Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson appears in the following:

Sam Smith: Tiny Desk Concert

Friday, September 29, 2023

The singer's Tiny Desk performance is a joy to behold.

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R&B Pillar, Usher, to headline super bowl 58 halftime show

Monday, September 25, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Stephen Thompson, from NPR Music, about the NFL's announcement that R&B pillar, Usher Raymond, will headline Super Bowl 58's halftime show.

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The best '90s thrillers according to NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour

Friday, September 22, 2023

NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts Stephen Thompson and Linda Holmes give us their picks for the best 90's thrillers.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend reading and listening

Friday, September 15, 2023

Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: The audiobooks Mythos and Why We Love Baseball, and the new albums Jaguar II and Blame My Ex.

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Speedy Ortiz: Tiny Desk Concert

Thursday, August 31, 2023

The clever rock band delivers a performance 10 years in the making.

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Bon Iver wasn't born in a vacuum — it took an 'Epoch' to form

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

DeYarmond Edison's Epoch revels in the early alchemic triumphs of Bon Iver and Megafaun members. But the box set also reminds us that no moment of creative inspiration takes place spontaneously.

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Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez's new singles show the pop stars pivoting audiences

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Two new songs from two huge pop stars: we hear about new releases from former child stars Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

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Get ready for lots of toy-based movies trying to duplicate the success of 'Barbie'

Friday, August 18, 2023

The Barbie movie is on pace to be the top-grossing film this year. This means we're about to get a lot of movies trying to duplicate that success in a toy-filled cinematic future.

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Post Malone: Tiny Desk Concert

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

One of the world's biggest stars performs a few of the world's biggest songs at the Tiny Desk.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Friday, August 04, 2023

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week, X-Terminators, The Righteous Gemstones, and the new Gabriels album Angels & Queens.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return, rebooted and reinvigorated, for 'Mutant Mayhem'

Friday, August 04, 2023

With a terrific voice cast and distinctive animation, Mutant Mayhem offers a fun and kinetic reset of a long-running franchise.

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With an '80s revival upon us, these classic songs deserve a comeback

Tuesday, August 01, 2023

On the heels of revivals of songs from Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush and the Indigo Girls, here are some more 1980s songs ripe for a comeback.

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Actor Paul Reubens, who created Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70

Tuesday, August 01, 2023

Reubens' work included the 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and the children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse, which produced new episodes from 1986 to 1990.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend listening and viewing

Friday, July 28, 2023

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Barbie, Praise Petey, and the musical legacy of Sinéad O'Connor.

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What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Each week, guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the movie Earth Mama, a recent episode of Vibe Check and albums from Aqua and The Japanese House.

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Refresh your July 4 playlist with these surprising picks

Saturday, July 01, 2023

A playlist to help set the mood for your July 4th barbecue.

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The Swell Season, 'The Answer Is Yes'

Monday, June 26, 2023

Once an Oscar winner, the duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová returns with a sentimental celebration of lives lived in gratitude, without regret.

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MUNA: Tiny Desk Concert

Friday, June 23, 2023

At the Tiny Desk, the pop trio preached the importance of joyful revolution.

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Three songs for the perfect summer road trip playlist

Monday, June 19, 2023

Pop Culture Happy Hour host Stephen Thompson and NPR Music contributor Marissa Lorusso suggest three songs to make your summer road trip playlist perfect.

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Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' is the country song we didn't know we had

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

In Luke Combs' unexpected cover of the Tracy Chapman classic, NPR's Stephen Thompson found hope for a world with fewer boundaries and binaries and roped-in genres.

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