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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

Thursday

'Shrek' – A Weird, Flatulent And Beloved Franchise – Turns 20

Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) and Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) 2001 film Shrek. Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation hide caption

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Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Shrek' – A Weird, Flatulent And Beloved Franchise – Turns 20

Shrek is many things: a pop culture canvas, an Academy Award winner and a recent entry into the National Film Registry. And it all started with the story of a crabby green ogre who just wants a bunch of fairy tale characters to stay out of his swamp. Today, Shrek has spawned a multibillion-dollar franchise, become a cultural milestone and above all, remained relevant — even 20 years later.

'Shrek' – A Weird, Flatulent And Beloved Franchise – Turns 20

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Monday

We Share Our Summer Stories

It's time to hit the beach — and with trips to the beach come embarrassing, amazing, and memorable stories. The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Share Our Summer Stories

We're having a summer of carefully and safely going out into the world again. And what happens when you go out into the world is that more things tend to happen to you. The good and the bad, the amazing and the mortifying. In this encore episode, we share some of our favorite — and most embarrassing — summer stories.

We Share Our Summer Stories

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Saturday

Friday

In 'Old,' M. Night Shyamalan Takes Us To The Beach

Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie, Gael García Bernal and Luca Faustino Rodriguez in M. Night Shyamalan's new film Old. Phobymo/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Phobymo/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Old,' M. Night Shyamalan Takes Us To The Beach

The psychological horror thriller Old comes with the kind of twist we've come to expect from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. That twist is right there in the title: A bunch of tourists find themselves trapped on a secluded beach where they all age at an alarming rate.

In 'Old,' M. Night Shyamalan Takes Us To The Beach

Listen · 21:19
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Wednesday

Monday

A Modern History Of Boy Bands In Five Songs

BTS performs at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. John Shearer/Getty Images for dcp hide caption

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John Shearer/Getty Images for dcp

Pop Culture Happy Hour

A Modern History Of Boy Bands In Five Songs

Boy bands have been a staple of pop music for generations. They've won over millions of fans and provided gateways to fandom and pop-cultural obsession. From New Edition and New Kids On The Block in the '80s to BTS today — with a whole lot of acts like *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys in the middle — there've been countless boy bands to choose from. Today we're offering up a brief modern history of boy bands.

A Modern History Of Boy Bands In Five Songs

Listen · 23:27
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Friday

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On July 16

Willow's Lately I Feel Everything, a surprising turn toward pop-punk, tops our list of the best albums out on July 16. Dana Trippe/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Dana Trippe/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On July 16

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out this week include Willow's Lately I Feel Everything, new ones from Clairo and John Mayer, a posthumous release from Alice Coltrane and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On July 16

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Thursday

Friday

Thursday

Our Songs Of Summer For 2021

Doja Cat and SZA's song "Kiss Me More" has been one of 2021's most inescapable tracks. Jamal Peters/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jamal Peters/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our Songs Of Summer For 2021

Every summer gets its own unique soundtrack — a fresh batch of hit songs, all vying for an unofficial title: Song Of The Summer. Often these songs are on the wind, everywhere, dominating not just the airwaves, but also the cultural conversation. And sometimes, a song of the summer is just a great new music discovery. So we gathered together a bunch of NPR Music contributors and asked them to name their Song Of The Summer.

Our Songs Of Summer For 2021

Listen · 15:05
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Wednesday

Friday