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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

Our 2024 pop culture predictions
Anna Blazhuk/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2024 pop culture predictions

What do we do at the end of every year? We hope, we fear, and we make wild guesses. Today, we're checking-in on how we did making predictions for 2023, and then we boldly make new ones for 2024.

Our 2024 pop culture predictions

Listen · 30:39
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Monday

The 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

All Songs Considered returns to the cabin in the woods to throw a festive holiday extravaganza. Mike Brinson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Brinson/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

The Pop Culture Happy Hour team is off today. So we're bringing you a very special holiday extravaganza from NPR Music's All Songs Considered podcast. In this festive episode, All Songs' annual celebration of the season returns with a trip to a snowy cabin in the woods – as they attempt to throw a party for the ages. Eggnog will be had, plenty of delightful holiday music will be played – and some special guests might just drop by, including Carly Rae Jepsen, Robert Glasper, and Olivia Rodrigo.

The 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

Listen · 25:46
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Tuesday

The 2023 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

We return to the snowy cabin in the woods where our annual holiday extravaganza all began, as we once again ask the question, "What could possibly go wrong?" Mike Brinson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Brinson/Getty Images

All Songs Considered

The 2023 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

Our annual celebration of the season returns with a trip back to the snowy cabin in the woods where it all began, as we attempt once again to throw a holiday party for the ages.

The 2023 'All Songs Considered' holiday extravaganza

Listen · 1:06:25
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Three great songs to help you study

When you're hitting the books, you need the right soundtrack. Angela Hsieh for NPR hide caption

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Angela Hsieh for NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great songs to help you study

Maybe you're at school and need to concentrate while hitting the books. Maybe you're trying to get work done and need some sounds to drown out distractions. When silence isn't cutting it, sometimes you need music that'll fill your head without distracting you with words. Today, we're recommending three great songs to help you study.

Three great songs to help you study

Listen · 6:58
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Friday

'Wonka' is a candy-coated prequel

Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka. Warner Bros. Studios hide caption

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Warner Bros. Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Wonka' is a candy-coated prequel

The story of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory has been told and retold, both in the classic Roald Dahl children's books and in two hit films. Now, in the new movie musical Wonka, Timothée Chalamet takes on the iconic role. In this prequel, Wonka arrives in the big city with dreams of opening a chocolate shop, but his plans are complicated by a host of corrupt villains. Wonka is directed by Paul King, who also directed the Paddington films.

'Wonka' is a candy-coated prequel

Listen · 25:36
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Thursday

In 'The Boy and the Heron,' Hayao Miyazaki looks back

Mahito and The Gray Heron in a scene from The Boy and the Heron. Studio Ghibli hide caption

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Studio Ghibli

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'The Boy and the Heron,' Hayao Miyazaki looks back

The lovely new animated film The Boy and the Heron is the first film in 10 years from visionary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro). The heron in question is part-heron, part-man who serves as a guide for a boy as they navigate a realm somewhere between life and death. The English dubbed version features the voices of Robert Pattinson, Mark Hamill, and Florence Pugh.

In 'The Boy and the Heron,' Hayao Miyazaki looks back

Listen · 18:30
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Wednesday

For The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift takes a lucrative and satisfying victory lap

Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her Eras Tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

For The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift takes a lucrative and satisfying victory lap

Taylor Swift has had a very big year. Her career-spanning Eras Tour is on pace to become the biggest and most lucrative concert tour in history, and the subsequent concert film set box office records. She's been streamed on Spotify globally more than any other artist in 2023, and was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Today, in honor of her birthday, Taylor Swift is releasing The Eras Tour film digitally, so we thought it was the perfect time to revisit our conversation about what made the tour such a juggernaut.

For The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift takes a lucrative and satisfying victory lap

Listen · 23:03
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Tuesday

Our 12 favorite moments of 2023

Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun in a scene from Succession. David M. Russell/HBO hide caption

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David M. Russell/HBO

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 12 favorite moments of 2023

As we come to the end of 2023 we find ourselves in the familiar position of wrapping up the year. From the sublime to the slightly ridiculous we're talking about our favorite TV, movies, memes, and music from this year.

Our 12 favorite moments of 2023

Listen · 36:33
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Sunday

Technology

We made ChatGPT write a song for us

We kept hearing that Artificial Intelligence is a threat to the creative arts. So we put ChatGPT to the test to see if it can, indeed, write a decent song.

We made ChatGPT write a song for us

Listen · 5:20
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Wednesday

'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé' is maximalist excellence

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé is both concert film and documentary about the recent world tour. Parkwood Entertainment hide caption

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Parkwood Entertainment

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé' is maximalist excellence

Beyoncé's album Renaissance drew on generations' worth of Black and queer dance music — and the subsequent tour packed stadiums with an epic, lavish spectacle. Now, with the new concert film and documentary Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, she's shows the work that went into putting on the tour while also providing a sense of her journey as a highly driven artist.

'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé' is maximalist excellence

Listen · 23:03
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Tuesday

Best Christmas gift I ever received
kajakiki/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Best Christmas gift I ever received

What's the best Christmas gift you ever received? You probably didn't have to think about it; you knew it in your bones. Today, we're talking about the actual, tangible gift you found waiting for you under the tree and still think about it from time to time.

Best Christmas gift I ever received

Listen · 21:50
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Monday