It’s official, Dua Lipa is the biggest pop artist now. Her success caught critics by surprise because most artists aren’t given a second chance after a first successful album. They are usually written off as a one-hit-wonder, more than ever in the digital streaming era.

The smart artist quickly realize they need a catalogue of unforgettable songs once they catch the publics attention. Dua Lipa took this approach. She used the same songwriting/production team that crafted her worldwide smash New Rules and followed it up with Don’t Start Now.

Whereas many artists like Lady Gaga chose to postpone their albums, the Brit singer moved up her release. Fortunately for her, critics love her album, giving it the best album of 2020 so far.

No doubt the up-beat 80’s inspired album Future Nostalgia has an untimely release. But maybe this is what people need now during pandemic. I don’t know. Her songs are dance-floor ready but the clubs are closed.

Here is the thing. I like Dua Lipa. Where many artists are live streaming social distancing and clean-your-hand skits – Dua Lupa still is a mystery and unknowable.

According to reports, the singer now currently self-isolating in an Air B&B in London.

TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing app with hundreds of millions of users around the world, instructed moderators to suppress posts created by users deemed too ugly, poor, or disabled for the platform. These same documents show moderators were also told to censor political speech in TikTok livestreams, punishing those who harmed “national honor” or broadcast streams about “state organs such as police” with bans from the platform.

The ultimate goal of TikTok is to enforce rigid constraints while attempting to bolster its image as a global platform of self-expression and anything-goes creativity.

TikTok controls content on its platform to achieve rapid growth in the mold of a Silicon Valley startup while simultaneously discouraging political dissent with the sort of heavy hand regularly seen in its home country of China.

TikTok wants perfect people with pretty faces to dominate the platform. One document goes so far as to instruct moderators to scan uploads for cracked walls and “disreputable decorations” in users’ own homes — then to effectively punish these poorer TikTok users by artificially narrowing their audiences.

TikTok moderators were explicitly told to suppress uploads from users with flaws both congenital and inevitable. “Abnormal body shape,” “ugly facial looks,” dwarfism, and “obvious beer belly,” “too many wrinkles,” “eye disorders,” and many other “low quality” traits are all enough to keep uploads out of the algorithmic fire hose.

Spotify comes to the rescue and will help artists who are struggling financially over the coronavirus crisis.

“Though streaming continues to play a key role in connecting creators with their fans, numerous other sources of revenue have been interrupted or stopped altogether by this crisis,” the platform notes in a new blog post about its efforts.

Spotify is working to add a new feature to its Spotify For Artists platform that will enable artists to fundraise directly from fans, and Spotify will not take any cut of the contributions. This will give artists on Spotify the ability to link out to a verified funding page for themselves, another artist in need, or any other initiative.

Lady Gaga is the latest artist to postpone their album over the coronavirus pandemic. Established artists with first week expectations won’t get the ears and eyes they want. Most of these artists will postpone their releases because the can’t fully capture the public’s attention with around-the-clock media coverage of the pandemic. It’s a great time for bedroom artists to release music.

Gaga said, “While I believe art is one the strongest things we have to provide joy and healing to each other… it just doesn’t feel right”

She explained, “This is such a hectic and scary time for all of us, and while I believe art is one the strongest things we have to provide joy and healing to each other during times like this, it just doesn’t feel right to me to release this album with all that is going on during this global pandemic.”

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Check out Cool by Linney. The track landed on New Music Friday (Deutschland, Switzerland) and Spotify’s Best New Pop and Brand Chill. After several single releases, this track has received the best overall debut. Linney is Los Angeles based and has been building her resume through featured topline vocals on a number of breakout dance tracks. She first made waves upon the release of her single, “Outta My Heart,” which was tweeted Halsey. Give it a stream.