Friday’s back, FutureParty people, and we’re here to share the biggest flex imaginable as you go into your weekend. Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of Citadel, paid $44.6 million for a nearly complete Stegosaurus skeleton from Sotheby’s. It’s the most ever paid for a fossil. He plans on loaning out the fossil to an American museum to keep it in the country where the dino was originally dug up.

In other news… country music tops the charts, Las Vegas prepares for the ultimate bet, and Warner Bros. Discovery considers breaking up.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe

• YouTube – Conclave

• X (Twitter) – Bob Newhart

• Google – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

• Reddit – Megan Thee Stallion

• TikTok – “Bad Habit” - Steve Lacy

• Spotify – “Frank Gehry” - Johnnyswim

.MUSIC.

Country music turns up a cultural renaissance

The Future. As country fans catch up to the streaming age, the genre is exploding in global popularity, topping the charts and selling record numbers of tickets. If the trend continues, country music may overtake hip hop as the most-listened-to genre in the US by the end of the year.

Stars and streams
Artists like Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Lainey Wilson are selling out international arenas just a few years after playing clubs, while country-hip-hop artist Shaboozey simultaneously topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs chart with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

A little insight into how country got here:

• As Gen Zers and millennials put a premium on authenticity, the genre’s penchant for songwriting and emotional storytelling has appealed to people.

• Country fans are now listening to more music on streaming than physical media, with listenership increasing 23% across US-based services (making it the fastest-growing genre).

• To highlight how pronounced country music fans’ move to streaming is, Spotify shared that while the genre’s listenership in the US has grown 110% in five years, it’s grown 700% in places like Columbus, Ohio.

• Additionally, country radio has historically had an iron grip on which artists broke out. But the internet has allowed more non-traditional artists (who are mixing genres) to find followings.

These factors have allowed country to rapidly expand its fanbase. Case in point: this year, AEG Presents reported that Stagecoach sold out before Coachella and artist George Strait broke the record for most tickets sold at a US concert after more than 110,000 attended his concert in College Station, Texas.

80.7% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you shop streetwear clothing?

“Buying new streetwear? I have enough old streetwear from the 00s.”

“I support indie designers and emerging talent with unique approaches to style. Cookie-cutter, uninspired, mass-produced goods don’t cut it for me.”

“At 70, it’s not a good look.”

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TIEGE HANLEY.

Want better skin but don’t know what to do?

We have two words for you: Tiege Hanley.

Tiege Hanley is an easy-to-use skin care line created with men (and those who identify as men) in mind.

You don’t need a lot to get started. They have a minimal protocol that covers the basics. It includes just two things: a daily face WASH and an AM moisturizer with SPF 20.

It’s so easy to use that you won’t have to think twice about anything — especially the price (it only costs $9).

Media, Music, & Entertainment

• Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly considering splitting its company into two — one comprising its studio and streaming business and the other, its linear TV networks (and $40 billion in debt) — to help boost its stock price. [Read More]

• IATSE, the union representing most Hollywood crew workers, ratified a new three-year contract with the studios — avoiding another strike. [Read More]

• Apple is looking to license a lot more movies and shows to boost its streaming service. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• Meta is in talks to acquire a 5% stake in Italian eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica for $5 billion — a move that would deepen the tech company’s relationship with Ray-Ban. [Read More]

• Nike is releasing a futuristic, avant-garde eyewear collection called “Electric Pack” that’s the first from the brand to be “computationally designed.” Does that mean AI? [Read More]

• Google Play is now allowing customers to pay via Cash App. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• Anthropic and Menlo Ventures are launching a $100 million fund dedicated to investing in AI startups. [Read More]

• NASA announced that it’s canceling its Viper mission, a lunar mission to find ice that was slated for later this year, due to cost overruns. [Read More]

• The SEC has given “preliminary approval” for asset managers to offer ETFs backed by Ethereum. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• Instagram is rolling out new features for its away-status Notes feature, including being able to leave Notes on Reels and grid photos that disappear after three days. [Read More]

• TikTok is allowing DistroKid members to get an official Artist Account profile on the platform approved within hours, as opposed to the usual 30 days. [Read More]

• MrBeast’s Feastables brand has stopped sponsoring the Charlotte Hornets after just one season. Could it be because the Hornets lost too much? [Read More]

.SPORTS.

Las Vegas’ new NBA team courts major money

The Future. The NBA is preparing to announce the expansion of its league with two new teams — one in Seattle (which is all but already called for) and one in Las Vegas (a free agent). The potential Vegas team, which likely won’t be officially announced until after the NBA locks up its new media-rights deals), could turn out to be the most expensive sports deal in American history.

VIP team
The new team in Vegas will be the first expansion of the NBA since 2004… so potential investors aren’t treating this as any average deal.

• The deal could fetch $7 billion, making it the highest-valued American sports team by over a billion dollars (that would be the NFL’s Washington Commanders).

• And if the buyer wants to develop a franchise-owned stadium, that could add up to $5 billion more to that price tag.

• Suitors include LeBron James (with an assist from RedBird Capital and Fenway Sports Group), Shaquille O’Neal (who could easily bring in some private equity backers), and even Red Bull… and that’s all before an official expansion announcement.

The feeding frenzy for not just a new NBA team but a new NBA team in Las Vegas can’t be overstated. The team-ownership market was already expected to be frothy with the potential sale of the Boston Celtics, but mixing in a city that’s rapidly expanding its entertainment footprint will take any deal to the next level.

It’s about to get competitive.

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT MOTLEY FOOL.

You might have missed Amazon but you don’t have to again

Amazon, once a small online bookstore, grew into a global behemoth, transforming industries along the way.

Now, imagine yourself at the forefront of the next revolution: AI.

With The Motley Fool’s latest report, you can uncover the parallels between Amazon’s early trajectory and the current AI revolution. Experts predict this AI company could surpass Amazon’s success with market caps nine times larger. 

Don’t let history repeat itself without you. Sign up for Motley Fool Stock Advisor to access the exclusive report.

• Watch:CNBC interviews Academy Award-winning producer and Imagine Entertainment co-founder Brian Grazer about how Hollywood’s contraction has turned it from a volume business into an event business.

• Read:NYT profiles Donald Glover on the eve of his new (and final) album as Childish Gambino, Bando Stone & the New World.

• Listen:Odd Lots chats with Jim Millstein, the Guggenheim Securities co-chair and former US Treasury official, about his unique plan to boost the funding of millions of new homes.

We can’t wait to see the first band where every member is rocking out wearing Apple Vision Pros.

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Today, on an extra special bonus episode of Future Forecast, our hosts Boye and Chris sit down with Andrew Kenward, the President and COO of Almost Friday Media. Andrew was an agent at WME in the digital media department at WME before being brought into the Almost Friday universe in 2021. We chat with him about his career, his goals for the brand moving forward, and what it's like working in media today.