Latest news with #ElaminAbdelmahmoud
CBC
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Justin Bieber is in pursuit of honesty
Justin Bieber has been the subject of gossip since he was 15. But after a series of vulnerable social media posts, altercations with the paparazzi and his clean break from longtime manager Scooter Braun, fans and media alike have been speculating even more on the Canadian pop star's life and mental health. Then this past weekend, Bieber dropped a new album, Swag. The album itself was a surprise — it received almost no advanced publicity — and the music was also surprisingly experimental rather than pop. Plus, the songs on Swag openly react to the public scrutiny the star has faced lately, painting a fuller picture of Bieber's private life. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud speaks with music journalists Emilie Hanskamp, Natalie Harmsen and Reanna Cruz to discuss Swag and what Bieber is trying to tell us about himself on it. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Usually, when Justin Bieber's dropping an album, it's an event, you see the videos coming out, there's a whole pre-release thing. The fact that this surprise album came out — it's not like a Beyoncé surprise rollout, where the vinyl was ready, the merch was ready, everything was ready and then it arrived and it's here. He dropped this and then he's posting pictures from vacation and there were maybe a couple of billboards. Talk to me about the rollout of this album, Natalie. How are you feeling about it? Natalie: I was pleasantly surprised by it because it's been four years since Justice. It's been a minute, he's been gone. People have been speculating when he's going to make a comeback. Every year on New Year's Eve, I'm like, "This is going to be the year, guys, for the new Justin Bieber album." I'm not even a big Justin Bieber fan, but it's just been something I feel that's kind of in the cultural zeitgeist, like when is he going to return? So I think the fact that he is someone who has come from this pop machine and has made this really left turn of: "You know what? You're not going to get a lead single from me. I'm not going to be teasing things on TikTok. I'm not going to go the route that I did with Yummy, where I was promoting the hell out of that song and telling my fans to go stream it and begging to get it to number one." So to me, this really signifies that he is putting out an album with songs that he really wants to make. "This is the kind of music that I want to try on and see if it works for me, I don't really care if you like it or not" is the messaging that I'm getting with this rollout, so I think it's just mirroring that narrative that we're getting. Elamin: When I see this rollout, what's clear for me, Emilie, is that it is not a Scooter Braun rollout. So Bieber's been managed the entirety of his career by Scooter Braun, and then last week, he agreed to pay Scooter $31 million to settle [tour disputes], and they have not worked together for some time. And then you see this album rollout and the fact that there's no Scooter on this. How do you see that showing up in this moment that Bieber's in? Emilie: We are hearing some sources coming out who are saying things like, "This is the first album where Scooter Braun is not essentially breathing down Justin's neck." And I think the result of that is an album that you listen through that isn't desperately trying to land on a hit. And I don't say that as a criticism, as someone who maybe hasn't been the biggest fan or connector of Justin Bieber's music in the past. This is the first album where I'm like, "OK, I feel like it's getting closer and on the right path." And I feel it's because he isn't desperately trying to land on that Scooter Braun hit. And I think it's also why you look at the album cover and it's not his face on it, where all of his other [albums] — Journals aside — it's on his face. It's almost like he is trying to position himself out of the frame in a literal sense. Reanna talked about even at production level, it being more in the background versus the foreground, in terms of the album covering his image and how he wants to centre that or not centre that. So I think that we're getting closer and closer to an honest Bieber, or the capital T truth of who Bieber is as an artist. I just don't know that we've landed at the destination yet, but I think he's on the right track. Elamin: The few images that you do see, Reanna, you see Bieber a little bit to the side of the frame, way out of focus. And behind him, you see Haley Bieber holding their kid because he just became a dad last year. And you go like, "That's a pretty Mr. Morale [a Kendrick Lamar album] kind of cover." But there is something to be said about this record attempting to change the narrative of who Justin Bieber is, or maybe reintroduce who he is. How do you see this record maybe successfully doing that? Reanna: It's doing that pretty well, I would say. I feel like the last hits for Justin Bieber to reach public consciousness were Yummy and Holy, and both of those are kind of rote pop hits, they feel disposable. Even Holy is reaching for something grand, but it doesn't really land and doesn't stick the landing. This feels like a push for real artistry. And I agree that it's a step in the right direction for establishing who Justin Bieber is, what he wants to sound like and what he wants to do. And I think this album serves as a piece of content that switches the perspective on everything that's been going on in his life recently. Because on social media, he's been what we call "crashing out," just posting whatever. And you listen to the album, and he's like, "I actually do love my wife, guys. Like, I love my kid. We're going to get through this. I haven't been doing so well, but you know what? I'm OK." And I think music can really serve as a supplemental element to what's going on in somebody's life, obviously. And you listen to Swag and you're like, "Oh, OK, I'm getting the full picture of Justin Bieber, not just what I see on social media."
CBC
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
The negative reaction to Superman has nothing to do with the film's merit
Social Sharing The Superman reboot just came out last week, but it's already creating a lot of buzz. Garnering both praise and backlash, Superman himself has become a symbol of current political conversations. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with film critic Siddhant Adlakha and filmmaker Sonya Ballantyne to talk about their thoughts on the new Superman and its part in the larger cultural conversation. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Sonya, I'm gonna start with you because Superman means so much to you that you literally did a TEDx talk about this. Tell me about your personal investment in Superman. What's the relationship there? Sonya: I have been a Superman fan since I was born, basically. I love the Christopher Reeve movies, basically Superman 2. And what really attracted me to the character was the idea of sincerity when he said he was fighting for truth and justice. And that just stuck with me. I grew up in such a negative world as an Indigenous person, so somebody who just wanted to help because it was the right thing to do was something that just connected with me as a little girl — and still continues to connect with me. And this new movie really captured that, that feeling of sincerity, without being naive. Because I'm an adult now, of course, I will always be skeptical of people who are like, "peace and love." But I was just so surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. Elamin: James Gunn is the director of this new Superman, he's also the new head of DC Studios. He's got this recent interview where he said that " Superman is the story of America, an immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something that we have lost." I don't think it's news to people that Superman is an immigrant. He's quite famously an alien who's from a different planet. But James Gunn's comments didn't sit well with a lot of people, including Dean Cain, who played Superman on TV. He felt that Gunn's comments made Superman "woke." He said it could hurt the box office numbers. Siddhant, talk to me about the ways that this Superman movie is landing politically for people. How did it become so alienating? WATCH | The official trailer for Superman: Siddhant: I think, in this case, it's also just a very obvious statement that yes, in the most technical sense, Superman is an immigrant … an immigrant and an undocumented immigrant. It's just a part of the Superman story. It's like saying, "What do you mean Batman's parents get killed? That's woke." It's just nonsense. It's complete nonsense. And also the reaction speaks to this hypocritical way that even the term "immigrant" has become so racialized in the American consciousness. You look at Superman, yeah, he's this white, blue-eyed kid from Kansas. But the term itself has become so racialized and politically charged in this vitriolic way that I think part of the response from a lot of these right-wing talking heads comes from this disingenuous anxiety of an immigrant being some sort of outside invader, someone who doesn't look like you. — the "you" in this case being a white American. And it's nonsense and it's unfortunate that we have to talk about it so much. But, at the same time, it has become a part of the conversation, and probably would become a part of the conversation, whether or not James Gunn had said anything.
CBC
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
How a little monster became the biggest status symbol
Social Sharing Tiny plush toys with huge grins, cute fangs and big eyes have become the hottest accessory for celebrities, adults and children. These Labubu dolls have become so popular that it's nearly impossible to find one for purchase; and if you can locate a Labubu, it will likely cost a pretty penny. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud asks internet culture journalist Alyssa Mercante to explain how these little stuffed animals became the biggest status symbol.
