great work by liz pelly! gives us a concrete look at how the "fake artist" scheme actually works, detailing how metrics-obsessed managers took over curation and listeners turned out not to care

We've long suspected that Spotify was recruiting fake artists and juicing them in its algorithm and placing them on the most popular playlists. Liz Pelly collected the internal docs + other evidence to finally prove it.

Read it here: harpers.org/archive/2025/0… Even for a longtime Spotify hater, it's shocking how systematic and deliberate the fake artist program is.

Joey La Neve DeFrancesco “The goal, for sure, is to be as milquetoast as possible.” Absolutely wild

Lool!!

Spoke w/ liz pelly about her new book, 'Mood Machine'

‘It’s About How Power Works’: Author liz pelly on Her New Spotify Book, ‘Mood Machine’ The book, an investigation into the internal practices and cultural effects of the streaming giant, is “an entryway into a broader story." rollingstone.com/music/music-fe…

.liz pelly’s new book Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist is out tomorrow! “How do we minimize the influence of corporations in our lives?” she asks.

.Rolling Stone talks to liz pelly about her new book, and she reminds us that part of the point is to imagine a better world and make it real.

“On Christmas Day it snowed in Rome; and that was the only cause of joy for the girls of the Grimaldi.” Read from Alba De Céspedes’s There’s No Turning Back, translated by Ann Goldstein. lithub.com/theres-no-turn…

“De Céspedes & Ferrante both write about women struggling to become themselves. And that is always a struggle.” Ann Goldstein in conversation w/ Joumana Khatib about Alba de Céspedes’ THERE’S NO TURNING BACK McNally Jackson last night 👏👏👏

Ann Goldstein on Alba de Céspedes: “Even if the world has changed, her characters’ struggles with becoming themselves continue to be familiar.” lithub.com/antifascist-fe…

So honored to be working with Chase Strangio on what will be a groundbreaking book!! 📚

One of the best things about traveling jaz brisack is that they immediately identify the best local craft coffee shop so we can stay properly caffeinated all day! Here in Denver it’s Little Owl. Preorder their book & download their organizing toolkit! simonandschuster.com/books/Get-on-t…

“It is a long-standing custom in American right-wing politics to use campus anti-war protests to attack and delegitimize universities.” Jason Stanley warned us about this in ERASING HISTORY. Start reading to learn more: bit.ly/4gVKpNi

The One Signal staff didn’t watch President Trump’s SOTU last night, but we read it this morning and we have thoughts. Swipe left to find out more!

Author of ERASING HISTORY Jason Stanley breaks down his reasoning for leaving the U.S. amidst Trump's attack on academic freedom in this recent interview on Amanpour and Company. Watch here: bit.ly/42pKuE2

UN experts call for suspension of #Israel from FIFA & UEFA amid unfolding genocide in occupied #Palestine. Sporting bodies must not turn a blind eye to grave human rights violations, especially when their platforms are used to normalise injustices. ohchr.org/en/press-relea…