Pop Culture

Singer Aaron Carter, pictured in 2012 in New York City, has died at 34.

Singer and rapper Aaron Carter dies at 34

6:19pm November 05, 2022

by Chloe Veltman

Carter had his first hit when he was just 9 years old. He went on to tour with his older brother's band, the Backstreet Boys, release four studio albums and appear on Dancing with the Stars.

Cover art for Dirt Femme by the artist Tove Lo.

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing

1:39pm November 05, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Bono's memoir, the Philly Orchestra playing Dancing On My Own, and Tove Lo's Dirt Femme.

Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Brad Pitt, Kylie Jenner

Arts

Skincare culture runs deep — and celebrities are cashing in

4:34pm November 04, 2022

The promise of the skincare industry – and the celebrities crowding it – is that it's about health, not superficial beauty. But is it?

Queue Listen Now

Julia Roberts and Martin Luther King Jr. have a surprising bond

5:02am November 01, 2022

When actress Julia Roberts was born, Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill. It turns out their families were close friends.

Taylor Swift, photographed during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 9, 2022.

Music & Culture

Taylor Swift becomes first artist to sweep the entire Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100

1:57pm October 31, 2022

by Ashley Ahn

Swift surpasses Drake's feat from September 2021 when he captured nine of the top 10 spots on the Hot 100 chart.

Text reading "Planet Money Records: The Inflation Song"

How does the music industry work? Planet Money started a record label to find out

7:00am October 29, 2022

Almost 50 years ago, a band made an incredible song about Inflation. Then the song was lost to the dustbin of history. Now, Planet Money is on a mission to make this record a hit.

Frankie Corio as Sophie and Paul Mescal as Calum in Aftersun.

Arts

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing

5:00pm October 28, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Andor, Aftersun, Southern Baptist Sissies and more.

What to expect when you're expecting House of the Dragon season 2: This. Lots of this.

Books
Arts

Seven things to look for in season 2 of 'House of the Dragon'

12:49pm October 28, 2022

by Glen Weldon

The first season of HBO's Game of Thrones spin-off ended with the beginning of a civil war. Here's what to expect out of season 2.

Fallout continues after Ye's recent anti-semitic comments

4:29pm October 27, 2022

by Celeste Headlee

Here & Now host Celeste Headlee talks with NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute professor Chenjerai Kumanyika and Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah about Ye's recent anti-semitic comments.

Charles Addams in his Westhampton Beach, N.Y., studio in 1977.

Arts
Books

How the cartoonist behind The Addams Family defused fear, with dead-on humor

12:08pm October 27, 2022

by Allyson McCabe

Charles Addams' goal was never to create fear, but to defuse it — infusing the horror with a playfulness that appealed even to those who prefer daylight to the witching hour.