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Welcome to "On the Net Today". Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we bring you a handpicked selection of three valuable and interesting online resources to help you get the most out of the internet and optimize your browsing time.

Here are the three resources we've prepared for today:

• Billboard names Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Rihanna Top Pop Artists of the 21st Century

• Mocha: Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year—A Warm, Soft Brown

• Sifted Reveals Ranking of Europe's 250 Fastest-Growing Startups

Billboard names Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Rihanna Top Pop Artists of the 21st Century

Music and entertainment magazine Billboard has released its ranking of the greatest pop artists of the 21st century. Three women dominate the top spots: Beyoncé claims first place, followed by Taylor Swift in second and Rihanna in third. Drake secures fourth position, while Lady Gaga rounds out the top five. 

Since August, Billboard has been featuring these influential artists on its website through a series of in-depth essays. Each piece explores the artist's career trajectory and makes the case for their inclusion in this prestigious ranking.

The series, titled "The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century," includes both written articles and companion podcasts for each featured artist.

Additionally, Billboard has compiled a supplementary list highlighting 25 other significant pop figures who, while not making the top 25, have left their mark on this century's musical landscape.

Link:

• The Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century - Billboard

Mocha: Pantone's 2025 Color of the Year—A Warm, Soft Brown

Mocha (“Mocha Mousse”) is Pantone 's color of the year 2025. The Pantone Color Institute selects PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.  

The Pantone Color of the Year program engages the design community and colour enthusiasts in a conversation around colour, highlighting the relationship between colour and culture.

Every year, Pantone selects a color which “captures the global zeitgeist—the Color of the Year express a global mood and an attitude, reflecting collective desire in the form of a single, distinct hue”.

Pantone defines the Color of the Year 2025 as "a soft, warm brown that speaks to our desire for comfort and simple pleasures". In describing it, they note that thanks to "its sophisticated earthy elegance, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse can be used alone or as a versatile foundation, enhancing a wide range of palettes and applications - from minimalist designs to richly detailed ones - across all color-focused sectors".

Links:

• Pantone Color of the Year 2025 (en español)

• Pantone's 2025 color is Mocha Mousse: How the company sold color to the world - NPR

Sifted Reveals Ranking of Europe's 250 Fastest-Growing Startups

Allica Bank, a British fintech company serving small and medium enterprises, leads Europe's 250 fastest-growing startups in 2024, according to digital media outlet Sifted, which focuses on European entrepreneurship.

The Danish SME-focused Kompasbank claims second place, followed by British startup Artios Pharma, which develops innovative cancer therapies.

The report provides an interesting portrait of the European entrepreneurial landscape. For example, it shows that the three most active countries are the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Among cities, London has the highest number of fast-growing startups, with 57 of the 250 on the list. Paris (19), Stockholm (16), Berlin (13), and Milan (11) complete the top five positions, with Barcelona (8) in eighth place.

The most represented industry in the ranking is Software as a Service (SaaS) for businesses (75 companies), ahead of Fintech (64 companies).

The complete report can be downloaded for free from Sifted's reports page after registering.

Sifted is a digital media outlet dedicated to European entrepreneurs and innovators. The project has investment backing from the Financial Times. It was founded by the British newspaper's innovation editor, John Thornhill, and has startup-specialized journalists spread across the European continent.

Links:

• Sifted

• Sifted 250: 2024 - Ranking Europe's fastest-growing startups in 2024

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