This is a sample edition to show the format. The Off The Wall stories and studies here are written examples. Members get fresh stories from that day's news every weekday.
Sound Check
15 · Artists & music
Taylor Swift's new cover art sparks a Photoshop debate
Taylor Swift's brand new single "Patient Zero" landed today, but it's the cover art getting most of the attention. Eagle-eyed fans immediately picked up on what looked like an over-smoothed edit, and the reactions came thick and fast online. Despite the mockery, her fanbase were quick to defend her, insisting the song is what actually matters. It's out now, with acoustic and piano versions also up for pre-order.
Have you ever spotted an obvious Photoshop fail on a cover or in a magazine? Tell us what you saw.
Ed Sheeran feels the fallout from his tour lineup drama
Ed Sheeran has lost close to half a million Instagram followers since his call to remove Macklemore from the US leg of his tour. The decision came after Macklemore spoke out on stage during Sheeran's stadium shows, and Sheeran says it was the promoter's call, not his own. He's since returned to the stage and addressed it publicly, calling the way it was handled a mistake. Several other acts have pulled out of the tour since in solidarity.
Would you ever unfollow an artist over how they handled a decision like that?
Harry Styles is back in the charts without releasing anything new
Harry Styles's album has jumped back into the UK top 40 months after it first came out, all thanks to a tour extension. His "Together, Together" tour is adding new stadium dates next year, and fans seem to be rediscovering the record ahead of it. It originally debuted at number one across every major chart when it first dropped.
Got an old album you go back to every time someone announces a new tour?
Olivia Rodrigo kicks off a huge new tour tonight
Olivia Rodrigo launches her 40-date "Unraveled" tour tonight, opening with two shows in Connecticut before heading across North America. The set mixes new tracks from her latest album with earlier favourites fans have been waiting to hear live. Her last outing was a festival she created herself, which ended up raising millions for causes supporting women and girls after a surprise matched donation.
If you were putting on your own festival, who would you want on the bill?
Beyoncé's mother reveals a terrifying moment mid-tour
Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, has opened up about the moment her daughter's flying stage prop malfunctioned and tipped sideways mid-air during the Cowboy Carter tour. Tina says she fought her way through the crowd in a panic, only for Beyoncé to carry on singing through it like nothing had happened. Afterwards, she says Beyoncé brushed off the fuss entirely, insisting she still had a show to finish.
What's the calmest you've seen someone stay in a total panic moment?
Lisa says her BLACKPINK bandmates still check in constantly
Lisa has opened up about how close she remains with her BLACKPINK bandmates, even as they all focus on solo careers. Speaking at the premiere of her new documentary, she said the group still text each other daily and there's no rivalry between them at all. Her bandmates messaged her about the film before it was even released, saying they couldn't wait to watch it.
Do you still check in daily with an old friend group, even from a distance?
Tame Impala's Kevin Parker has a secret side hustle
Kevin Parker built his own synthesizer to help finish his Grammy-winning Tame Impala track, and it's since turned into a serious business. His company has sold more than ten thousand units across 60 countries, with artists including Dua Lipa and Travis Scott picking one up. He's kept quiet about exactly which parts of the award-winning song came from his own invention, saying only that a keen ear should be able to tell.
Ever built or invented something just to solve your own problem?
Central Cee steals his own runway debut with one move
Central Cee made his catwalk debut at London Fashion Week walking for Burberry, but it wasn't the outfit that got everyone talking. He spent the entire walk gripping the front of his trousers to keep them up, leaving his belt on full display the whole way down. Reaction online has been mixed, ranging from genuine praise for the confidence to people simply asking him not to do it again.
Worst wardrobe malfunction you've had in public? We want the details.
Dominic Fike is writing and releasing songs live on tour
Dominic Fike has dropped a new single called "Small Town," recorded and filmed in real time between tour stops in Detroit, Seattle and Dallas. It's part of an unconventional process where he's writing, recording and releasing music wherever he can find the space, from hotel rooms to the tour bus. His new album lands in a couple of weeks, built entirely out of that on-the-road approach.
