In the subdued, understated interiors of Batsford Gallery, Kairós: Between Choice and Fate presents itself quietly. Nothing speaks to you loudly. Instead, this show asks for your attention; to the surface, the weight, to the way objects hold time. Curated by Huan Zhou and Qi Hui, Kairós is read more as a succession of suspended moments, a series of decisions and an inevitable future.
The works do not suggest a clear narrative path. Two wall mounted assemblage pieces sit facing each other and are contained by rigid metal grids. Compressed organic matter – dry leaves, fragments, darkened remains, press up against the latticework, frozen mid-fall. One piece includes a circular object that resembles a steering wheel or mechanical ring and although its inclusion seems purposeful, its significance is still ambiguous. Although control, motion, and direction are all suggested, they are all thwarted by being contained and immobile.
A similar dialectic exists throughout the exhibition, the relationship between containment and agency. Zhou’s role as curator is most apparent in her use of space to slow the viewer down. Works are spaced out and sight lines are created so the viewer can pause naturally. As a result, meaning develops slowly over time through repetition and proximity, not through explanation.
Across the room from these two assemblage pieces, a painting provides a new register. The organic shapes that float upon the surface are painted in vibrant hues of green, yellow, blue, and earthy red. Branching vein-like lines extend and connect forms that could be interpreted as hands, roots, or internal organs. Although the painting clearly suggests bodily connections, it does not become figurative. It suggests systems (biological, emotional, environmental) that exist independently of our conscious choices. The paint looks layered but fluid, suggesting that the forms have risen to the surface through accumulation, rather than intentionality.
Materiality becomes a means of expression in its own right. An installation comprised of long, hanging strands of fibre, weaves downward to nearly touch the ground. The strands pool softly at the base. The installation moves gently back and forth as people walk past it. It is both fragile and enduring and interrupts the space, but does not dominate it. The fibre holds memory in its wear and tear and unevenness. It appears to have been less constructed than collected, as if it was shaped by time and not by design.
Zhou’s sensitivity to the behavior of materials is central to her curatorial approach. She does not force coherence, but instead allows disparate elements to coexist in a state of uncertainty. It is here, in the moments when materials appear to be in flux, that the show’s engagement with the concept of kairós is most palpable.
Photographs hang on the walls creating a quieter and more personal tension. The cropped images of bodies, domestic environments and partial gestures appear disconnected from a linear narrative. A figure lies on a bed against a digitally rendered underwater background. A person’s limbs are framed tightly, fragmentally, and partially withheld. Unlike many photographs, these do not invite the viewer to voyeuristically enter into the depicted space. The detachment of the photographs creates a sense of distance, as if the moment has already passed.
Zhou’s restraint as curator allows the work to have its own ambiguousness and has the least amount of texts to guide the viewers interpretation of what freedom or fate is being represented by the artwork. The show does not tell the viewer how to see these concepts; instead, it builds an environment for the viewer to experience both freedom and fate as provisional and as a product of structural, emotional, and material constraints.
The connection among all of the works is not the aesthetics, but rather, the similar attention to conditionality and to how bodies, objects, and decisions function within systems larger than themselves. This is not a representation of freedom as autonomous, but rather as an evolving, momentary, and often restricted concept.
While the exhibition’s restraint is largely its strength, this same quietness can at times verge on opacity. The absence of contextual framing occasionally leaves certain works under-activated, particularly for viewers less familiar with the conceptual language of material-led practices. In a few moments, the balance between openness and withholding feels unresolved rather than productively ambiguous.
Kairós: Between Choice and Fate is successful because it declines to be resolved. Kairós does not theatrically depict its subject matter. Kairós represents its subject matter with a quietness and with a calmness as the subject matter settles into the room, into the viewer’s passage through the space of the exhibit.
Zhou’s method of curatorship, therefore, does not operate through spectacle, but rather through calibration – the calibration of distance, of pace, of material presence. At a time when many exhibitions seek to announce their relevancy and importance, Zhou presents something much rarer: a pause; a stop; a reminder that meaning often emerges not at the moment of making a choice, but in the instants leading up to and immediately following the moment of choice when the moment of choice and the moment of inevitable fate occupy the same space.
Björk hasn’t released a new album in four years, her last being 2022’s Fossora. But there’s enough reason to believe a new one is on the way. Here’s everything we know so far.
Has the album been announced?
Formally, no. But in December, an Instagram post revealed that Björk and artist James Merry will be taking over the National Gallery of Iceland during the Reykjavik Arts Festival, which opens on May 30. Dubbed Echolalia, the exhibition comprises three “immersive installations,” two of which are named after the Fossora tracks ‘Ancestress’ and ‘Sorrowful Soil’. The third, however, hints at the artist’s next phase, “a new work based on music from her forthcoming album, currently in development,” according to the festival.
What is Echolalia, anyway?
“A medical condition in which someone repeats the words that someone else has just said, in a way that they cannot control,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary. Though not certainly the title of the album, there could be some interesting thematic connections.
