre-chorus, "Aperture lets the light in," seemingly embracing an optimistic outlook, or letting in the (figurative) light.
The only song here that really matters. Written just hours after the murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and released a few days later, Springsteen names names (looking at you, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem) and speaks bold, specific truth. With a title that recalls his own impactful Streets of Philadelphia, a melody reminiscent of Bob Dylan, and an urgency not felt since Neil Young's Ohio, it may not be groundbreaking musically, but Streets of Minneapolis is exactly what we need right now.
