Foam Parties and Princess Treatment
“you only come out of stealth once"
How Chase Sui Wonders became Gen Z’s scream queen; Lorde is already teasing Virgin b-sides; Rolling Stone deemed Olivia Rodrigo the best headliner of Glastonbury; and Daisy Edgar-Jones is starring in a new Sense and Sensibility film adaptation.
A rare afternoon send because I wanted to share monthly recaps for both April (!) and May before I log off for the rest of the week. I’m taking a few days away from my laptop for the Fourth of July and my birthday. (I’ve never been more relieved to not be a teen; I may be old, but at least I am free.)
These recaps are pretty time-consuming to make, but they feel worth it, even two months late. It’s good for my brain to think about these things from a slightly more macro POV, and I hope it’s helpful to you, too!
Paid subscribers, scroll to the end for the links! 🫶
STARTUP FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE GETTING THE TIKTOK TREATMENT, businessinsider
Young startup founders are skipping press releases in favor of high-production TikTok-style fundraise videos to announce venture rounds. Cluely’s cinematic rom-com video cost $140K but went viral so viral — 13 million views! — that it crashed the company’s servers. Wander’s $50M raise announcement, filmed DIY-style by its 27-year-old founder, led to a record $275K in bookings in one day. “You only come out of stealth once,” said director Nicholas Carpo, who now produces 2-3 of these videos monthly for startups.
CAN THE ‘PRINCESS TREATMENT’ GO TOO FAR?, nyt
I briefly mentioned TikTok's “princess treatment” debate in yesterday’s newsletter, but I was relieved to see that the Times published a thorough explainer of the whole thing, something I tried and failed to do. (There’s so much nuance! And yet, it’s all so stupid!) Basically, a video by 37-year-old Courtney Palmer describing her preference not to speak to waitstaff or order her own food in the presence of her husband has drawn over 3 million views and sparked backlash from younger creators who call the behavior regressive. There may be fewer headlines about tradwives these days, but make no mistake: The movement is still pervasive!
WHY ‘SUCCESS IS QUIETER’ FOR YOUNGER AMERICANS, wsj
Among adults ages 18-34, physical and mental health now rank as the top markers of success, while wealth comes in fifth. What’s especially interesting is how social media has compressed the generational learning curve, letting Gen Z internalize “life lessons that boomers learned at the end of their careers,” according to researcher Zak Dychtwald. As one 27-year-old put it, success today looks more “holistic,” with young people prioritizing well-being above all.
AGAINST THE ODDS, GEN Z IS BREAKING INTO THE HOUSING MARKET, cnn
And yet…! Despite high prices and a national housing shortage, Gen Z now accounts for 1 in 4 first-time home loans, per Intercontinental Exchange, outpacing Millennials and Gen X at the same age. Many are relocating to affordable regions, like Redding or Phoenix, and relying on remote work, family support, or lender credits to make ownership possible. (Some bad news with the good: According to Mortgage Research Network, the average college grad from the class of 2025 won’t be able to afford a home until 2034, thanks to high home prices, low starting salaries, and student debt. In places like Hawaii, the timeline stretches to nearly 18 years, while "affordable" states like Florida are out of reach due to weak salaries and high debt loads.)
THE DRINK OF THE SUMMER IS … FOAM, slate
Gen Z has revived the foam trend (not that kind of foam), fueling demand for cold foam add-ons across coffee chains, boba shops, and even beer brands. Starbucks now offers “free cold foam days,” and whipped cold foams are being sold by Dunkin’, Danone, and Nestlé. On TikTok, Gen Z fans popularized the Guinness “Split the G” challenge, turning foam into a social flex.