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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Elamin is joined by Refinery29 journalist Taryn Finley, who lays out what has happened at music mogul Sean Combs' trial in New York. Plus, film critics Jackson Weaver and Adrian Horton weigh in on A24’s new Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd buddy comedy Friendship, and how it subverts traditional depictions of male companionship on screen.
Elamin is joined by Jeevan Sangha and Joyita Sengupta to discuss the second season of the acclaimed dramedy series ‘Late Bloomer’ — and why season two of this look at the Sikh-Canadian millennial experience is being called its best season yet. Plus, Gloria Malone joins to talk about the release of ‘La Bellaza,’ the new album from Polaris Music Prize winner Lido Pimienta.
The world’s most prestigious film festival is on right now, and the headlines coming from Cannes include the muted response to the new Mission Impossible movie, and reaction to the new red carpet rules. Film critics Barry Hertz and Rad Simonpillai chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the big stories at Cannes this year.
Plus, the standout stories from Eurovision with Karen Fricker, who talks about Austria's JJ stealing the win over fan-favourite Sweden, and Israel's second place finish.
The phrase 'girl power' was coined by Bikini Kill in the early 1990s, but its meaning was watered down later in the decade when angry radical women in music were followed by younger, less opinionated pop stars.
Sophie Gilbert dives into 1990s and 2000s pop culture in her new book, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves, to figure out what happened.
Music writers Carl Wilson, Andrea Williams and Sarah Boesveld discuss Morgan Wallen's new album 'I'm The Problem,' Maren Morris’s pivot to pop on 'Dreamsicle' and Lana Del Rey’s honky-tonk makeover.
Romance author Emily Henry is back with one of the most anticipated novels of 2025, and it’s already topping bestseller lists. Elamin speaks with two culture critics, CT Jones and Alicia Foshay, about her latest book 'Great Big Beautiful Life,' and what makes her writing so popular. Plus, Indigenous Studies professor and Winnipeg Press columnist Niigaan James Sinclair discusses the Hudson Bay Company’s controversial decision to sell off its collection of Indigenous art and artifacts as part of its liquidation efforts.
With the Disney+ series ‘Andor’ coming to an end, Elamin is joined by critics Lyvie Scott and Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss the show and why it’s being called the best installment in the Star Wars franchise to date. Plus, culture writer Tabby Kibugi fell in love with K-pop, growing up in Kenya in the 2000s. She chats with Elamin about why two decades later, she decided to step away as a fan after seeing a continuous cycle of cultural appropriation and stereotyping of Black culture by K-pop artists.
Elamin is joined by culture critics Matt Amha and Joyita Sengupta to look at the rise of 6ixBuzzTV. The popular and controversial Instagram account played a big role during the federal election. Commotion unpacks 6ixBuzzTV's growing relevance in the Canadian media landscape. Plus, Tristan Grant, aka the rapper Wolf Castle, has founded the first Indigenous music label in Atlantic Canada. He joins Elamin to talk about why Castle Records is important to him, and about his first signed band, The Hello Crows.
Last Friday. Montreal indie-rock collective Arcade Fire released ‘Pink Elephant,’ their first album since bandleader Win Butler was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2022. Music journalist Maura Johnston and Montreal Gazette reporter T’Cha Dunlevy discuss how their relationship with the band’s music has changed in recent years, and how the band’s new record is being received by fans and media. Plus, Nicholas Quah shares his thoughts on the new Golden Globes category, Best Podcast, which will be introduced in 2026.
Culture writer Ellen O’Connell Whittet, film critic Angelo Muredda, and CBC reporter Jackson Weaver discuss how this week's papal conclave played out on social media; the inexplicable popularity of 'Italian brain rot' content among young internet users; and the latest developments in the story surrounding the outfit BLACKPINK singer Lisa was wearing at the Met Gala.
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