Freakier Friday And What's Making Us Happy

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Episode Summary – "Freakier Friday And What's Making Us Happy"

Release Date: August 8, 2025

In this engaging episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, host Aisha Harris and her panel—including co-host Candice Lim, New York Times food reporter Priya Krishna, and NPR's Mia Venkat—delve into the latest sequel to a beloved classic: "Freakier Friday." The episode seamlessly transitions from an in-depth discussion of the film to exploring what makes each host happy, offering listeners a rich tapestry of insights and opinions.

---

Freakier Friday: A Nostalgic Sequel with a Modern Twist

Aisha Harris kicks off the conversation by setting the stage for "Freakier Friday," the sequel to the 2003 hit film. She introduces the core premise: Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reprise their roles, this time navigating a more complex web of body swaps involving not just mother and daughter, but also new teenage characters. The plot thickens as Lohan’s character, Anna—a music manager and single mother—becomes engaged to a celebrity chef, whose daughter, Lily, becomes Anna’s child’s nemesis. This tangled relationship leads to multiple body swaps, escalating the comedic and dramatic stakes.

Panel Reactions: Love at First Sight and Beyond

Candice Lim shares her heartfelt enthusiasm for the movie, reminiscing about her early love for the original film and expressing her joy in seeing cinema "back" for her. “I cried three times. I, like, full body sobbed at some points. And it just felt so good as, like, cinema's back,” she remarks ([03:52]).

Mia Venkat echoes this positivity, highlighting her initial low expectations due to the film being both a remake and a sequel. However, she found herself pleasantly surprised by the humor and heartfelt moments. “I left it being like, wow, they nailed that. I really, really loved it,” Mia enthuses ([04:04]).

Priya Krishna adds a layer of appreciation for the film's millennial appeal, noting the tailored references and the director Nisha Ganatra’s ability to infuse freshness into a nostalgic framework. “It’s sentimental, it’s funny, it obviously feels like a remake of the original, but it also feels fresh, nostalgic, but not too self-referential. It just works,” Priya observes ([05:20]).

Balancing Nostalgia with Modern Narratives

While the panel largely praises the film, Aisha Harris offers a nuanced perspective. She highlights moments of enjoyment but also points out the film’s increased complexity with four body swaps, which sometimes made it harder to follow. “There's a lot more happening. Sometimes it's a little bit hard for me to remember who is supposed to be who,” Aisha reflects ([06:07]).

The discussion touches on the return of beloved characters from the original film and the inclusion of new faces, including Vanessa Bayer. Candice Lim appreciates the nod to the original while acknowledging the modern updates, saying, “They bookmarked the nod we wanted... It just works in a way that... I've just been so disappointed by so many sequels that aim to really like tap on that nostalgia button and this worked,” she notes ([10:04]).

Music and Emotional Resonance

Music plays a significant role in both the original and the sequel. Candice Lim expresses her love for the new song incorporated into the film, despite it differing from the original's beloved track. “So the first one is that 'Ultimate' is a song that Lindsay Lohan sings in the first film during the credits... In this film, they have this other band... but it doesn't sound right,” she critiques ([16:03]).

Conversely, Mia Venkat appreciates how certain musical elements, like "Take Me Away," evoke strong emotional responses, enhancing the film’s nostalgic appeal. “When Pink Slip is back and they play 'Take Me Away,' I felt like, oh, we're back. It was so good,” Mia shares ([14:46]).

What's Making Us Happy: Personal Joys and Discoveries

Transitioning from film discussion, the hosts share what brings them joy:

• Candice Lim is thrilled about the new Roku show "Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross," praising its empowering portrayal of solo travel for women of color. “Tracee is being like, I'm rich, I'm funny, and I'm beautiful. I'm going to Morocco,” she highlights ([20:53]).

• Priya Krishna introduces a soothing new musician, Dhruv, whose album "Rapunzel" features the standout track "Double Take." “It's the kind of music you would put on while cooking yourself a nice dinner and drinking a glass of wine,” Priya describes ([22:44]).

• Mia Venkat raves about Chapel Roan's new song "The Subway," particularly enjoying the catchy chorus and the vibrant music video. “I love her voice and the funny part when she's belting this part with her hair blowing everywhere,” Mia exclaims ([23:49]).