Has Björk said anything about the album?
Not explicity. She’s done some interviews, though. Last year, she gave her first filmed interview since 2018 with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I always write one song a month, one every two months,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what happens in my life, it’s like the full moon or it’s just like a rhythm because I’ve been doing it so long. So I think the minute when I release an album, part of me is so relieved and so bored with the subject matter that I’m super excited to do something [the] complete opposite. So I start gathering info or research or whatever tech is going on as well. But then just to contradict what I just said… I also really get bored very easily, so I never want to do it twice the same.”
What’s kept Björk busy since Fossora?
She released a concert film documenting her Cornucopia tour, which is why she went on The Zane Lowe Show. She also collaborated with Rosalía for the song ‘Oral’ in 2023, and then again in 2025 for LUX‘s lead single ‘Berghain’.
The final act of Beyoncé’s planned album trilogy is expected to arrive in 2026. Whether Act III will materialize this year has yet to be confirmed, but there have been enough hints to be hopeful. Here’s everything we know so far.
When were the previous acts released?
Renaissance and Cowboy Carter landed in 2022 and 2024, respectively. For many, the proof of Act III arriving this year is in the math: release an album one year, tour the next. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour concluded on July 26, 2025 in Paradise, Nevada. Also, the pop stars is one of the co-chairs of the 2026 Met Gala.
What is Act III going to sound like?
All theories point in one direction: rock. The first two acts explored genres pioneered by Black artists – house and country, respectively – and while Beyoncé has not verbally confirmed this logical assumption, fans interpreted her 2025 Levi’s campaign, in which she ditches a denim cowboy ensemble for a bedazzled jacket and jeans to ride off on a motorcycle, as an allusion.
There have been other visual hints. On Instagram, Beyoncé has paid homage to icons like Prince and Betty Davis in recent months. Also, when her website was updated last year with a Valentine’s Day haul, the Beymine Valentine’s Day collection, it included the “Bodyguard” choker along with the description: “A little Rock ‘n’ Roll with a whole lotta sexy. The bodyguard choker is a stylish accessory made of faux leather featuring the lady Bey charm and adjustable buckle fastener for a personalized fit.”
North Carolina’s commercial and industrial landscape has seen significant expansion over the past decade, with construction projects, manufacturing facilities, and retail spaces multiplying across the state. Alongside this growth, safety compliance has become a critical consideration for businesses and regulatory authorities alike.
Among the lesser-known but increasingly essential services is the fire watch industry—a sector dedicated to safeguarding properties against fire risks, particularly during periods when standard fire protection systems are offline or compromised. Understanding this industry’s function, its regulatory foundations, and the reasons behind its rising demand provides insight into how North Carolina is approaching fire safety in a rapidly developing environment.
The Role of Fire Watch Services
Fire watch services serve as a proactive safety measure, ensuring that properties are monitored for fire hazards when automatic fire protection systems, such as sprinklers or alarms, are temporarily out of service. This could occur during system maintenance, construction, renovations, or unexpected malfunctions. Fire watch personnel are trained to identify potential fire risks, maintain vigilance over high-risk areas, and respond promptly to any signs of fire until the primary safety systems are restored.
In North Carolina, fire watch is not merely a precaution; it is often a regulatory requirement. Both the North Carolina State Fire Code and local fire authorities recognize the importance of continuous fire protection. Businesses that fail to maintain proper monitoring during system outages can face fines, insurance complications, or even liability in the event of a fire incident. This regulatory framework has contributed to a growing reliance on professional fire watch services, ensuring compliance while mitigating risk.
Regulatory Landscape and Compliance
The fire watch industry operates at the intersection of safety and legal compliance. In North Carolina, the State Fire Marshal oversees enforcement of the fire code, which stipulates when and how fire watch measures must be implemented. Situations that typically trigger a requirement for a fire watch include temporary deactivation of fire alarms, sprinkler system malfunctions, or during construction activities that compromise standard fire safety infrastructure.
Compliance is particularly crucial in industries with high-value assets or high occupancy levels, such as healthcare facilities, commercial complexes, and large-scale warehouses. Fire watch personnel provide documentation and reporting that can be critical in demonstrating adherence to legal requirements. This documentation not only helps satisfy state regulations but also serves as a vital record for insurance purposes, underscoring the value of trained, professional services over ad hoc solutions.
Drivers of Increased Demand
Several factors are fueling the rising demand for fire watch services in North Carolina. First, construction and industrial activity in the state have surged, increasing the number of sites where fire systems may be temporarily offline. Second, insurance providers are emphasizing risk mitigation strategies, often incentivizing or requiring businesses to employ professional fire watch services during periods of elevated risk.
Technological complexity also plays a role. Modern fire detection and suppression systems, while highly effective, require specialized maintenance and monitoring. When these systems are offline, human oversight becomes indispensable. Fire watch personnel act as the bridge between temporary system downtime and continuous safety coverage, providing an additional layer of protection that aligns with both regulatory standards and industry best practices.
