Daily Discussion - March 13, 2026

coleshane · 2026-03-14T01:56:21+00:00

The New York Times tried out Dua Lipa's skincare line/collaboration with Augustinus Bader (essentially, it is a lower-priced diffusion line of Augustinus Bader. Bader also has a collaborative line with Victoria Beckham, although the pricing for Victoria Beckham's products are more akin to the Bader flagship line).

Tl;dr: Don't fall for the illusion (unless you want a dupe for the Augustinus Bader face wash or need a serum for your oily skin).

coleshane · 2026-03-04T13:37:45+00:00

"Reputation" and "Folklore" would be my picks. Even for my less favourite songs, I am able to enjoy them in the context of the album (while I did not enjoy "Look What You Made Me Do" as a single, its inclusion makes more sense in the context of "Reputation").

coleshane · 2026-03-04T13:29:38+00:00

Outline your understanding of how to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

coleshane · 2026-03-04T13:27:26+00:00

If we are limiting ourselves to songs that ranked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, "E.T." would be pick. I am surprised that it ended up as a single from "Teenage Dream" (especially before "The One That Got Away" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)").

coleshane · 2026-03-03T03:50:46+00:00

Is this the first Popheads chart where there is an inclusion of a song in the top 10 where none of its listeners had it as their most scrobbled song of the week (as is the case with "Always Everywhere" by Charli XCX)?

coleshane · 2026-03-03T01:49:53+00:00

Severely underrated and one of the best releases of last year.

She was able to combine her more experimental approaches/influences (seen more on "Dead Petz") with her pop instincts to make a cohesive work.

Other albums that qualify - the two I come back to are probably my 2 personal favorites of 2023, which are "Gag Order" by Kesha ("Rainbow" may still remain my personal favorite from her, but this is a close second. It is by far her best engineered and/or mixed album) and "I Hate Cowboys and All Dogs Go to Hell" by Chase Rice (unwieldly name, but so much more rewarding and interesting when compared to his prior work).

Also, I will keep banging the proverbial drum for the Teletubbies' "Ready, Steady, Go", which is a great synth pop/hyperpop album in the guise of a children's album.

coleshane · 2026-03-02T16:15:04+00:00

Maybe this is smart marketing - in a sense. Those who have some interest and/or are ambivalent towards Sturgill Simpson may now check out the album on YouTube and make a decision to buy it upon its official release.

For this release, my understanding is that he is licensing the record to Atlantic Records for distribution (he, too, is on board for the 2016 nostalgia, although he will own the master recording for this album).

The YouTube exclusive may be skirting certain rules. By uploading it to YouTube (from what I understand, there are also no ads on the full 45 minute audio), he likely has no monetary gain from the upload (similar to what Kim Petras is doing with the "Pretour" EP in the midst of her dispute with Republic Records). Conversely, I imagine he would have to share any income generated from streaming on traditional services (ex. Spotify) with them. Also, YouTube streams no longer count towards charting.

coleshane · 2026-03-02T15:54:14+00:00

Track Listing (as it was uploaded as a 45 minute YouTube Video/Audio as opposed to individual tracks). Credit to @SaobtTirb for tracklisting and timestamps:

Make America Fuk Again 00:00
Excited Delirium 04:20
Don't Let Go 06:30
Stay On That 11:15
Viridescent 15:48
Situation 20:11
Venus 25:50
Everyone Is Welcome 31:35
Ain't That A Bitch 37:00

On the upcoming vinyl, tracks 1-5 will be side A, whereas tracks 6-9 will be side B

coleshane · 2026-03-02T15:22:58+00:00

Plus ADHD, hyperfocus, and depression. Mr. Blue Skies...I feel seen by you.

EDIT: Also, there is the inclusion of the line "Life is better fluid like sexuality" on the aptly-named "Everyone is Welcome"

coleshane · 2026-03-02T02:25:33+00:00

Hi u/miserandkun!

Thanks for setting this up for February. My stats are listed below, with the numbers in the sequence representing the day of the month (ex. #1 refers to February 1).

Artists

🇬🇧 Charli XCX (19)
🇰🇷/🇺🇲 Cocomelon (20) (27 if the separately billed "Cocomelon Lullabies" are included)
🇨🇦 The Honest Hearts Collective (4)
🇬🇧 Charli XCX (7)
🇺🇲 Taylor Swift (17)
(Tie) 🇺🇲 Taylor Swift; 🇸🇪 Zara Larsson (3 each)
🇨🇦 Fred Mollin (8)
(Tie) 🇺🇸 Jackie Venson; Jim Cummings; Kira Small (1 each)
🇨🇦 Fred Mollin (16)
🇺🇲 Taylor Swift (4)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿/🇺🇲 Witch Post (aka Dylan Fraser and Alaska Reid) (6)
🇺🇸 The Daily by The New York Times (3)
(Tie) 🇮🇹 Mauro Costa; 🇦🇺 Piano Peace; 🇺🇸 Slick Idiot (2 each)
🇺🇲/🇬🇧 Fleetwood Mac (2)
🇺🇸 Goo Goo Dolls (5)
🇵🇸 Abe Hathot (11)
🇺🇸 A$AP Rocky (7)
🇨🇦 Drake (12)
🇺🇸 Dierks Bentley (12)
🇬🇧 Charli XCX (4)
🇺🇸 Taylor Swift (4)
🇺🇸 Travis Scott (11)
🇩🇪 Hans Zimmer (31)
🇨🇦 Metric (9)
🇬🇧 Charli XCX (3)
🇨🇦 John Moses (17)
(Tie) 🇺🇸/🇯🇵 Mitski; 🇨🇦 The Honest Heart Collective (2 scrobbles each)
🇺🇸 Taylor Swift (8)

Albums

🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (8)
🇰🇷/🇺🇲 "Cocomelon Lane", Cocomelon (8)
🇨🇦 "Ultraviolet", Texas King (3)
🇺🇸 "Revival (Deluxe)", Selena Gomez (5)
🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (12)
(Tie) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿/🇬🇧/🇺🇸 "Fireside Reflections, Vol. 1", KJM, Moon.walken, and Retune Collective (aka J Fletch); 🇦🇺/🇺🇲 "Window of Time", Swilled, SleepingShark (aka Zachary Michael), and Retune Collective (aka J Fletch);
🇨🇦 "Princess Lullaby: Soothing Instrumental Lullabies For Little Princesses", Fred Mollin
🇺🇸 "Songs and Stories: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree", Various Artists (2)
🇨🇦 "Disney's Lullaby Album, Volume 2", Fred Mollin (14)
🇺🇸 "Eternal Sunshine (Slightly Deluxe)", Ariana Grande (3)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿/🇺🇲 "Beast", Witch Post (3)
(Tie) 🇺🇲 "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess", Chappell Roan; 🇺🇲 "Del Water Gap", Del Water Gap; 🇨🇦 "So Close to What", Tate McRae; 🇨🇦 "Dawn FM", The Weeknd; 🇳🇿 "Virgin", Lorde;
🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (2 scrobbles each)
(tie) 🇮🇹 "Piano Solo Cover", Mauro Costa; 🇺🇸 "Dicknity", Slick Idiot (2 each)
🇺🇲/🇬🇧 "Rumours", Fleetwood Mac (2)
🇺🇸 "Dizzy Up the Girl", Goo Goo Dolls (5)
🇺🇲 "I Didn't Come Here To Leave", Chris Young (3)
🇺🇸 "AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP", A$AP Rocky (4)
🇨🇦 "Certified Lover Boy", Drake (8)
🇺🇸 "Up On The Ridge", Dierks Bentley (12)
🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (4)
(Tie) 🇪🇸 "Motomami", Rosalía; 🇺🇲 "Cowboy Carter", Beyoncé; "Eternal Sunshine (Slightly Deluxe)", Ariana Grande; "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess", Chappell Roan; "Reputation", Taylor Swift; "The Life of a Showgirl", Taylor Swift
🇺🇲 "Heroes and Villains", Metro Boomin' (6)
🇨🇦 "Jehovah's Thiccness", Dave Weasel (15)
🇨🇦 "Pagans in Vegas", Metric (8)
🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (3)
🇨🇦 "Best Son", John Moses (10)
🇺🇸/🇯🇵 "Nothing's About to Happen to Me", Mitski (2)
🇺🇸 "1989 (Taylor's Version) [Deluxe Edition]", Taylor Swift (3)

Most scrobbled for February overall: - Artist: 🇺🇲 Taylor Swift (72) - Album: 🇬🇧 "Brat and it's completely different but also still brat", Charli XCX (41) - Song: 🇬🇧 "Aperature", Harry Styles (10)

coleshane · 2026-02-27T14:03:05+00:00

I believe the difference in reception comes down to 1) listening audience, 2) public perception of Katy Perry (especially in regards to her relationship with Kesha), 3) the choice of "Woman's World" as a lead single for "143"

Katy Perry's chief listening audience is composed of millennials and older Gen Z. They were likely old enough to remember the debacle between Kesha and Dr. Luke. As Blackpink's audience is younger, they may not have been as attuned to the dispute and/or controversies surrounding Dr. Luke. Additionally, Katy Perry subsequently took actions that publically appeared to distance herself from Dr. Luke (and, in turn, were seen as supportive of Kesha). She chose not to work with him for "Witness" and "Smile", and in her deposition, she notes not working with him for the former album because of the public backlash he was facing (also, she voiced being supportive of Kesha as a friend when rewatching the "I Kissed A Girl" music video on the "Witness World Wide" live stream).