• Aisha Harris shares her newfound love for "Couples Therapy" Season Four on Showtime, appreciating its honest and elevated portrayal of relationship dynamics. “Everyone's like dumping all of their trauma and sadness and issues onto her,” Aisha notes ([24:56]).

---

Conclusion

This episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour offers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of "Freakier Friday," blending nostalgia with contemporary analysis. The hosts’ diverse perspectives and personal anecdotes about what makes them happy add depth and relatability, making it a must-listen for fans of pop culture and insightful discussions.

For more content like this, visit NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour.

Transcript

[Aisha Harris]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Capella University. Interested in a quality online education. Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella. Edu.

Jack Handy once said something along the lines of before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way you'll be a mile away and have their shoes. So if you remember Freaky Friday, you know, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis trade more than just shoes. They swap bodies. Two plus decades later, they're back for a sequel that claims to be freakier than its predecessor that is even more convoluted. There are twice as many body swaps, fights galore, and a whole lot of jokes about being old and kids these days. I'm Aisha Harris. This is Pop Culture Happy Hour and today we're talking Freakier Friday. I'm here the co host of Slate's ICYMI podcast and former pop Culture Happy Hour producer Candice Lim. Welcome back, Candice.

[Candice Lim]

Hello.

[Aisha Harris]

Lovely to have you. Also with us is New York Times food reporter and author of the best selling cookbook Indian Ish, Priya Krishna. Hello, Priya. Welcome back to you too.

[Priya Krishna]

Thank you.

[Aisha Harris]

And making her Pop Culture Happy Hour debut is Mia Venkat. She's a producer on NPR's All Things Considered. It's so great to have you here, Mia. Welcome.

[Mia Venkat]

Thank you. Happy to be here.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah. Yes. So Freaky Friday came out in 2003 and starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as warring teen daughter Anna and her mom Tess. Now in the sequel, Anna's this big time music manager and a single mom to teenager Harper, who's played by Julia Butters. And then conflict arises when Anna becomes engaged to a celebrity chef played by Manny Jacinto. He just so happens to be the dad of Harper's school nemesis, Lily, who's played by Sophia Hammonds. Through a series of extremely elaborate events, the girls women trade bodies. Anna with her daughter Harper and Tess with Lily.

[Mia Venkat]

She just has crevices all over her face.

[Aisha Harris]

Look at the crevices. My hands. Yes. So many crevices. So old. So old. The would be stepsisters take advantage of this strange circumstance by cooking up their own version of a parent trap in hopes that they can stop the wedding from happening. It's very complicated. Freakier Friday. Freakier Friday. That is a tongue twister. Freakier Friday is in theaters now. Candace, I'm going to start with you. Is this freakier? Does it feel like a Friday? Tell us.

[Candice Lim]

I mean, I'M not going to lie. At first I was like, why didn't they move on to Saturday? But I was like, move on, move on, move on. So the 2003 film, very resonant in my body. One of the first films I ever loved. Lindsay Lohan is probably one of the first celebrities I was ever obsessed with. From like a 360. I need to know everything about you. And I remember watching this film so much. I know every line. I know every song from Pink Slip. And I think what I love about that film is that it has a very Nancy Myers feel to it.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah.

[Candice Lim]

As a kid, I was like, oh, that's my worst nightmare. My mom and I like switching bodies now. I would kill for that. Just so, like, my mom could see that I'm actually cool now. But all of that said, this film is like a deeply beautiful remake and sequel. And I say remake because I didn't realize it pretty much kind of like mapped, like, all the same big plot devices from the first film. Wedding, stepparent, lost parent, there's a rehearsal dinner, all this stuff. But the way that they were able to pull this off, everything was fun and the jokes were, like, funny, and I felt magical again in this theater. I cried three times. I, like, full body sobbed at some points. And it just felt so good as, like, cinema's back.

[Aisha Harris]

Wow. Candace, some strong, strong opinions.

[Candice Lim]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Aisha Harris]

I love it. I love coming out the gate swinging. Mia, please tell me, how do we feel about Freak youk Friday? I loved it.

