Cannonball with Wesley Morris

Joe Coscarelli, NYT music reporter and Popcast co-host, offers inside context on ballots and deliberations. John Caramanica, NYT music critic and Popcast co-host, brings deep critical perspective on popular music traditions. They debate the list-making process, contested inclusions and omissions, how to broaden songwriting definitions, and the tensions between catalog depth, lineage, and innovation.

Eric Hynes, film curator and director of programming at the Jacob Burns Film Center, weighs in on the new Michael Jackson biopic. He argues the film sanitizes memory and flattens family complexity. They debate its crowd-pleasing nostalgia, the erasure of controversies, and a few bold scenes that briefly spark life amid the propaganda.

Gina Cherelus, New York Times journalist who covers dating and culture, joins to probe race and interracial dynamics in a high-profile film. They unpack why the movie avoids naming race. They discuss a shocking plot twist, absent Black family members, and patterns in how media treats Black women paired with white men.

Jack Harlow, rapper and singer from Louisville known for hits like "What’s Poppin'" and "First Class," talks about shifting into melodic R&B on his album Monica. He explains choosing an egoless, live-band approach, leaning into Black musical touchstones, and rethinking fame, songwriting, and visual identity. The conversation touches on therapy, moving to New York, and the rules he set for this record.

Zendaya, actress and producer known for film and TV, reflects on her role in The Drama and what intimacy means on and off screen. She and Robert Pattinson explore secrets, timing of disclosure, and whether knowing everything helps a relationship. They debate perfection versus messiness, vulnerability, and how public life shapes private boundaries.

Every spring, Wesley Morris finds himself searching for music that captures the light and breezy feeling that comes with the end of winter. This year, there’s an obvious soundtrack to the season: Harry Styles’s new album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” “These songs are like 12 beautiful little flowers,” Wesley says. “They’re not supposed to last forever. They’re just supposed to last for the season. And six weeks, that is a perfect amount of time for these songs to just blossom in your ears.” Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine, brings sharp cultural criticism and memory. She explores how Love Story reimagines Carolyn Bessette as a full person. She traces the show’s shift from sitcom tropes into horror. She unpacks fame, family pressure, and the Kennedy myth through vivid scenes and theatrical choices.

Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine, brings sharp film criticism and cultural context. She and Wesley debate whether awards still matter. They dig into casting choices, surprising wins for animated and song categories, Timothée Chalamet’s campaign missteps, and why Michael B. Jordan’s performance landed emotionally.

Daphne A. Brooks, Yale scholar of African American studies and critic of Black music and culture. She calls Paul Thomas Anderson’s film a “Black feminist 911” and unpacks its charged racial and sexual framing. Short takes explore missing interiority, generational divides in reaction, and the stakes of representation at awards time.

Michaela angela Davis, writer, editor, stylist and cultural commentator, reflects on America's Next Top Model and the new Netflix docuseries. She discusses why the show mattered to Black audiences and how Tyra Banks became a symbol of accessibility. Conversations cover problematic production practices, mishandled Black hair, public confrontations, and debates about accountability.