Could you be creative working like that, with no fixed studio at all?
Ariana Grande caught up in the UK's biggest vinyl scam
Ariana Grande is one of over a hundred artists whose records were bootlegged in what police are calling the largest counterfeit vinyl operation ever uncovered in the UK. Officers found thousands of fake pressings and stampers at an industrial unit, alongside equipment used to churn out copies of major albums for years. The man behind it has now been jailed after making millions from the scam.
Ever bought something you later found out was a total fake?
Miley Cyrus is now a favourite for the Super Bowl halftime show
Miley Cyrus has become one of the top picks to headline next year's Super Bowl halftime show, according to the latest betting markets, with Jay-Z also in close contention. At one point over the summer the two were separated by less than a percentage point. No performer has been officially confirmed yet, and a viral rumour claiming otherwise has already been debunked.
Who's your dream pick for a Super Bowl halftime show?
An old Dua Lipa song is suddenly everywhere again
Dua Lipa's 2024 track "Training Season" is back in heavy rotation online, thanks to a new trend of people using its lyrics as a kind of morning manifestation ritual. Influencers have been filming themselves saying the words aloud each morning, aiming to attract exactly what the song describes. It's pushed the track back into the charts more than two years after it first came out.
Ever had an old song suddenly mean something completely different to you?
Sabrina Carpenter's Coachella joke from years ago just came true
Sabrina Carpenter joked from the Coachella stage back in 2024 that she'd be back one day to headline it, and that's exactly what's just been confirmed. She'll top the bill at next year's festival alongside Karol G, only two years after her first appearance there. Fans are already calling it proof that manifesting genuinely works.
Ever said something as a joke that actually came true later?
Justin Bieber is finally back with a major comeback show
Justin Bieber will headline Coachella next year, his first major festival set since stepping away from touring after a health scare that left him with partial facial paralysis. He's spent the years since focusing on recovery and family life with wife Hailey, quietly returning with two new albums this year. It'll mark the first time he's headlined the festival, after years of only appearing as a guest.
Know anyone who's made a proper comeback after stepping away for their health?
Chappell Roan lands her biggest headline slot yet
Chappell Roan has been announced as the headliner for Laneway Festival's 2026 run, marking her first proper tour stop there since her breakout run two years ago. The lineup marks the festival's 21st year and includes a run of dates across five cities. It's her biggest headlining slot to date, and organisers say it's their biggest lineup ever assembled.
What's the biggest glow-up you've seen from an artist in just two years?
Off The Wall
10 · Culture & quirky
A man built a full lift for his ageing cat
A homeowner in Yorkshire has spent four months and just under a thousand pounds building a working lift so his fifteen-year-old cat no longer has to climb the stairs. It runs on a simple pulley system he designed himself after his vet suggested the stairs were becoming too much for her joints. He says the cat took to it immediately and now refuses to use the stairs at all.
What's the most you've spent making life easier for a pet?
A 30-year family feud over a bus stop name is finally over
A village has ended a three-decade argument between two families over whether the local bus stop should be named after the church or the chapel down the road. It finally went to a parish vote, which the church side won by a narrow margin. Locals say the losing family have already started a petition for a rematch next year.
What's the pettiest disagreement that's rumbled on in your family for years?
A local pub has made its regular dog "head of security"
A pub landlord has given his dog an actual job title after years of him greeting every customer at the door. He now has his own name badge, a bowl kept behind the bar, and technically appears on the pub's staff rota as a joke that's stuck around. Regulars say trade has genuinely gone up since he "started".
Best unofficial job title you've seen given to a pet?
A couple got married at the petrol station where they met
A couple has tied the knot at the exact petrol station forecourt where they first started chatting five years ago while both filling up their cars. The station let them use the forecourt for free once staff realised the story, and even threw in fuel for every guest on the way out. The couple say it felt more romantic than any venue they viewed.
