BLACKPINK DEADLINE Reveal and Musk's 2026 Midterm Gamble [Buzz]

[00:00] Lila Grant: I am Lila Grant. [00:02] Jonah Klein: And I'm Jonah Klein. [00:03] Jonah Klein: You're listening to Buzz, your daily deep dive into the digital heartbeat of the world. [00:08] Jonah Klein: And Lila, the K-pop world just hit the panic button in the best way possible. [00:13] Lila Grant: Shona, panic doesn't even cover it. [00:15] Lila Grant: It's like total fandom mayhem. [00:18] Lila Grant: Blackpink finally dropped the visual poster for their third [00:21] Lila Grant: mini-album, Deadline, and the internet basically melted. [00:25] Lila Grant: We're talking 128,000 likes and 47,000 reposts, almost the second it went live. [00:32] Lila Grant: It's their first major comeback in years. [00:34] Jonah Klein: February 27th is the big day. [00:37] Jonah Klein: The pre-save records are already being shoddered. [00:40] Jonah Klein: It's fascinating because this isn't just a music release, it's a cultural event that's [00:44] Jonah Klein: dominating every single platform right now. [00:46] Jonah Klein: And it's a double whammy for fans today, right? [00:49] Lila Grant: I'm screwed. [00:50] Lila Grant: While everyone is screaming about deadline, they're also celebrating ROSE turning 29 today. [00:57] Lila Grant: The timing is poetic. [00:58] Lila Grant: She's coming off the most insane year. [01:01] Lila Grant: APT was the longest-running number one on the Billboard Global 200 excluding US. [01:06] Lila Grant: She's sitting on 2.2 billion Spotify streams and three Grammy nominations. [01:11] Jonah Klein: It's wild to see her crossover success reach this level. [01:14] Jonah Klein: APT milestone to this legacy-defining birthday, ROSC is arguably at the peak of her solo power [01:21] Jonah Klein: while the group is gearing up for a massive return. [01:24] Jonah Klein: The hashtags ROSC and Happy Birthday ROSC are essentially the only things you can see on [01:29] Jonah Klein: your timeline today. [01:30] Lila Grant: It's a masterclass in staying relevant in the fast-paced digital cycle. [01:35] Lila Grant: But Jonah, while K-pop fans are celebrating, there's a much more serious tone taking over [01:40] Lila Grant: social feeds in East Asia and South Asia. [01:42] Jonah Klein: Lila, the political landscape is shifting fast. [01:47] Jonah Klein: In Japan, we're seeing massive emergency protests outside the Prime Minister's residence. [01:52] Jonah Klein: Thousands of citizens are out there protesting PM Takahichi's push for constitutional revision and military expansion. [01:58] Jonah Klein: The hashtag Kenpo Kaisei Yoru Sanai, which translates to don't allow the constitutional [02:04] Jonah Klein: deterioration, is trending heavily. [02:07] Lila Grant: It's a huge moment for Japan. [02:09] Lila Grant: Takaichi's conservative agenda in that landslide election win have sparked a real fear of [02:15] Lila Grant: remilitarization. [02:17] Lila Grant: People are mobilizing digitally to coordinate these rallies, and the imagery of the crowds [02:22] Lila Grant: outside the PM residence is going viral. [02:25] Jonah Klein: And it's not just Japan. [02:27] Jonah Klein: In India, we're seeing a historic constitutional crisis unfold in the Lok Sabha. [02:33] Jonah Klein: The United Opposition, led by Congress, just filed a resolution of removal against Om Burla. [02:39] Jonah Klein: That is a rare and incredibly dramatic parliamentary maneuver. [02:43] Lila Grant: 118 MPs backed it, right? [02:46] Lila Grant: That's a significant number. [02:48] Lila Grant: The digital conversation in India is focused on the tension between the ruling party and the opposition. [02:55] Lila Grant: Seeing hashtag Om Birla and hashtag Indian Parliament trending alongside K-pop stars really shows the breadth of what people are engaged with today. [03:06] Jonah Klein: Exactly. It's all about accountability and the rules of the game being challenged. [03:10] Jonah Klein: Whether it's constitutional changes in Japan or parliamentary resolutions in India, the common thread is citizens and representatives using every tool available, digital and legal, to push back against the status quo. [03:25] Lila Grant: Speaking of using every tool available, let's talk about the world's richest man. [03:31] Lila Grant: Elon Musk is officially going all in for the 2026 midterms. [03:36] Lila Grant: Jonah, this is sparking a massive debate on tech billionaire influence. [03:40] Jonah Klein: Lila, it's a total doubling down. [03:43] Jonah Klein: Musk confirmed he's funding Republican candidates to support the Trump agenda specifically for the [03:48] Jonah Klein: 2026 cycle. [03:50] Jonah Klein: This isn't just about small donations. [03:52] Jonah Klein: It's an all-in financial commitment that has everything. [03:55] Jonah Klein: everyone from political scientists to casual ex-users talking about the outsized power of [04:01] Jonah Klein: Silicon Valley. [04:02] Lila Grant: The debate is fierce. [04:03] Lila Grant: On one side, supporters see it as a necessary move to protect a specific vision for the [04:09] Lila Grant: country, while critics are sounding alarms about democracy being influenced by a single [04:14] Lila Grant: individual's wealth. [04:15] Lila Grant: It's the ultimate 2026 bingo card entry, tech moguls becoming the primary financiers of political movements. [04:23] Jonah Klein: For sure. And since he owns one of the primary platforms where these political debates happen, the layers of influence are incredibly complex. [04:33] Jonah Klein: It's a move that will likely define the political discourse for the next few months as the midterm season heats up. [04:39] Lila Grant: From the deadline for Blackpink to the deadline for political shifts, it's a high-stakes day on the internet. [04:48] Lila Grant: We'll be watching how these stories evolve, especially as we get closer to that February 27th album drop. [04:55] Jonah Klein: Lila, I'll be busy refreshing my Spotify for ROS E's latest in the meantime. [05:01] Jonah Klein: That's all for today's buzz at buzz.neuralnewscast.com. [05:05] Jonah Klein: I'm Jonah Klein. [05:06] Lila Grant: And I am Lila Grant. [05:08] Lila Grant: Stay savvy out there and we'll see you tomorrow. [05:11] Lila Grant: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. [05:14] Lila Grant: View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.