Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

At the end of last year, several prominent artists lost millions of streams from the Spotify bot crackdown including Doechii, Davido and BTS' Jimin. The move has sparked conversations online around the impact of artificial intelligence and inflated statistics. Music industry insiders Michelle Santosuosso and Kevin Amougou talk to Elamin Abdelmahmoud about what all of this means for the future of music. Angine de poitrine is a music duo from Saguenay, Quebec that's gone viral for performing in big masks, polka-dotted costumes and speaking in gibberish. Culture writer Dominic Tardiff explains why their music is such a surprising hit.

Almost half of the Toronto Film Critics Association's members have resigned after it was revealed that actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ recent acceptance speech was edited to remove her support for Palestine. Canadian Press reporter Alex Nino Gheciu tells Elamin about the fallout. You can find more on this story, including the TFCA's full statement, here. Plus, film critics Hanna Flint and Kayleigh Donaldson join Elamin to unpack whether Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! works as a feminist take on one of horror’s most iconic but seldom explored characters: the bride of Frankenstein.

Harry Styles’ ‘Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally’ and BLACKPINK’s ‘Deadline’ are beckoning us back to the club with two very different takes on dance music. Culture critics Lucy Ford, Louise Bruton, and Michelle Cho share their thoughts with Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Rap Essentials was a series of Canadian compilation albums released in the late '90s and early 2000s. The series gave fans access to new music, and inspired so many artists. Rap Essentials 2001 was particularly influential. To mark the 25th anniversary of that album, Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Canadian music industry insider Craig ‘Big C’ Mannix and journalist/publicist Dalton Higgins, to dig into the Rap Essentials series, and how it shaped culture. And Vulture’s Fran Hoepfner talks about what’s drawing people to the Benny Blanco and Lil Dicky’s talk show ‘Friends Keep Secrets”.’

The Nova Scotia government announced they're making massive cuts to grants to arts and culture programs in the province. And for some artists and organizations these cuts will be catastrophic. Poet and culture critic El Jones and novelist Stephanie Domet join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to explain what’s on the line. And Scream 7 is the number one movie at the box office right now. Film critic Teri Hart shares her thoughts on the franchise’s latest entry and some of the controversy around the film.

Bruno Mars is one of those artists who produces hit after hit. He's the king of collabs and now he's back with a solo album 'The Romantic.' Culture critic Pablo The Don and musician/tv producer Romeo Candido dive into it and his pop legacy with Elamin Abdelmahmoud. And the Netflix documentary series ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ has returned for its eighth season, taking viewers behind the scenes of Formula 1 racing. Producer and show super-fan Michelle Jobin explains why this show has kept audiences intrigued, particularly viewers who wouldn’t otherwise care about car racing.

Industry, the HBO drama set in the highest echelons of finance and power, presents a truly toxic tangle of relationships, politics and greed. As the season wraps up, culture critics Chris Murphy and Roxana Hadadi join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to reflect on the fourth season finale and what the show helps us understand about the cost of success. And Canadian films are struggling at the box office, according to a new industry report by Telefilm Canada, but the real problem isn’t a lack of talent or production, it’s a lack of visibility. Globe and Mail columnist Barry Hertz unpacks what’s behind the disconnect.

With the 50th season of ‘Survivor’ kicking off this week, guest host Amil Niazi is joined by fans Jael Richardson, Ashley Ray and former contestant Omar Zaheer to look back on the reality show’s rise, memorable moments and what its long term success might say about us.

Meta and Google’s YouTube are currently on trial in Los Angeles to face a lawsuit that claims the company’s platforms were deliberately designed to enhance their addictive qualities and get young users hooked on them. Tech-culture journalist Alyssa Mercante joins gust host Amil Niazi to explain what’s at stake in the trial, and how the outcome could transform the way we consume social media. Stan Douglas is one of Canada's most celebrated artists. His latest exhibit 'Tales of Empire,' on display now at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, explores centuries of colonization all over the world. Writer André Alexis and culture critic Riley Yesno discuss the exhibit and reflect on Stan Douglas's life and work.

On the Netflix show Famous Last Words, people are interviewed about their lives knowing the conversation won't be shared until after their deaths. The second episode of the series features actor Eric Dane, whose heartfelt message to his daughters illustrates the power of a person's last words. Dr James Maskalyk and palliative care nurse Sandra Marche have witnessed many final moments, and share their thoughts on the groundbreaking series with Commotion guest host Amil Niazi. Plus, Canadian showrunner Ira Parker breathes new life into the Game of Thrones franchise with a hit spinoff called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Culture critic Meghan O’Keefe talks about why audiences are falling for the chemistry of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, and what comes next in George R.R. Martin’s universe.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and BBC have apologized for airing a racial slur during Sunday’s BAFTA award ceremony. It happened after John Davidson, a guest with Tourette’s Syndrome, shouted offensive language at award presenters, and Sinners stars, Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. Culture critic and activist Syrus Marcus Ware unpacks the story with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud, and discusses how it raises all kinds of questions around how we navigate race and disability. And, an award winning comedy called 'Puppet Regime’ has a lot to say about the state of global politics, satirizing leaders like Trump, Putin, and tech billionaires. Journalist and political scientist David Moscrop and puppeteer Kira Hall talk about how ‘Puppet Regime' balance serious world issues with a sense of humour.