Weirdest place you've had a big life moment happen?
A primary school has made its rescue chicken "deputy head"
A school took in a rescue chicken last year and it's become such a fixture that staff have given her an honorary deputy head title. She has her own lanyard, greets parents at the school gate every morning, and even gets a mention in the newsletter. Teachers say she's done more for encouraging shy pupils out of their shell than anything else they've tried.
Every school could use a chicken on staff, surely?
A man has commuted to work by unicycle for a full year
One commuter has spent the last twelve months getting to work entirely by unicycle, covering a forty-minute route through town traffic every single day. He says it started as a joke bet with colleagues that turned into a genuine habit once he realised it was often faster than waiting for the bus. He's had a handful of near misses, but insists he's never actually fallen off in traffic.
Would you trust yourself on a unicycle in rush hour traffic?
A town swapped its speed bumps for a giant rubber duck sign
A local council has replaced a stretch of speed bumps with a large illustrated rubber duck road sign after residents complained about noise from cars going over them. Oddly enough, locals say drivers have actually slowed down more for the duck than they ever did for the bumps. The council is reportedly considering rolling it out to two more streets nearby.
Sometimes the daft idea really is the one that works, isn't it?
"Loud living" is replacing "quiet quitting" as the new workplace trend
A new workplace trend is seeing employees openly celebrate their wins and promotions instead of playing them down, a sharp turn from the "quiet quitting" era of a few years ago. Career coaches say it's being driven by younger workers pushing back against the idea that ambition should be hidden. Employers are reportedly split on whether they love it or find it a bit much.
Are you a loud-living type, or still keeping your wins quiet at work?
Going to the cinema alone is having a real moment
New box office figures show one in four weekday cinema tickets is now sold to a party of one, a sharp rise from just five years ago. Younger audiences say it's less about being antisocial and more about treating themselves to an uninterrupted couple of hours without compromising on the film. Cinemas have started adding more solo-friendly seating to keep up with demand.
Solo cinema trip: love it, or does it feel a bit sad to you?
The Christmas jumper is getting replaced at the office party
A new workplace survey has found that "festive hoodies" have outsold novelty Christmas jumpers for the first time ever this year. Researchers reckon it's down to hybrid working making people less willing to dress up for an office party they might only attend for an hour. Traditionalists aren't happy, with plenty of comments calling it the death of a proper Christmas jumper day.
Has your work Christmas dress code gone soft this year too?
Our Studies Say
4 · New research
Whistling at work is linked to noticeably lower stress
A new study found that people who whistle casually throughout their working day report significantly calmer moods by mid-afternoon compared to those who don't. Researchers think it's less about the sound itself and more about the deep, steady breathing whistling naturally requires. It's now being floated as a genuine low-effort stress trick for anyone stuck at a desk.
Are you a whistler? Give us a burst before the next song.
Your commute playlist might be setting up your whole day
Researchers have found that people who play upbeat, high-energy music on their way to work report feeling noticeably sharper and more positive within the first hour of arriving. Those who commuted in silence or with slower music didn't get the same boost. It's a pretty simple takeaway: your first song of the day might matter more than you think.
Well, you're in exactly the right place this morning then.
Middle children rate themselves as the best negotiators
A new survey has found that people who grew up as the middle child are far more likely to describe themselves as confident when it comes to asking for what they want. Researchers reckon it comes from years of negotiating for attention between an older and younger sibling growing up. Oldest and youngest children, by comparison, rated themselves noticeably less comfortable doing the same.
Any middle children listening right now — does that check out for you?
A single desk plant could be quietly boosting your focus
A study looking at people working from home found that those with just one plant visible on their desk completed tasks measurably faster than those with a bare workspace. Researchers think it's less about the plant itself and more about having something calming to glance at between tasks. It's a pretty cheap fix if your focus has been slipping lately.
Might be time to actually water that plant on your desk.