Culture

Christmas is coming and Europe is starting to close-down leading to an ongoing debate over work-life balance. Europeans, who enjoy some of the most generous vacation allowances in the world, report feeling just as vacation-deprived as Americans, who typically take far fewer days off. How can it be that two such different systems yield similar frustrations?

Picture this: you’re standing in the middle of Leicester Square, a half-eaten cone of gelato in one hand, and a vague sense of déjà vu lingering in the air. Something’s coming to the West End in 2025, and it’s wearing a plaid mini-skirt, holding a giant stuffed rose, and occasionally breaking out into song.

Imagine waking up, shaking off the dreamlike fog of the year, and realizing you’ve spent most of 2024’s soundtrack living inside Taylor Swift’s musical world. This isn’t a fantasy. It’s the reality for millions of Spotify users as Swift once again reigns as Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally.