Sonikka and Lydia discuss the pop culture moments you might have missed in October 2025
Taylor Swift seemingly has it all...she became a billionaire, bought back her master recordings and got engaged to a football player all within the past year. So what else does she have to write songs about? Sonikka and Lydia review her latest album "The Life of a Showgirl" and discuss what they liked, what they (really) didn't, and how each song ties into the narrative Taylor is shaping about her public image
"The Summer I Turned Pretty" on Amazon Prime had fans in a chokehold all summer, anxiously awaiting to see which brother Belly ends up with: dark and broody Conrad or golden retriever boyfriend Jeremiah. Now that the show has ended, Sonikka and Lydia share their thoughts on each of the characters and whether they think Belly made the right choice.
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter just dropped her newest album “Man’s Best Friend”, a follow-up to last year’s smash hit “Short n’ Sweet”. But did it live up to the hype of its predecessor? Sonikka and Lydia go through the album track by track to find out
In recent weeks, politics has been dipping into pop culture, and it's been hard to ignore. First came the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and then a few weeks later, the internet was up in arms about Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans. Looking at these two instances, Sonikka and Lydia discuss why they’ve stirred up so much discourse and what this means for the entertainment industry moving forward
It's been a busy summer for our hosts! Sonikka and Lydia catch up on all the TV, movies and music they've missed while on vacation.
When the economy takes a turn, there are some problematic signs, even in pop culture. Sonikka and Lydia discuss the recession indicators they've seen in recent weeks, but let us know about ones you've noticed in the comments below!
What have our chronically online hosts been watching and listening to? Catch up on the latest music and TV shows Sonikka and Lydia have been binging this season, and leave a comment below if you agree/disagree with their picks!
Addison Rae Rolling Stone interview: https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/addison-rae-music-obsessed-behind-the-scenes-1143674/
How did a movie that picked up 13 Oscar nominations, INCLUDING Best Picture, get so much hate over the past few weeks? Sonikka and Lydia analyze the Oscar campaign for 'Emilia Pérez', a movie musical about a Mexican cartel boss that transitions into a woman that managed to offend film critics, Mexicans and the trans community.
During the press tour for "It Ends with Us", a movie adaptation of the popular Colleen Hoover novel, many were quick to notice that something suspicious was going on with the actors playing the two leads: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Now that the two have traded lawsuits and are going to trial next month, Sonikka and Lydia have decided to review the evidence so that the jury (our audience) can decide who is in the wrong
LINKS:
Blake's Lawsuit: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/12/21/us/complaint-of-blake-lively-v-wayfarer-studios-llc-et-al.html
NYT Story: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/21/business/media/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us.html
Justin's Lawsuit website: https://thelawsuitinfo.com
The Grammys are this Sunday, and we here at Pop Rocks and Tea couldn't be more excited for the performances and awards! Sonikka and Lydia share who they think will win in the Big Four categories on music's biggest night, but leave your predictions in the comments below!
Oscar nominations are finally out! This year’s list certainly had some big surprises and some major snubs. Let us know in the comments if you agree with our picks!
Film has the Oscars, music has the Grammys, and pop culture has the Pop Rocks and Tea Awards. With so many pop culture moments in 2024, Sonikka and Lydia created their own award show to reward the ones that made them laugh, the ones that made them cringe, and everything in between.
After months of pink and green promo (and teary-eyed interviews with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande), Wicked Part 1 is finally here. The film based on the smash-hit Broadway musical follows the unlikely friendship of two of Oz's most powerful witches and explores the question: are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? Sonikka and Lydia relive their favorite movie moments and reveal behind-the-scenes secrets in this recap.
Just when you thought Brat Girl Summer was over, pop star Charli XCX decided to drop a completely re-imagined version of her hit album 'Brat' called 'Brat and it's completely different but also still Brat'. The album is full of remixes of the original songs with features from pop stars like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, to indie artists like Bon Iver and the 1975. So which version is the definitive version of 'Brat'? Sonikka and Lydia go track by track to find out
Although she's been singing and acting for well over a decade, 2024 was the breakout year of Sabrina Carpenter. With catchy bops like 'Nonsense', 'Feather' and 'Espresso' going viral and rising to the top of the charts, fans were curious to hear what the Polly Pocket-sized pop star had in store for her new album, 'Short n' Sweet'. Sonikka and Lydia go track by track to share their thoughts on each song, who the songs might be about, and how they might relate to the lyrics a little more than they thought.
In case you fell out of a coconut tree and forgot the context we’re living in, Vice President and Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris is brat. Step aside Joe Biden, because Harris got endorsed by British pop icon Charli xcx, and that seems to have more internet value than any campaign strategy we’ve seen this year. In this episode, Sonikka, Lydia and special guest Emma Mont from Organizer Memes break down their favorite Kamala Harris memes, how they lead to her campaign doing a 180 *not a 360* and what future presidential campaigns can learn from this unexpected phenomenon. Check out Organizer Memes on Twitter: https://x.com/OrganizerMemes
After picking up 3 Golden Globes and a record 23 Emmy nominations, FX's 'The Bear' continues to feed critics and fans alike. Now that it's highly anticipated third season is out, Sonikka and Lydia invited their friend and Chicago native Lauren Seales to discuss what they loved and what they think should have been left on the cutting board.
From Bridgerton Season 3 to Deadpool and Wolverine and Billie Eilish's new album, there are sooo many new TV shows, movies and music coming out this summer. If you're in need of some recommendations, listen to find out what Sonikka and Lydia have been watching, listening to and looking forward to in the next few months.
Another Met Gala has come and gone, and once again celebrities were *sleeping* on this year's theme, which was "Sleeping Beauties, Reawakening Fashion". Sonikka and Lydia are back from their break to talk about their favorite and least favorite looks from fashion's biggest night. What was your favorite Met Gala look? Let us know in the comments below!