The post Fitness and Menopause: A Hot Flash Drug May Also Support Mood Symptoms appeared first on .
]]>The research is still ongoing, but preliminary results presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting tracked 656 women ages 40 to 75 who had hot flashes and were prescribed Veozah or other non-hormonal treatments used for hot flashes, including SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentin, and oxybutynin. Participants were monitored over 12 weeks, with mood check-ins at four, eight, and 12 weeks. Women taking Veozah reported meaningful improvement in hot flash symptoms, and those same participants also showed better depression and anxiety scores as early as four weeks into treatment. Similar mood improvements were also seen in people using some of the other non-hormonal therapies.
Experts say there are a few possible explanations, but the exact reason is not yet clear. One theory is that fewer hot flashes may lead to better sleep, which can improve overall well-being. Another possibility is tied to how the drug works: Veozah blocks neurokinin 3, or NK3, receptors in the brain, which helps regulate the temperature-control system involved in hot flashes. Since hot flashes can affect stress levels and quality of life, reducing them may indirectly help mood and anxiety as well.
Still, specialists caution against reading too much into the early data. Because the study did not include women who had anxiety or depression without hot flashes, it is difficult to know whether the medication is helping mood directly or whether the benefit is connected to relief from hot flashes. Even so, the findings may eventually support a more comprehensive approach to menopause care, especially for women in perimenopause or menopause who develop new mood symptoms alongside hot flashes.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
The post Fitness and Menopause: A Hot Flash Drug May Also Support Mood Symptoms appeared first on .
]]>The post The Best Store-Bought Corn Tortillas, According to a 2026 Taste Test appeared first on .
]]>Mission Street Tacos Yellow Corn Tortillas took the top overall spot. According to the report, they combined wide availability and a reasonable price with the kind of performance shoppers want most: softness, easy folding, and enough structure to hold fillings without cracking. Tasters also found more corn character than in many supermarket tortillas, along with a gentle sweetness and a toasted, savory finish. Even with stabilizers added to help freshness, Mission offered the best mix of convenience, flavor, and texture among the widely available tortillas tested.
For shoppers willing to pay more, Masienda Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas earned the premium pick. The report says they tasted the most intensely of corn, with a deeper toasted flavor and a sturdier, more masa-like feel that set them apart from typical supermarket choices. Made with just corn and water, and sourced from heirloom corn grown by small farmers in Mexico, they were described as the closest to a fresh tortilla experience in the lineup.
Mi Rancho Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas were named the softest of the group. They impressed testers with their exceptional flexibility and ability to pass the crumple test without tearing or becoming gummy. While opinions varied on how strong the corn flavor was, the tortillas were praised for their roasty, toasted character and their consistently tender texture. The report notes that Mi Rancho has been making tortillas since 1939 and uses whole-kernel California corn, a detail that appears to help with both freshness and softness.
Altogether, the test points to three different strengths depending on how you cook: Mission for everyday tacos, Masienda for a more corn-forward tortilla, and Mi Rancho for dishes where softness and durability matter most. The best choice, according to the report, depends on whether the tortilla is meant to be the star, the support, or simply the most reliable base for a generous filling.
Source: bonappetit.com
The post The Best Store-Bought Corn Tortillas, According to a 2026 Taste Test appeared first on .
]]>The post Ellie Goulding Brings ‘Lights’ to the World Cup Quarterfinal Stage appeared first on .
]]>According to the report, Goulding also sang “Outside” during the build-up to the match. Her halftime appearance took place on a stage built into the stands, giving the performance a high-profile spot in one of the tournament’s biggest games.
Before the quarterfinal, Goulding shared her excitement on Instagram and expressed support for England ahead of the showdown. The report says she wrote that performing for the team felt like anything could happen and added a hopeful message about England’s chances. England went on to win, and the team will next face Argentina in Atlanta.
Goulding’s World Cup appearance comes as she prepares for the release of her sixth studio album, I Know Too Much, which is set to arrive on Sept. 4. It will be her first album since 2023’s Higher Than Heaven, which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
Source: rollingstone.com
The post Ellie Goulding Brings ‘Lights’ to the World Cup Quarterfinal Stage appeared first on .
