 Can organisations redesign themselves fast enough to operate in a world where humans and intelligent agents work side by side? Can they co-create workflows, decisions, and enterprise value in hybrid operating systems? That’s the question that’s animating discussions on AI in the workplace today.
In Asia, a young, digitally fluent workforce, a rapidly scaling digital economy, and an experimentation-first culture have positioned the region to define what the next decade of organisational transformation looks like. But potential alone will not be enough. According to EY’s 2025 Work Reimagined Survey, organisations that deploy AI on weak talent foundations lose more than 40% of their potential productivity gains. Technology alone, without the operating model to support it, returns far less than promised. Asia’s structural AI advantage Three structural factors distinguish Asia’s readiness for AI-led transformation, and together they form a compounding advantage. The first is workforce demographics. Southeast Asia has one of the youngest and most digitally embedded workforces in the world, with 90% of students and 72% of workers already using generative AI, saving nearly a full working day each week in productivity gains. The second is economic momentum. The region’s digital economy scaled from US$4 billion in 2022 to US$11 billion in 2024, a signal of monetisation, not just adoption. AI is projected to lift GDP across ASEAN nations by 10 to 18% by 2030, equivalent to nearly US$1 trillion in value creation. The third is an agent-first mindset. According to Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index, drawn from surveys across 31,000 workers in 31 countries, 53% of APAC leaders are already using AI agents to fully automate business processes, the highest rate of any region in the world and well above the global average of 46%. Alongside this, 84% of APAC leaders express confidence that agents will expand, not shrink, their workforce capacity. These three factors converge around a shared characteristic: Asia is building on relatively lighter legacy infrastructure and more open organisational cultures. That creates the conditions for a genuine leapfrog, not just in technology adoption, but in how work is fundamentally structured. From augmented workflows to autonomous systems The shift underway is more than automation. It is a redesign of how value is created when intelligent systems can act, learn, and improve alongside people. Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index describes the emergence of what it calls “Frontier Firms” organisations built around on-demand intelligence and powered by hybrid human-agent teams. These organisations scale faster, operate with greater agility, and generate value at a pace traditional hierarchies cannot match. Within two to five years, Microsoft estimates, every organisation will have begun the journey toward this model. In APAC, that journey is already accelerating: 52% of employees in the region already treat AI as a thought partner rather than a command-based tool, a reversal of the global trend. Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report captures the tension leaders must navigate as this shift unfolds: augmentation versus automation, empowerment versus control, and agility versus stability. Organisations that resolve these tensions in favour of human performance, not merely operational efficiency, are the ones that will sustain the advantage. The same report finds that while over 70% of managers and workers say they are more likely to stay with an employer whose EVP prepares them to thrive with AI, fewer than 30% of organisations currently have a workforce strategy built around this. The EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey sharpens the paradox: 88% of employees now use AI at work, yet only 5% are using it in ways that fundamentally transform how they work. The gap is not technological. It is structural, a function of weak operating models, insufficient capability development, and a failure to redesign work itself. Why HR becomes the architect of autonomous enterprises As AI agents become embedded across the enterprise, the function best positioned to lead the redesign is HR, not because HR owns technology, but because it owns the conditions that determine whether technology delivers value. HR controls identity and access frameworks, workflow architecture, skills and capability systems, and the cultural conditions in which change takes hold. As agents move from pilot to operating system, HR’s role shifts from policy function to enterprise architect. However,data shows that while 84% of employees are excited about agentic AI, 56% are anxious about working alongside autonomous systems. Trust is not automatic. It is built through transparency, clear governance, and the visible involvement of human judgment in high-stakes decisions. The organisations that get this right will not just deploy AI faster; they will retain the workforce confidence needed to sustain it. Asia’s readiness gap makes this imperative visible. People Matters’ SHRPA 2025 report found that while 86% of HR leaders claim change-readiness, only 29% consider themselves AI-ready. The bottleneck is not enthusiasm; it is organisational design. The blueprint for autonomous enterprise Most organisations are still in the adoption phase. The differentiator, going forward, will be the platform that operationalises AI at the level of the operating system, not as a feature layer on top of existing processes, but as the intelligence layer that runs through them. Darwinbox is built for that transition. Its intelligent HCM platform enables agent-driven workflows across performance management, talent mobility, HR operations, and workforce planning. Its MCP architecture allows organisations to plug in AI models and scale enterprise-grade intelligence without rebuilding from scratch. And its “Super Agent” capability enables organisations to automate multi-step processes, generate talent insights in real time, forecast workforce capacity, and build the governance guardrails that make AI adoption trustworthy at scale. The shift Darwinbox enables is not from manual to automated. It is from AI adoption to AI integration, where intelligent systems are woven into the daily operating architecture of the enterprise, not bolted on at the edges. Three imperatives for leaders in Asia Based on the research, three strategic priorities stand out for organisations that want to move from AI readiness to AI advantage. 