[Mia Venkat]

I went into it with kind of low expectations just because I feel like a remake, a sequel. I just feel like people normally mess that up. And this movie is like my sleepover movie growing up and all of the Lindsay Lohan movies. She was in everything in that era. And so, you know, I've been watching the new stuff that Lindsay Lohan is in, and they're all these kind of like Christmassy movies. And so given that, I also low expectations, but I loved her in this. Obviously, Jamie Lee Curtis can do no wrong. And I think that what surprised me the most was that I was actually laughing. I feel like I love a montage, and this movie does not lack the montage. And yeah, I left it being like, wow, they nailed that. I really, really loved it.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay. All right, we've got two ringing endorsements. Priya, are you going to bring us a third ringing endorsement? Let us know.

[Priya Krishna]

Yeah, make that three ring endorsements.

[Candice Lim]

Hell, yeah.

[Priya Krishna]

I loved this movie. Granted, it felt like pretty much every part of it was tailor made. To me a millennial. But I ate this movie up. From, you know, the musical references to the performances to. There are several subtle and not so subtle Lindsay Lohan Parent Trap movie references.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, there are.

[Candice Lim]

That I loved.

[Priya Krishna]

I have been a fan of the director Nisha Ganathra for a long time. I really loved like the TV directing work she did. And I feel like this movie like really let her chops shine. It's sentimental, it's funny, it obviously feels like a remake of the original, but it also feels fresh, nostalgic, but not too self referential. It just works in a way that like, I've just been so disappointed by so many sequels that aim to really like tap on that nostalgia button and this worked.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, yeah. I'm like roughly the same age as Lindsay Lohan. She's like a one or two years older than me, but more or less we're the same age. And I think Parent Trap, when that came out, it hit me right squarely. Supposed to be, I was 10 years old. It was the perfect movie. I love that movie. I still rewatch it all the time. Freaky Friday, by then I would have been 15. So these movies tend to be. Even if the characters are a certain age, they tend to be aimed younger. And so I do not have the same sort of attachment to Freaky Friday as you all do. And I think this movie Freaky or Friday lives or dies on that kind of attachment. And so I had moments that I enjoyed it and then there were. There's a lot of it where I felt, oh, this really is just a remake that I'm not sure we needed. It's more convoluted. There's a lot more happening. Sometimes it's a little bit hard for me to remember who is supposed to be who. Four bodies instead of two. It's like, oh wait, I did enjoy the Parent Trap references. The fact that Lindsay Lohan, her roles recently have been hit or miss and she's talked about feeling pigeonholed and not having the career that she kind of wants. And I do think returning to this well suits her. Even if I don't fully love this movie. There's a moment where she is seducing or attempting to seduce Jake, her ex boyfriend from the original movie, who's played by Chad Michael Murray. It's her body, but she's her daughter, Harper, you know, the body swapping. And it's such a great moment. It's like her physical comedy, the way she's playing with it. Like I was like, oh, this is what I love about Lindsay Lohan. This is her wheelhouse.

[Mia Venkat]

Do you ever miss us?

[Aisha Harris]

You get married this weekend.

Unless I'm not.

[Mia Venkat]

Literally in my notes from that, I was like, lindsay Lohan is back.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes. And I kind of wish we just had more moments like that. And I don't think there was enough of that for me and Jamie Lee Curtis. I think her and Jamie Lee Curtis just have a great rapport.

[Priya Krishna]

Amazing.

[Aisha Harris]

For me, it kept the movie from sinking too much. Like when they were on screen, I very much enjoyed them.

[Mia Venkat]

You think he's cute.

[Aisha Harris]

I do not.

[Mia Venkat]

You totally do.

[Aisha Harris]

Stop. I do not. Yes, you do.

[Candice Lim]

I do not.

[Priya Krishna]

Absolutely do.

[Mia Venkat]

Shut up.

[Aisha Harris]

She thinks you're cute.

[Candice Lim]

I do. Yes, she does. I do.

[Aisha Harris]

It was a fun enough time. It has its moments.

[Mia Venkat]

The Chad Michael Murray of it all. In this I like, I knew he was going to be in it because of the trailer. I'm so happy. The weirdest part about the first movie to me was the like, the fact that he falls in love with Tess because, you know, Lindsay Lohan is in Tess's body. But then at the end of the movie, it's just like. And now he's dating Lindsay. It was like, okay. But he fell in love with Tess.

