

Discover more from After School by Casey Lewis
Quiet luxury queen Sofia Richie Grainge covers Town and Country's September issue; cool-girl creator Reese Blutstein is doing a Target collection; and this week, 22-year-old TikTok star Addison Rae releases new music for the first time in over two years. Sure to be a bop.
WE TRIED TIKTOK'S NEW SPOTIFY RIVAL THAT'S BEING TESTED IN A FEW INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. IT GENERATED GREAT PLAYLISTS BUT THE 'FOR YOU' FEED DELIVERED MORE MISSES THAN HITS., insider
If you can get past the terrible headline, this article has some interesting new details on TikTok’s new music app, currently only available to users in Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, and Singapore. It has many of the same features as the main app, and though Insider says the “For You” page of recommended content is not great — yet — there are no decent platforms for music discovery these days, and if they figure out the algorithm, it could be really powerful.
YOUTUBE MUSIC ADDS A TIKTOK-LIKE VIDEOFEED TO ATTRACT GEN Z, wired
YouTube Music just announced Samples, a new in-app feature where users can scroll through short music video clips from their favorite artists and discover new songs. Gregor Dodson, a director of product management at YouTube Music, told Wired the “feed is designed to engage younger listeners who scroll through quick videos on social media and see it as a way to find something fresh.”
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF SAGGING PANTS — ON WOMEN, wapo
Hailey Teo, a 24-year-old presenter-host in Singapore, saw one of the members of the K-pop group Blackpink model the style in a 2022 Calvin Klein ad. Now, Teo wears Calvin Kleins the same way — and enjoys being able to wear low-riding pants with the convenient extra midriff coverage that boxer shorts provide. “I love the idea of low-waisted jeans, but my lower belly pooch makes it hard to pull off that Y2K style,” she says.
ALL BOOMERS NEED TO FEEL ‘WEALTHY’ IS FINANCIAL SECURITY. THE BAR IS WAY HIGHER FOR GEN Z, fortune
A U.S. Bank survey asked respondents to select up to three options on how they define “wealth.” Whereas the vast majority of baby boomers (61%) agreed that it meant simply having financial security, Gen Z was split on what “wealth” meant. Thirty-eight percent defined it as “having a better quality of life,” and being financially secure came in second place (36%), followed by “living life how I want” (28%).
THE MILITARY RECRUITING CRISIS AND GEN Z, wsj
WSJ asked a bunch of college students for their thoughts on enlisting and serving in the armed forces. Between the decline in physical and mental fitness among young adults and the lack of technical talent in the U.S., not to mention the obvious politics at play, the military appears to have quite a crisis on its hands.
Says one UC Berkeley student, “I have heard countless times that enlisting in the military is a trap: Those who serve can fall behind the earnings curve compared with peers with certain college degrees. With the loss of old-fashioned American patriotism and meager financial incentives, it’s no wonder Gen Z isn’t interested in the military.”
GEN Z INFLUENCERS, QUIETLY RECRUITED BY A COMPANY WITH DEEP GOP TIES, RALLY TO IMPEACHED KEN PAXTON’S AID, texastribune
Influenceable LLC recruits young, conservative social media figures to promote political campaigns and films, often without disclosing their business relationship. On its website, the company touts itself as the “world’s largest network of digital activists” and offers clients the power to “cultivate a community of influencers to leverage their credibility” with audiences.
One last thought:
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