The state’s diverse geography, from urban centers like Charlotte and Raleigh to industrial hubs in the Research Triangle and beyond, further amplifies the need for localized fire watch solutions. Different environments present unique fire risks, whether due to building materials, occupancy levels, or operational hazards. Professional fire watch services in North Carolina tailor their approach to these variables, ensuring both effectiveness and compliance.
Professional Standards and Training
The effectiveness of fire watch personnel hinges on training, experience, and adherence to established protocols. Reputable fire watch providers ensure that staff are certified in fire safety procedures, emergency response, and hazard identification. They are equipped to conduct regular inspections, report irregularities promptly, and coordinate with local fire departments if an incident occurs.
Professional standards also extend to reporting and accountability. Fire watch personnel maintain detailed logs that document patrols, identified hazards, and any incidents or interventions. This level of diligence not only satisfies regulatory requirements but also provides peace of mind to property owners, employees, and insurers. In industries where even minor lapses in safety can result in significant losses, such meticulous oversight is increasingly valued.
Economic and Safety Implications
The growing adoption of fire watch services reflects broader trends in corporate risk management. By preventing fires before they escalate, these services reduce the likelihood of property damage, operational disruptions, and liability claims. For businesses, this translates into both tangible cost savings and reputational benefits.
Fire watch services contribute to the broader public safety framework. By ensuring early detection and rapid response in environments where fire protection systems are temporarily compromised, they help safeguard not only physical assets but also the lives of occupants. In this sense, the industry plays a critical role in complementing North Carolina’s emergency response infrastructure, reinforcing the state’s commitment to safety.
Choosing a Reliable Fire Watch Provider
Given the stakes, businesses are increasingly selective when choosing fire watch services. Providers are evaluated on training standards, response protocols, regulatory knowledge, and geographic coverage. Companies seeking to meet compliance requirements or safeguard high-risk sites often rely on trusted firms specializing in fire watch operations. For organizations looking for professional, reliable solutions, partnering with a service that offers dedicated and trained personnel is essential. This ensures uninterrupted safety coverage and aligns with legal and insurance expectations, while reducing exposure to preventable incidents.
For businesses navigating these requirements, resources such as fire watch services in North Carolina offer comprehensive solutions tailored to local codes and operational needs. Such services provide trained personnel, reporting tools, and consultation, helping companies maintain continuous compliance and safety assurance.
Conclusion
The fire watch industry in North Carolina represents a critical component of modern fire safety strategy. Its rise in demand reflects a combination of regulatory compliance, economic risk management, and operational necessity. As construction, industrial activity, and technological complexity continue to expand in the state, professional fire watch services will remain an indispensable resource for businesses seeking to protect their assets, employees, and operations.
By bridging gaps in standard fire protection systems, these services exemplify a proactive, responsible approach to fire safety—an approach that is becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly evolving commercial landscape.
Have you actually tried it? In the lead-up to Ratboys’ new album, singer/guitarist Julia Steiner has outlined in one interview after another the therapeutic exercise that gives Singin’ to an Empty Chair its name: you sit across an empty chair that symbolizes an absent person and try to express whatever unpleasant emotions you may have bottled up. Listening to the follow-up to 2023’s The Window over and over, an empty chair was always in my periphery, and I would sometimes find myself staring at it while letting the songs do the talking: projecting, sure, but mostly getting lost in their sprawling journey, closing my eyes to appreciate their textures – homed in with producer Chris Walla – and spinning my head in pure joy. I was grateful for their lonely revelations but eager to put it on in the car, on a long drive surrounded by loved ones – real, not imagined. If you have listened to a Ratboys record before, you already know the new one is as tremendously open-hearted and emotionally piercing as it is ultra-catchy. The subject matter may seem heavier this time, but it feels less like pulling a blanket over the unvarnished truth than warming the room that could make it unravel, keeping the door open for anyone who’d like to enter.
We caught up with Ratboys’ Julia Steiner to talk about the Driftless Area, Juana Molina, a roll of gaffe tappe, and other inspirations behind their new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair, which is out today.
The Driftless Area in Wisconsin
You went there to write and demo the new songs before returning months later to begin tracking. How did it feel different going in each time?
One exciting thing for us going into making this record was knowing that we were inviting Chris Walla, who produced the record with us – one of our lifetime heroes, and at this point, we’re lucky to call him a close friend – into our neck of the woods, our home turf of the Midwest in the US. He grew up on the West Coast in Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, which is just such a different part of the states geographically and culturally, and now he lives in Norway, on the whole other side of the world. This time around, it was his idea to want to approach the album firmly based here, where we live, and the surrounding areas, so it was exciting to get to show him around a little bit. We went back to this house where we had recorded before, so we had an idea of how we wanted to set up our gear – even the little things, like the DVD library that this house had. Because this cabin isn’t a recording studio, it’s literally just a vacation rental home that we found on one of those apps. So, knowing which DVDs they had, how the kitchen was set up – it was a very intimate, familiar feeling, going back there, already having had that experience of living in that house for a week when we wrote the songs.