1. Redesign work for human-agent collaboration APAC is already deploying AI agents at the fastest rate in the world. But deployment is not redesign. The transformation begins when organisations stop treating agents as productivity tools and start rethinking how work is structured around the partnership between humans and machines. This requires a shift from rigid, role-based processes to flow-based, outcome-focused ways of working, with clear decision rights, explicit handoffs between human and agent, and a shared understanding of where human judgment, empathy, and contextual intelligence remain irreplaceable. The Microsoft Work Trend Index identifies the “human-agent ratio” as the new critical metric: not how many agents an organisation deploys, but how effectively it determines the right ratio of human and digital labour for each task. 2. Build skills ecosystems for autonomous work Employees who use AI effectively are already saving nearly a full working day per week. But the data is clear: most employees are not using AI effectively. The barrier is not access to tools. It is the absence of structured capability pathways that combine AI literacy, prompt mastery, domain knowledge, and ethical judgment. Organisations that succeed will treat capability development as a living system, one that evolves continuously as models and use cases change, rather than a one-time intervention. Critically, EY’s data also shows that employees who receive more than 80 hours of AI training annually are 59% more likely to leave their current employer. Building skills, without building retention conditions around them, creates a readiness gap of a different kind. 3. Institutionalise governance at the speed of change As agents become embedded in daily operations, governance becomes a competitive differentiator, not a compliance overhead. APAC’s regulatory frameworks are maturing, but organisations cannot wait for external policy to catch up with the pace of internal adoption. The organisations that lead will build ethics reviews, risk protocols, data-quality checks, and model-use transparency directly into everyday workflows. Research is instructive here: only 28% of organisations currently demonstrate strength across all five dimensions of the Talent Advantage framework, the integrated system of AI adoption, learning, talent health, culture, and reward that separates transformational outcomes from modest gains. Governance is not a barrier to innovation. It is the foundation of trust without which even the most capable agent systems will fail to scale. The architectural moment Asia’s AI advantage is not simply structural or demographic. It is architectural. The region has the workforce disposition, the economic momentum, and in many organisations, the platform readiness to move faster than anywhere else in the world. But the data reveals an unresolved tension. Deloitte finds that workers in Asia are significantly more optimistic about AI than their global counterparts, with 77% of Southeast Asian workers believing it will improve social and economic outcomes. Yet the People Matters SHRPA 2025 report finds only 29% of HR leaders in the region consider themselves genuinely AI-ready. Optimism and readiness are not the same thing. The organisations that close that gap, that move from AI adoption to AI integration, from tool deployment to operating system redesign, will define the frontier of enterprise performance over the next decade. And as the data shows, that frontier is being prototyped in Asia right now.  Stevie Nicks brought a legendary touch to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding.
The iconic Fleetwood Mac singer performed during the superstar couple’s wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday (July 3), Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts confirmed during Saturday’s broadcast. Roberts and her GMA colleagues, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, were among the guests in attendance. “We can confirm that Stevie Nicks did perform,” Roberts said on the show. Swift also took part in a soundcheck with Nicks at Madison Square Garden earlier Friday, according to The New York Times. It was unclear at press time which songs Nicks performed during the ceremony or whether Swift joined the iconic singer onstage. Swift and Nicks have shared a close friendship for years. The two performed together at the 2010 Grammy Awards, and Nicks later contributed a poem titled “For T — and me” to Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, which appears in physical editions of the album. Swift also referenced Nicks on “Clara Bow,” the closing track on the standard edition of her 2024 album. Following Swift and Kelce’s engagement, Nicks praised the couple in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “She’s in a good place right now, and I think she has a good man.” Reflecting on the ceremony, GMA‘s Stephanopoulos said, “It was as intimate as it could possibly be, given that it was Madison Square Garden,” describing the venue as having “a garden inside the Garden that was so beautiful.” He continued, “It’s hard to imagine a place that big and a wedding with such stars could feel so personal.” Roberts also revealed that Swift and Kelce wrote their own vows, while Stephanopoulos shared that the couple held “little books” as they stood together at the altar. Strahan summed up the celebration by calling it their “dream wedding.” Actor-comedian Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony, according to a statement the pop superstar’s representative shared with Billboard. The Wedding Singer star also performed a humorous yet heartfelt original song celebrating the couple’s love, TMZ reported. Although the couple welcomed an A-list guest list, they opted not to have traditional bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, Swift’s brother, Austin Swift, served as her man of honor, while Jason Kelce was his brother’s best man. The pop superstar and football player wore custom Christian Dior Haute Couture designs for the ceremony. Shortly after the couple exchanged vows, the giant screens outside MSG announced that they had both said “I do.” “JUST&T MARRIED!” the screens read. Among the many celebrities spotted arriving at the venue were Jack Antonoff, Mariska Hargitay, Ed Sheeran, the Haim sisters, Benson Boone and Camila Cabello. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end proposed to the 14-time Grammy winner in August 2025. They announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post, writing, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married!”  Justin Bieber‘s Swag set from his second weekend at Coachella 2026 is up now on streaming services.
