Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Culture writer Mel Woods, author/rapper Rollie Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon, and Exclaim editor Megan LaPierre join the Group Chat to discuss B.C. pop star Carly Rae Jepsen’s long-awaited double-album return; how Drake’s new short film factors into his current comeback campaign; and why this year’s Emmy Awards telecast felt a lot more Canadian than usual.

On Monday, news broke that Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s North American tour after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments on stage. Multiple venus dropped Macklemore. In a statement, Sheeran said he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," calling the suffering on "both sides" a "human tragedy," but defended his choice not to take a public stance. In response, every other musician on the tour, including Sheeran’s backing band, have pulled out. Culture critics Jay Smooth, Sara Yasin, and Niko Stratis join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to break down what happened and what it says about this moment.

Just as Stella Lefty’s music career started to go right, things took a turn. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter’s hit song Boston has been unavoidable this summer, but so has the criticism about her billionaire father, her country sound despite being from Chicago, and her biggest song’s similarities with Noah Kahan’s Stick Season. The New York Times culture reporter and Popcast co-host, Joe Coscarelli and Vulture writer Fran Hoepfner explain who Stella Lefty is exactly, and why she’s turning so many heads. Plus, Elamin is joined by C.T. Jones to discuss season 1 of the Netflix reality series ‘Earle Meets World’ about the life of a Gen Z influencer. C.T. gets into whether the series offers anything new to the celebrity family reality show format.

For years, parents have relied on Netflix as a source for quality children’s-television programming, particularly as YouTube has become increasingly dominant in the kids-media space with influencer-driven content. However, now some of that YouTube-spawned content is turning up in Netflix’s menu of kids programming, and TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk and digital policy analyst Vass Bednar explain why parents are seriously upset by this shift. Plus, Justin Trudeau recently announced he's starting up a new production company called Hope & Hard Work, focusing on Canadian content. Culture critic Nicholas Quah joins guest host Amil Niazi to talk about the former Canadian Prime Minister’s new venture, and what lessons can be learned from similar media companies created by Barack and Michelle Obama, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of ‌Sussex.

For a while it seemed like Celine Dion might never sing again. She was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition four years ago. But she is SO back – and what a time it is to be a Canadian cultural icon with a comeback story for the ages. Elamin Abdelmahmoud meets up with Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau, host of Radio-Canada's Admission Générale podcast and Benjamin Locoge, Editor In Chief for Culture of Paris Match, the morning after Celine Dion’s first concert in Paris.

The Toronto International Film Festival is back! Filmmaker Atom Egoyan, and critics Radheyan Simonpillai and Sarah Hagi join guest host Amil Niazi to preview the 2026 festival and reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

As Ryan Murphy’s television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel The Shards reaches its season finale, television critics Kaiya Shunyata and Alison Herman discuss whether this tale of rich teens terrorized by a serial killer in 1980s Los Angeles is irresistibly trashy or irredeemably tacky. Plus, the new alien invasion thriller 'Hope' has already been a huge hit in Korea. It's the latest film from Na Hong-jin, the director who brought us The Wailing. East Asian Studies professor Michelle Cho joins Amil Niazi to talk about some of the themes explored in the movie.

Film & culutre critics Roxana Hadadi, Riley Yesno, and Jackson Weaver join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new season of North of North and other shows on their radar this Fall.

SubwayTakes, the YouTube talk show featuring people sharing their hot takes while riding the New York City subway, is not only all over your algorithm, it’s also up for an Emmy this year. Critics Kathryn VanArendonk and Jay Smooth join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the popularity of SubwayTakes, and what it says about our viewing habits in 2026. Plus, a new indie film out of mainland China is set to take the world by storm. 'Dear You' is a family drama about a young man from China who travels to Thailand to find his grandfather, and uncovers a family secret he never expected. Film critic Rachel Ho joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to review the Teochew-language film and talk about its surprise success at the box office.

Going to the cottage in the summer is a beloved Canadian pastime, but with hit shows like Heated Rivalry, Sterling Point and Every Year After, it seems like the world is newly seduced by our trees, lakes and isolated retreats in the woods. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk (Vulture), who coined the genre “sexy feelings by a Canadian lake,” as well as Canadian culture critics Amil Niazi (The Cut) and Sadaf Ahsan (Frequencies) to talk about how Canadian cottage country got a titillating makeover on TV.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critic El Jones, film critic Radheyan Simonpillai, and comedian Marlon Palmer to discuss the backlash to the return of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Ali G in the upcoming film Ali G: Who Iz I? They also review the new Netflix doc on Australian breakdancer Raygun, who made headlines around the world at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Gloria Steinem - feminist, author, activist and pop culture icon -- has died. She was 92. Culture writer Elizabeth Renzetti joins Elamin to talk about the life and legacy of Gloria Steinem, and how her feminism crossed over to pop culture. Also, musician Donovan Woods and journalist Elizabeth Renzetti talk about how U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to rebrand Lake Ontario as Lake America—in retaliation to stalled trade talks between Canada and the U.S.—has galvanized Canadians to express an even greater degree of national unity, and prompted expressions of solidarity from artists near and far.

