Accessibility links
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
Stories By

Stephen Thompson

Tuesday

Members of the K-pop group Stray Kids attend the 2024 Met Gala in New York City.

Members of the K-pop group Stray Kids attend the 2024 Met Gala in New York City. The group's latest album, ATE, topped the Billboard 200 album chart in its opening week. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Music

For the first time ever, K-pop groups have the top two albums on the U.S. charts

The latest album by Korean pop group Stray Kids debuted at the top of this week's Billboard 200 chart, and another K-pop sensation, Jimin from BTS, landed at No. 2. Shaboozey keeps the week's top song.

BILLBOARD 7

Listen · 1:58
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5044405/nx-s1-7461966b-bb78-48fa-af73-6365069439d2" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
We're talking songs of the (Brat) summer

Charli XCX. Harley Weir/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Harley Weir/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We're talking songs of the (Brat) summer

Trying to declare the "official" song of the summer isn't a new sport. But this year feels like the first in a while where the field's been so crowded from the domination of pop girls like Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan to country twang with Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, and Shaboozey. Today, we discussing the songs and artists who seem to be everywhere this summer, and why they are so catchy and inescapable.

We're talking songs of the (Brat) summer

Listen · 26:57
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967894/1256368032" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a feast of inside jokes

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine. Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/Marvel hide caption

toggle caption
Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios/Marvel

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a feast of inside jokes

In the highly meta Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally meet up for their own big movie. Deadpool is still smarmy, Wolverine is still tragic, and they have to get together to save the world. Along the way, Deadpool continues his usual routine of endless wisecracking. The movie is jam-packed with fan service and Easter eggs. But how will casual Marvel fans like the movie?

'Deadpool & Wolverine' is a feast of inside jokes

Listen · 23:43
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967795/1256230866" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Tuesday

Three great karaoke songs

Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" is one of the perfect communal karaoke songs. Robert Laberge/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Robert Laberge/AFP via Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Three great karaoke songs

What makes a good karaoke song? In this encore episode, we're suggesting three great songs to sing at karaoke night.

Three great karaoke songs

Listen · 9:55
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967744/1256035093" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 19

The soundtrack to the new film Twisters features literally dozens of names across the contemporary country music spectrum. Courtesy of Atlantic Records hide caption

toggle caption
Courtesy of Atlantic Records

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 19

This week on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, NPR Music's Daoud Tyler-Ameen and Stephen Thompson listen to a grab bag of new releases out on July 19, including what's being called the last Childish Gambino album ever, returns by public radio faves Los Campesinos and Dr. Dog and a vibe-heavy follow-up made by the creators of one of the longest-running Billboard singles of all time, just in time to greet the the heat waves of summer 2024 (sorry).

New Music Friday: The best albums out July 19

Listen · 56:39
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197963042/1255921152" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
'Twisters' has us spiraling

Glen Powell in Twisters. Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal hide caption

toggle caption
Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Twisters' has us spiraling

Twister was one of the biggest disaster movies of the '90s. Now, it's finally got a sequel — one with an all-new cast, state-of-the-art effects, and a whole lot of tornadoes. The new film stars Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones as rival storm-chasers who have a habit of running into tornadoes while everyone else is fleeing. Twisters was directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who also directed the Oscar-nominated Minari.

'Twisters' has us spiraling

Listen · 27:04
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967704/1255917113" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

'Exploding Kittens' turns a simple card game into a wild cartoon

Tom Ellis as Godcat and Ally Maki as Greta in Netflix's Exploding Kittens. Netflix hide caption

toggle caption
Netflix

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Exploding Kittens' turns a simple card game into a wild cartoon

The best-selling card game Exploding Kittens has been adapted into a new Netflix animated series. It does plenty of its own world-building: God (Tom Ellis) and the devil (Sasheer Zamata) are sent to earth, where they take the form of talking cats — and meddle in the lives of a struggling family.

'Exploding Kittens' turns a simple card game into a wild cartoon

Listen · 15:45
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967646/1255697163" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

We recommend three great sports documentaries

Lance Armstrong celebrates during the Tour de France in 2004. He is the subject of the documentary The Armstrong Lie. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We recommend three great sports documentaries

Sports aren't just games. They're intertwined with epic stories about struggle, human behavior, historic greatness and grand emotions. In other words, sports make for great documentaries. And if you're looking for some good ones, we've got recommendations: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, The Armstrong Lie, and Athlete A.

We recommend three great sports documentaries

Listen · 9:34
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967535/1255441650" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

'Despicable Me 4' serves up 90 minutes of bankable mayhem

Steve Carell voices Gru in Despicable Me 4. Universal Pictures hide caption

toggle caption
Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Despicable Me 4' serves up 90 minutes of bankable mayhem

Despicable Me 4 is the latest film in an animation franchise that made household names of reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carrell) and his army of nattering Minions. The franchise has grossed billions of dollars, and the latest movie topped the weekend box office. But are these films growing up with their audience, or continuing to cater to young kids? And does that matter?

'Despicable Me 4' serves up 90 minutes of bankable mayhem

Listen · 16:43
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197967530/1255412924" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

The Contenders, Vol. 13: The songs we can't stop playing this week

Omar Apollo's latest album, God Said No, includes "Plane Trees (feat. Mustafa)," one of the songs we can't stop playing this week. Aitor Laspiur/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Aitor Laspiur/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

The Contenders, Vol. 13: The songs we can't stop playing this week

The latest update to our running list of the year's best songs includes new ones from Wilco and Omar Apollo, an ode to friendship from Charli XCX and Lorde and more.

The Contenders, Vol. 13: The songs we can't stop playing this week

Listen · 44:57
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197962914/1255297371" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">