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games have come to an end and it’s time to look back on golden moments, national disappointments and internet memes. Sports journalist Shireen Ahmed and culture critic Mel Woods reminisce and bid ciao to Milano Cortina with host Elamin Abdelmahmoud. Plus, Montreal’s Kid Koala says Charlie Chaplin movies inspired his debut animated feature, Space Cadet, which has no dialogue. Film critic Rachel Ho talks about this modern silent film with Elamin, and how it’s being received.

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Elamin is joined by culture critics Pablo The Don, Jay Smooth and A. Harmony to discuss new albums from Jill Scott and J. Cole, and the legacy of politician and activist Reverend Jesse Jackson - and the ways Jesse Jackson’s contributions intersected with pop culture.

A new Netflix docuseries looks back at the cultural force that was America’s Next Top Model. Tyra Banks, its creator and host, sits down to face the reality show’s most controversial moments, from extreme makeovers to photoshoots in Black and brown face. Culture critics Amil Niazi, Chris Murphy and Bee Quammie join host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the legacy of America’s Next Top Model and all of its worst looks.

Ben Bankas is a Canadian comedian who’s selling out venues throughout North America with his hate-filled stand-up routine, including jokes about Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last month. Commotion asked two comedians to go witness one of his gigs – Anne McMaster took us up on the challenge, and Ali Hassan did not. They join Elamin to talk about Ben Bankas – and why outrage sells. Plus, where online Fanfiction culture used to centre around sharing make-believe narratives about famous fictional characters, a growing subset of the community is creating stories about real celebrities engaging in imagined romantic scenarios. Elamin chats with Kat Tenbarge, who has written about this for Teen Vogue.

The year might be 2026, but for fans of Canadian indie music, it’s starting to feel a lot like 2005. Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe in Anything” has gone viral after making a dramatic appearance on Heated Rivalry, and Broken Social Scene’s “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” recently went gold in Canada over two decades after its release. With the key players in the 2000s Canadian indie boom set to release new records this year, writers Michael Barclay and Rosie Long Decter explain why these established bands are connecting with younger generations. Plus, Montreal hip-hop group Muzion is being honoured with a Canadian stamp this month (February). CBC broadcaster and emcee Nantali Indongo speaks to Elamin about how the group changed Montreal hip-hop and Muzion's enduring legacy.

The new adaptation of Wuthering Heights is sexy, but Emily Bronte fans are wondering if they read the same book as director Emerald Fennell. Film critics Hanna Flint, Jackson Weaver and Alison Willmore join guest host guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to talk about the reimagined 19th century classic, the Canadian mockumentary Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, and pay tribute to actor James Van Der Beek, who died this week at the age of 48.

With comedian Ben Palmer’s fake immigration hotline going viral on TikTok and YouTube, Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai [RADDY-ann SIMON-pill-AY] is joined by culture critic El Jones and comedian Ashley Ray. They break down the satirical clips -- done in the style of Sacha Baron Cohen -- and explain what they reveal about our political discourse and this moment America is in. Plus - with stores in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, Steve’s Music has served as a destination for generations of musicians seeking out new and vintage gear. However, in response to changing market conditions spurred by the internet, Steve’s recently announced it would be closing all but one of its five locations. Veteran blues guitarist – and long-time Steve’s customer – Danny Marks explains what its loss says about the state of the music retail today.

Joan Chen played a series of iconic, beautiful women in the 80s and 90s, from Wan Jung in the Oscar-winning film 'The Last Emperor' to Josie Packard in David Lynch’s 'Twin Peaks.' Now in her 60s, the actor has been showing off her range in films like 'Didi,' 'The Wedding Banquet' and, most recently, 'Montreal, Ma Belle.' Culture critics Hoai-Tran Bui and Thomas Leblanc talk to guest host Radheyan Simonpillai about 'Montreal, ma belle,' Joan’s performance, and the slow-burn nature of the queer romance at the film’s centre. And New York Fashion week gets underway this week – and as they always do, designers will be trying to grab your attention. Culture critic Joan Summers says the fashion world should be paying attention to the dress that Chappell Roan recently wore to the Grammys. She’ll join Commotion guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to explain why.