What makes a hit? On Tiktok and Spotify, listeners only partly decide

What makes a hit? On Tiktok and Spotify, listeners only partly decide

TikTok is built for people to create and share their own content, so dance music and indie artists fill the platform’s Top 100. On Spotify, love songs and music from major record labels dominate its top charts. On both platforms, people’s preferences only partly explain what songs become hits. A new University of California, Davis, […]

Songs of hope rise from Gaza’s ruins

Songs of hope rise from Gaza’s ruins

Among them is Ahmed Abu Amsha, a music teacher who has become something of a humanitarian troubadour. Fleeting moments of joy Living in a worn tent with his family, he refuses to let despair drown out hope. Instead, he teaches music to displaced children, helping them find moments of joy through rhythm and song. Originally […]