]]>The post Heretic Picks Up Denis Côté’s ‘Nobody’s Violence’ Ahead of Locarno Premiere appeared first on .
]]>The film reunites Côté with actor Larissa Corriveau, who previously appeared in Social Hygiene, That Kind of Summer and the 2023 Locarno title Mademoiselle Kenopsia. In this new project, Corriveau plays Mira, a woman working for a shadowy group that provides assisted death to people in desperate circumstances. As the story unfolds, Mira encounters Madeleine and Ludo, two hedonistic free spirits living in the forest, and begins to rethink her own unsettled path and the choices tied to her work.
Nobody’s Violence is written and directed by Côté and produced by Guillaume Vasseur and Gabrielle Tougas-Fréchette. The film includes support from Sodec, Téléfilm Canada, Quebec’s tax credit program, Canada’s tax credits, Télé-Québec, H264 and Heretic. Alongside Corriveau, the cast includes Philippe Rebbot, Xavier Bergeron, Gabrielle Lazure and Pierrette Robitaille.
The project also continues Côté’s long relationship with Locarno, which dates back to Curling, his fifth feature, honored at the festival in 2010 before going on to screen at more than 80 festivals. This year’s premiere will be his first appearance at Locarno since a kidney transplant in 2023, following more than a decade of illness.
Source: variety.com
The post Heretic Picks Up Denis Côté’s ‘Nobody’s Violence’ Ahead of Locarno Premiere appeared first on .
]]>The post Hilda Hidalgo Prepares ‘Cousins,’ a Fiction Film Touched by Documentary Methods and the Reality of Sexual Abuse appeared first on .
]]>The new project will blend scripted storytelling with a documentary-like approach. In some scenes, the young leads will film themselves on mobile phones, continuing a method Hidalgo has used before in documentary work. She said the idea is to keep the sense of spontaneity and closeness that documentary images can bring, while still working within a fictional framework. According to the report, the girls’ own footage will become part of the film’s visual language alongside the staged scenes.
Hidalgo said the story is also about the early awakening of desire and the complicated overlap between vulnerability, wonder and abuse. She described sexual violence as a deeply present issue in Costa Rica and said she wanted to approach the subject from the girls’ point of view, focusing on their agency, resilience and rebellion rather than reducing them to the violence done to them.
Casting has not yet begun because Hidalgo is still seeking additional financing and co-production partners. She expects the roles to go to unknown performers or students from Costa Rica’s film and acting schools, and she stressed that securing the budget first is especially important when working with children. The filmmaker also pointed to the growing recognition that smaller film industries need to build projects differently in order to get ambitious work made.
Source: variety.com
The post Hilda Hidalgo Prepares ‘Cousins,’ a Fiction Film Touched by Documentary Methods and the Reality of Sexual Abuse appeared first on .
]]>The post How Chronic Pain Didn’t Stop One Man From Losing 115 Pounds Through Structure and Consistency appeared first on .
]]>According to the report, that period also brought a complete breakdown in his eating habits. He stopped paying attention to portions, ordered high-calorie meals throughout the day, snacked constantly, and lost the structure that had once helped him slim down. After previously dropping around 70 pounds in seven months with Ultimate Performance, he regained it all within about a year and felt deeply discouraged by the reversal.
Baig said his doctor was clear that losing weight could ease pressure on his hip, and once he felt ready to try again, he returned to Ultimate Performance and worked with trainer Dan. He started at 260 pounds and was classified as severely obese, with more than 91 pounds of body fat. This time, the focus was not on motivation alone but on a repeatable system built around training, nutrition, and routine.
Instead of relying mainly on cardio, he trained with high-intensity resistance sessions three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because of his hip and back issues, every workout had to be adjusted carefully. Exercises such as hack squats and deadlifts were especially tough, but he said the bigger lesson was learning to push through discomfort that was not actual pain. On the food side, he moved to a high-protein approach centered on lean chicken, prawns, rice, and vegetables, while keeping a calorie deficit and limiting carbs and fats. His daily eating became repetitive, with protein shakes and simple meals, but he found the consistency effective.