[Aisha Harris]

And I'm really happy in this one.

[Mia Venkat]

They called back to that because, like, he doesn't know the body swap happened. He doesn't know anything. And he's like such a dope in this. And like, thank God they kind of wrapped that up for me because I left the first Freaky Friday being like, are we just not gonna forgetting about the fact that he just fully fell in love with Jamie Lee Curtis?

[Candice Lim]

It was perfect. He was perfect.

[Aisha Harris]

I'm curious about how you feel about the these sort of updates in a way because I rewatched for the first time in like probably 20 plus years, the original Freaky Friday with the same cast. I had forgotten the whole Chinese restaurant subplot of it. And I was just like, okay, what are we doing here? Now those characters, including the mother daughter restaurant owners who originally caused the swap in the first movie, are back, but then they flip the plot here. So how do we feel about the way it kind of integrates them, but then also adds Vanessa Bear from SNL as the impetus here?

[Candice Lim]

When I rewatched the first film, I think the, I guess we could say like orientalization of that scene. In particular the mysticalness of like them in the Chinese restaurant. The backing music they use, it's very coded for something.

[Aisha Harris]

The fortune cookie. Yeah, right.

[Candice Lim]

And there I Mean, to be fair, like, something I definitely noticed is that Rosalind Chow does come back in this movie for like a really cute cameo and her accent is actually a little bit more Americanized. And I was kind of like, oh, interesting.

[Priya Krishna]

Yeah, I noticed that.

[Candice Lim]

Interesting, but a right move. I think Mama P and her mom, they're in the film, but they are done with the Etsy witch stuff. They're not casting cursing. Instead, it is Vanessa Bayer who comes through and is running a tarot business where she also makes business cards while also working at a Starbucks. I love her in this. I love Vanessa. She is so funny. And you could say, like, hey, they got a white girl to replace two Asian women. But I do think that them inviting those two women back is kind of the nod we wanted. And like, in terms of modernizing the old film to now, I think the way that they kind of artfully placed each cameo works, no one overstayed their welcome, but they clocked in. I think that is just a testament to how like, Aisha, I agree with you. I did not need this movie. But the way that they like took that and basically said, I'm gonna prove all of you wrong is amazing. And I'm so impressed by that.

[Priya Krishna]

One thing I'm like super curious about. I was watching this movie very aware of the fact that all of this is designed for my demographic to like it. I wonder what Gen Z people will think, and I wonder what people slightly older, even older than you, Aisha, will think. Because I feel like Freaky Friday, weirdly, was that four quadrant film where I remember going to see it with my parents. And my parents loved it and they thought it was hilarious and relatable and I loved it and I thought it was hilarious and relatable. And I feel like that was like the magic of the original Freaky Friday. Hearing your response, I do wonder if it's going to sort of achieve that universal appeal in the same way as the original.

[Aisha Harris]

I do think there are so many jokes about being old or being young. And I get it. My hands look like doll hands. My butt feels so high.

[Mia Venkat]

I think I just peed a little bit.

[Aisha Harris]

I think it kind of walks that very fine line of like the adults in the younger kids bodies are like suddenly so happy. They can like eat whatever they want or they can stand without knees cracking, their knees cracking or, you know, osteoporosis.

[Candice Lim]

Like they can eat fries. They have metabolism.

[Priya Krishna]

But Lindsay Lohan's character is only in her 30s.

[Aisha Harris]

I know, but as someone who is in my late 30s now. I do understand. It's just like, your metabolism does slow down and also, like, things start to ache, so I get that. I did wonder if some of the jokes, though, were just like, you know, there's a John Mayer. As if, like, John Mayer and Coldplay are, like, super old.

[Candice Lim]

And I was like, the Coldplay joke really hit in my theater, especially after the Coldplay CEO concert affair.

[Aisha Harris]

Well, yeah, that's true. That's very much like recency bias. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if it would have hit in the same way. Another sort of thing that I kind of questioned and this movie has been in the works for a while now, but there is, you know, Manny Jacinto's character and his daughter. They're supposed to be from London. Also Manny Jacinto, British accent storm.

[Candice Lim]

I know it comes and it goes.

[Mia Venkat]

I'll watch him in anything.