Swag Live From Coachella (Weekend II) officially arrived Friday (July 3) via Def Jam, a week after Bieber delivered a live album featuring performances from his first weekend headlining this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. Weekend II is a live recording of 23 tracks, including features by Sexyy Red, Dijon and SZA, Bieber performed at the annual fest held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on April 18. “LIVE FROM COACHELLA WEEKND 2 ALBUM OUT TONIGHT AT 9:00 PM PST,” he announced via Instagram just hours before the live album’s release on streaming services. “spider man on yo assssssssssss livestream nowwwwwwwwww on @youtube then album out on @spotify and @applemusic,” Bieber confirmed on his official account just before 12 a.m. ET., quoting a lyric from Swag track “405.” Earlier in the evening, his Coachella weekend two concert replayed on YouTube: “watch the stream with me on youtube coachella weekend 2,” he wrote in another post, leading fans over to the visual replay of the show ahead of the the live album drop. Bieber’s two-part Swag Live From Coachella album release is the follow-up to dual full-length studio albums Swag and Swag 2, both of which launched in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2025 — Swag at No. 2, and Swag II at No. 4. Swag was led by the hit single “Daisies,” a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100.  Summertime is officially here, which means the sweet riddims of dancehall are at the peak of their powers.
Billboard can exclusively reveal that Nigerian banku pioneer Mr Eazi tapped dancehall superproducer Dre Skull to harness that energy for a new dancehall-inspired mixtape titled Yard & Yanga. Oh, and they’re bringing King of Dancehall Vybz Kartel along for the ride. The King of Dancehall appears on “Lambo,” the project’s lead single — also out today — which finds the pair reuniting after 2021’s “Sekkle and Bop” and 2025’s “Dance Pon Me.” “Eazi and I have been working on music together for years and, along the way, we became good friends,” Dre Skull tells Billboard. “When we go to the studio, we inevitably end up making music that weaves together elements of Dancehall and Afrobeats, and those sessions became the starting point for this project. At a certain point, we just realized we were building a larger project, and we leaned into shaping it.” Eazi credits Nigeria’s dancehall-inspired konto artists like Baba Fryo, Kimi Ranky and Marvellous Benji as his gateway into the Jamaican-born genre, and his appreciation for the style has grown into his own “Zaggadat” catchphrase, an homage to Beenie Man. “I love the raw energy that comes with the sound. It’s one of the most genuine expressions of music,” he says. “I think it captures my other side.” Vybz Kartel, who’s coming off last month’s God & Time album (June 5), made for a natural collaborator on “Lambo.” The summer-ready bashment banger finds Eazi using his signature, slick wordplay to deliver an earworm hook that calls on both Jamaican patois colloquialisms and Nigerian pidgin. “Dre Skull: “‘Lambo’ has a hypnotic quality built on a heavy low end that taps into the raw energy of street dances,” says Dre Skull. “I knew Kartel would know exactly what to do, and he is the perfect counterbalance to Eazi here.” Yard & Yanga marks the natural evolution of his years-long friendship with Skull, who helped define the sound of 2010s dancehall with his work on Kartel’s Kingston Story (2011), Popcaan’s Where We Come From (2014) and Forever (2018). Notably, U.K.-based illustrator Kione Grandison hand-drew the single’s cover art, taking inspiration from West African and Caribbean folk and street art. The mixtape, which has been years in the making, is also the latest addition to Eazi’s mixtape catalog, joining About to Blow (2013), Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 — Accra to Lagos (2017) and Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 — Lagos to London (2018). “With this project, I had a very clear concept of what I wanted to explore, and we intentionally kept it creatively fun during the process,” notes Eazi. “It felt naturally related to the other mixtapes I’ve done.” Yard & Yang arrives later this year via Dre Skull’s Mixpak Records and Eazi’s emPawa Africa. Indonesia's shrinking skilled workforce raises concerns over long-term competitiveness: World Bank7/6/2026
 Indonesia is witnessing a steady decline in medium- and high-skilled employment, raising concerns about the country's ability to sustain economic growth and remain competitive in global value chains, according to the latest World Bank report.
