Pop Culture Rundown
I'm in the midst of binging several new shows (Sanditon, Madam Secretary, Search Party, Lovesick, WandaVision), which means my head is wondering why I decided to do this to myself and spinning with new characters and plot lines. As a result, we're taking a step back to examine some pop culture news!
Love Game: It's the craziest Disney Channel love triangle since Aaron Carter/Hilary Duff/Lindsay Lohan but now with a musical twist! The main players: Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett (both from High School Musical the Musical: The Series) and Sabrina Carpenter (Girl Meets World). Joshua released a song that nobody listened to about his breakup with Olivia. Then she released Drivers License telling her side of the story and the single topped the charts, broke Spotify records and even caught the attention of the queen of breakup ballads, Taylor Swift. Drivers License mentions a blonde girl, who is "so much older than me," which fans assume is Joshua's supposed new girlfriend, Sabrina (who is both blonde and four years older than Olivia). Naturally, Sabrina released her own song last week. Angsty stars or publicity stunt? Vulture gives you the full breakdown here.
Bop to the Top: Speaking of High School Musical... the movie just celebrated its 15-year anniversary and Variety broke down its journey from pitch to (TV) screen and into our hearts. Featuring interviews from the creative team and sadly only two of the six original cast members, you'll learn about the original final song of the movie, how Zac and Vanessa were basically obsessed with each other from the start and how the movie was almost a middle school musical.
I couldn't help but wonder: Has Sex and the City's swan song already sung? Look, I'm not going to pretend I didn't feel a tiny thrill hearing Sarah Jessica Parker's narration over generic shots of New York City when the SATC reboot was announced earlier this month. But at the end of the day, the series already had six seasons and a movie (we won't address the second one) to tell its stories. After confirmation that Kim Cattrall would not appear, it felt like another sign to let these friends live their happily ever afters. Vulture excels at breaking down celebrity feuds, so naturally they've put together a handy explainer outlining years of SATC drama.
Here's the story: The first three episodes of WandaVision are now available on Disney+. One of the main highlights of the mysterious series is the smart way it references sitcoms from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Each episode features a brand new theme song reflecting the time period Wanda and Vision have entered in their bizarre world. Entertainment Weekly spoke with the writers behind the show's catchy theme songs to tell us more about their origins.
I'd like to thank the Academy: Award season is upon us and The Hollywood Reporter is back at it with their annual series of roundtable conversations. You can check out the Producer Roundtable and the Director Roundtable, which delve into the casting process, theatrical vs. streaming releases and filming during the pandemic.
History has its eyes on you: Last Wednesday was filled with many moving moments, but Amanda Gorman's performance of her The Hill We Climb poem is still top of mind. She's 22 years old, which makes her the youngest inaugural poet ever. After the inauguration, her book topped the charts and she tweeted back and forth with Lin-Manuel Miranda about the Hamilton references she used in her piece. You can read more about her writing process and her background in this New York Times profile.
To all the authors I've loved before: While this article is technically from a year ago, it's timely again because Netflix announced the third To All the Boys I've Loved Before movie will premiere next month. YA author Jenny Han, who wrote the book series the movies are based on, talks to Elle about her beginnings and love of baking in this lovely profile. Now only a few weeks left until we can watch the new movie!