Baig said accountability made the difference. Having Dan track his progress, review his food, and expect him to show up helped him stay on course even on mornings when he felt tired, sore, hungry, or stressed. For him, the biggest takeaway was that progress came from following the plan steadily, not from waiting to feel motivated.
Source: menshealth.com
The post How Chronic Pain Didn’t Stop One Man From Losing 115 Pounds Through Structure and Consistency appeared first on .
]]>The post How 13 Black Women Turned Breast Cancer Into a Story of Survival and Strength appeared first on .
]]>Among the women highlighted is Monique Bass, who spent years questioning a lump that was first found during a self-exam and was eventually diagnosed as stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma after she pushed for surgery and testing. Her treatment included chemotherapy and radiation, and she later created a nonprofit to support other patients. Jaqueline Beale, who also discovered a lump through self-exam, found strength in laughter and the people around her as she moved through a stage 1 diagnosis and treatment. Another woman, Annita White, was late for a mammogram because of the demands of work, parenting, and school, but when a mass was found, her diagnosis forced her to confront a new reality.
The article presents these women not as statistics, but as people whose lives were altered and expanded by cancer. Some leaned on faith, some on family, and some on the ability to laugh through fear. Others turned their experiences into advocacy or support for fellow patients. Together, their stories show how a diagnosis can bring profound loss while also opening the door to purpose, connection, and a different understanding of survival.
Across the profiles, the common thread is not a single path through treatment, but a shared refusal to be defined only by illness. The women described in the report found ways to keep living fully, even while facing chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and the emotional weight of uncertainty. Their experiences, as presented in the article, point to a broader truth about health and wellbeing: surviving breast cancer often depends not only on medical care, but also on the human networks and inner resolve that help people endure what comes next.
Source: self.com
The post How 13 Black Women Turned Breast Cancer Into a Story of Survival and Strength appeared first on .
]]>The post Baby Rose Opens Up About New Music and the Growth Behind Her Latest Album appeared first on .
]]>According to Rose, most of the songs on the record came together late in the process, often in the final 30 minutes to an hour of a session. That approach reflects a broader shift in how she works and how she sees herself as an artist. Born Jasmine Rose Wilson, she said she now has a clearer sense of simplicity, instinct, and restraint in the studio, and she connects that mindset to the same creative confidence she had on her first album, All To Myself.
Yearnalism began taking shape in London last June with producer Miles C. James, whom Rose described as a guiding force. Their first session centered on intentions and ideas rather than immediate recording, with themes ranging from God and the state of the world to Rose’s own identity and family life. One result of that process was “Sunday,” a nearly five-minute ballad inspired by the sun room in her mother’s home, which she sees as a place of peace and renewal.
The album moves through several styles, from the pop and soft-rock leanings of “When I’m Gone” to the country-tinged “But, Nvm” and the slow-dance feel of “Is This Love,” featuring Elmiene. “Friends Again,” with Leon Thomas, looks at a messy moment between friends, while “Better” gets closest to the album’s larger idea: the tension between wanting love and companionship and realizing that self-acceptance is what ultimately brings fulfillment. Rose said the project reflects a full spectrum of emotions, from yearning for what can’t be had to the desire to start over and find peace at home.
Source: rollingstone.com
The post Baby Rose Opens Up About New Music and the Growth Behind Her Latest Album appeared first on .
]]>The post Why HBO’s The Leftovers Improved After It Left the Novel Behind appeared first on .
]]>The story is set largely in Mapleton, New York, where the “Sudden Departure” has left the community fractured and vulnerable to political and religious extremism. Justin Theroux plays police chief Kevin Garvey Jr., who is trying to hold the town together while dealing with his own emotional collapse after his wife Laurie, played by Amy Brenneman, joins the Guilty Remnant. Carrie Coon’s Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in the Departure, becomes an important part of Kevin’s life as the series moves forward.
What made the show stand out, according to the report, was Lindelof’s decision to shift the tone and expand the scope. Instead of staying locked in the novel’s relentless grief, the series moved ahead in time and explored how people live after collective trauma rather than only how they react to it. That approach allowed the cast and world to grow, with the Guilty Remnant becoming more complex through Ann Dowd’s Patti and the introduction of the Murphys in season 2, which added a clearer look at how grief and social burden are experienced differently.