In its June edition of the Indonesia Economic Prospects report, the World Bank said the country's labour market has seen a shrinking share of skilled jobs between 2018 and 2025, contributing to rising educated unemployment and weakening wage growth for middle- and high-income workers. The report found that wages for medium-skilled and high-skilled occupations declined by around 1% and 2% annually, respectively, during the period. In contrast, wages for low-skilled jobs grew by approximately 1.7% each year. As a result, the share of middle-class workers has fallen sharply, dropping from 14.5% in 2018 to just 7.1% in 2025. The overall proportion of Indonesia's middle-class population has also continued to decline since 2018. The World Bank attributed the trend to weak demand for higher-quality jobs, noting that better-educated workers are increasingly being pushed into informal employment that offers lower job security, weaker social protection and limited earning potential. Among tertiary-educated workers, the share employed in formal wage jobs fell to 67.8% in 2025 from 74.1% in 2018. For upper-secondary graduates, formal employment dropped by nearly seven percentage points to around 30%. While university graduates have been able to transition into relatively higher-tier informal work, workers with lower educational qualifications are increasingly concentrated in low-tier informal jobs. The report noted that the traditional link between higher education and formal employment has weakened, suggesting a broader shortage of quality employment opportunities that fully utilise workers' skills. Labour market experts say the findings reflect deeper structural challenges. Public policy expert Yayat Supriatna attributed the decline in skilled employment partly to the weakening manufacturing sector, citing factory relocations and slowing industrial growth. At the same time, industries such as trade, logistics and transportation, where informal employment is more common, have expanded. He also pointed to uncertainty in Indonesia's investment climate as a factor limiting the growth of technology-driven and skill-intensive industries. While government initiatives such as downstream industrialisation have the potential to create domestic employment, he said limited capital and investor participation have constrained their impact. Mohammad Faisal, Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economics Indonesia (CORE Indonesia), warned that Indonesia risks losing higher-value segments of global supply chains to competing economies. As multinational companies increasingly distribute production across multiple countries, he said Indonesia's comparative advantage appears to be shifting toward lower-cost, low-skilled labour rather than higher-value, knowledge-intensive work. Faisal added that this trend runs counter to the country's ambitions of boosting economic growth, household consumption and purchasing power, all of which depend on the creation of quality jobs. He also noted that growing investment in capital-intensive industries, coupled with the rapid adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence, is reducing demand for middle-skilled workers and increasing the risk of job displacement. Labour researcher Arif Novianto, a lecturer at Tidar University, described the situation as a sign of "jobless growth," where economic expansion is not generating enough employment opportunities, particularly for skilled workers. The World Bank's findings underscore the need for Indonesia to strengthen investment in higher-value industries, improve job quality and expand opportunities for skilled workers if it is to build a more resilient and competitive economy. Recruitment alone cannot solve the workforce crisis: Siemens' Global People & Culture Executive7/6/2026
 For years, organisations have focused on closing skills gaps and competing for specialist talent. Sabine Schneider, Global People & Culture Executive at Siemens Limited, believes the conversation now needs to become much broader.
In an interview with reporters, Schneider says labour shortages are emerging as an equally significant, if not greater, challenge than skills shortages, driven by demographic change, technological disruption and shifting employee expectations. Recruitment, she says, will not be enough. Instead, organisations will need to rethink workforce planning around continuous learning, employability, workforce participation and long-term talent capacity rather than simply hiring for open roles. Labour shortages are becoming a structural workforce challenge According to Schneider, organisations are facing two workforce pressures simultaneously. Traditional skills shortages continue to exist, while broader labour availability is tightening across many occupations. She says organisations are also struggling to find emerging combinations of expertise, particularly where AI capabilities need to be combined with deep domain knowledge. Rather than viewing this as a shift from one workforce problem to another, Schneider says employers need a broader response focused on ensuring sufficient future workforce capacity. She notes that demographic trends are reducing the size of the available workforce across many economies, making recruitment alone an incomplete solution. Instead, organisations need to focus on:
For Schneider, adaptability has become one of the defining capabilities organisations must build. Why workforce availability is no longer just a hiring issue Schneider believes workforce availability has evolved beyond a local recruitment challenge into a global strategic issue. She identifies three structural forces reshaping labour markets worldwide:
She notes that while many economies are experiencing shrinking working-age populations, countries such as India continue to serve as important global talent hubs. At the same time, industrial AI, automation and digitalisation are transforming jobs faster than many workforces can adapt. According to Schneider, workforce availability increasingly depends on global capability, mobility and continuous reskilling, rather than local recruitment alone. She also points to another important shift. Previous generations typically entered a profession after formal education and gradually evolved within a relatively stable role. Future employees, however, are likely to experience repeated changes in the nature of their work, making continuous re-education and ongoing skills acquisition a permanent feature of working life. Employees now value employability over job security Schneider believes one of the biggest changes organisations continue to underestimate is how employees define career success. She says the workforce is moving away from a traditional focus on job security towards long-term employability. Employees increasingly expect:
