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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

We Did It, You Guys, We Watched 'Love Is Blind'

Jessica, one of the contestants on Netflix's reality dating series, Love Is Blind. Netflix hide caption

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Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Did It, You Guys, We Watched 'Love Is Blind'

The Netflix plan to take over television has extended to dating shows for a while. But perhaps they've never made one so weird, so baffling, so cringe-inducingly embarrassing for everyone involved as Love Is Blind. And you probably know someone who's watching it. In this series they insist on calling an experiment, couples sit in separate cells that they call pods, where they can hear each other but not see each other. And once they've had a conversation or two, if they're getting along, they get engaged. And only then do they meet. Will any of them make it to the altar?

We Did It, You Guys, We Watched 'Love Is Blind'

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Feb. 21

Map of the Soul: 7, the latest album from the K-pop band BTS, is among our picks for the week's best new releases. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Feb. 21

New albums from the K-pop band BTS, Grimes and Best Coast are among our picks for this week's best new releases.

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Feb. 21

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'Sonic The Hedgehog' And Fan Service

Ben Schwartz voices the titular Sonic in the new movie Sonic the Hedgehog. Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America. hide caption

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Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Sonic The Hedgehog' And Fan Service

The new movie Sonic the Hedgehog is about this hedgehog — who runs fast. Ben Schwartz voices the Hedgehog, Jim Carrey is the evil Dr. Robotnik, and James Marsden is also in there somewhere. When the film's trailer first dropped last fall, Sonic's appearance — the legs! the teeth! — creeped a lot of people out. The studio went back and redesigned the character completely, which got us thinking about the power of fan reaction.

'Sonic The Hedgehog' And Fan Service

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out Feb. 14

Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala. His latest release, The Slow Rush, is on our shortlist of the best new albums out on Feb. 14. Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Neil Krug/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out Feb. 14

Tame Impala, the K-pop band Monsta X and a new solo album from Nathaniel Rateliff top our shortlist for this week's best new releases.

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out Feb. 14

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Thursday

Monday

Our 2020 Oscars Recap

Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won accept the original screenplay Oscars for Parasite at the 92nd Academy Awards. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2020 Oscars Recap

We are wrapping up the 92nd Academy Awards. Parasite took home the Oscar for best picture--the first time a film not in the English language has one the prize. Parasite also took home awards for best director, international feature, and original screenplay. Acting awards went to Brad Pitt, Laura Dern, Joaquin Phoenix, and Renee Zellweger.

Our 2020 Oscars Recap

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out Feb. 7

Singer Frazey Ford. Her latest full-length, U Kin Be the Sun, is on our shortlist for the week's best new releases. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out Feb. 7

Our list of the best new albums out this week includes the "garage country" of Aubrie Sellers, former Belle and Sebastian singer Isobel Campbell's first solo album in 14 years, Frazey Ford and more.

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out Feb. 7

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2020 Oscars Preview: Who Will Win And Who Should Win

An Oscar statue is seen during the 2020 Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Dolby Theatre. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

2020 Oscars Preview: Who Will Win And Who Should Win

The Oscars are Sunday night, and while some of the races have clear front-runners, plenty still seem to be up in the air. As always, we're ready to help you put together your watch list, and prepare for your Oscar pool by giving you some of our own guesses.

2020 Oscars Preview: Who Will Win And Who Should Win

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Thursday

Monday

2020 Super Bowl: The Game, The Halftime Show, And The Commercials

Shakira and Jennifer Lopez perform onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

2020 Super Bowl: The Game, The Halftime Show, And The Commercials

On Sunday night, the Kansas City Chiefs came from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV. But of course there was more than football — there was also an exuberant, hip-shaking halftime show from Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.

2020 Super Bowl: The Game, The Halftime Show, And The Commercials

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

The singer and guitarist Torres. Her latest full-length, Silver Tongue, is on our shortlist of the best new albums out Jan. 31. Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

Torres, Kesha, Drive-By Truckers, the British folk singer Sam Lee and more make our shortlist for this week's best new albums.

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

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Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

Will Smith returns as Mike Lowrey in the hit movie Bad Boys For Life. Kyle Kaplan/Columbia Pictures hide caption

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Kyle Kaplan/Columbia Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

In 1995, while Will Smith was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin Lawrence was on Martin, the two teamed up for the cop buddy movie Bad Boys. They reunited in 2003 for Bad Boys II, and now, almost 17 years later, they're back in Bad Boys For Life. Bad Boys For Life comes to theaters in a very different atmosphere around policing than existed in 1995. And the cops in the film have changed, too: There are still car chases and guns and bad guys, but there are also grandkids and deteriorating vision, and there's even Vanessa Hudgens.

Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

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Tuesday

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

Best known for the 1997 hit "Flagpole Sitta," Harvey Danger had much more to offer, argues NPR's Stephen Thompson. Scott Gries/Getty Images hide caption

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One-Hit Wonders / Second-Best Songs

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

For NPR's "One-Hit Wonders/Second-Best Songs," NPR Music's Stephen Thompson recommends "Happiness Writes White" by the band Harvey Danger. The band is known mostly for their 1997 hit "Flagpole Sitta."

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

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