The Driftless Area itself – I feel like I could talk about this for a while, because I find the geological history of the Midwest really interesting. But basically, in the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago, there were these huge glaciers that covered most of the area that we call home, and for whatever reason, those glaciers didn’t quite reach the southern southwest portion of Wisconsin and the neighboring states around there. What that produced was: Chicago, where we live, is really flat. There’s literally no hills, no topography to speak of, which is great for other reasons – getting around is quite easy. But it’s a pretty mundane landscape, I suppose, and in this specific part of Wisconsin, the glaciers didn’t flatten everything out, so there’s a ton of rolling hills and windy backroads and forests, just lots of nature that we don’t really have access to in Chicago. It was honestly pretty exotic and beautiful, only driving hours away by drive and still felt quite remote and different from our everyday. That first writing trip, we went on a pretty long drive just to clear our heads at the end of the week and listen to music together, and it was a beautiful experience. That’s one of my favorite ways to listen to music, on a long country backroads drive.
Looking at photos of this land did make me wonder if it inspired any part of ‘At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood’.
That song is most firmly rooted in the cabin, for sure. I wrote the chords and lyrics here at home, but brought it to the guys up there, and the first time that we worked on it together was in that space up at the cabin. When we recorded it with Chris, we recorded 95% of it in the cabin. That’s the only one that has vocals that I tracked in that room. It felt very at home there, because this house we were in in Wisconsin was pretty isolated. It was on its own big plot of land, and you couldn’t see any neighbors at all. It was 75 acres of unoccupied, mostly forested land, so it definitely kind of felt like we were in our own little world out in nature. And that is one of the fantasies of those Winnie the Pooh stories that I love: being out in nature with your friends and not having to worry about the complexities of city living.
I know a lot of the songs took shape in the other studios that you worked at – and maybe it’s also the name that prompting me to ask – but I wonder if there was something precious about the aimlessness that marked this part of the process, where there wasn’t necessarily the pressure of completing the songs.
Yeah, that’s a good way to think of it. We wanted the stakes to feel low at the beginning. That was another idea that Chris Walla brought to the table: This cabin sounds great, and we’ll bring enough gear of our own that we can capture a great recording and use whatever we get. If we end up getting takes that feel amazing, they can live on the album. You don’t have to redo them later. And at the same time, if we don’t get takes that feel great, then that’s okay. We’ve spent a week working on the songs and re-acclimating to each other, bonding and cooking, and listening to music. It was a very open, free, playful environment. It’s all in the spirit of good fun and mutual support, and I think because that was the energy in the cabin that week, we did end up getting some takes that we were really excited about. ‘Penny in the Lake’ and ‘Strange Love’ and ‘At Peace’, and a lot of ‘Just Want You to Know the Truth’ came out of that time in the cabin, amongst some other little sprinkles of things that we ended up taking from that and overdubbing with everything else.
The authors Susanna Clarke and Miriam Toews
They’re the two main authors that I was reading consistently while we were working on this album. Starting with Susanna Clarke in 2024, the timeline just matched up perfectly, and her novels were very much a part of my day-to-day when we were working on writing the songs. We first went up to the cabin to do this demo writing trip in March of 2024, and during that week was when I read Piranesi for the first time. That novel, for anyone who hasn’t read it – the setting is just as much of a main character as the the two figures.
Right, the House.
Yeah, the endless series of rooms and what makes them unique. They feel very alive in this mystical, magical way. For whatever reason, I’m so grateful that I brought that book with me on that trip, and it felt very appropriate to be reading in this space that we were discovering for the first time, which felt similarly charged with this energy that was mysterious to us and we were discovering in real time. Just such a page-turner, and got me really excited about art and being creative. It felt like a real companion during that week that we were writing.
From there, I was really curious about Susanna Clarke as an author. I looked up her other work and saw Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was her debut novel, one that she had written over the course of decades, or at least 10 years. I was so fascinated by her story of working as a professional in a different industry. I don’t even know what her job was, but she was a writer on the side, and would essentially just kind of chip away at Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in her spare time over the course of many years. She eventually finished it and put it out, and it just became this huge success. I was really in awe of that story, of how she came to writing, the gradual approach and the fact that she wasn’t worried about rushing anything. I appreciate slow art. That novel’s really long, and I love long-form anything: songs, long movies, long books. If I can buy in, I want to be in it for the long haul.
The one I’ve read is Piranesi, which I remember being quite short, and I absorbed it in a few days.
