Awards Season
How to Have the Best Weekend Ever: Kate Pierson, Estelle, the Oscars, + More
What we'll be listening to, watching, and reading to sate our pop culture needs.
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We’re so ready for the Oscars, not least of which because it means we can finally kiss awards season, and all these insipid red carpets, good-bye. And we’ll do it to the tune of Estelle, who’s graced us with another treat-filled soul album. That and so much more.
The 87th Academy Awards
Will Selma win best picture? (Fingers crossed!) Will Meryl get another statue? (Likely.) Will NPH be our new favorite host? (Probably.) We’ll be tuning in Sunday to find out.
‘Guitars and Microphones’—Kate Pierson
It’s about time our favorite wig wrangler and B-52s icon unleashed her solo talents on the world—at 66 she’s finally giving us a taste of what she’s like on her own. After 40 years with one of pop’s most party-friendly (and influential) bands, Pierson teamed up with co-writer and producer Sia for Guitars and Microphones, an album that revels in her forever powerful voice, and includes all of the great lyrical themes we love her for: LGBT rights, feminism, and, above all, fun.
‘The Unfortunate Importance of Beauty’ by Amanda Filipacchi
With two main protagonists, the unbelievably beautiful Barb and the incredibly talented but physically repelling Lily, Amanda Filipacchi’s new novel confronts readers with the constantly reinforced notion that beauty matters, so much more than we wish it did.
‘True Romance’—Estelle
Estelle’s new concept album represents the stages of a relationship—from passion and sex to heartbreak—and we love them all. The U.K. singer’s fourth full-length, True Romance, might not have a mega-hit like 2008’s “American Boy” but its hints of ’90s house and ’70s sultriness and all-over soul have us hooked.
‘The Duff’ starring Mae Whitman
We love Parenthood alum Mae Whitman so much we’d watch her in just about anything. And since she carries this high school makeover movie, about unwittingly being the “designated ugly fat friend” and the implications of social media in the teen universe, we’ll be there, popcorn in hand.
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