🎧 It's everywhere

Obsession podcast can't and won't stop. We’re recapping the best of season one of the [Obsession podcast](. Stay tuned for season two, premiering in February. 📱 Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( Sponsored by American Express [Quartz Weekly Obsession] It's everywhere January 13, 2022 We’re recapping the best of season one of the [Obsession podcast](. Stay tuned for season two, premiering in February. 📱 Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( Sponsored by American Express Imports and exports --------------------------------------------------------------- It starts slowly—a vine here, a percussive beat there—and pretty soon, an import you never gave much thought is a ubiquitous part of daily life. In the early 19th century, a cadre of pioneering (and short-sighted) American plant lovers started showcasing a Japanese vine called kudzu on their verandas. Pretty soon the government was so psyched on kudzu’s potential to fight soil erosion that it decided to pay farmers to plant it. Today, the vine is a dominating, and controversial, feature of the landscape in the US South. Speaking of dominating, some of the world’s biggest songs are part of a musical genre known as Afrobeats. Native to Lagos, Nigeria, Afrobeats is today staging its own land grab: From Wizkid to Burna Boy, local stars are swiftly gaining global cultural cachet. Learn more about kudzu and Afrobeats with two of our recent podcasts episodes. Kudzu --------------------------------------------------------------- 👂 [Listen to the episode]( | 👀 [Listen with transcript]( [Listen right now!]( Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Afrobeats --------------------------------------------------------------- 👂 [Listen to the episode]( | 👀 [Listen with transcript]( [Listen right now!]( [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! Want to advertise in the Quartz Weekly Obsession? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. Not enjoying it? No worries. [Click here]( to unsubscribe. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States