Totally, same. I didn’t want it to end. I managed to stretch it out, so I read it over the entire week that we were working, but I wanted it to keep going. On the other hand, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell, which I highly recommend, is this magical realism – like if Jane Austen wrote a fantasy novel. It’s really long, so I read that over the course of our entire tour that spring and summer, and it was my constant companion on the road. I just felt very connected to her writing throughout that year as we were writing and workshopping the songs.
Miriam Toews is another one of my favorite writers. I’ve been aware of her work for a little bit longer. My sister, in 2020, sent me a care package of books right when the lockdown started, and a couple of those were Miriam Toews novels, including her book A Complicated Kindness, which is the first one I read. I was just immediately drawn in by her down-to-earth way of writing. It’s very funny and unique and has such a singular perspective. The community that she grew up in and that she’s writing about is very different from any that I have ever been a part of, and yet I felt very invited in. The way that she kind of writes about her own personal experiences in the context of fiction is something that I find really inspiring, and I aspire to do that. I love all of the novels I’ve read by her, and I read All My Puny Sorrows while we were recording the album. That novel’s extremely raw and emotional and vulnerable, and gave me confidence to lean into those aspects when we were making our record.
I love those titles – A Complicated Kindness reminded of the phrase that the narrator in Piranesi uses to describe the House, which is “infinite Kindness.”
Yeah, the House gives so much.
I was looking back at quotes in an attempt to relive the book, and there’s one about “the wisdom of birds resid[ing] not in the individual, but in the flock, the congregation.” That reminded me of of the verse about birds [“on a wire/ They fell asleep because they all forgot to sing”] on the final track.
I feel comforted by that, for sure. I think that’s one reason I feel so safe in putting out this music that is personal to me is – the power and kindness of the flock. It’s my bandmates. I’m not not out here alone, and I’m really grateful for that.
Trevor Horn
Chris Walla – I don’t know if it’s accurate to call him a disciple of Trevor Horn, but he is very keyed into Trevor Horn’s discography and his whole story. First as a member of Yes and then as a producer who’s done such a wide range of projects, from Grace Jones to – I mean, the thing that blew my mind was learning that he produced a couple of those songs for t.A.T.u., that Russian duo who I grew up with and blew my mind when I was a child. And then, Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle and Sebastian, he worked with them in the early aughts. He makes such bold, artistic choices and is such a master of knowing when to make big swings in production. Dave, Chris, and I would commute to and from the studio every day together, because Chris was crashing at our house, and we would listen to this oldies station. Fairly often a Trevor Horn production would come on, and it was always really exciting when that happened, because Chris would point it out and kind of dissect a lot of details and tell us about specific synths that were just being released at the time, the ways that they were utilized on these recordings. It just opened up a whole new world of music that I had never really learned about.
Do you tend to do that when you’re listening to music as a band more generally?
That’s something that the four of us do a lot, no matter what, which I think is one of the reasons why we get along with Chris so well. At the end of the day, we all love listening to music and and nerding out about our favorite artists and recordings. When we’re on tour, just the four of us, we’re more of a record band than a podcast band in the van. We don’t really listen to podcasts super often, it’s more so pressing play on full albums, usually. It’s quite a nice way to pass that time in the van, and there’s always something to talk about. There’s always a lot happening, so you can observe different things together and make connections. When we first met Chris, that was something that he was clearly very down with. I feel like most producers would be. [laughs] We haven’t worked with many, so it’s hard to say, but he definitely is.
Juana Molina
That one probably didn’t come up on the oldies radio station.
[laughs] No, definitely not. I wish there was a radio station here that played Juana Molina. Maybe there is, and I just don’t know about it. Juana is one of those artists who I’ve had on my radar – I’ve been listening to her music since 2012. It’s been a while, and I’m really grateful for that. A friend turned me on to her when I was still in university. When I first found out about Juana Molina, I listened to her extensively and kind of constantly, and then for a few years – I don’t want to say I forgot, but I was listening to other things and didn’t check in for a while. For whatever reason, a few months before we started recording the album, I rediscovered Juana Molina, and specifically one of her early records, which is called Son. I think it’s her third album, came out in 2006, but I became so obsessed with the acoustic guitar sounds on that album specifically. That was a big reference for me as far as acoustic guitar tones to chase.
When we were up in the cabin, when it was time to take a break and cook meals and make dinner, that would be a great time to listen to music together. I have a memory of putting on Juana Molina, specifically that album, and then blazing through some of her other records, choosing songs to pick. But Chris I don’t believe was familiar with her before, so it was really exciting to share her music with a friend for the first time. She is such a magical artist – I don’t really know how to describe what she does, but the way she builds her songs layer by layer is really pleasing and satisfying. I don’t know what she’s talking about – I don’t speak Spanish – but I don’t need to know. I just love all the different sounds that she makes.
When an acoustic guitar catches your ear, is it usually the tone you reach for, or the tuning, the chords? What are you most curious about?
