How pop music works in 2026 – and why it’s about to drastically change

From The Beatles to Billie Eilish, punk to K-pop, teenagers have been shaping the music industry for as long as it’s existed. They are the first to jump on new trends, the first to worship artists and the first to create a whole network of theories and discussion around releases. But that might all be about to change with the new social media ban for under-16s.It’s not the first, fifth or even 15th thing that the British government might’ve thought of when they began to imagine