The hottest Music Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

I Think I Can Learn How to Feel to Keep Going

The False Consensus Effect • 59 implied HN points • 07 Dec 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Painting Acrylic Canvas Music Dreams
  1. The author shares their struggle and determination to keep pushing forward in their art despite challenges and self-doubt.
  2. The images showcased in the post are examples of the author's acrylic paintings, reflecting their continuous practice and passion for art.
  3. The author's artistic journey is likened to a process of filtering 'thick human lake mud' to create something clear, empty, and perhaps even innocent.
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A Klezmer Revival in South Seattle?

The Cholent • 39 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Music Culture Community Performance History
  1. The Royal Room in South Seattle has become a hub for local bands embracing their Eastern European musical roots, particularly klezmer music.
  2. Klezmer culture in Seattle has experienced a revival with the efforts of musicians like Mark Lutwak and events like Klezmer Starts Here!
  3. Younger generations are showing an increasing interest in klezmer music, embracing it as roots music and connecting to their Jewish heritage.

How's Gen Z feeling about AI? 🤖

The Digital Native • 39 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Chatbots Social media Graphic design Music
  1. AI has a long history in pop culture and is currently experiencing a boom with new technologies like ChatGPT and AI-generated images.
  2. AI is impacting various industries like social media, graphic design, and music, but human creativity and expertise are still valued.
  3. Gen Z has mixed feelings about AI, with many believing it will enhance rather than replace their skills, but also expressing concerns about ethics and regulation.

Ted Lasso & Smigus Dyngus

The Chase • 39 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture TV shows Traditions Music Books
  1. The term Smigus Dyngus is an obscure inside joke that the author's family has used for years.
  2. Smigus Dyngus is a centuries-old pagan tradition from Central Europe involving soaking young women with water on Easter Monday.
  3. Today, Smigus Dyngus has evolved into a more gender-inclusive water fight tradition in many places around the world.

Finnish News Recap, week 22: Rammstein edition

Ahpocalypse Now • 39 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Music Politics Crime News Social Issues
  1. Finland's NATO debate postmortems critiqued President Sauli Niinistö's failure to assume a pro-NATO consensus earlier.
  2. Rammstein, a popular German band in Finland, faces #metoo allegations of drugging women for backstage sex.
  3. In Finland, #metoo mostly impacts music circles with accusations against Rammstein's Till Lindemann and other local politicians.

The Year In Review

Cosy Moments • 9 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Philosophy Art Music Religion
  1. The author is thankful for their readers and encourages feedback on what topics they want to see more of in the future.
  2. Next year, the author plans to write about classic writers like Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare, as well as philosophy and religion.
  3. There will be a special Q&A post to celebrate a milestone for the 'Cosy Moments' series, inviting readers to send in their questions.

Why Aren't We In The '60s?

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 30 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Art Music Literature Social movements History
  1. There was a belief that cultural and social upheavals, like those in the 1960s, would repeat in cycles. People hoped for a new wave of creativity and social change similar to that time.
  2. Recent movements for social justice seem less joyful and spontaneous than the vibrant protests of the 60s. Instead of celebrating freedom, they often feel controlling or focused on punishing others.
  3. Today’s culture is more about individual branding and status than true equality and uniqueness. This has created a conformity that feels disconnected from the eccentric and radical spirit of the past.

In praise of glorious messes

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 19 Jun 22
🎭️ Culture Music Learning Art Creativity Personal Growth
  1. Learning something new, like playing music or coding, starts small and takes time. It's okay to be a beginner and learn one step at a time.
  2. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Embracing those messy moments helps you improve and grow in any skill.
  3. Staying open to learning keeps your mind fresh. Allowing yourself to struggle a bit can lead to wonderful discoveries.

Gravity

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 08 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Music Literature Art Identity Relationships
  1. People often find refuge in music during tough times. It can lead to discovering new artists and help navigate feelings of loneliness.
  2. Relationships can be complicated, especially after a breakup. New connections may form, but the past can still weigh heavily on your mind.
  3. Creativity can arise from everyday experiences and challenges. Venturing into art or writing can be a way to express emotions and connect with others.

Would you go to the movies to watch Youtube?

Cosmos • 19 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Movies Creators Music Theater Entertainment
  1. Tom Cruise's incredible work ethic earned him the title of biggest movie star in the world and led to huge box office successes
  2. Top music artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are bypassing traditional distributors and striking direct deals with movie theaters, signaling a shift in the industry
  3. The creator economy is booming, with platforms like Stripe paying out billions to creators and top YouTubers like MrBeast earning millions while negotiating directly with platforms

From Beatlemania to Taylor-mania

SatPost by Trung Phan • 74 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Music Entertainment Social media Pop culture Celebrity
  1. Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour is set to be the first ever to gross over $1B, with massive demand and $200+ ticket prices.
  2. The hype around Taylor Swift's tour draws comparisons to the rise of Beatlemania in 1963, with similarities in audience psychology and social context.
  3. Swift's tour success highlights the significant role of luck and timing in creative endeavors, emphasizing the importance of effort and strategy while acknowledging external factors.