This week, a jury found Duane 'Keffe D' Davis guilty of orchestrating the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. Journalist Taryn Finley talks to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the trial and what the verdict could mean for another case that has captivated hip hop fans for years -- the murder of Notorious B.I.G. Plus, there's a new album from English R&B singer Cleo Sol, and it might be one of the chillest ones of the year. Fusing soul and gospel underneath Sol’s chiming falsetto, Gentlewoman is a comforting listen that may just lower your blood pressure. Veteran hip hop broadcaster Jay Smooth joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the album, and why we could all use a little comfort music right now.

With the release of ‘Before The World Blows’ the firs full-length album from Erykah Badu in more than a decade - Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics Jamilah Lemieux, Naila Keleta-Mae, and Mark Anthony Neal to discuss the new album and Erykah’s influence on pop culture up to this point.

After an AI-generated cover of a Madonna track topped the national airplay chart in Australia, the music industry has responded by banning AI-created songs from its charts. The move comes as rappers like Tyga and Fenix Flexin are openly admitting to using A.I. in their work, while industry titans like Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin endorse the technology. Music journalist Maura Johnston and writer/rapper Cadence Weapon take stock of how the AI music landscape is shifting. Plus, Pope Leo XIV has been making international best dressed lists from Vanity Fair to Vogue to the New York Times. How did the American Pontiff manage to put his own spin on the traditional wardrobe worn by the head of the Catholic church — and what message is he trying to communicate? Fashion critic Vanessa Friedman (New York Times) talks about how Pope Leo caught the fashion world’s attention, and reacts to the Met Gala's breaking news about John Galliano.

Commotion guest host Amil Niazi is joined by Black pop academics Professor Mark Anthony Neal, DJ Lynnée Denise and Huda Hassan to look back on the influence of Aaliyah, the singer and actor who occupied multiple worlds and left us with a profound artistic legacy after her tragic death 25 years ago.

We’re used to hearing about things like the auto industry and liquor being sticking points in the Canada-US trade war, but one of the reasons the recent trade talks collapsed was about something less tangible. U.S. negotiators demanded that Canada drop the requirements for streaming companies like Netflix to promote Canadian content. Tech and public policy expert Vass Bednar chats with guest host Amil Niazi about why CanCon ended up being one of Canada’s dealbreakers. Plus, there has been so much anticipation about Coyote vs. Acme, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that it nearly didn’t make it to theatres. Despite being shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery for a tax break a few years ago, the critically acclaimed movie is finally out this week. Today, film critic Adam Nayman and journalist Paul Thompson gives us the lowdown on the film, its characters – Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, and the lore behind it.

Dolly Parton was one of those artists who transcended generations. She gave us hits like Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and Coat of Many Colors. We’ve gathered musician Allison Russell and country-music aficionados Marissa R. Moss and Sarah Boesveld for a group chat with guest host Amil Niazi about the life and legacy of the country-music icon, who died yesterday at the age of 80.

Everywhere you look, news stories and studies suggest people aren’t reading like they used to. At the same time, graphic novels have surged in popularity since the pandemic. Authors Jael Richardson and Arizona O’Neill join guest host Amil Niazi to discuss why people gravitate to graphic novels over text-only books. Plus, there’s a new play out of Stratford from Canadian playwright Jovanni Sy, and it’s called The Tao of the World. It’s a riff on both the Restoration comedies of the 1700s and modern-day Asian rom-coms. Theatre critic Joshua Chong talks about how this new play updates a centuries-old genre with contemporary guile.

There has never been a post-political life like Justin Trudeau’s. He was Canada’s first real influencer prime minister – a politician whose political fortunes were tied to his celebrity and his pop-cultural currency. And while most former political leaders write a memoir or join a think tank – Justin Trudeau is leaning in hard to fun – travelling the world with his girlfriend Katy Perry, hyping his son’s music career, and doing it all very publicly online, for all of us to see. Plus, Rachel Cusk, called the “queen of autofiction” by The New Yorker, has a new novel out called ‘Life of M.’ The novel has two main characters, a writer who resembles Cusk and an actor whose resume appears identical to Natalie Portman’s. Montreal writer Heather O’Neill dives into the publishing intrigue around ‘Life of M,’ and how it interrogates fame and anonymity in the lives of two artists.