Streaming & AI Music: Spotify rolled out “Talk to Spotify,” letting paid users control the app by voice or text to build playlists and explore listening history—another sign the platform is leaning hard into in-app AI. Album Buzz: Time Out London’s editors named standout 2026 releases so far, spotlighting Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna’s Confessions II, Grace Ives, Modest Mouse and more as early AOTY contenders. Live Listening Culture: Pitchblack Playback marked its 10th anniversary with a total-darkness listening session for Thom Yorke’s The Eraser, pushing the “no phones, no distractions” ritual back into the spotlight. Touring & Ideals: Howard Jones, back on tour, tied his hippie-era influences to his current “Global Citizen” direction and the message of his new single “Stand Up.” Tech for Music Creators: A hacked Suno source-code leak claims AI songs were trained on ripped music from YouTube/Deezer/stock libraries, reigniting the labels-vs-AI fight. Local Music Scene: Norma Winstone’s archived radio broadcast A Timeless Place got a release, adding fresh attention to jazz’s quieter legends.