Spotify's Sound Towns are making a lot of noise.

Weekends are a good time to unwind. For that, we’ve rounded up the most fun and interesting stories we came across this week — the ones we texted our friends about. Enjoy.

The Story

A new Spotify Wrapped feature is making a lot of noise.

I’m a Burlington.

You and 3.4 million others. On Wednesday, the streaming giant released its end-of-year phenomenon — triggering immense pride (see: the top 1% of Swifties), embarrassment (see: friends asking, ‘are you okay?’), and just about every feeling in between. Not to mention, all those social media posts. Many of which were related to a new tidbit called “Sound Town,” which matched users to cities where residents have similar listening habits — essentially, where to find musical soul mates. Despite the fact that there were over 1,300 possible locations, three cities seemed to crop up again and again.

Let’s hear it for Berkeley and Cambridge.

You got it. The three cities were so dominant some speculated that Spotify had colluded with their tourism boards. For the record, Spotify said its measurements are “objective and entirely driven by a user’s listening history.” Not to mention, California’s San Luis Obispo paired with 0.8% of listeners — higher than any of the three cities. That didn’t stop many users from wondering what their assigned Sound Town actually meant. It also didn’t stop a flood of jokes and memes about the types of listeners in some cities. No surprise, since Wrapped has become something of a personality test — which the company capitalized on last year when it did a riff on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Given the enduring allure of personality tests, you can’t blame the company for giving the people what they want.

theSkimm

Spotify Wrapped season is here — and based on social media, people are still, well, wrapped up in their results.

👜 In fashion…

While the world of sweaters is still unraveling, silver continues to shine bright. And the return of the bucket bag carries on. But there’s one trend that might be going on too long. 

❤️ In relationships…

Wondering if you’re in a fruitful relationship? Enter the “orange peel theory.” If that leaves you feeling sour, there’s always a divorce doula. Meanwhile, buddymoons are the new honeymoons. And don’t miss out on making new, ahem, older friends.

🥤 In food…

Nope, it's not just you — Diet Coke prices are getting harder to swallow. That’s as Kraft is cutting the cheese from its Mac & Cheese. And mortadella is hogging the spotlight. Speaking of Italian groceries, don’t underestimate Marshalls.

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Here's a look at the reads we’ve saved, texted, and emailed to our friends…

Everybody Knows Flo From Progressive. Who Is Stephanie Courtney?...meet the woman behind the white apron.

Inside the Weird and Wonderful World of Miniatures…why people are paying thousands of dollars for couches and kitchens they can’t use.

Getting Cozy With Meg Ryan…the undisputed queen of rom-coms on her worst date ever, working with the late Nora Ephron, and more.