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The Velvet Sundown is the most-talked-about band of the moment, but not for the reason you might expect. The “indie rock band,” which has gained more than 634,000 Spotify listeners in just a few weeks, has spoken out in response to accusations that the group is AI-generated. The suspicions first surfaced on Reddit last week, where users discussed the band’s sudden appearance in their Discovery Weekly playlists on Spotify. The Velvet Sundown exhibits several common indicators of AI involvement: eerie, uncanny-valley-style images, a now-deleted fabricated Billboard quote in its Spotify bio, and virtually no internet presence prior to last month. As the speculation picked up media attention, an X account claiming to represent the band responded to the rumors: Absolutely crazy that so-called journalists keep pushing the lazy, baseless theory that The Velvet Sundown is AI-generated with zero evidence. The post went on to read: This is not a joke. This is our music, written in long, sweaty nights in a cramped bungalow in California with real instruments, real minds, and real soul. Every chord, every lyric, every mistake HUMAN. Adding to the confusion, the X account that posted the denial is not the one linked from the band’s official Spotify page. In other words, multiple social media profiles appear to be representing the band, all of them claiming to be official. When Fast Company reached out to the X account that first posted last week, an apparent spokesperson for the band tried to clarify the situation. There are a couple Twitter accounts floating around because different members have been responding in different ways, the spokesperson wrote in an email to Fast Company. Were a collective, and not everyone agrees on how to handle the attention. They added that the ambiguity is part of the story and is helping to get people curious about diving down the rabbit hole. They also admitted to having used some AI tools in the process, mostly for press visuals and experimenting with aesthetic ideas. Still, they insisted, the core of this has always been about human musicianship. According to its Spotify bio, the Velvet Sundown is a four-piece consisting of singer and mellotron player Gabe Farrow, guitarist Lennie West, Milo Rains, who crafts the bands textured synth sounds, and free-spirited percussionist Orion ‘Rio’ Del Mar. The band maintains that its two full-length albums are written, played, and produced by real people, adding, No generative audio tools. The textures and glitches that people point to as proof are just from lo-fi gear, weird mic setups, tape loops, that sort of thing. Whether AI is involved or not, the controversy highlights the growing conversation around generative AI in the music industry. Deezer, a streaming service that flags AI-generated music, recently reported receiving more than 20,000 fully AI-created tracks per day. The Velvet Sundown, for its part, defends the artistic freedom to experiment. For us, this has always been about making strange, emotional music and exploring how to present it in interesting ways. It might not fit neatly into anyones expectations, but its honest to what were trying to do.
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How the Boomer wealth transfer could reshape global finance. Born too late to ride the wave of postwar prosperity, but just early enough to watch the 2008 financial crisis decimate some of their first paychecks. Old enough to remember dial-up. Young enough to buy Bitcoin on their phones. Theyve lived through tech booms, housing busts, meme stocks, student debt, and five different definitions of “retirement planning.” Now, as trillions in wealth begin to change hands, this generation stands to serve as a bridge between old capital and new code, traditional finance and the blockchain future. If handled wisely, this moment wont just shape the portfolios of younger investorsit could reshape the architecture of global finance itself. The $46 Trillion Handoff Roughly $124 trillion in wealth is expected to pass from baby boomers to younger generations by 2048, with millennials set to inherit the largest share: approximately $46 trillion over the next two decades. While Gen X is expected to inherit slightly more than millennials in the next 10 years, by the 2040s, millennials will take over as the dominant inheritorsand primary stewards of global capital. This isnt just a generational milestone. Its a once-in-history opportunity to redefine how capital is allocated, what assets are prioritized, and what financial frameworks endure. Millennials arent inheriting a set playbooktheyre writing a new one. Digital Assets Have Grown Up The timing couldnt be more significant. After years of growing pains, the digital asset space is undergoing a profound transformation. Following the collapse of FTX in 2022, the ecosystem began maturing rapidly. By 2024, a major inflection point arrived: The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), marking a formal bridge between traditional finance and crypto. The ETFs shattered recordsunderscoring just how much pent-up demand existed among retail investors, registered investment advisers (RIAs), and institutions that had previously been locked out of the asset class. So far, nearly $41 billion has flowed into these products, a staggering figure for any ETF, let alone one tied to an asset recently dismissed as fringe. Additionally, North Americas crypto market is now dominated by large transfers over $1 millionabout 70% of transaction volumereflecting deep institutional involvement. And its not just about ETFs. Major institutions are integrating crypto into their offerings in tangible ways: Mastercard and Visa are experimenting with stablecoin settlements. Lyft is leveraging Hivemapper for road data. AT&T is offloading traffic onto the Heliu network. This isnt the Wild West anymore. Regulation is clarifying. Infrastructure is stabilizing. And serious capital is arriving. The Bridge Generation So, which generation is most naturally situated to carry digital assets into the financial mainstream? Not Gen Z (at least, not yet). While 42% of these