Definitely curious about everything, as far as acoustic guitar goes. It’s my favorite instrument. I’m always excited when that’s sort of the featured instrument on a song. An acoustic guitar solo is always really exciting, especially in the context of indie rock. I feel like it doesn’t happen very often. I’m definitely not a guitar virtuoso, so I’m not always listening to the song with the investigative ear of: How did she play that? What shapes was she using? How could I replicate that? It’s more so the feeling that it creates, and a lot of that, I think, comes from the tone. Obviously there’s not one that I prefer. I love super bright, trebly, Tom Petty acoustic guitars, where it’s clear someone’s strumming with a pick. Or a really warm close, fingerpicked sound, maybe even a nylon string, is really beautiful.
The clarity that a close-mic’d acoustic guitar can provide in a mix is so important, I think. That record specifically, Swan, there’s something about it where the acoustic guitar just feels so close to the ear. I just wanna wrap myself up in it like a blanket, it’s so comforting. I couldn’t believe that I had never heard that record before, just never pressed play on it, so it was a very exciting discovery and came at a great time, because we definitely leaned into the acoustic guitars for ‘Strange Love’ and ‘At Peace’ when we were recording those up at the cabin.
The Canadian sketch show Kids in the Hall
This is one of my favorite types of inspirations, when you know it’s just something you got together to watch. The Simpsons is something that’s come up a couple of times in that vein. For you, it was Kids in the Hall.
For me, less so – for the boys, yes. I was there, but I go to bed earlier than everyone else – not super early, but I’m not much of a super night owl. We had a really nice routine. The first time that we were up at the cabin, every night, when we were sort of ready to wind down and put the instruments away, we would spend, for me, maybe an hour just sitting on the couch and relaxing and watching Kids in the Hall, which is a Canadian sketch series – the episodes that we were watching, I think, were from the mid-90s. I didn’t know about this show before we started watching it every night at the cabin, and it was so funny and irreverent. It’s five guys, and anytime there’s a woman character on the show, the guys are dressing in drag. It’s one of the silliest, mindless, fun things to finish the day and wind down.
So, I would often say goodnight and go to bed before Marcus and Sean and Dave. I would leave them, and they would still be watching Kids in the Hall, and I would sort of fall asleep to the sound of them laughing to that show through the walls. It was our ritual each night when we were working on the record. I don’t know if any of it really seeped into the music and lyrics necessarily, but it contributed to the positive vibes in a real way.
Richard and Linda Thompson’s 1974 album I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
I first heard this album when I was playing poker with some friends 10 years ago, right when I moved to Chicago. It immediately stuck out to me as being, again, really down-to-earth, and it felt like it was made by human beings in a room. Lots of warm textures and interesting instruments that you don’t always hear in music from the 70s – more folky stuff like the mandolin, I think here’s some accordion in there. Some pretty incredible band performances, very in the pocket, especially one that’s super slow, ‘Calvary Cross’. That had been a record that I have loved for a long time.
When we went on that country drive on the last day of that writing trip, when we were up in Wisconsin for the first time, it was a very beautiful rural, scenic setting, driving around the Driftless region – with no goal in mind. We were literally just aimlessly driving without a map or a destination. In that moment, I put that record on in the van, and it was just one of those magical needle-drop moments where the music and the setting just morphed, and it was perfect. That record really resonated with us at on that day, in that place, all together in the van, driving around. It became kind of a touchstone of how music can make you feel really inspired. We put that record on again when we were driving back to the cabin, when Chris was with us, to start recording.
How was it different the second time?
That time it was a little bit colder, and I remember the sun was setting. I guess the context for us was pretty different as far as the timing of where we were in the process. The first time we listened to it, it was our last day up in Wisconsin, and we were celebrating a job well done, a productive week of work. It was our way to blow off some steam at the end of the week. The second time we put it on was the very first day that we were with Chris, and we hadn’t recorded anything yet for the album. I was driving, and I put it on just sort of as a way to take us back to that feeling of motivation and remembering what we’re capable of, to get us excited about being back in this place again, this part of the country, this specific small town. It felt like a nice way to remember how much we love what we’re doing. I don’t think anyone was in danger of forgetting that, but yeah.
You still need those reminders of what a record can do at the right time.
Yeah, man. There’s something so hard to explain and so magical about a needle drop on a road trip that just hits at the perfect time. I have such a specific memory of listening to that Big Thief double album [Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You]. We were driving through the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and it was snowy and so sunny, just like another planet. And then we had this one time we were driving on a really long day through rural Utah, and it was the 4th of July, and all of a sudden we came around the bend and saw all these fireworks going off far in the distance – clearly there were a bunch of little towns in the valley, all lighting off fireworks at the same time, and we were listening to the second Now, Now record, Saved. It was just so epic. It was one of the most beautiful little snapshot memories. I highly recommend it: Just go on a road trip and listen to your favorite records, and it’s bound to happen before long – those two things will intersect in a way that just sticks with you forever.