[Aisha Harris]

There's a scene where Anna and Eric, his character, are supposed to go to immigration services. And it's like this fantasy ideal of what it would be like. And I was like, this is a weird time for an immigration services scene played for comedy. When we know what's happening in the world right now, specifically in our country right now. It's just like, I don't know about this, and maybe I'm being overly sensitive about it. And a lot of people going to this movie won't think that, but it was just like, I wish they had found another way to, like, do this instead of this plotline. But that's neither here nor there. I am curious. Just, you know, like, pink slip, like, how do we feel about bringing them back? There's a lot of people who come back. A lot of new faces, including Chloe Feynman. Sherry Cola shows up for, like, a hot second. Is a little too short for my taste. I would have loved to see more of her. But what do we think about just the way the movie sort of incorporates all these. The older characters? I think it handles it pretty nicely.

[Mia Venkat]

I think so. I think one thing I really loved was how believable it felt for Lindsay Lohan's character to now be, like, a talent manager.

[Aisha Harris]

Totally.

[Mia Venkat]

I thought there were parts of the movie where I'm, like, remembering the rebellious teen. And I was like, oh, she seems so put together now. But I thought that they wove in the. You know, she's still writing and, you know, this, like, has this yearn for performance. Like, it didn't feel this, like, completely removed from the first one where I love that she was, like, a cool, hip talent Manager and has a cool kid. Like all of that, I really believed. And there's this line from TikTok comments that I've truly felt where, like, in the end, when Pink Slip is back and they play Take Me Away, I, like, felt woken up like a sleeper agent. I felt like my body, like, I was like, whoa, this is like the chords of that song come. And I'm like, oh, we're back. It was so good.

[Aisha Harris]

I don't want to blow up if I wanna get out hey, take me away.

[Priya Krishna]

And for what it's worth, I really liked the new song too.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, it was a bop. Yeah. That new song, baby, it was a little bop.

[Candice Lim]

I just keep on coming back. I'm your good and I'm your bad. Cause you're my baby and love is made to last.

[Mia Venkat]

I thought it was all right.

[Candice Lim]

I gotta be honest. I didn't love it. I'm sorry, Priya. I'm so sorry.

[Mia Venkat]

I didn't love it.

[Candice Lim]

I didn't love it. Cause it's just not. It was too G major for me. That's it. That's it.

[Priya Krishna]

It's no Take Me Away. But I liked it. I thought it was bop.

[Candice Lim]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mia Venkat]

Take Me Away has such a specific sound, and it's like. It feels very angsty to me. And I think that if they tried to do another angsty teen bop, I think it would have always paled in comparison. So the fact that it was a little more, like, sweet, I get why they did it. I agree with Candace. I thought it was a little bit. Eh. But yeah, as long as Take Me Away is going to be in there, I was going to be all right.

[Priya Krishna]

I would have loved to hear the ultimate, but maybe that was a step too far.

[Candice Lim]

That's my one thing. Okay. Actually, I have two things. Okay. There are two things about this film. I will. I will give them the L. Are we backtracking?

[Aisha Harris]

Candace? Okay.

[Candice Lim]

No, no, no, no, no. We're back. We're going forward. Okay.

[Mia Venkat]

Two steps back.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay.

[Candice Lim]

So the first one is that ultimate is a song that Lindsay Lohan sings in the first film during the credits. It's when her mom gets married. And it is, like, such a good song. It is sweet and it is, like, romantic, and I love it. In this film, they have this other band, like, sing it during the credits, but it doesn't sound right. The band's called the Beaches, but they're not really, like, as related to the lore of it all.

[Aisha Harris]

I love the Beaches, but I get it.

[Candice Lim]

My second thing is The ADR in this film. Oh, I kind of was like, oh, someone went to the Mindy Kaling school of making television. Which I'm right. Because Nisha Ganatra directed Late Night, which is Mindy Kaling's movie with Emma Thompson. But, hey, I let all of that go. Those are technicalities in comparison to the joy I felt and the tears I shed. Okay. When, like, Jamie Lee Curtis had this heart to heart with Sophia Hammonds, the Lily character who's Manny Jacinto's daughter. Body sobbed. Everyone in the room. Tissues. I loved it.

