Brittany Luse is joined by Celebrity Memoir Book Club hosts Ashley Hamilton and Claire Parker to discuss the rise of celebrity memoirs in 2023. They share their favorite memoirs, reflect on public personas, and discuss Prince Harry and Elliot Page's memoirs. The conversation explores the desire for truth, the impact of memoirs on celebrity protection, and the value of relatable celebrity memoirs.

Host Brittany Luse, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe, and Vox's Alex Aband-Santos present the first ever IBAMmys, diving into the biggest cultural moments of the past year, covering topics like the word of the year, the best beef, Taylor Swift's impact on American football, a shoe-stealing Tinder story, and the villain of the year.

Brittany Luse chats with Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, co-hosts of Switched on Pop, to break down the rise of Mexican Regional music, the emergence of AI artists, the dominance of country music, and the challenges faced by independent artists in the evolving music industry of 2023.

Nicki Minaj just released her first album in half a decade, Pink Friday 2. The self-proclaimed 'Queen of Rap' has an unparalleled career, but the rap game - and women's position within it - has changed dramatically during her hiatus. While Nicki helped shape rap today, the artist has also faced a slew of controversies and an erratic album rollout that all have us asking: is Nicki still the verified 'Queen of Rap'? Host Brittany Luse sits down with NPR Music Editor and Louder Than A Riot host Sidney Madden to discuss. Then, we're breaking down one of the most powerful symbols in America: the cowboy. Brittany is joined by New York Times culture critic J Wortham, and Museum of Contemporary Art Denver director Nora Burnett Abrams to unpack the history of the symbol and explain why it continues to lasso Americans.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the credits for 'Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé' the Queen Bee makes it clear who is in charge. Written by? Beyoncé. Directed by? Beyoncé. Produced by? Beyoncé. And of course, starring...Beyoncé. For someone who is so in control of their own image, what is spoken and what is unspoken are equally loud.In this episode, Brittany and B.A. Parker, co-host of NPR's Code Switch, get into key takeaways from the film and why people are calling on her to speak directly to today's politics. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

New Yorker television critic Inkoo Kang joins the podcast to discuss Showtime's historical romance 'Fellow Travelers' set during McCarthyism and the Lavender Scare. They explore how the politics of the time shape the characters and how survival isn't always pretty. Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean also joins the show to talk about her debut album, Messy, and gives an unforgettable live performance.

This podcast explores the challenges faced by trans youth today in accessing gender affirming care and the difficult decisions they have to make. It also looks at the experiences of historical trans youth in the 1960s. Highlights include the story of Christine Jorgensen, the discrimination faced by Donna, and the advocacy of a transgender athlete. The podcast concludes by envisioning a future where trans youth can feel empowered.

Disney recently celebrated its 100th birthday, so we're exploring a fandom that's kept the magic alive while also generating lots of online hate: Disney Adults. To break the phenomenon down, Brittany Luse chats with Rolling Stone senior writer and self-proclaimed Disney Adult, E.J. Dickson. Their conversation looks at the rise of Disney Adults, why they're so maligned and what the public may misunderstand about these superfans.Then, in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance, Brittany talks with influential Black trans activist Raquel Willis. They get into her new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom, which looks at pivotal moments in her organizing journey alongside the movement for Black Lives and the rise of trans visibility in modern culture.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For the millions of Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a time when a lot of us reflect on the things and the people in our lives that we appreciate. But according to Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor at Yale and host of the podcast, The Happiness Lab, a practice of gratitude can improve our lives year-round. Host Brittany Luse chats with Dr. Santos about the surprising science of how gratitude can affect our brains — and how it leads us to be more generous with our future selves.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As many male rappers seem to become more depressed or vindictive in their lyrics, the women of rap appear to be having all the fun. One show that captures this moment is Rap Sh!t on Max. Brittany sits down with the showrunner and writer, Syreeta Singleton. They discuss the complexities of navigating the rap game as a Black woman, the new social media landscape, and how rap and Rap Sh!t approach sexuality. Then, a conversation with Andre 3000. After 17 years, the rapper, producer, and instrumentalist is back with a new album, New Blue Sun. Notably, this album has no rapping and focuses on the artists passion for the flute. In honor of the occasion, host Brittany Luse passes the mic to NPR colleague and host, Rodney Carmichael. In this excerpt of their hour long interview, Rodney and Andre retrace the artist's journey from rapper to flautist, the beauty of aging, and why there should be more celebration in death.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy