Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Laments about shortened attention spans in the most media-saturated period of human history are symptomatic of what they condemn. The disappearance of intros and bridges from pop music is often treated as a response to the logic of TikTok, Spotify and the rest. But there have been countless brash earworms for teens over the decades. The style even has a name: bubblegum pop.Ice Spice is a hyper-modern version of a bubblegum star. The Bronx rapper, whose real name is Isis Gaston, specialises in hooky two-minute jingles delivered with a mix of insouciance and attitude. Her breakthrough came on TikTok with “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in 2022, a slangy breeze through the evergreen topic of sex. “Bikini Bottom” followed, set to a tune reminiscent of music from the children’s TV show SpongeBob SquarePants. “How can I lose if I’m already chose?” Ice rapped, sparking a million memes. In disposable pop, the rules of grammar can be forgotten.The title of Y2K!, her debut album, refers to her date of birth, January 1, 2000. Her meteoric rise has been boosted by a role in the Swiftverse — she guested on the remix to Taylor Swift’s “Karma” — and a link-up with Nicki Minaj on the fantastically irritating hit “Barbie World”. Nicki, the “queen of rap”, gets a shout-out on Y2K!’s opening song, which bears the Minaj-esque title “Phat Butt”. “Queen said I’m the princess,” Ice boasts of her fellow New Yorker’s mentorship.The album’s 10 tracks last just 24 minutes and were mainly made with RiotUSA, Ice’s producer from day one (they met as university students). The self-styled “princess of rap” has a distinctive sound, based on the staccato hi-hats and heavy basslines of drill music. Her rapping is energetic but affectless, in the mode of a worldly New Yorker who has seen it all. Designed for catchiness and brevity, the formula grows threadbare when repeated 10 times.“Oh Shhh . . . ”, with a guest spot from Travis Scott, has the insistent bounce of a Missy Elliott song. “Did It First” is a nimble duet about infidelity with UK drill’s crossover star Central Cee. But other tracks fall prey to monotony, with unchanging beats, inexpressive rapping and repetitive lyrics. Despite its succinctness, Y2K! stretches Ice Spice’s bubblegum qualities to breaking point.★★☆☆☆‘Y2K!’ is released by 10K Projects/Capitol Records