Against "talent"

Sunday Letters • 119 implied HN points • 04 Jul 22
🎭️ Culture Music Education Philosophy Arts Self-Improvement
  1. Talent is often used as an excuse for not trying something new. People might say they lack talent instead of acknowledging that skills come from hard work and practice.
  2. No one is born an expert in anything, including tech or music. Mastery in any field requires time and effort, and everyone struggles at first.
  3. Using the term 'talent' can discourage people from pursuing their interests. If someone thinks they need a special gift to succeed, they might not even try, but anyone can learn with determination.

Little Treats

Autoscriptorium • 39 implied HN points • 06 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Art Books Music Film Literature
  1. Enjoy little treats along your journey of self-improvement, they are important.
  2. Find joy in small things like Algonquin School paintings and quality fruits from California.
  3. Discover unique items like Emilio Braga notebooks and engaging books for a well-rounded experience.

Recommendations II

Nice Try • 99 implied HN points • 13 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Music Literature Film Art Media
  1. Resequencing albums can change how you experience them. For example, swapping tracks on 'Let It Bleed' can create a better flow and make it feel more like a complete piece of art.
  2. Taking your time with long books is important. It's not about how fast you read but how much you engage with the material. Marking notes can help deepen your understanding.
  3. Not all movies about famous artists hit the mark. Some, like the Van Gogh biopic, might not do justice to their subjects, even if they have good performances or interesting ideas.

#63 Imagining a more progressive internet

Design Lobster • 219 implied HN points • 12 Apr 21
🪑 Design Internet Philosophy Graphic design Music
  1. The internet can be more progressive by not being limited to past patterns and by focusing on helping users progress rather than staying the same.
  2. Design can move forward by reimagining past elements, such as logos, to create new and innovative concepts.
  3. Creativity and action are key - the best response to dissatisfaction is to create something new and improved.

A selfie trend of pandemic proportions

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 199 implied HN points • 15 Jan 21
🎭️ Culture Social media Trends Internet culture Music Health
  1. Some people are taking 'vaxxies' - photos of themselves before or after getting vaccinated, which can be both informative and potentially boastful on social media.
  2. Vaccination photo shoots aim to educate and encourage vaccination, but they can sometimes come off as self-centered, particularly on social media platforms.
  3. There are concerns that 'vaxxies' might inadvertently discourage people who haven't received the vaccine, leading to further division and disparities in access.

What was Drake?

Never Met a Science • 22 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Music Philosophy Politics History Literature
  1. Drake's approach to music, devoid of street cred, emphasized personal confession over braggadocio, making his music relatable through authenticity.
  2. Poptimism influenced the creation of pop-rap, with Drake embodying the move towards more universally palatable music, detached from local rap scenes.
  3. Taylor Swift, in contrast to Drake, creates subjective histories through her music, allowing fans to relate to themselves and construct their own identities.

Decoding Bytedance’s strategy to tap India’s music app market

Turnaround • 296 implied HN points • 20 Jan 20
🕹 Technology Music Streaming Apps Market Strategies
  1. The music streaming industry in India faces challenges like messed up unit economics due to high operating costs, prompting companies like Spotify to create their own content to improve margins.
  2. Companies like Resso are introducing unique features like 'Vibes' to differentiate their music apps and engage users in social activities, adding layers of value generation and potentially solving the issue of new user growth.
  3. To tap into the Indian music app market successfully, companies like Bytedance are relying on user-generated content, social sharing, and potential breakthrough features to monetize through advertising in price-sensitive markets.

Poll Worker or Poll Dancer

Splattern • 19 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Art Music Cinema Social Issues Food
  1. Bill Gates faced a lot of anger from voters, but he stayed strong during tough times. His decision not to run for reelection shows how much the past elections affected him.
  2. A former poll worker shared her story of stepping up to help after Hurricane Sandy. She felt that young people are needed to improve the voting system in New York.
  3. Little Richard's influence on rock and roll was huge, even if he didn't get much credit. Many famous musicians looked up to him and acknowledged how he shaped their music.

Reading, Watching 02.05.24

Unpopular Front • 24 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Music Politics Opinion
  1. Taylor Swift's political stance surprises many as she appears to be more liberal rather than culturally conservative.
  2. Swift's response to idolization of her whiteness is straightforward: 'There's literally nothing worse than white supremacy.'
  3. Kanye West, once seen as Swift's rival, is highlighted for his Nazi sympathies, showing a bizarre twist in perceptions.

On Quitting Spotify

Reboot • 38 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Music Technology Essays Streaming Radio
  1. The author explores quitting Spotify in favor of CDs & radio for a more intentional listening experience.
  2. The obsession with frictionless algorithms on streaming platforms may limit the diversity and depth of music discovery.
  3. Diversifying music consumption with CDs, radio, and live performances can offer unique, fulfilling listening experiences.