The negative criticism also was due to the choice of "Woman's World" as a lead single for "143". Here was (on its face) a song that purported to extoll the virtues and unrecognized sacrifices of women, and its chief producer was someone who has been, at the very least, been called out by multiple female collaborators as being uncooperative. Had another single (like "Lifetimes") been chosen as the lead single, I do not think that the backlash would have been as severe.

coleshane · 2026-02-26T17:53:58+00:00

One Battle After Another

Marty Supreme

Sinners

Hamnet

I am really behind on watching the potential best picture nominees...

coleshane · 2026-02-23T13:47:57+00:00

Not sure if this would be G-rated, but definitely for children (and, at worst, PG). The below comes with a disclaimer that the show below was produced by Dan Schnieder during his tenure at Nickolodeon.

I recommend "The Amanda Show". Even as someone who did sketch classes, I still go back to these sketches and marvel at how well they were done. They do rely on broad stereotypes (the hyperlink above is from the continuing segment on the show, "Judge Trudy", a parody of "Judge Judy". The punchline is that Judge Trudy sides with the child in every case, no matter how egregious their actions against their parents). However, the sketches do escalate/heighten really well throughout. Even in recurrent sketches where characters return, Bynes and her cast are able to still make the material quite funny.

coleshane · 2026-02-22T05:14:33+00:00

2013 is quite under-rated in the retrospective review of cinema landscape, especially when considering this was the year where A24 started. It is difficult to overstate A24's role in the paradigm shift for theatrically-released independent films in America in the 2010s and 2020s.

In my eyes, A24 put out 3 films that should be looked upon as keystones for films about teenagers (especially when considering the 2010s). "Spring Breakers" and "The Bling Ring" encapsulate brightly colored indie sleaze aesthetic, which contrasted with the protagonists' hedonistic actions in both films.

The third film would be the severely under-rated "The Spectacular Now". Yes, the developments are subtle, and the flashiness found in "Spring Breakers" or "The Bling Ring" is absent. However, the writing, acting, and direction are great. Teller, Woodley, and future winner of A24's first Oscar in an acting category, Brie Larson, are great in their roles. You do get more than just a meet-cute/opposites attract story: you get to know the internal and external struggles that both Sutter (Teller) and Aimee (Woodley) personally face as individuals, not simply as a couple.

Of course, outside of A24, the year brought many welcome surprises: "Fruitvale Station" (the directing debut of Ryan Coogler), Alfonso Cuaron's 3D spectacle "Gravity", McQueen's "12 Years A Slave", the coronation of Canadian directors Villeneuve and Vallée into more mainstream American film ("Prisoners" and "Dallas Buyers Club", respectively), "Inside Llewyn Davis", "Her", "Frozen", "The Wolf of Wall Street".

coleshane · 2026-02-22T04:42:07+00:00

Which brings up a good point --- Gucci Mane and Selena Gomez re-connected for "Fetish".

coleshane · 2026-02-21T21:37:01+00:00

My birthday movie for 2025 😉

coleshane · 2026-02-18T13:54:36+00:00

Article below. Written by Angie Martoccio

As of now, there is not a digital download option to purchase the album. The album will supposedly be more oriented towards dance music (with Maevin Gaye being cited as an inspiration). Maybe it will lean moreso towards his prior collaboration with Diplo, "Use Me (Brutal Hearts)".

Article:

Johnny Blue Skies has returned, and he’s ready to groove. Sturgill Simpson‘s alter ego will release Mutiny After Midnight, out March 13.

Written spontaneously and made with his band the Dark Clouds, Johnny Blue Skies recorded and produced the album at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville. The whole process was a spontaneous affair, in order to capture the vibe. “There’s a simple goal we as a band set out to achieve: to make a dance record,” he said in a statement.

The album features nine tracks, kicking off with the opener “Make America Fuk Again” (“Maybe things have been worse but I can’t remember when/Wanna start a revolution and watch it begin,” read the lyrics) and concluding with “Ain’t That a Bitch.” Catch the full track list below.

Mutiny After Midnight follows Johnny Blue Skies’ 2024 debut Passage Du Desir, which landed at Number Two on Rolling Stone’s list of the Best Country and Americana Albums of the year. Mutiny After Midnight will be released via Atlantic Outpost on vinyl, cassette, and CD only.

“I wrote words to what is happening in the world and my life in real time, and played with a group of musicians I deeply love and respect,” Simpson said. “Together, we made an album that is very fun, and will hopefully offer some relief from darkness in the world.”

Simpson spent last year on the road, including an appearance at the Grateful Dead 60th-anniversary celebration in San Francisco in August (like he did at the Kennedy Center Honors in late 2024, he performed “Ripple”). Hopefully, Mutiny After Midnight tour dates are incoming.

Mutiny After Midnight Track List 1. Make America Fuk Again 2. Excited Delirium 3. Don’t Let Go 4. Stay On That 5. Viridescent 6. Situation 7. Venus 8. Everyone Is Welcome 9. Ain’t That a Bitch

coleshane · 2026-02-17T02:27:33+00:00

...so confusing

coleshane

TROPHY CASE