young investors own cryptocurrency, only 11% have a retirement account, indicating a preference for immediate, high-risk investments over long-term financial planning. Not boomers, either, who have largely opted outjust 8% hold digital assets, while 64% have more traditional retirement accounts. Millennials, however, are fluent in both financial worlds. Theyre almost equally likely to invest in crypto as they are in retirement accounts36% own cryptocurrency, and 34% have retirement plans. They understand ETFs and decentralized finance, spreadsheets and stablecoins. They grew up with the internet and came of age during the 2008 crisis. Theyre old enough to remember the dot-com bust, young enough to see blockchains promise. In short: Millennials have a tech-native mindset and a healthy respect for risk. That balance matters. Surveys show that millennials are more comfortable investing in crypto than any older cohort. In fact, 62% of millennial ETF investors say they plan to allocate to crypto ETFs, making it the No. 1 asset class for that age group. And theyre not just speculating12% believe crypto is the best place to invest for long-term goals, compared to just 5% of boomers. This makes millennials uniquely qualified to shepherd digital assets out of their adolescence and into legitimacy. Market-Wide Impact As nearly $85 trillion moves into the hands of Gen X and millennials combined, every asset manager, RIA, and financial institution will be forced to adapt. Catering to these investors wont just mean better digital UX or TikTok explainers. Itll mean rethinking allocations, product offerings, and frameworks that may have, until recently, assumed digital assets are fringe. They are not. Not anymore. The generation that straddled Web2 and Web3 is about to call the shots. They speak the language of blockchain and the cadence of capital markets. That dual fluency will define the next phase of global investingand determine whether crypto becomes a credible pillar of the financial system or stalls as a misunderstood asset class, never realizing its broader potential. The opportunity isnt in betting on crypto. Its in building the institutions, tools, and strategies for a world where digital assets are simply part of the portfolio. And that world? Its coming faster than most expect.
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E-Commerce
While remote work offers several benefits such as flexibility, working from home can also be lonely. In one survey almost a quarter (23%) of remote workers reported feeling lonely. Loneliness at work can result in decreased productivity, and feelings of dissatisfaction. Emotional intelligence can help us understand what to do to feel more connected at work. Here are four steps to take: Develop Self-Awareness Most of us experience periods of loneliness. Being self-aware allows us to better recognize when we are feeling lonely, link it to what is going on at the time, and come up with solutions. Even being able to express what we are feeling can help alleviate loneliness, as naming what we’re feeling helps us to gain more control over our emotions. Consider journaling when you feel lonely to understand what youre feeling, as well as what situations cause these feelings. Discovering the circumstances that cause loneliness may help you avoid or alleviate loneliness in the future. Manage Emotions There are various methods for regulating and coping with our emotions, and one size does not fit all. Some methods that are known to work are deep breathing, mindfulness, walking in nature, or simply getting away momentarily from the setting we are in. I have found taking a short break from whatever is stressing me out and imagining a relaxed pleasurable experience helps me regulate my emotions. Experiment with different practices to learn what works for you. Increase Empathy If we are high in empathy, we will be more likely to reach out to others if we are experiencing feelings of loneliness. One way to increase empathy is to identify the emotions you hear someone bring up in conversations. For example: “I hear you are feeling angry, sad, or afraid. Chances are others share our feelings, and may be hesitant to reach out, unaware that others are struggling with the same problem. By increasing our empathy and reaching out, we form bonds, increase vulnerability, openness, and connection. Knowing that we are not alone in our situation and having people we can reach out to for support can go a long way in making us feel more connected. Build connections As humans we are hardwired to connect with others. This becomes even more important for remote workers. Creating opportunities to build connections is something that everyone needs to take ownership of, from leaders on down. Set aside some social time where everyone can share what is going on in their lives apart from work. If you have regular online meetings, take a few minutes to share something personal, such as challenges, struggles, and joys. If you have colleagues in the same city, try to get together in person on occasion. Encourage and support each other to come up with ideas on how to connect. Leadership could also host office lunches, where the company covers the cost of lunch and provides space for an informal online get-together. One of the ongoing topics could be how other people experience loneliness and what tools they use to work through it. Leaders can use their emotional intelligence to combat the loneliness associated with remote work. In my book Bigger Hearted: a Retired Pediatricians Prescriptions for Living a Happier Life, I describe how the head of a local mental health center worked to alleviate loneliness on his team. He called each of them during their work hours, staying up late for several nights so he could talk to those who covered late-night emergencies. It may also help to seek value and connection outside of work, whether through time with family and friends, hobbies, or volunteer work. Having something where you know you will be seen, heard, and supported can help alleviate loneliness and offer a bright spot in the day to look forward to.
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