The report also notes that the series found room for humor and surrealism in later seasons, including dreamlike sequences that eased the heaviness without undercutting the drama. By the end, The Leftovers had evolved into a more expansive and existential story about survival, connection, and the possibility of moving on, which is part of why it is remembered as one of HBO’s most distinctive sci-fi dramas.
Source: collider.com
The post Why HBO’s The Leftovers Improved After It Left the Novel Behind appeared first on .
]]>The post J.K. Simmons Leads a Gritty but Uninvolving Mob Tale in MGM+’s ‘The Westies’ appeared first on .
]]>The review says the show, created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, has a built-in opportunity to explore a changing New York in the 1980s, when old ethnic power structures were shifting and new forms of criminal profit were emerging. Instead, it argues, the series settles for familiar mob-drama rhythms and a setting that feels more generic than lived-in. Even with figures like John Gotti in the mix and the presence of a crooked cop, Glenn Keenan, played by Titus Welliver, the show is said to lack the texture and specificity that might have given it momentum.
According to the review, one of the show’s biggest problems is that its central figures are hard to root for or even care about. Sweeney is portrayed as calculating and ruthless, willing to kill within his own ranks, while Jimmy Roarke, his protégé, is described as too loyal to unstable men around him. Other characters, including a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran and Bridget, Jimmy’s girlfriend, are presented as potential points of interest, but the review says those threads never develop into something more substantial. Bridget’s connection to the IRA and the Troubles is noted, though the article suggests viewers would get a far stronger version of that material elsewhere.
The review also criticizes the series for feeling visually and emotionally flat. It says the production does not recreate New York with enough authenticity, and that filming in Ontario adds to the lack of local flavor. Even the action, when it arrives, is described as sporadic and underscored by upbeat music that clashes with the violence. In the end, the review concludes that The Westies is less a sharp portrait of organized crime than a dull, familiar retread that struggles to make its characters, setting, or stakes feel alive.
Source: variety.com
The post J.K. Simmons Leads a Gritty but Uninvolving Mob Tale in MGM+’s ‘The Westies’ appeared first on .
]]>The post Fitness and Menopause: A Hot Flash Drug May Also Support Mood Symptoms appeared first on .
]]>The research is still ongoing, but preliminary results presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting tracked 656 women ages 40 to 75 who had hot flashes and were prescribed Veozah or other non-hormonal treatments used for hot flashes, including SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentin, and oxybutynin. Participants were monitored over 12 weeks, with mood check-ins at four, eight, and 12 weeks. Women taking Veozah reported meaningful improvement in hot flash symptoms, and those same participants also showed better depression and anxiety scores as early as four weeks into treatment. Similar mood improvements were also seen in people using some of the other non-hormonal therapies.
Experts say there are a few possible explanations, but the exact reason is not yet clear. One theory is that fewer hot flashes may lead to better sleep, which can improve overall well-being. Another possibility is tied to how the drug works: Veozah blocks neurokinin 3, or NK3, receptors in the brain, which helps regulate the temperature-control system involved in hot flashes. Since hot flashes can affect stress levels and quality of life, reducing them may indirectly help mood and anxiety as well.
Still, specialists caution against reading too much into the early data. Because the study did not include women who had anxiety or depression without hot flashes, it is difficult to know whether the medication is helping mood directly or whether the benefit is connected to relief from hot flashes. Even so, the findings may eventually support a more comprehensive approach to menopause care, especially for women in perimenopause or menopause who develop new mood symptoms alongside hot flashes.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
The post Fitness and Menopause: A Hot Flash Drug May Also Support Mood Symptoms appeared first on .
]]>The post The Best Store-Bought Corn Tortillas, According to a 2026 Taste Test appeared first on .
]]>Mission Street Tacos Yellow Corn Tortillas took the top overall spot. According to the report, they combined wide availability and a reasonable price with the kind of performance shoppers want most: softness, easy folding, and enough structure to hold fillings without cracking. Tasters also found more corn character than in many supermarket tortillas, along with a gentle sweetness and a toasted, savory finish. Even with stabilizers added to help freshness, Mission offered the best mix of convenience, flavor, and texture among the widely available tortillas tested.