Lucky roll of grey gaffe tape
One of the reasons that we were so excited to work with Chris Walla again is because we already had this sense of familiarity. We had made a record before, working on The Window, and one thing that I really enjoyed about working with Chris the first time around was how he was very committed to creating comfort in the vocal booth. Whether that was lighting candles, or, when we were recording The Window, he would bring all of these little tchotchkes over time and place them near me on a little table. At one point, he got out these fake plastic trees that Tegan and Sarah had used; they were set pieces for their album recording documentary for The Con. He just had those in the studio in Seattle, so he brought them out, and he knows I’m a huge Tegan and Sarah fan. Just doing whatever he could to make me feel confident and comfortable and at ease while I was recording vocals.
One thing that I realized when we were working on The Window, recording the vocals, is that I like to have something in my hands when I’m recording a vocal take, ideally something heavy. I don’t know what it is about having the counterweight; I don’t know if it brings my shoulders down, or if it’s something that helps me release my diagram. I don’t know if it’s physical, or if it’s mental, or just a comfort thing again. But it became something I was open about with him, and he clocked that and was very non-judgmental and ready to help me, get what I needed. I appreciated that. Going into recording together this time around, I felt like I was at an advantage, because I already knew that about myself, and Chris knew that too.
The first vocals that we did for this record were the last song, ‘At Peace’, and what did we have at the cabin for me to hold in my hands but a huge roll of silver gaff tape that Chris had brought with him, I believe, from Norway. It became my lucky charm recording the vocals, at least my vocal takes for the record – I don’t think Sean used it when he was doing the harmonies. But having this was a consistent little key to unlock my best performances, and Chris always had it close at hand and was ready to give it to me when it was time to sing.
I’m smiling because I’m looking at my notes here, and the next question was going to be: What parts of your singing voice do you feel like you unlocked with this record?
I know I said acoustic guitar is my favorite instrument, but really, at the end of the day, singing is the thing that I feel the most confident in as my main instrument. Just in knowing my voice, having gotten to know it over the years, and being empowered to push it in new directions. I feel like I approach making each record as an opportunity to try new things and pay even closer attention to what I’m doing. For this one, it was exciting, because I had the chance to, with a song like ‘Light Night Mountains All That’, get really into the song and give maybe a more dramatic, amped-up performance than I have done in the past, even kind of yelling at one point. [laughs] Also, learning more about what my voice does when I feel like I’m not in control of what’s happening. There’s some moments on ‘Open Up’ and ‘The World, So Madly’ where I’m singing really high in my head voice, and there’s a little lilt or a break that’s happening in my voice. I couldn’t necessarily do that if you asked me to, but it kept happening, so little happy accidents like that are always really exciting to discover. Honestly, they make me want to get a vocal coach and try to harness that, so that I could do it on purpose.
Sometimes I feel a little bit nervous going into recording vocals, because I’m a critic of myself, and I want it to be really good. At the same time, it’s exciting, because I love to sing, and having learned more about my voice over the years, I do feel like I have a better idea of what I need going into it. I’m just so grateful, because Chris is such an awesome vocal producer. He’s a great singer, but he was never the lead singer in his band, and he still has such a great ear for what makes a compelling vocal take – for comping, breath, and also for when diminishing returns are setting in and it’s time to stop. That’s probably personally my favorite part of working with him, doing the vocals together.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Who knew superhero shenanigans and Hollywood satire work together well? Marvel, apparently. Despite dropping all episodes of Wonder Man at once and with little fanfare, the show has been enjoying quite the momentum.
Thanks to good word-of-mouth and positive reviews, it’s slowly but surely becoming one of the most acclaimed TV titles Marvel has put out so far. Does that mean fans could expect a sequel?
Wonder Man Season 2 Release Date
At the time of writing, there’s no official news about a potential Wonder Man season 2.
However, rumours are circulating that Marvel Studios is close to giving a follow-up the green light. In case that happens, Wonder Man would become only the third MCU Disney+ series to make it to multiple seasons, after Loki and Daredevil: Born Again.
Depending on where the story fits into the larger MCU timeline, more episodes could premiere in late 2027.
Wonder Man Cast
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
X Mayo as Janelle Jackson
Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak
Arian Moayed as P. Cleary
Byron Bowers as DeMarr Davis / Doorman
Joe Pantoliano as a fictional version of himself
Josh Gad as a fictional version of himself
What Is Wonder Man About?
While Wonder Man is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it doesn’t require viewers to be familiar a huge amount of lore. It’s a low-stakes story both veteran fans and newbies can enjoy.
The show follows Simon, a struggling Los Angeles actor whose career is going nowhere. Until, that is, he lands a role in a big-budget superhero movie about a character called Wonder Man. He also connects with Trevor Slattery, the disgraced actor from Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi, who becomes his mentor.
The problem? Simon actually has mysterious ionic energy abilities. As his acting career rises, so does the risk of being exposed in a world that exploits superhumans.
