Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

With the public backlash to superstar producer Timbaland’s public support for AI-integrated music, guest host Rad Simonpillai is joined by music journalist Dylan Green and critic Michelle Santosuosso to discuss the backlash and how it might inform the discourse between artists, their audiences, and the music industry, moving forward. And the Globe and Mail’s Barry Hertz joins Rad Simonpillai to ta...

What is considered to be a Canadian literary classic? Has that changed? Has it remained the same? Authors Jael Richardson and David A. Robertson, and bookseller and publisher Martha Sharpe chat with Elamin Abdelmahmoud about updating the Can Lit canon.

Culture critics Michelle Cho and Nicholas Quah join guest host Rad Simonpillai to talk about the final season of Squid Game, and whether its satire of capitalism is as potent the third time around. And the new Pixar movie Elio got good reviews when it opened a few weeks ago but it’s bombing at the box office. Teri Hart explains why the problem with Elio is the problem with all original kids movies...

Culture writer Niko Stratis, podcaster Vish Khanna, and music journalist Carl Wilson join the Group Chat to discuss the mammoth new seven-disc Bruce Springsteen box set ‘Tracks II: The Lost Albums’, the new intensely personal comeback album from New Zealand pop queen Lorde, and the musical legacy of Quebecois rock legend Serge Fiori, who passed away recently at age 73.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by real life line cook and tv junkie Grace Onasanya and tv/film critic Rachel Ho to talk about the latest season of ‘The Bear.’ Plus, Mel Woods joins Elamin to talk about their new Xtra podcast, Get Queer, which explores how queer folks turned reality TV into a global phenomenon.

The very real showdown between protesters in LA and immigration agents is being re-enacted in the virtual world. Roblox — a video game used by 85 million people every day — has become a hotbed for virtual political activism among kids. Alyssa Mercante and Kieran Press-Reynolds join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about it. It takes years of dedication to become a conductor for a world-class orchestra....

There are two celebrity art shows on right now that are getting a lot of buzz — but not necessarily for the right reasons. Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to art critics Annie Armstrong and Eddy Frankel about the reaction to, and the quality of, Adrien Brody’s art show in New York City and Robbie Williams’ show in London. Also, with a new book out, and a tribute album and documentary on the way, th...

Culture critics Syrus Marcus Ware and Tobin Ng join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the new doc 'Parade,' which explores the history of Pride parades — as protest and party — in Canada. Plus, New Yorker writer Jennifer Wilson learns how to be an intimacy coordinator, a consultant who supervises sex scenes on film sets, in order to understand why there seems to be a backlash to the role in post-#...

After years in the Internet trenches, Scaachi Koul is no stranger to a good fight — but her latest essay collection is all about knowing when to walk away. In Sucker Punch, Scaachi examines her recent divorce with her signature ruthless humour, picking apart what the end of her marriage made her realize about her self-worth, upbringing and love of conflict. Scaachi joins Bookends host Mattea Roach...

SiriusXM host/producer Kim Wheeler, culture writer Riley Yesno and music journalist Emilie Hanskamp join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss new albums from Oji-Cree singer/songwriter Aysanabee, California pop sister act Haim, and Juno Award-winning electronic producer BAMBII.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Marek Tyler and Susan Blight to discuss the rise of AI in pop culture and the possibilities and concerns it raises for Indigenous communities. Plus, it's been over two decades since '28 Days Later,' the horror film that reimagined what a zombie thriller could be. Now, the franchise is back with a third installment – but in a post-Brexit, post-COVID world, are fans...

Teri Hart and David Rider join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem,' a new Netflix documentary about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the media circus that erupted when a video of him smoking crack cocaine was leaked to reporters in 2013.  Plus, Thomas Leblanc reviews Crave's brilliant new dramedy 'Empathie,' set in a Montreal psychiatric institution for criminals.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Liz Duff and Rebecca Jennings about the new Disney+ docuseries ‘Call Her Alex,’ which explores how Alex Cooper turned her DIY-style sex podcast ‘Call Her Daddy' into one of the biggest celebrity interview shows in the world.

With Kendrick Lamar and SZA touching down in Toronto last week for their Grand National Tour, Elamin is joined by Matt Amha and Rad Simonpillai to discuss the Toronto shows and what the local debates around whether Toronto fans should attend or not at a time when Canadian identity politics are top of mind for many.

Music critics Vish Khanna, Carl Wilson, and Rosie Long Decter join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to weigh in on the new album from Canadian rock legend Neil Young, the polarizing popularity of pop phenom Benson Boone, and the controversy over Sabrina Carpenter’s provocative new album cover.

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by CBC entertainment reporter Jackson Weaver, and film critics Sarah-Tai Black and Rachel Ho to review the new live action remake of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ - plus two new Canadian films in theaters this week: ‘Materialists’ from director Celine Song, and the feature film debut from Reza Dahya with ‘Boxcutter’.

Sloan's Jay Ferguson joins Elamin Abdelmahmoud to remember the architect of the Beach Boys, the poet laureate of summer, Brian Wilson, who died at the age of 82. Plus, 'Endless Cookie' is finally coming to theatres after charming audiences at festivals all over North America. Elamin chats with Sonya Ballantyne and David A. Robertson about the animated Canadian documentary, which is about the relat...

As the Edmonton Oilers square off against the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row, CBC Edmonton’s Min Dhariwal and professor Judith Ellen Brunton discuss how the intensity of Oilers fandom in Edmonton transcends mere hometown boosterism to resemble something more like a religion. Plus, Michael Williams joins Elamin to talk about Sly Stone’s enormous legacy....

The plot of Mountainhead – Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s new satire of the world’s most powerful billionaires – offers insight into the feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Culture writers Vinson Cunningham and Mike Isaac talk about how it illuminates the the drama between the world’s most powerful man and the richest person on the planet. 

Malcolm X would’ve turned 100 years old this year. To commemorate his life, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Professor Mark Anthony Neal, Sandy Hudson and Matt Amha for a brief look at the commercialization of Malcolm X’s legacy over the decades and how it has or hasn’t aligned with his actual mission and message.

Culture writer Joan Summers, music journalist Maura Johnston, and rapper and author Rollie Pemberton join Elamin Abdelmahmoud for the Friday Group Chat to share their thoughts on new releases from Addison Rae, Turnstile, and Lorde.

After 26 years dancing with the National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume Côté will take his final bow tonight. Elamin talks with two of his longtime collaborators – the dancer Greta Hodgkinson and choreographer Anisa Tejpar about his legacy, and why he just might be the GOAT of Canadian ballet. Plus, the latest version of Google’s AI tool Veo can make impressively realistic looking 8-second video...

Xtra Magazine reporter Mel Woods and Laura Winton of the Library Association of Alberta discuss the provincial government’s plans to introduce new age-appropriate standards for books in school libraries, and how they could adversely affect books with 2SLGBTQ+ themes. Plus, critic Rendy Jones talks about the Gen-Z comedy 'Adults,' which explores the absurd ups and downs of being in your 20s in the...

What is Canadian content? And why does it matter? The Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission has been hearing very different answers to that question — as they try to come up with new CanCon rules. Jesse Wente, Vass Bednar and Anthony Q Farrell join Elamin to talk about why getting CanCon right has never been more important. 

For almost 20 years, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts have given the internet a chance to see some of the biggest artists and promising upcoming talents in an incredibly intimate, live setting that has made for unforgettable moments. At the same time, the series has become a crucial and trusted hub for Black pop music. At the inaugural Departures festival in Toronto, Elamin sat down with Bobby Carter, the...