Rather than remaining within fixed job descriptions, employees want organisations to help them build skills that remain valuable throughout changing careers. Schneider says this thinking is reflected in Siemens' global people strategy through its emphasis on skills-based mobility and lifelong learning. She also highlights persistent participation gaps across the labour market. Women, older workers and other underrepresented groups continue to face barriers to workforce participation. For organisations, expanding these existing talent pools is becoming just as important as attracting new employees. Technology can ease labour shortages, but it cannot replace workforce development Schneider sees industrial AI, automation and digital twins as important tools for improving workforce productivity. She says these technologies can:
However, she cautions against viewing technology as a complete solution. The same technologies also create demand for entirely new, higher-skilled roles responsible for implementing, operating and optimising AI, automation and digital systems. According to Schneider, organisations must develop these new "facilitator" roles if technology is to deliver its full potential in addressing labour shortages. Without sufficient investment in developing these capabilities, technology alone will have limited impact. Workforce planning needs a fundamental reset Schneider believes organisations need to move beyond traditional workforce planning models. Instead of focusing on fixed job roles, she advocates ecosystem-based workforce strategies built around skills and organisational agility. She says future workforce models should include:
The objective is to create organisations that are more resilient and adaptable while encouraging broader capability development rather than narrow specialisation. She says Siemens reflects this approach through its emphasis on adaptability, reskilling and future-ready capability building. Expanding workforce participation will become a business priority Schneider believes employers have an increasingly important role in strengthening workforce participation. She says organisations should:
These measures, she says, can help bring more women, caregivers, older employees and other underrepresented groups into the workforce. With demographic pressures expected to intensify globally, mobilising these talent pools will become increasingly important for sustaining labour supply. For Siemens, Schneider says inclusion, skilling and access have become business imperatives supporting long-term growth. Preparing for the next decade of work Looking ahead, Schneider believes organisations will need to become far more proactive in preparing for structural labour market shifts. Building future workforce capacity will require investment in employability, lifelong learning, inclusion and stronger connections between employers and educational institutions. Recruitment will remain important, but Schneider believes it can no longer carry the weight of workforce strategy on its own. As labour markets tighten and technology reshapes work, organisations that invest in adaptable people, broader workforce participation and continuous capability building are likely to be better positioned for long-term resilience.  Harry Styles and his English fans belong together, especially when their country proves victorious in yet another World Cup match.
Like countless others around the globe, the British pop star and concertgoers gathered at Wembley Stadium in London before the start of his Together, Together show on Wednesday (July 1) had their eyes glued to the screen as England executed a thrilling comeback against DR Congo halfway across the world. The match was displayed on the massive arena’s jumbotrons, so that Styles and the tens of thousands of fans inside could watch together. As the seconds ran out and England locked in its second match victory so far in the global tournament, videos captured how Styles popped out of one of the stadium’s entrances to briefly join the crowd in celebrating the win, wildly jumping up and down, pumping his fist and hugging friends on the floor near the stage. Before disappearing back into the backstage area, he waved at fans seated above him. A little while later, Styles — who previously proved his soccer fandom in 2024 by attending a Manchester United Premier League match — would re-emerge on stage to play his 10th of 12 planned Wembley shows on his Together, Together tour route, which kicked off in May with a mini-residency in Amsterdam. The trek supports his 2026 album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spawned No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Aperture.” By the time England plays its next World Cup match on Sunday (July 5) against Mexico, Styles will have already concluded his stay at the London stadium. His next stop on the road will be in São Paulo, followed by Mexico City, New York City, Melbourne and Sydney.  There is a longstanding question in K-pop about what actually holds a girl group together: a single breakout star, a concept strong enough to carry eight people, or something harder to manufacture. Hearts2Hearts, the SM Entertainment octet now 16 months into its career, is proof of the third option.
The group’s structure is built around what it refuses to do. Instead of one designated center, Hearts2Hearts spreads the weight, arranging vocal lines, choreography and camera time so that individual moments serve the whole. It’s a familiar pitch in K-pop marketing and a rare thing to actually pull off. What sets this group apart is that the balance holds up under scrutiny, onstage, in live vocal takes, in the self-produced content where group dynamics usually crack first. Even the group’s most viral moment worked this way. Stella’s spoken English narration in “RUDE!” became the song’s signature and fueled a fan challenge, yet it never read as one member breaking away from the pack. It read as Hearts2Hearts. That house-leaning single, released this past February, climbed to a No. 57 peak on the Billboard Global 200, while rising to No. 5 on the Billboard Korea Hot 100. The demand followed offstage: in March, the group sold out showcases in both New York and Los Angeles. For an act barely a year past its debut, which reached No. 102 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with “The Chase,” that is a group finding its ceiling and pushing past it. “Lemon Tang,” the title track of the second mini album released June 22, carries that momentum into a bright, summer-coded dance-pop turn. Where “RUDE!” came from a team of Western topliners, the follow-up is a KENZIE record, penned by the SM in-house veteran whose credits run from Girls’ Generation’s “Into the New World” through two decades of the label’s girl-group canon. The chorus leans into a breezy, bossa-inflected sway, and the vocal arrangement follows the group’s usual logic: lines sung in pairs that build into all eight voices in unison. The lyric’s central image, a lemon that is sour alone and turns sweet in combination, is also a fair summary of how this group operates, name included. That’s the thing about Hearts2Hearts. The appeal is cumulative rather than explosive: friendly without being lightweight, bright without being simple, and consistent in a genre that usually chases spectacle. In this interview with Billboard Korea, the eight members talk