[Aisha Harris]

It was interesting to me to see the way the movie kind of tried to, like. I think they mentioned that Anna's a single mom, like, at least eight times in the first, like, 10 minutes. And it's like, she's a single mom by choice. By ch. To be a single match. And I was just like, okay. And then the way it kind of tries to, like, perhaps she had to give some things up, like not becoming a rock star in order to be a single mom. And the way that plays out, I guess I wanted a little bit more exploration of that conflict. But again, a Disney movie, we're not gonna get that deep. Maybe it's progress to some extent that we even have a woman who is like, I'm a single mom by choice. Look at me. Yeah.

[Mia Venkat]

I feel like what the one part of the movie that I was like, given that it's a Disney movie and that it's always going to have this, like, kind of everything is wrapped up in a little bow at the end. I know what they were trying to do with it being freakier. And it's like a four person body swap. And I felt like the most compelling parts and the most moving parts of the movie were with the three Colemans, like, with Jamie Lee Curtis character, Lindsay Lohan's character and Lindsay Lohan's daughter. I wasn't as moved by the Lily character just because at the end I feel like, like there's this gorgeous resolution with the Colmans and Lindsay Lohan and her daughter. And then I feel like Lily's just kind of like. And also me, and I'm also now happy as well.

[Candice Lim]

And it's also just like.

[Priya Krishna]

It's so tough when you have just like the, like, electric chemistry of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. It's just like, how do you compete with that? Like, I just wanted to keep going back to their scenes because they're so good.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, look, it's Freakier Friday. Is it freakier? Sure. It was a Friday. Tell us what you think about Freakier Friday. Find us on [e-mail] PCHH and on letterbox.com NPRpopculture. We'll have a link to that in our episode description. And up next, what's making us happy this week?

This message comes from Cook Unity. Enjoy high quality culinary masterpieces for a fraction of restaurant takeout prices. Subscriptions start as low as $11ameal. Skip deliveries. Pause or cancel anytime. Get what you're craving. Try fresh, great tasting meal delivery made by your favorite celebrity chefs. Go to cookunity.com happy or enter code Happy before checkout for free. Premium meals for life terms and conditions apply. Go to cookunity.com for details. This message comes from Amazon. Have you ever been so sick that even the thought of standing up to go to the doctor made you even more sick? Amazon One Medical has 247 virtual care so you can get help while horizontal. And with Amazon Pharmacy you can get medicine delivered fast right to your door. You just have to make it to your door. Thanks to Amazon Healthcare just got less painful. This message comes from Amazon Pharmacy. Ever been so sick that thinking of going to the pharmacy made you more sick? With Amazon Pharmacy, meds are delivered fast right to your door. You just have to make it to your door. Amazon Healthcare just got less painful. This message comes from Schwab at Schwab. How you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more.

And now it's time for our favorite segment of this week and every week. What's making us Happy? Candace hit us.

[Candice Lim]

So what's making me happy is this show on the Roku Channel. Hold on, hold on. It's called Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross.

[Aisha Harris]

Oh yes, I saw a clip of this. Yes, tell us more. Tell us more.

[Candice Lim]

So Tracee Ellis Ross, Blackish Girlfriends. Girlfriends. Daughter of Diana Ross. In this show, she goes to Morocco, Spain and Mexico by herself. And she shows the joys of solo traveling, solo dining, solo vacationing. And and I think the reason why this show is kind of getting some online steam for a good reason is because there are moments of real reflection and solemn that are really resonating with a lot of women. For example, there's a part where Tracy Is like, after dinner, sitting in bed, and she's just like, what is the difference between sadness and loneliness? And she parses that out. There's a part where she talks about, like, yeah, Oprah called me the poster child of singledom, and I actually didn't like that.

[Aisha Harris]

And here's why.

[Candice Lim]

And I think there is something so, so poignant and groundbreaking about the way that she is kind of combating the things that we as women and women of color have been told we cannot do in the world. We cannot travel alone. We're gonna get taken Liam Neeson style. We can't sit at dinner alone. People are gonna think something weird about us. And in this very subtle way, Tracy is being like, I'm rich, I'm funny, and I'm beautiful. I'm going to Morocco. And I think in a weird way, it breaks the ice for and young women, grown women, black women, to just, like, go outside and do the thing you've always wanted to do. I like how this show is about womanhood and freedom and independence, and it's tucked into a travel show. And Tracee is also so funny. She's so funny, and I love her. And so that's solo traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross. It's on the Roku channel.