CBC
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Love Island USA reflects the reality of dating back to us
Social Sharing Last night was the Season 7 finale of Love Island USA. The show captured a huge audience of viewers around the world and stirred up heated online conversations not just about the contestants, but also about the reality of dating in 2025. Today on Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud sits down with Etalk senior correspondent Lainey Lui, comedian Marlon Palmer and CBC producer Amelia Eqbal to recap the recent season of Love Island USA and why it's become such a huge hit. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Amelia, there is something about the show that is not about hyperfemininity and hypermasculinity, but maybe about a particularly winning version of femininity. When you think about this show, what is the version of femininity that this show is trying to centre? Amelia: Oh God, that's such a hard question. But I think that there are some themes that we see that really get people far. So number one, I think you need to know your worth very much so, but you can't take yourself too seriously. You need to have a really good sense of humour. You need to be sexy, but there are bounds to the amount of sexuality you can show. And there's this thing where you have to be a girl's girl. This has really come up this season, in particular. But the femininity that really gets you far is someone who is loyal, but still looking out for herself; who is sexy, but not overly sexual, as we saw with Huda and the reaction she got during the heart rate challenge. And just women who are really there to toe the line between being there for themselves and being there for "friendship island" as much as "love island." Elamin: Lainey, how are you thinking about the ways that the show maybe encouraged fans to invest themselves into the contestants' lives and how do you begin to pull that back? Cierra, for example, who made it pretty far along the way, and then she was kicked off a week ago off the island because she did use an anti-Asian slur [in old social media posts]. She's now trying to apologize, but also trying to say, "Hey, the amount of hate that I'm receiving is quite overwhelming." You saw Love Island post on their social media pages being like, "Please don't harass our contestants." Lainey: Last season, we saw the fans, the chatter online really became an asset for the show. Unfortunately, I don't know that it was as much of an asset this season, even though the chatter was even stronger, because it became fan wars, from what I saw at least. I am an East Asian person, the slur that Cierra used was against my people. And as offensive as I find those slurs to be, I can also hold space for the fact that I don't think that many of the people calling her out were motivated by allyship for the East Asian community, but more motivated by advancing their favourite. That is what a fan war is called. So when you have a show that's supposed to be about love and you're asking the audience to root for the couple you think has the best connection, but it turns into "I'm here, voting for my fave, I'm not here necessarily voting for love," then I think the energy and the spirit of the show has been compromised. Elamin: Marlon, I want to talk about what makes Love Island different from other reality shows. You've been watching this show since 2016. You were at one of the thousands of watch parties that were happening live last night. Tell me a little bit about what it is about that show that grabs your attention. Marlon: I felt so alone in Canada watching this show in the U.K. before there was Love Island USA. And I think going to that watch party really brought it all together for me. It is women's sports. That's what it looks like to me. Women are in there cheering for certain lines, cheering for certain acts of service, cheering for words of affirmation, and then booing when the guys aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. I think that's why a lot of guys gravitate towards it as well, because watching it with women, you can learn [about] women. A lot of conversations pop up from this show, and I think it serves as a microcosm to the dating world in real life. A lot of people who are just like, "OK, that didn't work out, moving on." And it's like, "Wait, were you not just in a relationship?" Like, Iris has just gone from one emotion and one guy to the next without missing a beat. Hannah, we had that war cry moment where she's crying with the picture and then the next day she's doing things in bed. So I think it just serves as a microcosm to what dating life is like in the real world. And it offers up some great conversation.
CBC
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The two hottest new K-pop groups aren't real — but they aren't AI either
The movie KPop Demon Hunters is as wild and fun as it sounds. The new Netflix film from Sony Pictures Animation follows a trio of friends who serve as a world-renowned K-Pop girl group called HUNTR/X by day, but secret demon hunters by night. Their biggest foe yet is Saja Boys, a group of demons who have incarnated as a K-pop boy band determined to steal all of HUNTR/X's fans. Songs from the movie have taken over the music charts. The soundtrack is currently number three on the Billboard 200 album chart, and four songs are in the top 20 on the Billboard Global 200 chart. What's more, Saja Boys' track Your Idol has become the highest-charting track by a K-pop boy group in U.S. Spotify history, beating a record previously held by BTS. Today on Commotion, professor Michelle Cho chats with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about why the film has been such a big hit, and not just with K-pop fans. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 14:34):
