🎧 Philly’s year in music | Morning Newsletter
And today’s top stories
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Saturday. Bundle up — it’s mostly sunny out, but temps may not get out of the 30s.
Today, I’m highlighting Philly’s music-listening habits, after the highly anticipated release of Spotify Wrapped and personalized offerings from other streaming services.
Plus, we’ll cover what we know about drones spotted near President-elect Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club, why Five Below is closing one of its flagship stores in Philly, and more in today’s top stories.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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What you should know today
A Philadelphia man who stabbed two security guards at the Center City Macy’s last year, killing one, has pleaded guilty to murder and related crimes and now faces the prospect of decades behind bars, authorities said Friday.
Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court on Friday lifted Philadelphia’s ban on casino-style “skill games” in convenience stores that were targeted as crime-attracting nuisances.
Searchers on Friday found the body of a 64-year-old woman four days after she fell into a sinkhole above a shuttered coal mine in Western Pennsylvania, State Police said.
Longtime Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Patrick F. Dugan has submitted his letter of resignation from the bench and sources close to him say he plans to launch a campaign for district attorney.
Two male students at a Lancaster private school have been charged after allegedly using artificial intelligence to create hundreds of nude images of female classmates.
The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer likely left New York City on a bus soon after the brazen ambush that has shaken corporate America, police officials said Friday.
Pennsylvania’s political elite are descending on New York City — at the same hotel where that CEO was slain — for their annual weekend getaway full of exclusive parties. Here’s what we’re watching for.
The Five Below at 16th and Chestnut Streets has been ordered to close after health inspectors found evidence of mice on several occasions.
The FBI has been investigating reports of mysterious “car-sized” drones flying across central New Jersey at night over the last few weeks. Now, the agency’s asking the public for help.
Elon Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars on electing Donald Trump this year — an investment that was particularly focused on Pennsylvania.
Rosalie, the high-end Italian restaurant at the Wayne Hotel, now has a sister restaurant in Glen Mills.
To some, Spotify Wrapped is the worst day of the year. For others, it’s an opportunity to bond over music taste, get shocked by your own listening habits, and get into friendly competition over being the biggest fan. It’s also the perfect time to make funny or snarky memes about what we love or can’t stand. Whether you’re celebrating, cringing, or confused over your year in music, I’m here for all of it.
This year, Taylor Swift was named Spotify’s Global Top Artist, and she was also Philadelphia’s top artist again. The Reading-born singer was followed by Drake, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, and Kanye West.
Here are my results: English rock band Arctic Monkeys took the crown, followed by pop sensation Charli XCX, Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., Tinashe, and Bad Bunny. Some of these picks sound far and away from Philadelphia, but then I thought about how they were connected to this city for me.
For instance, I went to my first AM show at The Mann last fall, their first concert here in nearly a decade. Fontaines D.C. opened that show, and that was just the beginning of my love for their music. I caught their incredible headline set at The Fillmore in October. I missed Charli this year, but feel proud as a longtime fan to witness her rise to stardom. And Bad Bunny, well, we know he is quite loved here. Apparently I’m still reliving 2022′s Made In America.
The road back to Philadelphia continued in my top songs. “Sunrise” by Simply Red came in at No. 3. My obsession was due in part to discovering that it included a great sample of a 1981 hit — “I Can’t Go for That” — by Philly’s own Daryl Hall & John Oates, No. 13 on my list. Bucks County’s pop princess Sabrina Carpenter also ranked with the song of the summer, “Espresso.” That was Philly’s most played song this year.
Other notable Philly-adjacent nods in my list: Noah Guy, who grew up just outside of the city; Tierra Whack, the North Philly rapper who finally dropped her debut album; and “symptom of life” by WILLOW, who brought a soulful set to her dad’s hometown this year. In total, I racked up over 120,000 minutes of listening time. Phew!
Overall, Wrapped 2024 didn’t feel as cool as past experiences. There’s still no Top Albums, some podcast listeners didn’t get a recap (ahem, same!), and Spotify didn’t bring back or reinvent fun features like Sound Town. It’s also slightly inaccurate — it’s not really tracking the whole year. If you’re a music data nerd like me, consider third-party options like stats.fm or Last.fm. Thank me next year.
What did your Wrapped look like? How many minutes did you hit this year? See everything else Philly enjoyed this year, then tell me all about your recap.
Looking for ways to give back this holiday season? In a guest column for The Inquirer, Isabelle Caplin, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and a swim instructor providing swim lessons to special-needs children, makes a case for volunteering.
Caplin says volunteering has been extremely rewarding, and that building up and empowering the next generation of girls in Philadelphia can be the first step in creating a better future.
“I’ve seen through my work with girls’ empowerment groups and teaching swimming that there’s a great need for community involvement with youth, especially adolescent girls,” Caplin writes. Read on for Caplin’s suggestions to participate in your community.
❓ Pop quiz
The New York Times just named this Philly actor in its list of 2024′s most stylish people.
A) Rob McElhenney
B) Da’Vine Joy Randolph
C) Colman Domingo
D) Bradley Cooper
Think you know? Check your answer.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Actress, comedian, and honorary Philadelphian ☀️
LATIN NIKOLOS
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Chris Potts who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Dick Allen. The Phillies legend didn’t hit 500 home runs or win a World Series, but he was special enough to be considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The committee votes Sunday.
People from across the country entered the Marriott Bonvoy “Mystery Jason Kelce Experience,” in Philadelphia — without even knowing what it was.
Sports reporter Gabriela Carroll was at the secret holiday event. Ten winners and their guests from as far as Toronto, Buffalo, and Florida got to tour the Eagles locker room, take photos with the former Eagles center, and get custom merchandise. Watch the video to tag along with Gabriela at Lincoln Financial Field.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
How can you tell someone is from Philly? It’s the latest hot debate over on Meanwhile in Philly. Among the replies: “The way they tawk.” “Iggles gear 24/7.” “They know where 14th Street is.”
In another corner of the web, Philadelphians are discussing which one-block stretch of street would have been walked the most in the city’s history. I’m curious what you might guess.
👋🏽 See you again tomorrow with the latest news.
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