Job opportunities; Yung Lean starring in a musical; all-time Spotify streaming rankings dropped; and more
Welcome Digest [4.25.26]
Welcome To April 25th
Today’s Important Headlines
Yung Lean is starring in a musical
A new short musical starring Yung Lean titled STORM PT. I & II dropped yesterday, backed by a stacked creative team. It is directed by Romain Garvas, known for music video work with Jay-Z, Justice, and Jamie xx, and choreographed by Damien Jalet, who also worked on Suspiria (2018). Fans have long joked about Lean’s resemblance to the protagonist of Rockstar’s cult-classic video-game Bully, and many noted that the project’s prep-school visuals and storyline lean heavily into that comparison.
Spotify just dropped all-time streaming rankings
For most-streamed artists, the list is led by Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Drake, and The Weeknd. The Weeknd also appears twice in the most-streamed albums category with Starboy and After Hours, while the most-streamed songs of all time include “Blinding Lights,” “Shape of You,” and “Sweater Weather.” Separately, Apple Music made a statement that it does not display streaming numbers in order to keep the focus on the music itself rather than its metrics.
Yves Saint Laurent’s mirrors just went for $33.5M
A set of fifteen mirrors owned by Yves Saint Laurent just sold for $33.5 million, making it the highest price ever recorded for a design piece, according to Sotheby’s. Claude Lalanne’s Important and Unique Ensemble of Fifteen Mirrors (1974–1985) is widely considered the artist’s magnum opus and was commissioned personally by Saint Laurent himself. The sale underscores a broader shift in the market, where collectible design is increasingly surpassing traditional fine art in value and demand. The piece was sold as part of the collection of Jean & Terry de Gunzburg, which became Sotheby’s most valuable single-owner design sale in history, totaling $96 million.
3 Dean Blunt songs (all under different aliases) dropped this week
After a long drought, Dean Blunt has returned with a surge of releases across three of his aliases: The Crying Nudes’ “Nothing Surprise Me Anymore,” Dean Blunt’s “478 freestyle,” and a full EP titled ICL under Babyfather.
AI Travis Scott & Playboi Carti song goes RIAA-gold
A viral track called “Telescope”, created using AI voice filters of Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, has now received RIAA-gold status. Its Gold certification marks a controversial milestone in AI music discourse, becoming the first AI-generated track featuring cloned rapper voices to earn RIAA Gold status. Its success and eligibility under RIAA standards, raises troubling questions around authorship and copyright.
Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)
Moodboard 062
Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.
From The Archive
An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.
Horror manga artist Junji Ito collaborated with Pokémon in 2014 for a Halloween event titled “KowaPoke” (scary Pokémon).
The artwork was showcased on the Japanese Pokémon website and was featured in promotional materials leading up to the event.
Classifieds
Exciting opportunities, employment and otherwise
Christian Dior Couture — Assistant Studio Footwear Internship (Paris, FR)
Internship supporting footwear design through technical illustration, material research, trend analysis, and studio coordination. Includes creating renderings in Illustrator/Photoshop, assisting with mock-ups, and supporting daily studio operations. Ideal candidate will be a fashion or footwear design student with strong Adobe skills and a portfolio.
Apply
Carhartt WIP — Intern Graphic Design (Berlin, DE)
Internship supporting design across digital and print campaigns, social assets, newsletters, and retail materials. Includes layout work, image editing, asset prep, and creative research. Ideal candidate will be a design student with strong Adobe skills and interest in contemporary culture.
Apply
Coach — Print Design Assistant (New York, NY)
Design support role creating textile prints, CAD artwork, and presentation materials across accessories and apparel. Includes print research, color development, production files, and cross-functional collaboration. Ideal candidate will have 1+ year design experience, strong Illustrator/Photoshop skills, and strong sense of color.
Apply