[Aisha Harris]

I love that. Priya, what is making you happy this week?

[Priya Krishna]

What is making me happy this week is a musician that is new to me named Dhruv. One name. A friend introduced me to his music, and it is, like, soothing, melancholy. Like, it sort of feels very like Rufus Wainwright meets Troy Sivan. Like, melancholic longing. His voice is, like, silky smooth. It's like the kind of music you would put on while cooking yourself a nice dinner and drinking a glass of wine. He has, like, a new ish album called Private Blizzard. But the album I've been listening to the most is called Rapunzel. Double take is the song I love. That's thruv. And the album is Rapunzel.

[Aisha Harris]

Thank you, Priya. Mia, I'm so curious. What is making you happy this week?

[Mia Venkat]

What's making me happy this week is Chapel Roan's new song, the Subway, and the accompanying music video. And it's so good, and everyone's. I mean, I have been waiting for the full song to come out, and the ramp up to the music video in New York was pretty iconic to me. Like, her, like, red hair is everywhere, and there's, like, advertisements for it all over New York. The part of the song that is so catchy, I want to play a.

[Aisha Harris]

Little bit of it.

[Candice Lim]

She's got away. She's got away. She got, she got away. She got away.

[Mia Venkat]

I love a good belt. I love her voice. And in the music video, a very funny part when she's belting this part like her hair is blowing everywhere and there's crazy wind and trash flying around. And there was a tweet that really cracked me up that was like, oh, she got that wind in the challengers that makes you cheat on your partner.

[Aisha Harris]

Oh, my gosh. So that is Chapel, the Subway. I love that song, but I did not realize there was a music video.

[Candice Lim]

So thank you for telling me.

[Aisha Harris]

I feel so out of the loop. I am here to say that the thing that is making me happy this week is something that I wish someone had told me about sooner because I didn't find out it existed until like a week or two ago. But it is Couples Therapy Season four. I love Couples Therapy. This is, of course, a show on Showtime where psychotherapist slash host Orna Goralnik basically has some of her her patients or clients sit in and be recorded. And you watch multiple couples or sometimes on some occasions, people with multiple partners, you know, talk about their issues. And it's not just about them. It's you get family drama histories, past histories, and it is just such a fascinating show. It's a reality TV show, but it feels elevated because it's like set in the sexy mood lighting office space that looks very welcoming and calm. But then everyone's like dumping all of their trauma and sadness and issues onto her and she handles it with such like grace and curiosity and empathy and, and that is couples therapy. You can find all of it on Paramount plus, and that's what's making me happy. This week and this Sunday in our podcast feed, we're going to have another monthly bonus episode for our Pop Culture Happy Hour plus supporters. Stephen and Linda answer one of our most frequently asked questions. How do we pick panelists for each episode? You can sign up for pop culture happy hour [e-mail] happy we'll also have a link to that in our episode description. That brings us to the end of our show. Mia Venkat, Priya Krishna, Candice Lim, thanks so much for being here. We did not swap bodies, but we did swap some very good opinions. So thank you.

[Candice Lim]

Thank you.

[Mia Venkat]

Thank you.

[Priya Krishna]

Thanks, Aisha.

[Aisha Harris]

This episode was produced by Liz Metzger, Janae Morris and Mike Katsiff and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Hello. Kamin provides our theme music. Thanks so much for listening to Pop Culture Happy hour. From npr, I'm Aisha Harris. We'll see you all next week.

This message comes from Amazon Pharmacy. Ever been so sick that thinking of going to the pharmacy made you more sick? With Amazon Pharmacy, meds are delivered fast right to your door. You just have to make it to your door. Amazon Healthcare just got less painful.

[Priya Krishna]

This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless.

[Candice Lim]

And made it right.

[Priya Krishna]

They offer premium wireless plans for less. And all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text, and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] Switch this message comes.

[Aisha Harris]

From NPR sponsor Rosetta Stone, an expert in language learning for 30 years. Right now, NPR listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership to 25 different languages for 50% off. Learn more at RosettaStone. Com. NPR.