through the moment they first saw their name on the Billboard charts, the energy of their first sold-out U.S. stages, the roots each member brings to the team, and what they hope people understand about Hearts2Hearts by the end of this summer, in their own words. From “The Chase” to “RUDE!,” sixteen months have already passed. How do you feel about where Hearts2Hearts stands now? JIWOO: I think we’re still in the middle of growing and learning, but when I look at where we are now, I’m most proud that Hearts2Hearts is starting to have a distinctive color of its own. We’ve gained a lot of experience since debut, and I think we’re becoming more confident both as individuals and as a team. It makes me excited for how much more we can grow from here. YE-ON: Like JIWOO unni said, I think we’re still growing as artists. But if I had to pick the biggest change, it would be how much more comfortable I’ve become on stage. At debut, I was focused on finding the cameras, but now I feel more confident connecting with our fans and enjoying the moment! Hearts2Hearts arrived as SM’s first new girl group since aespa. Did that description ever feel heavy to you, or did it become a quiet source of strength? YE-ON: Rather than feeling pressured, I think it motivated us to work even harder together so we could live up to people’s expectations. It felt more like positive encouragement that pushed us to keep practicing and improving! When you first heard “Lemon Tang,” what made it feel like the right next chapter after “RUDE!”? YUHA: The track carries the same confident energy as “RUDE!” while bringing a brighter and more refreshing feeling that fits the summer season. While “RUDE!” was about breaking away from expectations and doing things our own way, “Lemon Tang” shows a brighter side of us and celebrates how beautiful it feels when we’re together. That’s why it felt like the perfect next chapter. “Baby Steps” carries the excitement of a new beginning, while “Secret Recipe” tells a story of building something together. Which track feels closest to the team’s heart right now? JUUN: I think “Baby Steps” feels closest to where we are right now. As we begin this new chapter with “Lemon Tang,” I think the excitement and nervousness of trying something new really reflect how we feel as a team. That’s why I find myself relating to “Baby Steps” the most. “RUDE!” reached No. 10 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart and entered the Billboard Global 200 as well. When you first saw Hearts2Hearts on an overseas chart, what went through your mind? CARMEN: I’m so, so thankful to S2U and to everyone who has been listening to “RUDE!” I’m incredibly happy, and honestly, it still feels a little like a dream. Seeing our song on the Billboard chart was… just wow. It was such a huge moment for us! I’m truly grateful for all the love and support. Thank you so much! STELLA: When I first saw “RUDE!” on the Billboard charts, I was really shocked and so grateful for all the fans who supported us. It really made me realize that there are so many global fans who love our music, and it inspired me to work harder for our next comeback. Stella, your English narration became one of the signatures of “RUDE!” and even carried into the challenge. Did you expect that part to resonate with listeners in that way? STELLA: When I first recorded the narration part in our song, I had hoped that our listeners would resonate with it. However, I didn’t expect the amount of love and attention that it would get at all. Watching our fans and listeners do the narration challenge was so much fun, and I feel incredibly grateful for all the support. In March, you sold out showcases in both New York and Los Angeles. What felt different about the energy of the U.S. fans compared to the audiences you had met in Korea? A-NA: All of our fans are incredibly passionate, but what stood out to me in the U.S. was how loudly everyone sang along and even danced with us. Seeing the crowd enjoy the music so freely and express themselves in that way was really new and memorable for me. IAN: The showcase was a moment where I really got to feel the incredible energy of our fans in the U.S. Even the smallest things we did got such a big reaction. Hearing everyone sing along and seeing them jump and have fun with us really made me feel their passion. Jiwoo, as the leader, what did the “RUDE!” season teach you about the members that you may not have fully realized before? JIWOO: During our “RUDE!” promotions, I realized once again how strong and dependable our members are. I was really impressed by how everyone took responsibility for their own role and always gave their best. Even during difficult moments, the members were always looking out for each other first, and I was so grateful for that. It made me trust the team even more, and I felt just how reliable everyone is. Carmen, as SM’s first Indonesian member, what kind of color do you feel your roots bring to Hearts2Hearts when the group connects with fans around the world? CARMEN: As SM’s first Indonesian member, I’m really grateful to be able to share a part of my culture and experiences with Hearts2Hearts. Growing up with a different background has given me a broader perspective, and I think that helps our group connect naturally with fans from all around the world. I also feel happy that I can introduce Indonesia and represent many fans who dream of standing on a global stage. More than anything, I hope the warmth, sincerity, and positive energy I’ve grown up with can become one of the unique colors that make Hearts2Hearts even more special. The name Hearts2Hearts carries the idea of connecting one heart to another. Since your debut, what has been the clearest moment when you truly felt that connection with your fans? A-NA: One of the moments when I feel most connected to our fans is when I see them smiling and enjoying themselves while watching us perform on stage. Seeing that happiness on their faces makes me feel like our hearts are really connected. The rookie season often passes faster than people expect. Is there something you feel Hearts2Hearts can only do now, precisely because you are still at the beginning? IAN: I think it’s continuing to show how we’re growing. All of the members constantly give each other feedback and always want to improve, so I think people can really see that growth through our performances and activities. By the end of the “Lemon Tang” promotions, what do you hope people will understand a little more clearly about Hearts2Hearts? YUHA: Just like the feeling you get when you think of “Lemon Tang,” I hope thinking about Hearts2Hearts can make people smile and feel a little happier. JUUN: Just like the lyrics of “Lemon Tang,” I hope people can feel that fresh, uplifting energy with us. I also hope our song becomes the soundtrack to everyone’s summer and helps make this season feel a little brighter and more fun.  Pretty Lights has announced his first new album in 13 years, the 45-song A Trip Thru Time Fantastic. The project is the artist’s fifth studio album and first since 2013’s A Color Map of the Sun.
