THE MUSTS

World

and they said we were promiscuous…

 The real recession is not in your pocket

Forget inflation, interest rates, or trade wars for a minute. What concerns researchers now is another type of crisis: the sexual recession.

• Between screens, isolation, and fewer stable relationships, people are having less sex. In 1990, 55% of adults aged 18 to 64 said they had sex weekly. In 2024, only 37% did.

The impact is even stronger among young people: The proportion of people aged 18 to 29 who have not had sex in a year has doubled from 12% to 24% since 2010. Sounds familiar?

Social ties are the big “x” factor

Between 2010 and 2019, the average time spent with friends plummeted from 12.8 to 6.5 hours per week, reaching just 5.1 hours last year.

The excess of screens, games, social media, and streaming contributes to fewer face-to-face interactions, reducing opportunities for relationships and, consequently, marriages—a key factor in the decline, as married adults report almost 50% more sex than singles.

• Although still above average, married people are not immune to the trend. Between 1996 and 2008, 59% said they had sex weekly; from 2010 to 2024, that number dropped to 49%.

In the end, the sexual recession exposes a modern paradox: We have never been so digitally connected and, at the same time, so distant in real relationships. So, what about stop reading here and start having some fun? (use condoms!)

What else in on

• Japan: Elderly women are doing everything they can to get arrested in Japan. With loneliness and the high cost of living, prison has become a refuge with regular meals, medical care, and even companionship. Many say they would even pay “rent” to live in jail. (Read)

• Russia: Promoting quality of life, public services, and high-end real estate, Russian agencies are encouraging families to immigrate to Brazil. Brazilian Constitution states that every child born in Brazil has the right to citizenship, and after one year, parents can obtain the same document. (Read)

• EU: The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled today that all countries in the bloc must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other member states, even if their own laws do not allow such unions. (Read)

• Germany: will introduce compulsory military service for young people turning 18. The idea is to create the strongest army in Europe. (Read)

• India: The Indian government now offers menstrual leave to all working women for one day per month. (Read)

• Bangladesh: The former prime minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death by the country's international court. Imagine if this trend catches on? (Read)

To watch: NASA astronaut records northern lights from space.

Lux from Rosalia: A lot of you were asking me: What about LUX? And yes baby, here we are.

Truth be told, I’ve wanted to be a Rosalía fan for years, but it never fully clicked—until I saw her live two years ago (or one year ago… time is a social construct). Her concert was not only incredible; her voice was probably the best I’ve ever heard live. She sang “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias and that performance has lived rent-free in my mind ever since.

• Another important confession: her EP with Rauw Alejandro is, to me, one of the best EPs ever made. Every single song is in my most-played list of 2024. So yes, I was emotionally invested when they broke up.

Now, let’s talk about Lux. What immediately impressed me is how brave it is for an artist like Rosalía to release an album that’s not as pop-forward as MOTOMAMI—leaning instead into classical influences, choral arrangements, and a deeply spiritual narrative. Most artists avoid talking openly about faith; she, on the other hand, built an entire album around saints, sacrifice, devotion, mysticism, and the search for purpose. This is definitely not an easy, quick-dopamine pop record like Zara Larsson or Demi Lovato’s latest releases (both of which I’ve recommended here).

Lux feels like a heartfelt act of avant-garde classical pop. Structured in four movements and sung in 13 languages, the album storms in like an orchestral thunder and leaves behind a guide for pop’s seekers — people who believe that answers to love, desire, and purpose can still exist inside a three-minute song. It’s not the adrenaline machine that MOTOMAMI was, but it rewards listeners who crave more from pop: more emotion, more intention, more risk.

And just like the performance of “Hero” that hit me years ago, at the center of Lux is her voice. Hypnotic, precise, heartbreaking, celestial. That’s what captivated me the most.

As Pitchfork said, Rosalía is redrawing pop’s map at a stunning pace. And honestly? I cannot wait to see where she goes next. (Rating 9/10)

Best songs: Dios Es Un Stalker; Reliquia; La Yugular; Divinize

Hi dear,

How are you?

I’m finally back in Italy, and now that the dust has settled a little, I can sit with myself and talk about my trip to Brazil. While I was there, I had a few texts pre-written because—honestly—I didn’t have the time. It was a trip made of trips, tiny journeys within a bigger one. Maybe this will become a series. Let’s see. Today, I want to start at the beginning.

 The first part of my trip was visiting my family on my mother’s side. They live in a small rural town in Rondônia, a state in the northern part of Brazil, close to the Amazon. Which basically means: add two extra days just to get there, and two more to come back. The last time I’d seen most of them was seven years ago, right before I came to Italy for the first time. So this year—knowing I would stay in Brazil longer than usual—visiting them felt necessary.

My relationship with this side of the family has always been… interesting. We never lived near each other, and I can count on one hand the times we’ve met. And yet, just like when I wrote about my grandmother in the 26th edition, I’ve always felt their love for me so deeply. As a kid, I couldn’t understand it.

I used to believe that love needed presence—that you needed years of coexistence for it to grow. Otherwise, it was just words.

But they have always proved me wrong.

Every time I went there, I felt loved. Every time I saw them, I saw love. To the point where now, as an adult who thinks too much about these things, I question all my theories on how love is built—but I no longer question their love for me. Or mine for them.

Before I arrived, my aunt decorated the entire house for Christmas (in late October!) as a way to celebrate that I was coming. I was equally excited and brought (amazing) gifts from my trip to Sicily. My mom planned activities for us as a family, and moments for just the two of us. She cooked the recipes she knows I love. My grandmother did the most grandmother thing possible and secretly gave me money behind my mom’s back. My cousin—now seventeen—took me to the gym, and we bonded through something so simple I’ve never done with a cousin before: working out together.

• My days there were simple. Time moved in these soft rhythms: waking up at 7, lunch at 11, reading, resting, afternoon coffee with cake, gym, and maybe some late-night games when everyone reunited after dinner. When I was little, I hated that quiet life. Now, I think I crave it.

This first part of the trip reminded me why I love Rondônia, and what family can mean when you look at it without expectations, without rules, without the need for constant presence. As Lilo & Stitch says, “Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” And even though I was never close by, I was never forgotten. and I will always remember that.

With love,
Micael.

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