After watching Freeform’s The Bold Type, everything that I’ve been doing recently is a gamble when it comes to work, love, and life. As a young millennial, I was able to relate to the TV series’ three millennial women who are on their quest to discover who they are and what they want. Young millennials usually have trouble navigating their lives, identity, relationships, and career, and more importantly, speaking up for what they deserve.
While it’s easier to voice our opinions through the internet, we still find it difficult to be bolder and braver in real life. The Bold Type is the perfect millennial TV show that reflects the pressing social and cultural issues we face now. On top of that, it inspires and empowers you with its powerful moments and confidence-boosting anthems.
If you want to feel a surge of confidence in your body, here are songs from the TV show to listen to that will surely pump you up. I’m also giving a tip on when you should listen to which song and make it your soundtrack, especially when the world feels like your runway. Time to show ’em who’s the boss!
‘Black Car’ by Leon Else
Burn baby, burn baby
Can’t you feel my heartbeat?
Featured during the entrance of Jacqueline Carlyle, Scarlet magazine’s editor-in-chief, ‘Black Car’ by Leon Else gives you a blood-pumping beat that makes you hold your head high as you walk on the bullpen. Listen to this when you’re about to enter a room full of wolves aka during a meeting.
‘Phoenix’ by Olivia Holt
You got the heart of a phoenix
So let them see you rise, hey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey
Played as an accompaniment when Scarlet writer Jane Sloan overcame her fears on being vulnerable in publishing her article, this song is worth listening to when you have a proud moment in your life and/or career. It gives you the feeling of being reborn with a renewed sense of strength and confidence. Time to feel good and lift your spirits to the highest level!
‘She sets the city on fire’ by Gavin DeGraw
I’m going up, I couldn’t get much higher
She sets, she sets the city on fire
Setting the scene for Scarlet magazine’s 60th-anniversary party, ‘She sets the city on fire’ gives a cheerful vibe when celebrating an achievement. The song feels like a man’s admiration of a woman’s strength and capacity to lead and be victorious on her own.
‘Someone to you’ by BANNERS
And if you feel like night is falling
I wanna be the one you’re calling
‘Cause I believe that you could lead the way
This emotionally charged song played when Sutton Brady fights to get her dream job in the fashion department. ‘Someone to you’ is the perfect anthem to play on repeat when you’re prepping for a job interview, fighting for your dream job, asking for the salary you deserve, or just negotiating your worth.
‘Scars to your beautiful’ by Alessia Cara
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful
When Scarlet magazine’s social media director Kat Edison embraced her sexuality and confessed her feelings to Muslim photographer Adena El-Amin, the two kissed beautifully with ‘Scars to your beautiful.’ The song felt like an anthem to the different kinds of beauty and loving someone regardless of who they are. Whenever you feel like confessing to someone, don’t forget to listen to this song and carry its message and sweep your prospect off of his/her feet.
‘Quiet’ by MILCK
I can’t keep quiet
For anyone
Anymore
On the last episode of The Bold Type‘s season 1, a stripped version of MILCK’s ‘Quiet’ played when Jacqueline Carlyle stepped up and revealed how she’s a sexual assault survivor. It’s a shocking yet powerful scene to see a woman in power being vulnerable, ready to speak up and stand up for people who are suffering like her. As a survivor of sexual assault, too, this song is extremely empowering and moving since it pushes me to talk about my trauma in hopes of making people feel they’re not alone in their struggles. Listen to this song when you’re ready to share your pain to the world.
‘Living out loud’ by Brooke Candy ft. Sia
Just thinking out loud
Screaming so loud
Foolish and proud
Living out loud
When you feel like the only way is to go up or move forward, this song will be the perfect soundtrack to accompany you. ‘Living out loud’ played when The Bold Type‘s main characters decide to go after what they want in life: Kat Edison realizing there’s more to life than social media and heads out to travel, Sutton Brady enjoys her dream job and takes another chance at love, and Jane Sloan leaving her comfort zone to pursue something that will make her grow. Listen to this song when you want to make the most out of every moment in life.
Catch up with The Bold Type
If you enjoyed the empowering moments and anthems played, give Freeform’s The Bold Type a chance by binge-watching it on Freeform app or Hulu. If you love their playlist, stream the songs and maybe give them a follow on Spotify!
Google is slightly moving away from Material Design. Last week, a set of icon changes saw Android adding splashes of gradients to its formerly flat app icons. To poke fun at Android’s move away from flat designs, a user on X created a mockup of Android running Apple’s Liquid Design. Google, however, had a response ready in the chamber.
On X, @Micetor made a mockup of Android, specifically on the upcoming Pixel 11, using Apple’s latest Liquid Design aesthetics. It looked much like what an iPhone does except with Google’s icons and fonts.
Clearly, Google does not need to reply to any unsubstantiated mockups about its ecosystem. But they still did.
Sameer Samat, Google’s head for the Android ecosystem, personally replied to the mockup with a simple rebuttal: “Not happening!”
Not happening! Y'all are wild. 😂
— Sameer Samat (@ssamat) May 5, 2026
Despite using the design language for over a decade, Google does not want to drop Material Design altogether. Though the new gradients have revitalized the design language somewhat, the essence of flat design is still there.
Apple, on the other hand, wants a return to 3D. Liquid Design mimics the transparent aesthetics of Windows Vista. Though a bunch of users have found the design polarizing, other brands have started copying the design for themselves, incorporating elements on Liquid Design on their interfaces.
Whatever Google is doing, it’s coming in due time. The company is hosting its annual Google I/O on May 12 to showcase new developments coming to the Android ecosystem, including its design.
SEE ALSO: More iPhone switchers this year than Android switchers, report says
Apps
iOS 26.5 will support end-to-end encryption RCS messaging
The final update should come out within the month.
Back in 2023, Apple finally adopted the RCS messaging standard, ensuring that iOS and Android users could communicate more seamlessly despite being on different platforms. This year, the platform is adding an improvement to the feature: end-to-end encryption.
Starting with the upcoming launch of iOS 26.5, Apple will now support end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iOS and Android users (via 9to5Mac). Besides the seamless communication, users on both platforms can start enjoying secure messaging with one another.
Apple has been testing the feature since February. Now, the company is confident enough to release the encryption technology in a new build for iOS 26.5 meant for developers. At this point, it’s just waiting for an actual release.
Why is this a big deal? Encryption adds an extra layer of security for your messages. Plus, end-to-end encryption means that messages is encrypted and decrypted only by the sender and the receiver. Third parties, which includes Apple, cannot intercept and access your information.
With the feature on, both messaging platforms on Android and iOS will show a lock icon to signify that, yes, your messages are encrypted.
Though the current build isn’t meant for end users just yet, it’s expected that iOS 26.5 will launch within the month, if not by next week.
SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone 17e review
Apps
YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally
The update is rolling out globally now.
Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.
Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.
Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.
There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.
Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.
There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.
SEE ALSO: YouTube remains top PH video platform; advertisers urged to continue investing
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