The project’s 45 songs are divided into nine sections, called “constellations” by the producer born Derrick Vincent Smith. The first three constellations, encompassing 15 songs, are not on DSPs but are available to stream and download for free via the Pretty Lights website. “I said i didn’t want to focus on albums after ACMOTS over 10 years ago & shifted my energy towards living creative systems & conscious cohesion via the soundship space system and the swirlbridge,” Smith wrote on social media on July 1 when announcing the album. ” So much music was made over those years with my bestest friends, for the purpose of swirling and experimenting with journeys into expressive flow state transmissions & reaching new depths of connection with our beloved cosmic caravan, the PLF [Pretty Lights Family]. “In the last 9 years of timeline weavery,” the statement continues. “I built a home with the love of my life, found a spiritual path, reunited with my eternal soul brother Michal Menert, formed an AV ensemble to power a traveling laboratory, and been blessed with the most beautiful experience of my life… meeting my son Ayahn. The time has come to release our musical swirl fodder in the form of the next PL album. A galaxy of 45 songs in 9 constellations before my 45th birthday.” The project comes in tandem with a seven city summer and fall tour that includes dates Ohio’s Secret Dreams Music Festival, Pretty Lights’ own Yahn Dawn festival, happening for the second time this September in Buena Vista, Colo. and Florida’s Hulaween in October. The biggest barrier to women returning to work? Firms reward uninterrupted careers: Reena Tyagi7/3/2026
 Career breaks are becoming more common. Workplace systems have not evolved at the same pace. In an interview with People Matters, Generali Central Life Insurance's Chief People and Organisation Officer, Reena Tyagi, explains why returning to work is still harder than leaving it.
For years, organisations have spoken about bringing more women into the workforce. Yet a more difficult question often goes unanswered. Why do so many experienced women struggle to return after taking a career break? The answer, according to Reena Tyagi, Chief People and Organisation Officer at Generali Central Life Insurance, has less to do with capability and far more to do with how organisations continue to define commitment, performance and career progression. In a conversation with reporters, Tyagi says many workplaces still reward uninterrupted careers, even as employees increasingly follow non-linear professional journeys shaped by caregiving, health, family transitions and changing life priorities. The discussion comes as Generali Central Life Insurance rolls out its Restart initiative, a structured programme designed to help women who have taken career breaks rebuild confidence and re-enter the workforce through training, mentoring and onboarding support. Career breaks are rarely about one decision Many conversations around women's workforce participation reduce career breaks to personal choices. Tyagi believes the reality is much more layered. She says career interruptions are usually the result of several structural challenges working together rather than one isolated event. According to Tyagi, the biggest contributor continues to be the unequal distribution of caregiving responsibilities. Whether caring for children, ageing parents or managing family health emergencies, women continue to carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. Workplace structures, she says, have not kept pace with this reality. The challenge extends beyond caregiving. Tyagi points out many organisations still assess employees through frameworks built around uninterrupted careers. "When presence is equated with commitment and gaps are read as disengagement, women who step away, even briefly, re-enter at a disadvantage that compounds over time," she says. She also notes many workplaces remain hesitant to embrace flexible working arrangements, including remote and hybrid work, because of assumptions around productivity. At the same time, social expectations continue to influence personal decisions. "In most cases, pre-conceived notions or psychological barriers often stop them from fighting for themselves. They opt out of work, assuming caregiving is primarily the woman's responsibility." Her conclusion is straightforward. These challenges reinforce one another. "Addressing workforce continuity meaningfully requires organisations to examine all factors simultaneously, not treat them as separate HR workstreams." The problem is not career breaks. It is how organisations respond to them Career gaps have historically been viewed as interruptions. Tyagi believes employers are slowly beginning to rethink this assumption. She says declining long-term workforce continuity among women exposes a larger flaw in how organisations have traditionally been designed. Caregiving, health and family transitions have always intersected with careers, particularly for women. Many workplaces, however, still operate as though every employee follows the same predictable career path. "What the decline in women's workforce continuity is telling us is that sustained, uninterrupted careers were never a universal reality, and organizations are only now beginning to acknowledge and address this gap." Tyagi also highlights another disconnect. "There is also a gap worth naming between inclusion as an intent and inclusion as a lived experience. Hiring numbers can look healthy while continuity quietly erodes." Her view is that organisations make real progress only when career breaks stop being treated as exceptions. Instead, companies need flexible structures, genuine return-to-work pathways and leaders who do not see a career pause as lost potential. Experience