Stay ConnectedBig laughs. Smart takes. Every day. Commotion is where you go for thoughtful and vibrant conversations about all things pop culture. Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud calls on journalists, critics, creators and friends to talk through the biggest arts & entertainment stories of the day, in 30 minutes or less.
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Angine de Poitrine is the winner of this year's Polaris Music Prize. The polka-dotted duo took home the 30-thousand dollar best-album prize at last night’s gala in Toronto. The annual award is given to the best Canadian album of the year as selected by more than 200 music journalists and broadcasters, and it's based solely on artistic merit. Angine de Poitrine also won the 10-thousand dollar best-song prize for 'Fabienk.' Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp joins Elamin to talk about the win, who she was rooting for, and to weigh in on how Canadian music has changed over the years.
Plus, it almost feels like an understatement to say that Heated Rivalry and Off Campus exploded the sports romance genre on TV. Now, a new show about a queer softball beer league called Slo Pitch is putting a comedic spin on playing the field. But is the series a home run? Culture critic Riley Yesno and journalist Allie Graham stop by Commotion to give Elamin their reviews of Crave's Slo Pitch.
Neil Peart is arguably one of the greatest drummers of all time. And now, a new documentary about the legendary Rush drummer and lyricist is coming to CBC Gem. Drummer Marek Tyler and music journalist Maura Johnston join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about 'Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple,' and how it captures Peart and his legacy. Plus, Ed Sheeran returned to the stage for the first time since the Macklemore controversy. Culture critic David Dennis Jr. unpacks what happened at the show and the reaction from his fans and critics.
The Toronto International Film Festival is over for another year. But some of the biggest films out this fall aren’t coming out on the festival circuit. Teri Hart and Radheyan Simonpillai get into why that is, and look back at the highlights, award winners, and controversies that made this year’s TIFF what it was.
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.
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