Without giving away major spoilers, the first season ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which could see Simon and Trevor on the run in Wonder Man season 2. A follow-up could also focus on Simon fully embracing his abilities, with would majorly impact his acting career. Either way, we hope the character makes a comeback.
Are There Other Shows Like Wonder Man?
If you like Wonder Man, we recommend streaming the other MCU TV series on Disney+. Recent additions include Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda, Ironheart, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Agatha All Along, and Echo.
Alternatively, check out some of the titles currently making waves on the platform. Like Tell Me Lies, High Potential, Grey’s Anatomy, A Thousand Blows, and Abbott Elementary.
In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on February 6, 2026:
Ratboys, Singin’ to an Empty Chair
Ratboys’ new album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, is as expansive and nuanced as it is purely resonant. The follow-up to 2023’s The Window finds the beloved Chicago band reuniting with producer Chris Walla, who helps them ease into some of their most simultaneously catchy and complex songs yet. “A big, overarching theme of this record is my attempt to document my experience being estranged from a close loved one,” vocalist/guitarist Julia Steiner explained. “The goal is to update this person on what’s been going on in my life and to try to bridge that impasse and reach out a hand into the void.” Read our inspirations interview with Ratboys.
Mandy, Indiana’s viscerally ambiguous music turns away from escapism and towards the body on their sophomore LP, URGH. Vocalist Valentine Caulfield, guitarist and producer Scott Fair, synth player Simon Catling, and drummer Alex Macdougall wrote much of the i’ve seen a way follow-up during a residency at an “eerie” studio house in the outskirts of Leeds, laying it down across Berlin and Greater Manchester. The album artwork, by the artist Carnovsky, features an anatomical illustration of Andreas Vesalius.
The blurring of Dan Snaith’s alter egos is becoming more and more overt. On his new Daphni LP, the producer acknowledges this by “featuring” Caribou on highlight ‘Waiting So Long’, but more crucially seeks to stretch the perceived boundaries – and functional pulse – of the dance-focused project, all with the live show in mind. “I guess the point of these Daphni records is to keep in mind a more expansive idea of dance music where the parameters are broad and the church is broad,” Snaith said in press materials. With Butterfly‘s dazzling, unfettered flow, he keeps the listener guessing, too. Read the full review.
J. Cole’s long-anticipated seventh album, The Fall-Off, has arrived. “For the past 10 years, this album has been hand crafted with one intention: a personal challenge to myself to create my best work,” the rapper said of the two-disc project upon releasing the single ‘Disc 2 Track 2’. “To do on my last what I was unable to do on my first. I had no way of knowing how much time, focus and energy it would eventually take to achieve this, but despite countless challenges along the way, I knew in my heart I would one day get to the finish line. I owed it first and foremost to myself. And secondly, I owed it to hip hop.”
London art-rockers Ulrika Spacek’s fourth album, EXPO, is hypnotically jazzy and adventurous. The band produced the record themselves, recording in London and Stockholm. “In an age of hyperindividualism we are proud to say it is our most collective effort yet,” they commented, adding, “Our music has always been a collage – a bit patchwork, sonically – but what makes this album a landmark for us is that we went one step further and made our own sound bank and essentially sampled ourselves.”
Ella Mai, Do You Still Love Me?; Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Laughter in Summer; Nick Jonas, Sunday Best; Dirt Buyer, Dirt Buyer III; Puma Blue, Croak Dream; Nick Schofield, Blue Hour; vegas water taxi, long time caller, first time listener; Brad Rose, The Sound Leaves.
Have you ever watched a music video on a streaming service? I haven’t, not willfully at least. Well, Taylor Swift is promoting ‘Opalite’ – for my money, still the best song on The Life of a Showgirl – as the next single from the album, and its new music video is exclusive to Apple Music and Spotify until February 8. It stars Swift alongside Domnhall Gleeson, with cameos from Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Lewis Capaldi – all of whom appeared on The Graham Norton Show with the pop star a few months ago. It’s really charming, and you can check it out below.
On Instagram, Swift wrote:
The idea for the Opalite music video crash landed into my imagination when I was doing promo for The Life of a Showgirl. I was a guest on one of my favorite shows, @TheGrahamNortonShowOfficial. For those of you who aren’t familiar, it’s a UK late night show where Graham Norton (the insanely charismatic and lovable host) invites a random group of actors, entertainers, musicians, etc to be on his show and we all sit there and chat like it’s a dinner party. They even serve wine. Anyway. I remember thinking I got ridiculously lucky with the group I was paired with. Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Greta Lee, @JodieSmith, and @LewisCapaldi. All people whose work I’ve admired from afar. When we were all talking during the broadcast, Domhnall made a light hearted joke about wanting to be in one of my music videos. He’s Irish! He was joking! Except that in that moment during the interview, I was instantly struck with an *idea*. And so a week later he received an email script I’d written for the Opalite video, where he was playing the starring role. I had this thought that it would be wild if all of our fellow guests on the Graham Norton show that night, including Graham himself, could be a part of it too. