Bruno Mars Makes Spotify History with 150M Monthly Listeners
Despite not having put out a solo album since 2016, Bruno Mars is still dominating streaming charts. Riding the success of numerous collaborations, Mars became the first artist to top 150 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His single with Lady Gaga, “Die With a Smile,” just recently made its way back to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 after racking up 1.7 billion streams since its release in August 2024. Mars and Gaga are nominated for Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
DeepSeek Launch Leads to Big Losses for Nvidia, Broadcom, & More
The last 24 hours have been a roller coaster for Chinese startup DeepSeek. The company launched an AI assistant last week expected to rival OpenAI, claiming to operate at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. By Monday morning, DeepSeek became the No. 1 free app in Apple’s App Store, overtaking ChatGPT. However, the company’s growing popularity led to an eventual outage of its website, the longest it’s experienced in the last three months. DeepSeek also announced it had to limit registration due to a cyberattack. After DeepSeek launched, big-name companies in the AI space, such as Nvidia and Broadcom, saw their stocks tumble in trading on Monday. In fact, Nvidia posted the biggest drop for a US company ever by losing nearly $600 billion in market cap.
Caitlin Clark & Nike ‘Working On’ Signature Shoe, Logo Design
It may be her offseason, but Caitlin Clark is staying busy with Nike. CEO Elliott Hill recently told Fortune that the WNBA star has been visiting the Swoosh headquarters in Oregon to continue working on her eventual signature line. “We’re working on her signature shoe that will launch, and we’re working on her logo and that design,” Hill said to the outlet. However, there is no release date set for the launch of the Clark’s shoe. After signing with Nike as an NIL athlete at Iowa, Clark extended her relationship with an eight-year, $28 million deal with the brand after being drafted first overall last year.
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Candace Parker Reveals Cover of Upcoming Book
Candace Parker is many things — MVP, All-Star, broadcaster, team owner, and now, author. Via People, the three-time WNBA champion revealed the cover of her upcoming book, The Can-Do Mindset, set to release on June 3. “’Can-Do’ became my nickname from an early age, and it’s become a mindset that’s served me through so many life phases, anchoring me through choppy waters,” Parker said about the book.
Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Homecoming Concert to Air in IMAX
The highly anticipated 50th-anniversary homecoming concert for Saturday Night Live is starting to take shape. While details surrounding the upcoming event have been hard to come by, the live event dubbed SNL50: The Homecoming Concert will be shown in select Regal IMAX movie theaters across the country. SNL Creator Lorne Michaels has even tapped Oscar-winning producer Mark Ronson to co-produce the concert. While specific names and acts have not yet been revealed, the anniversary production is expected to include an all-star cast of musicians and comedians.
Spotify, UMG Team Up in New Multi-Year Agreement
Spotify and UMG are teaming up on a new multi-year agreement “focused on growth, innovation and the advancement of artists’ and songwriters’ success.” While the new deal doesn’t completely solve artists’ pay issues thanks to some of the current bundling packages being offered, Variety reports it will increase royalty rates. The new deal is part of a bigger vision UMG and Spotify share to advance the streaming experience. As part of UMG’s presentation to investors last year, CEO Sir Lucian Grainge described what he called Streaming 2.0, including a subscription option catered to superfans that will feature early access to music, deluxe editions, etc.
Kith’s Art Series to be Featured in the Brooklyn Museum for Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, Kith is partnering with the Brooklyn Museum for the fifth iteration of its Art Series. As part of the deal, Kith will showcase its artwork from past editions of the series in a special takeover of the museum’s First Saturday event on Feb. 1. There will also be a limited-time Kith pop-up shop at the Brooklyn Museum Shop featuring items from the brand’s Black History Month Artist Series Capsule. Kith kicked off the partnership by tweaking its wool varsity jacket to feature Brooklyn Museum branding.
Stella McCartney Buys Back Stake From LVMH
Five years after LVMH purchased the company, Stella McCartney is buying back the minority stake in the fashion house she founded. Even so, McCartney will still continue to advise Bernard Arnault and the LVMH executive team in a Global Ambassador on Sustainability role. McCartney launched the brand with Gucci Group in 2001, building the company under the Kering umbrella. McCartney left Kering to partner with LVMH in 2019.