BTS Sets a New Spotify Record With “Normal”
Spotify confirmed this week that BTS’ “Normal” became the most-streamed K-pop music video within a single day in the platform’s history. The record followed the video’s premiere on July 17. A Premiere Built for One Platform…
Planetshakers Wrapped Its Manila Run Sunday Night
Planetshakers closed a three night run at SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, the last stop of a Manila leg that started Friday, July 17. The event was billed as the Abundance Tour Manila, feat. planetboom, running July 17 through 19, 2026. A Worship Night,…
The Odyssey Sold Out Before It Existed
Universal spent recent weeks watching wide releases underperform. Disney’s live action Moana slowed to a $20 million second weekend, putting its 10 day total at $82.7 million. Other titles opened soft too. Then Christopher Nolan’s telling of…
A Month Into Athens, Obiena’s Numbers Start Climbing
EJ Obiena cleared 5.85 meters at Meeting Madrid 2026 early Friday morning, Manila time. The height was good for silver and a new season best. The Athens Move Obiena relocated his training camp to Athens, Greece, a month ago. He switched to Polish coach…
A Workflow, Not A Rumor
Netflix used its Q2 2026 shareholder letter, released Thursday, to put a number on something it had only hinted at before. “In 2026, GenAI workflows have been used in roughly 300 of our titles, with the largest concentration of work in post…
CJ McCollum’s Fear That Doesn’t Go Away
CJ McCollum has built one of the more lucrative careers in the NBA. By most measures, he has already won. He does not spend like it. In his own words: “I always fear like everybody goes broke, so I’m not going to spend money.” That…
Alex Eala Is Rewriting What Southeast Asian Tennis Can Do
In July 2026, Alexandra Eala reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, a round of 16 no Filipina had reached before her. She became the first Filipina in the Open Era to get that far at a Grand Slam, and the first Filipina to be seeded at any of the four…
The Signal Is Mobile
Southeast Asians are reaching for their phones to talk to AI, not their keyboards. Almost three in four Gemini requests across the region come from mobile devices. The finding comes from Google’s first Gemini Southeast Asia Report, published this…
Cebu Pacific Brings Starlink Wifi in 2027
Cebu Pacific will begin fitting Starlink satellite internet across its fleet starting in 2027, making it the first low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia to commit to the service. The airline announced the partnership with SpaceX’s satellite arm,…
Samsung’s Flex Titanium Wants to Kill the Foldable Crease
Samsung has a new answer to the one thing every foldable owner complains about. The crease down the middle of the screen. The company unveiled Flex Titanium on July 15, a redesigned display structure built on seven generations of Galaxy foldable…