For shoppers willing to pay more, Masienda Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas earned the premium pick. The report says they tasted the most intensely of corn, with a deeper toasted flavor and a sturdier, more masa-like feel that set them apart from typical supermarket choices. Made with just corn and water, and sourced from heirloom corn grown by small farmers in Mexico, they were described as the closest to a fresh tortilla experience in the lineup.
Mi Rancho Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas were named the softest of the group. They impressed testers with their exceptional flexibility and ability to pass the crumple test without tearing or becoming gummy. While opinions varied on how strong the corn flavor was, the tortillas were praised for their roasty, toasted character and their consistently tender texture. The report notes that Mi Rancho has been making tortillas since 1939 and uses whole-kernel California corn, a detail that appears to help with both freshness and softness.
Altogether, the test points to three different strengths depending on how you cook: Mission for everyday tacos, Masienda for a more corn-forward tortilla, and Mi Rancho for dishes where softness and durability matter most. The best choice, according to the report, depends on whether the tortilla is meant to be the star, the support, or simply the most reliable base for a generous filling.
Source: bonappetit.com
The post The Best Store-Bought Corn Tortillas, According to a 2026 Taste Test appeared first on .
]]>The post Ellie Goulding Brings ‘Lights’ to the World Cup Quarterfinal Stage appeared first on .
]]>According to the report, Goulding also sang “Outside” during the build-up to the match. Her halftime appearance took place on a stage built into the stands, giving the performance a high-profile spot in one of the tournament’s biggest games.
Before the quarterfinal, Goulding shared her excitement on Instagram and expressed support for England ahead of the showdown. The report says she wrote that performing for the team felt like anything could happen and added a hopeful message about England’s chances. England went on to win, and the team will next face Argentina in Atlanta.
Goulding’s World Cup appearance comes as she prepares for the release of her sixth studio album, I Know Too Much, which is set to arrive on Sept. 4. It will be her first album since 2023’s Higher Than Heaven, which reached No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
Source: rollingstone.com
The post Ellie Goulding Brings ‘Lights’ to the World Cup Quarterfinal Stage appeared first on .
]]>The post Heretic Picks Up Denis Côté’s ‘Nobody’s Violence’ Ahead of Locarno Premiere appeared first on .
]]>The film reunites Côté with actor Larissa Corriveau, who previously appeared in Social Hygiene, That Kind of Summer and the 2023 Locarno title Mademoiselle Kenopsia. In this new project, Corriveau plays Mira, a woman working for a shadowy group that provides assisted death to people in desperate circumstances. As the story unfolds, Mira encounters Madeleine and Ludo, two hedonistic free spirits living in the forest, and begins to rethink her own unsettled path and the choices tied to her work.
Nobody’s Violence is written and directed by Côté and produced by Guillaume Vasseur and Gabrielle Tougas-Fréchette. The film includes support from Sodec, Téléfilm Canada, Quebec’s tax credit program, Canada’s tax credits, Télé-Québec, H264 and Heretic. Alongside Corriveau, the cast includes Philippe Rebbot, Xavier Bergeron, Gabrielle Lazure and Pierrette Robitaille.
The project also continues Côté’s long relationship with Locarno, which dates back to Curling, his fifth feature, honored at the festival in 2010 before going on to screen at more than 80 festivals. This year’s premiere will be his first appearance at Locarno since a kidney transplant in 2023, following more than a decade of illness.
Source: variety.com
The post Heretic Picks Up Denis Côté’s ‘Nobody’s Violence’ Ahead of Locarno Premiere appeared first on .
]]>The post Hilda Hidalgo Prepares ‘Cousins,’ a Fiction Film Touched by Documentary Methods and the Reality of Sexual Abuse appeared first on .
]]>The new project will blend scripted storytelling with a documentary-like approach. In some scenes, the young leads will film themselves on mobile phones, continuing a method Hidalgo has used before in documentary work. She said the idea is to keep the sense of spontaneity and closeness that documentary images can bring, while still working within a fictional framework. According to the report, the girls’ own footage will become part of the film’s visual language alongside the staged scenes.
