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Stephen Thompson Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
Washington, DC - May 03, 2016: Stephen Thompson CREDIT: Matt Roth
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Stephen Thompson

Friday

New Music Friday: The top 10 albums out on Oct. 29

Mon Laferte's 1940 Carmen is one of our picks for the best releases out on Oct. 29. Joel Orta/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joel Orta/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The top 10 albums out on Oct. 29

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new releases by Tori Amos, Mick Jenkins, Mon Laferte, The War on Drugs and more.

New Music Friday: The top 10 albums out on Oct. 29

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Monday

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

Horror author Stephen King has been scaring audiences for generations. Jim Spellman/WireImage hide caption

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Jim Spellman/WireImage

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

A lot of us are about to have the experience of opening our front doors to find witches, goblins, ghosts, and those guards from Squid Game standing on our porches. Why? Because it's almost Halloween. We decided this would be a good time to talk about what kinds of entertainment scared us when we were kids, and maybe even whether they still scare us now.

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

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Thursday

Three songs for cleaning your bathroom

Cleaning the bathroom requires two things: a mop and some really good tunes. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

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Angela Hsieh/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three songs for cleaning your bathroom

NPR Music has song recommendations for every occasion, from major life events to tidying up the house. As we enter the fall season, it doesn't hurt to spruce up and start afresh with a new playlist. Today, we're recommending three songs to play while dance-cleaning the bathroom.

Three songs for cleaning your bathroom

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Wednesday

When auteurs and film franchises meet

Director Taika Waititi made offbeat films like Hunt for the Wilderpeople before he leveled up to blockbuster director status with Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. Dave J Hogan/Getty Images hide caption

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Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

When auteurs and film franchises meet

This fall, a number of auteurs are directing major blockbusters: Cary Joji Fukunaga took on the James Bond movie No Time To Die; Chloe Zhao joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Eternals; and Denis Villeneuve hopes to launch a film franchise with Dune. So we thought it would be a good time to revisit our conversation about how auteur directors shape genre films. In this encore episode recorded on stage in Los Angeles, we're talking about auteurs and film franchises — and dream up some great artists taking on unexpected genres.

When auteurs and film franchises meet

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Friday

Thursday

In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon star in the Korean Netflix series, Squid Game. Youngkyu Park/Netflix hide caption

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Youngkyu Park/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

The Korean drama Squid Game is a worldwide sensation. According to Netflix, it's topped their rankings in more than 90 countries. Written and directed by the filmmaker Hwang Dong-Hyuk, it's a violent and artful horror miniseries, a survival drama, and a commentary on debt and capitalism. With a plot that's both simple and ambitious, the series is fast-paced but character-driven, and unbelievably addictive to watch.

In 'Squid Game,' children's games get awfully bloody

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Tuesday

Tuesday

It's homecoming season so let's talk about Beyoncé's 'Homecoming'

Beyoncé performs in the concert film Homecoming. Parkwood Entertainment/Netflix hide caption

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Parkwood Entertainment/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

It's homecoming season so let's talk about Beyoncé's 'Homecoming'

Two years ago, Beyoncé unleashed two major projects called Homecoming. On Netflix, a documentary captured the process of putting on headlining appearances at the Coachella Music Festival. She also surprise-released a double-length live album containing just some of the highlights from Beyoncé's Coachella performances. In this encore episode we're revisiting our conversation about Beyoncé's Homecoming.

It's homecoming season so let's talk about Beyoncé's 'Homecoming'

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Monday

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

Clockwise, from top left: Little Simz, MUNA, Sun-El Musician, Jon Hopkins, Mon Laferte, Ada Lea. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Courtesy of the artists

All Songs Considered

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

Every month, we ask the NPR Music staff: What's the one song you couldn't escape? What's the one album to which you'll return all year?

The Best Music of September: NPR Staff Picks

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Wednesday

Wednesday

Kacey Musgraves Examines Heartbreak On 'Star-Crossed'

Kacey Musgraves' latest album Star-Crossed and its companion film are out now. Adrienne Raquel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Adrienne Raquel/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Kacey Musgraves Examines Heartbreak On 'Star-Crossed'

Kacey Musgraves's 2018 album Golden Hour was a huge breakthrough. It's a soft but spangly celebration full of love songs that helped cement Musgraves as both a country star and a pop star. Now, she's released her follow-up. Star-Crossed is a breakup record, written in the aftermath of the singer's divorce. Plus we remember the work of comedian Norm Macdonald, who died at 61.

Kacey Musgraves Examines Heartbreak On 'Star-Crossed'

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Monday

As 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Winds Down, It's Time To Assess Its Complicated Legacy

Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz, Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta in the final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. NBC hide caption

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NBC

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

As 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Winds Down, It's Time To Assess Its Complicated Legacy

This week, the police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine will end its eight-season run. Starring Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher, among many other gifted comic actors, the show has enjoyed a devoted following and strong reviews. It's also survived shaky ratings and a change in networks, and its last season is airing against a backdrop of more intense conversations around real-life police violence that can't be laughed off or swept aside.

As 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Winds Down, It's Time To Assess Its Complicated Legacy

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Friday

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

LuLaRich on Amazon Prime examines how the company was created and how they came up with this model where they would get women to buy a bunch of clothes and then they have parties and sell them. Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video hide caption

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Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's The Other Two, LuLaRich and a collection of movies starring Josephine Baker.

New Music Friday: The Top 11 Albums Out On Sept. 10

J Balvin's JOSE is on our shortlist for the best albums out on Sept. 10. VIVIIMAGE/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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VIVIIMAGE/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 11 Albums Out On Sept. 10

It's a packed release day, with new albums from the prince of reggaeton J Balvin, Kendrick Lamar collaborator and rising rapper Baby Keem, Kacey Musgraves, Andrew W.K. and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 11 Albums Out On Sept. 10

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Tuesday

'Certified Lover Boy' Is A Complete Drake Experience, For Better And Worse

Drake's latest album, Certified Lover Boy, is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Certified Lover Boy' Is A Complete Drake Experience, For Better And Worse

On Friday, Drake dropped his long-awaited sixth album: Certified Lover Boy. The album contains 21 songs in 86 minutes, and it's generated conversation around everything from its many guest stars (including Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, and Lil Wayne) to its cover art, which features a diverse array of... emoji pregnancies.

'Certified Lover Boy' Is A Complete Drake Experience, For Better And Worse

Listen · 16:03
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