does not disappear during a career break One of the strongest themes emerging from the conversation is the difference between perceived capability and actual capability. Tyagi says many women returning after extended breaks question whether their skills remain relevant because technology, business models and ways of working evolve rapidly. Yet she believes employers often overlook the strengths gained during time away from paid work. According to Tyagi, resilience, emotional intelligence, people management and the ability to balance competing priorities often become even stronger during career breaks. "If anything, they get sharper." The larger issue, she says, is organisational readiness. Many employers expect returnees to perform immediately without providing structured support during the transition. "What most organisations are still missing is structured transition support." She describes expecting someone to operate at full speed on day one after several years away from work as unrealistic and one of the reasons many return-to-work journeys fail. Within this context, Tyagi says Generali Central Life Insurance's Restart initiative combines employment opportunities with structured onboarding, mentoring, buddy support and role-specific learning. She says successful re-entry requires more than simply offering a job. "It takes the right environment, the one where people can rebuild confidence and find their footing again before they are expected to run." Women are redefining career success Tyagi believes employee expectations have changed significantly. Career growth remains important, but sustainability has become equally valuable. Today's professionals, particularly women, increasingly expect workplaces to recognise caregiving responsibilities, different life stages and changing personal priorities. Flexibility, she says, is no longer viewed as an employee benefit. It has become a deciding factor when professionals choose employers. Hybrid work, flexible schedules and outcome-based performance measurement have moved from optional extras to baseline expectations for many employees. She also sees a broader shift in how careers themselves are viewed. Instead of expecting continuous upward movement, more professionals now accept pauses, slower phases and deliberate transitions as legitimate parts of working life. Organisations, she says, need evaluation systems that reflect this reality. "Policies are a starting point, not the finish line." Employees increasingly expect supportive leadership, mentoring, mental wellbeing support and cultures where using flexibility does not make people professionally invisible. Culture determines whether women stay after they return Tyagi believes successful reintegration depends less on individual programmes and more on organisational culture. She says women returning after career breaks often bring maturity, resilience and valuable interpersonal skills. What many need is time, encouragement and structured support while rebuilding professional confidence. She identifies several practices that make a measurable difference:
Learning support, she adds, is particularly important because workplaces and technologies continue changing rapidly. She also stresses flexibility cannot exist only during re-entry. It must remain embedded within everyday organisational culture if companies want experienced women to stay and grow. Hiring systems need to catch up with modern careers Tyagi believes hiring itself requires a fundamental rethink. She challenges the assumption that successful careers must always follow uninterrupted timelines. Instead, she urges organisations to evaluate professionals based on capability, experience and potential rather than continuous employment history. Many women returning after career breaks, she says, bring broader life experience, stronger resilience and improved prioritisation skills. Recruitment processes should reflect these strengths. Leadership development also requires greater flexibility. Employees should be able to pause, reskill and return without permanently losing access to future leadership opportunities. "A career break should not mean stepping off the leadership track." She also questions traditional ideas of commitment. Long working hours and constant availability, she says, are poor indicators of leadership potential. Better measures include collaboration, sound judgement, adaptability and business outcomes. Retention will become the real test of inclusion Looking ahead, Tyagi believes organisations will increasingly be judged not by how many women they hire, but by how successfully they retain and re-integrate experienced talent. She says companies succeeding over the long term will embed flexibility, empathy and inclusion into everyday leadership decisions rather than relying solely on formal policies. By contrast, organisations clinging to rigid career structures risk losing experienced professionals who follow non-linear career paths. Leadership behaviour, she adds, will become one of the biggest differentiators. Managers who provide structured support, empathy and meaningful mentoring directly influence whether employees remain with an organisation and continue progressing. Tyagi also frames the issue as a business decision rather than simply a diversity objective. "Retaining experienced women is not just a diversity goal. The perspective, resilience, and people management capability that experienced professionals bring are genuine organisational strengths." For organisations competing for skilled talent, the message is increasingly difficult to ignore. Career breaks are becoming more common. The question is whether workplaces evolve quickly enough to keep experienced professionals from becoming permanent exits instead of temporary pauses. |