Hidalgo said the story is also about the early awakening of desire and the complicated overlap between vulnerability, wonder and abuse. She described sexual violence as a deeply present issue in Costa Rica and said she wanted to approach the subject from the girls’ point of view, focusing on their agency, resilience and rebellion rather than reducing them to the violence done to them.
Casting has not yet begun because Hidalgo is still seeking additional financing and co-production partners. She expects the roles to go to unknown performers or students from Costa Rica’s film and acting schools, and she stressed that securing the budget first is especially important when working with children. The filmmaker also pointed to the growing recognition that smaller film industries need to build projects differently in order to get ambitious work made.
Source: variety.com
The post Hilda Hidalgo Prepares ‘Cousins,’ a Fiction Film Touched by Documentary Methods and the Reality of Sexual Abuse appeared first on .
]]>The post How Chronic Pain Didn’t Stop One Man From Losing 115 Pounds Through Structure and Consistency appeared first on .
]]>According to the report, that period also brought a complete breakdown in his eating habits. He stopped paying attention to portions, ordered high-calorie meals throughout the day, snacked constantly, and lost the structure that had once helped him slim down. After previously dropping around 70 pounds in seven months with Ultimate Performance, he regained it all within about a year and felt deeply discouraged by the reversal.
Baig said his doctor was clear that losing weight could ease pressure on his hip, and once he felt ready to try again, he returned to Ultimate Performance and worked with trainer Dan. He started at 260 pounds and was classified as severely obese, with more than 91 pounds of body fat. This time, the focus was not on motivation alone but on a repeatable system built around training, nutrition, and routine.
Instead of relying mainly on cardio, he trained with high-intensity resistance sessions three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because of his hip and back issues, every workout had to be adjusted carefully. Exercises such as hack squats and deadlifts were especially tough, but he said the bigger lesson was learning to push through discomfort that was not actual pain. On the food side, he moved to a high-protein approach centered on lean chicken, prawns, rice, and vegetables, while keeping a calorie deficit and limiting carbs and fats. His daily eating became repetitive, with protein shakes and simple meals, but he found the consistency effective.
Baig said accountability made the difference. Having Dan track his progress, review his food, and expect him to show up helped him stay on course even on mornings when he felt tired, sore, hungry, or stressed. For him, the biggest takeaway was that progress came from following the plan steadily, not from waiting to feel motivated.
Source: menshealth.com
The post How Chronic Pain Didn’t Stop One Man From Losing 115 Pounds Through Structure and Consistency appeared first on .
]]>The post How 13 Black Women Turned Breast Cancer Into a Story of Survival and Strength appeared first on .
]]>Among the women highlighted is Monique Bass, who spent years questioning a lump that was first found during a self-exam and was eventually diagnosed as stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma after she pushed for surgery and testing. Her treatment included chemotherapy and radiation, and she later created a nonprofit to support other patients. Jaqueline Beale, who also discovered a lump through self-exam, found strength in laughter and the people around her as she moved through a stage 1 diagnosis and treatment. Another woman, Annita White, was late for a mammogram because of the demands of work, parenting, and school, but when a mass was found, her diagnosis forced her to confront a new reality.
The article presents these women not as statistics, but as people whose lives were altered and expanded by cancer. Some leaned on faith, some on family, and some on the ability to laugh through fear. Others turned their experiences into advocacy or support for fellow patients. Together, their stories show how a diagnosis can bring profound loss while also opening the door to purpose, connection, and a different understanding of survival.
Across the profiles, the common thread is not a single path through treatment, but a shared refusal to be defined only by illness. The women described in the report found ways to keep living fully, even while facing chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and the emotional weight of uncertainty. Their experiences, as presented in the article, point to a broader truth about health and wellbeing: surviving breast cancer often depends not only on medical care, but also on the human networks and inner resolve that help people endure what comes next.
Source: self.com
The post How 13 Black Women Turned Breast Cancer Into a Story of Survival and Strength appeared first on .
]]>The post Baby Rose Opens Up About New Music and the Growth Behind Her Latest Album appeared first on .
]]>According to Rose, most of the songs on the record came together late in the process, often in the final 30 minutes to an hour of a session. That approach reflects a broader shift in how she works and how she sees herself as an artist. Born Jasmine Rose Wilson, she said she now has a clearer sense of simplicity, instinct, and restraint in the studio, and she connects that mindset to the same creative confidence she had on her first album, All To Myself.
