Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

'Yesteryear', the debut novel of Caro Claire Burke, follows a tradwife influencer who posts about her idyllic farm life to millions of followers. But when she wakes up in 1855, she learns what it's really like for women living in the past. Amil Niazi, author of 'Life After Ambition', and essayist Charlie Tyson join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how 'Yesteryear' takes on tradwives — the online trend where women dedicate themselves to the "traditional work" of wifehood on the homestead over the rat race of modern life.

Plus, Charli XCX got people talking when she shared an unreleased song with British Vogue with the lyric, "I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.” Niko Stratis, author of 'The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman', talks about the cultural shift to rock music and Charli XCX's decision to to put 'Brat' behind her.

With the release of 'Michael', the biopic on the King of Pop, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Black pop expert Prof. Mark Anthony Neal, film critic Sarah-Tai Black and culture critic Jay Smooth to discuss how it handles the high, lows and controversies of Michael Jackson's legacy.

Earlier this week, a giant ice sculpture appeared in the middle of downtown Toronto with the release date of Drake's new album hidden inside. It attracted a lot of gawkers, live streamers and people with pickaxes, until the fire department hosed it down. Music journalist Emilie Hanskamp, culture critic Matt Amha and comedian Marlon Palmer join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how Drake is a master at marketing and getting everyone’s attention.

After sharing her diagnosis of a rare neurological condition, it seemed possible that Celine Dion might never perform again. Now she is back with a new song, and a 16-night residency in Paris that sold out in minutes. Elamin Abdelmahmoud checks in with Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau, host of Radio-Canada's Admission générale podcast and Benjamin Locoge, editor-in-chief for Culture of Paris Match, about the buzz building around Celine's return.

Premiering in 2023, the Netflix series Beef was an instant smash hit thanks to its gripping premise about a minor road-rage incident between two strangers that snowballs into an all-consuming, back-and-forth battle. For season two, creator Lee Sung Jin introduces a new cast of characters who clash at an upscale country club. Variety TV critic Alison Herman and Vulture TV critic Roxana Hadadi talk to Elamin Abelmahmoud about whether the second season is as successful as the first.

Nevon Sinclair was a Toronto-based singer, vocal coach and vocal arranger whose talents helped shape the sound of artists like Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Day Wilson, Loony and Shi Wisdom. He died recently at the age of 39. Elamin is joined by music journalist and publicist Dalton Higgins and CBC Music producer Ryan Chung to look back on Nevon Sinclair’s legacy and the role Toronto’s Black Christian music community has played in giving us some of Canada’s most successful R&B singers and musicians to date.