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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

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 27

CHVRCHES' fourth album, Screen Violence, is out Friday. Kevin J Thomson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Kevin J Thomson/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 27

NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Aug. 27 include new ones from CHVRCHES, Indigo De Souza, Terence Blanchard and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 27

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Wednesday

Friday

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

In the new show Reservation Dogs, four Native teens commit crimes to fund their efforts to leave their home in rural Oklahoma. Shane Brown/FX on Hulu hide caption

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Shane Brown/FX on Hulu

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Reservation Dogs, Nine Perfect Strangers, and viral music videos from the band Little Big.

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 20

Lorde's long awaited Solar Power is out Friday. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 20

NPR Music picks the best new albums out this week, including new releases by Lorde, Sturgill Simpson, Deafheaven and more.

New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On Aug. 20

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Lorde's 'Solar Power' Is A Whole Mood

Lorde's new album Solar Power is out now. Ophelia Mikkelson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Ophelia Mikkelson/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Lorde's 'Solar Power' Is A Whole Mood

Lorde became a pop superstar at 16 with her hit single "Royals" — winning two Grammy Awards and following up with her second album, Melodrama. The New Zealand singer's third album Solar Power finds the artist reflecting on stardom, boredom and the aftermath of a youth filled with debauchery. Reunited with Melodrama producer Jack Antonoff, Lorde brings a more subdued sound, positioning her as a worldly 24-year-old who's found peace with herself, while wondering what's next.

Lorde's 'Solar Power' Is A Whole Mood

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Tuesday

What Makes A Good—Or Bad—Cover Song?

William Shatner performed a number of covers on his debut album The Transformed Man. Santiago Felipe/Getty Images hide caption

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Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What Makes A Good—Or Bad—Cover Song?

Great songs often come around more than once. They're re-interpreted, reimagined, reconsidered. In fact, sometimes cover versions bring out new qualities even in songs we think we know well. Today we bring you an encore episode all about cover songs.

What Makes A Good—Or Bad—Cover Song?

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Friday

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Hosted by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar, Netflix's Bake Squad asks four professional bakers to create an epic dessert for a special occasion in each episode. Kit Karzen/Netflix hide caption

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Kit Karzen/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's new music from Big Thief, Netflix's Bake Squad and a new article from Priya Krishna.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Billie Eilish Looks Inward On 'Happier Than Ever'

Billie Eilish's album Happier Than Ever is out now. Kelia Anne MacCluskey/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Kelia Anne MacCluskey/Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Billie Eilish Looks Inward On 'Happier Than Ever'

Billie Eilish's first album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, was a sensation in 2019 — it swept the major categories at the Grammys and established the singer as a huge pop star. Eilish is back with a follow-up called Happier Than Ever. It's a quieter, subtler collection that examines the singer's relationships, reputation, and place in the world.

Billie Eilish Looks Inward On 'Happier Than Ever'

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Tuesday

The 50-Year-Old Classics You Should Listen To And Read Today

Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On is regarded for its depiction of the social unrest of the time, as well as its musical beauty. Gems/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

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Gems/Redferns/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The 50-Year-Old Classics You Should Listen To And Read Today

Back in 1971, Richard Nixon was president, the Beatles were newly broken up. But also, a new network called National Public Radio broadcast for the first time. In honor of the anniversary of NPR's first broadcast, this special edition of What's Making Us Happy This Week offers recommendations from 50 years ago.

The 50-Year-Old Classics You Should Listen To And Read Today

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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