New "Greatest Songwriters" list; Chanel is back; you can now bet on artists' streaming numbers; and more

Welcome Digest [4.29.26]

Apr 29, 2026

Welcome To April 29th

Today’s Important Headlines

NYT released a “Greatest Living American Songwriters” list and Young Thug is (rightly) on it

The New York Times critics, alongside 250 music experts, compiled a list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters. The selections were largely what you’d expect from a mainstream media outlet, with the notable exception of Young Thug, the only contemporary rapper rooted in trap music to be included. Online, many criticized the list as unholistic, pointing to the absence of acclaimed songwriters like Sufjan Stevens, Adrianne Lenker, and Phil Elverum. Vote for your picks here.

You can now bet on artists’ weekly streaming numbers

According to a tweet posted yesterday, Kalshi users will now be able to trade on the rise and fall of artists’ streaming numbers. In practice, this could mean placing predictions on the streaming performance of Drake’s upcoming Iceman album, or even betting on his week-to-week streaming totals. One likely consequence of the feature is an increase in the use of streaming bots to manipulate numbers, an issue that has already become a major point of discourse over the past year.

Yesterday’s Chanel show proves that Matthieu Blazy is saving the brand

Yesterday at Chanel’s Cruise 26/27 show, Matthieu Blazy unveiled a mermaid-themed collection that garnered widespread praise. Contrasting against last year’s more grounded direction for Chanel, the new collection embraced a whimsical sensibility, with the playfulness most evident in the bags, which quickly became standout pieces online. Continuing the momentum of his previous collections’ success during fashion week, Chanel has also claimed the #1 spot on the Lyst Index for Q1’s hottest brands.

North West is dropping an EP on Friday

At just 12 years old, North West is set to release her debut EP, “N0RTH4EVR”, this Friday. The metal-inspired cover art, featuring the stylized “N0RTH4EVR” title alongside a six-song tracklist, has now been revealed. Over the past year, West has also teased two self-produced tracks for Babyxsosa — tentatively titled “Do It All For Sosa” and “Tokyo.”

Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo to curate first New York exhibit in nearly a decade

Opening May 14th, The Independent will host an exhibition curated by Comme des Garçons and its founder Rei Kawakubo. The centerpiece of the fair will be an installation of 20 recent couture looks from Comme des Garçons, marking the first solo New York presentation of Kawakubo’s work since a 2017 Met Gala exhibition. While fashion in high-art contexts nearly always gravitates toward spectacle, this exhibit aims to emphasize restraint, displaying the technical and material intricacy of couture through an almost sculptural mode of display.

Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)