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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

Thursday

Marriage and politics are tough negotiations in 'The Diplomat'

Keri Russell in the second season of The Diplomat. Alex Bailey/Netflix hide caption

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Alex Bailey/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Marriage and politics are tough negotiations in 'The Diplomat'

In the Netflix drama The Diplomat, Keri Russell plays an ambassador who's thrust into an international incident with massive stakes. She's also sorting through a tumultuous marriage with her husband, a hotshot veteran diplomat (Rufus Sewell). The series combines the tension of Homeland with the administrative drama of The West Wing. The Diplomat just returned for a new season, so in this encore episode, we revisit our conversation about the series.

Marriage and politics are tough negotiations in 'The Diplomat'

Listen · 16:12
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Wednesday

There can only be one pope in the delightfully preposterous 'Conclave'

Ralph Fiennes in Conclave. Focus Features hide caption

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Focus Features

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

There can only be one pope in the delightfully preposterous 'Conclave'

The new movie Conclave is a fun and twisty political thriller. Ralph Fiennes plays a cardinal tasked to managing the secretive process in which the pope is replaced. The film offers plenty of scandals, surprises, and dark horses, along with some strong commentary on the state of the Catholic church. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), the film also stars Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.

There can only be one pope in the delightfully preposterous 'Conclave'

Listen · 22:13
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Shaboozey performs during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on September 20. Since July, his song "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has held onto the top spot on Billboard's singles chart, but this week it falls to brand new song.

Shaboozey performs during the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on September 20. Since July, his song "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has held onto the top spot on Billboard's singles chart, but this week it falls to brand new song. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images hide caption

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Music

After nearly four months, Shaboozey's run atop the pop chart is interrupted

For 15 weeks this summer, Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" had the No. 1 song in the country, but a new song breaks its streak this week. Plus, pop fans mourn Liam Payne.

After nearly 4 months, Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song (Tipsy)' drops from No. 1

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Friday

The Billboard Hot 100's doom loop; Plus, a new kind of true crime story

Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has been at #1 for 15 nonconsecutive weeks. Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET hide caption

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Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

Analysis

It's Been a Minute

The Billboard Hot 100's doom loop; Plus, a new kind of true crime story

The same songs are sitting at the top of the music charts longer than ever, and that has Brittany Luse wondering, are our listening habits stuck in a doom loop? Brittany chats with NPR music editor Stephen Thompson to get to the bottom of the top of the charts.

The Billboard Hot 100's doom loop; Plus, a new kind of true crime story

Listen · 33:55
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Wednesday

Jelly Roll, seen here performing in Central Park in New York on September 28, collects his first No. 1 album with his new Beautifully Broken.

Jelly Roll, seen here performing in Central Park in New York on Sept. 28, collects his first No. 1 album with his new Beautifully Broken. Noam Galai/Getty Images hide caption

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Noam Galai/Getty Images

Music

Jelly Roll leads a wave of new artists to the top of the album chart

Powerhouse names lingered around the top of Billboard's albums chart all summer: Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen — crowding out new entries. But this week brings an embarrassment of riches.

4 albums debut in the Top 10. Jelly Roll leads the pack with his first No. 1

Listen · 2:35
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Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

Anna Kendrick as Sheryl in Woman of the Hour. Leah Gallo/Netflix hide caption

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Leah Gallo/Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

Netflix's Woman Of The Hour is not your conventional serial killer movie. It's based on the true story of a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game in the 1970s. But it's also about the women who became — or almost became — his victims. Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, it's a tense, thoughtful film that has much to say about the systems that make life easier for dangerous and otherwise crummy men.

Anna Kendrick's 'Woman of the Hour' speaks volumes about violence

Listen · 23:54
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Saturday

Music News

Encore: Coldplay tops album chart, thanks to old-fashioned sales and modern tricks

The British band Coldplay tops the Billboard 200 this week with its latest album.

Encore: Coldplay tops album chart, thanks to old-fashioned sales and modern tricks

Listen · 2:13
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Friday

Ariana Grande appeared on SNL on October 12. She's shown above at the 96th Annual Academy Awards in March.

Ariana Grande hosted SNL on October 12. She's shown above at the 96th Annual Academy Awards in March. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images hide caption

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What's Making Us Happy: Recommendations From 'Pop Culture Happy Hour'

What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Ariana Grande hosting SNL, Jimmy Buffett’s album A1A and the movie Wicked Little Letters.

'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

Naomi Scott in Smile 2. Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

The horror movie Smile was a massive hit. Its flashy new sequel Smile 2 finds the franchise's terrifying entity infecting a new host: a pop star (Naomi Scott) who's about to head out on tour after experiencing a trauma. And the movie has a lot to say about the horrors of pop stardom.

'Smile 2' is a superior horror sequel, complete with pop bangers

Listen · 22:53
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Wednesday

Coldplay performs during the Glastonbury Festival 2024 on June 29, 2024. This week, the band's 10th album, Moon Music, became its fifth to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Coldplay performs during the Glastonbury Festival 2024 on June 29, 2024. This week, the band's 10th album, Moon Music, became its fifth to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Joe Maher/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Maher/Getty Images

Music

Coldplay tops album chart, thanks to old-fashioned sales and modern tricks

The British band hasn't had a chart-topping album in a decade, but it pulled out all the stops to promote its latest, Moon Music, including selling more than a dozen different versions of the album.

Coldplay at No. 1

Listen · 2:21
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The scary movies and books that still haunt us

Horror author Stephen King has been scaring audiences for generations. Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images

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 Moo Deng standing on our porches. Why? Because it's almost Halloween. In this encore episode, we talk about what kinds of entertainment scared us when we were kids, and whether they still scare us now.

The scary movies and books that still haunt us

Listen · 21:51
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Thursday

We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

Singer Post Malone is featured on the hit song I Had Some Help. Greg Doherty/Getty Images hide caption

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Greg Doherty/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

The word "basic" often gets thrown around to describe anything that's mainstream, popular, frictionless, or otherwise inoffensive. But sometimes basic stuff is just what we crave, whether it's a binge-watch, a popular song, or a pumpkin spice latte. It's fall, so today we're talking about what we're calling... Pop Culture Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

We talk pop culture pumpkin spice lattes: they're basic but we love them

Listen · 25:53
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Wednesday

Sabrina Carpenter, shown here performs during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, N.Y., has three hits in the top 10 of the single chart this week. Her album Short n' Sweet spends a fourth week at No. 1 on the album chart.

Sabrina Carpenter, shown here performing during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 11, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y., has three hits in the Top 10 of the singles chart this week. Her album Short n' Sweet spends a fourth week at No. 1 on the albums chart. Mike Coppola/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Music

Shaboozey and Sabrina Carpenter rule the charts as The Weeknd approaches

Two of 2024's biggest new hitmakers consolidate their hold on the top of the pop charts, while a pair of stars from a previous generation — Katy Perry and Lady Gaga — both stumble with new work.

KATY PERRY & LADY GAGA UNDERPERFORM

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Wednesday

Future (seen here in 2022) has released three mixtapes since April of this year that have all debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart. Only two other acts have put as many albums at the top of the chart in a six month span before.

Future (seen here in 2022) has released three mixtapes since April of this year that have all debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart. Only two other acts have put as many albums at the top of the chart in a six month span before. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images hide caption

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Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Music

Future has dropped three chart-topping albums in just six months

This week, the rapper Future hit #1 on Billboard's albums chart for a third time in the last six months. Meanwhile, on the songs, chart, stasis is becoming the coin of the realm.

Rapper Future scores his 3rd No. 1 album this year

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