Yearnalism began taking shape in London last June with producer Miles C. James, whom Rose described as a guiding force. Their first session centered on intentions and ideas rather than immediate recording, with themes ranging from God and the state of the world to Rose’s own identity and family life. One result of that process was “Sunday,” a nearly five-minute ballad inspired by the sun room in her mother’s home, which she sees as a place of peace and renewal.
The album moves through several styles, from the pop and soft-rock leanings of “When I’m Gone” to the country-tinged “But, Nvm” and the slow-dance feel of “Is This Love,” featuring Elmiene. “Friends Again,” with Leon Thomas, looks at a messy moment between friends, while “Better” gets closest to the album’s larger idea: the tension between wanting love and companionship and realizing that self-acceptance is what ultimately brings fulfillment. Rose said the project reflects a full spectrum of emotions, from yearning for what can’t be had to the desire to start over and find peace at home.
Source: rollingstone.com
The post Baby Rose Opens Up About New Music and the Growth Behind Her Latest Album appeared first on .
]]>The post Why HBO’s The Leftovers Improved After It Left the Novel Behind appeared first on .
]]>The story is set largely in Mapleton, New York, where the “Sudden Departure” has left the community fractured and vulnerable to political and religious extremism. Justin Theroux plays police chief Kevin Garvey Jr., who is trying to hold the town together while dealing with his own emotional collapse after his wife Laurie, played by Amy Brenneman, joins the Guilty Remnant. Carrie Coon’s Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in the Departure, becomes an important part of Kevin’s life as the series moves forward.
What made the show stand out, according to the report, was Lindelof’s decision to shift the tone and expand the scope. Instead of staying locked in the novel’s relentless grief, the series moved ahead in time and explored how people live after collective trauma rather than only how they react to it. That approach allowed the cast and world to grow, with the Guilty Remnant becoming more complex through Ann Dowd’s Patti and the introduction of the Murphys in season 2, which added a clearer look at how grief and social burden are experienced differently.
The report also notes that the series found room for humor and surrealism in later seasons, including dreamlike sequences that eased the heaviness without undercutting the drama. By the end, The Leftovers had evolved into a more expansive and existential story about survival, connection, and the possibility of moving on, which is part of why it is remembered as one of HBO’s most distinctive sci-fi dramas.
Source: collider.com
The post Why HBO’s The Leftovers Improved After It Left the Novel Behind appeared first on .
]]>The post J.K. Simmons Leads a Gritty but Uninvolving Mob Tale in MGM+’s ‘The Westies’ appeared first on .
]]>The review says the show, created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes, has a built-in opportunity to explore a changing New York in the 1980s, when old ethnic power structures were shifting and new forms of criminal profit were emerging. Instead, it argues, the series settles for familiar mob-drama rhythms and a setting that feels more generic than lived-in. Even with figures like John Gotti in the mix and the presence of a crooked cop, Glenn Keenan, played by Titus Welliver, the show is said to lack the texture and specificity that might have given it momentum.
According to the review, one of the show’s biggest problems is that its central figures are hard to root for or even care about. Sweeney is portrayed as calculating and ruthless, willing to kill within his own ranks, while Jimmy Roarke, his protégé, is described as too loyal to unstable men around him. Other characters, including a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran and Bridget, Jimmy’s girlfriend, are presented as potential points of interest, but the review says those threads never develop into something more substantial. Bridget’s connection to the IRA and the Troubles is noted, though the article suggests viewers would get a far stronger version of that material elsewhere.
The review also criticizes the series for feeling visually and emotionally flat. It says the production does not recreate New York with enough authenticity, and that filming in Ontario adds to the lack of local flavor. Even the action, when it arrives, is described as sporadic and underscored by upbeat music that clashes with the violence. In the end, the review concludes that The Westies is less a sharp portrait of organized crime than a dull, familiar retread that struggles to make its characters, setting, or stakes feel alive.
Source: variety.com
The post J.K. Simmons Leads a Gritty but Uninvolving Mob Tale in MGM+’s ‘The Westies’ appeared first on .
]]>