Stephen Thompson
Stories
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Music
Rock icon or a victim of exploitation? Examining Amy Winehouse's legacy
A just-released, fictionalized film looks at the life of British singer Amy Winehouse. The music and career of the real Amy Winehouse still fascinate.
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Arts & Life
What 'Pop Culture Happy Hour' thinks of Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart movie 'Unfrosted'
The Netflix movie Unfrosted tells a made-up version of Pop-Tarts' origin story. It hasn't been received favorably, including by NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts.
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Besides the game, a lot of people watch the Super Bowl for the halftime show
Usher headlines the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Will it stand up to halftime shows of the past?
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An NPR music critic's take on the Grammy nominees for best new artist
A review of the category ahead of the 2024 Grammys.
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Technology
We made ChatGPT write a song for us
We kept hearing that Artificial Intelligence is a threat to the creative arts. So we put ChatGPT to the test to see if it can, indeed, write a decent song.
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Music
The Beatles' 'Now and Then' is a wistful curiosity, 45 years in the making
The Beatles' final song could never live up to the body of work that precedes it. But it could never diminish it, either.
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National
Sufjan Stevens shows uncharacteristic vulnerability with new album 'Javelin'
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has been making soulful introspective music for more than 20 years without revealing too much about his own personal life. His latest album, Javelin, is out Friday.
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Arts & Life
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return, rebooted and reinvigorated, for 'Mutant Mayhem'
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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Actor Paul Reubens, who created Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70
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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Music
Foo Fighters' 'But Here We Are' is heavy, in every sense of the word
These songs ache with loss, even as they explode in full-bore rock mayhem, and that loss extends beyond the deaths of loved ones.