Stop Paying A Premium For Water

Hello and happy Sunday! Here’s your recap of last week’s standout stories across music, tech, and e-commerce:

• Taylor Swift Breaks Another Record – Named the world’s top recording artist for the fifth time, dominating charts and global tours.

• Bottled Water Booms Despite Clean Tap Access – Countries with safe drinking water still lead in bottled water consumption.

• BYD Unveils 5-Minute EV Charger – A potential industry breakthrough sends the Chinese EV giant’s stock soaring.

• Most Apps Don’t Make It – A new report shows 80% of mobile apps fail to earn $1,000/month within two years.

• Etsy’s Pandemic Peak Is Over – Once a lockdown favorite, Etsy now lags behind eBay amid inflation and shifting consumer habits.

Taylor Swift Named World’s Top Recording Artist for Fifth Time

Taylor Swift has officially been named the world’s top recording artist of 2024 by IFPI, marking her record-breaking fifth win of the award and third in a row. 🎤 👑 She dominated across all fronts last year — topping Spotify and Apple Music streaming charts, selling the most albums in the U.S., and grossing over $2 billion from her Eras Tour. IFPI praised her unparalleled global reach and connection with fans. While K-Pop acts like SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids stayed strong in the top 5, Swift remains the only artist to consistently lead the global music scene alongside recurring names like Drake and The Weeknd.

Despite Clean Tap Water, Bottled Water Thrives in Many Countries

Even in regions where tap water is safe and widely accessible — like much of Europe — bottled water remains highly popular. 🤔 A 2024 Statista survey reveals that many people still drink bottled water daily or weekly, with Italy, Mexico, and Brazil leading consumption at 65–70% of their populations. This trend persists despite growing concerns over plastic waste, health risks from microplastics, and the significantly higher cost compared to tap water.

BYD’s 5-Minute Chargers Spark Investor Excitement

BYD unveiled a new “Super e-Platform” charging system in Shenzhen, claiming it can deliver roughly 250 miles of range in just 5 minutes. The announcement thrilled investors, sending shares surging. Compared to Tesla’s Supercharger (about 13 miles per minute) and Mercedes-Benz’s fast chargers (around 20 miles per minute), BYD’s tech — if accurate — would set a new industry benchmark. The company plans to roll out 4,000 of these chargers across China, moving closer to CEO Wang Chuanfu’s vision of making EV charging as fast as filling up a gas tank.⛽️

App Graveyard: Most Mobile Apps Fail Within 2 Years

A new report by RevenueCat reveals a sobering reality for app developers: more than 80% of new apps fail to reach $1,000 in monthly revenue within their first two years. 🪦📲 Only 5% manage to make over $10,000. As the mobile subscription economy becomes more saturated, it’s dominated by a handful of winners — while the rest struggle to even break even.

To adapt, many apps are shifting to hybrid monetization strategies — combining subscriptions with one-time purchases. This is especially true in gaming and lifestyle apps. Health & Fitness apps focus heavily on annual plans, while gaming apps lean toward weekly subscriptions. Among all categories, Photo & Video apps were the most successful in reaching revenue milestones, showing higher odds of financial success compared to others.

Despite the dominance of platforms like Apple and Google in collecting fees, most app developers are fighting an uphill battle just to survive.

From Masks to Mayhem: Etsy’s Rise and Fall Since 2020

Etsy, once a pandemic-era favorite, has seen its share price tumble as demand for handcrafted goods fades and inflation squeezes consumers. 🫠 📉 Meanwhile, eBay has held up better, benefiting from consistent demand for used goods and car parts. Since 2020, eBay is up ~85%, while Etsy has lost most of its gains.

Both companies may now have an edge in the face of rising tariffs: Etsy’s largely domestic base (75% of purchases) and eBay’s limited reliance on China (under 10% of sales) could insulate them from global trade turbulence. However, with Trump’s new tariff focus possibly turning to Europe — a key source for Etsy’s imports — the road ahead may not be entirely smooth.