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Tuesday’s here again, FutureParty people. If you’ve been feeling a bit down in the dumps lately, maybe you need to take a trip to Lithuania. The small European country was just voted the happiest in the world for young people per Oxford’s World Happiness Report. It must be all the hot air balloon rides. Oh, and if you’re wondering where the US stands… it’s No. 62. Yikes.

In other news… albums just keep on coming, TikTok convenes a youth council, and the Golden Globes stick around.

We hope you enjoy this and all upcoming issues, but we have one request: please share your feedback. If you have any thoughts at all about our new look, format, and direction, please reply to this email. It’ll go straight to us. Do not hold back.

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

YT: The Crow, X: Steven Spielberg, G: Diddy, R: Rebel Wilson, TT: “someday i’ll get it”, S: “Joan in the Garden”

🏆 The Golden Globes has struck a five-year broadcast deal with CBS, cementing the award show’s life on TV after a few years of controversy and hot-potatoing between outlets. Read More → thr

✏️ Spotify is pulling a Masterclass, partnering with organizations like the BBC and Skillshare on a suite of educational courses that are being piloted in the UK. Read More → techcrunch

⚽ Soccer shocker: The German Football Association has chosen Nike as its new apparel, footwear, and gear supplier after seven decades with adidas. Read More → bof

🎮 Microsoft is exploring making a handheld Xbox device… or at least improving the user experience when its games are played on other companies’ handheld devices. Read More → polygon

⛴️ Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are pouring a $34 million investment into turning a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry into a sailing hotel, restaurant, and bar. Read More → thr

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.MUSIC.

Albums get the franchise treatment

The Future. Artists are betting that releasing a steady stream of albums, not singles, is what will keep them in the conversation all year long. If the franchise model is successful, labels may wait for artists to record multiple interconnected albums before breaking them.

Package plays
Some artists are releasing more music this year than they have in the past five.

• Future and Metro Boomin just released the first part of the two-part We Don’t Trust You last week.

• Ye and Ty Dolla $ign are climbing the charts with Vultures 1 and are prepping two more albums to release over the next couple of months.

• Beyoncé is releasing the country-focused Act II: Cowboy Carter less than two years after Act I: Renaissance and is already creating hype for Act III.

• Weezer has been releasing multiple albums a year since 2019, including a cycle of four albums that corresponded to each season.

While artists have been dropping sequels to albums for decades, the current crop of releases is meant to be more than the sum of their parts — they either have distinct vibes, explore different genres, or tell a larger story.

But they’re also great marketing — each album is a promotion for the next one and so on and so forth. Come to think of it, the next trend in music may be burnout.

• Watch: Forbes breaks down the numbers, strategies, and favored winners of this year’s March Madness.

• Read: WSJ released a guide on how to game the streaming service algorithms to provide you with better movie and TV recommendations.

• Listen: The Daily explores how Iowa Hawkeyes player Caitlin Clark is transforming collegiate women’s basketball, from the game itself to the sport’s economics.

.SOCIAL MEDIA.

TikTok convenes a “youth council”

The Future. In the wake of TikTok’s imminent forced sale or ban in the US, the company is hoping that a Justice League of teen users can turn the tide. Whether or not the council makes any ultimate impact on how the app operates is yet to be seen, but don’t be surprised if every platform starts its own youth council to create a permanent focus group within the company.

Secretary Influencer
TikTok has put together a youth council of 15 teens from the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco — all of whom are paid.

• The council spearheaded a media literacy campaign focusing on “misinformation, AI-generated content, and more,” says TikTok.

• It’s also helping to overhaul the app’s “youth portal,” which provides tips on privacy and account security.

• It’s also met with CEO Shou Zi Chew, where the council asked more about the protocol for reporting and blocking users on the app.

Ironically, the announcement of TikTok’s youth council dropped just as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that requires anyone under 16 to have parental consent to have a social media account.

When it comes to social media, kids really are the center of the conversation.

The new status symbol just became lot lines in the sky.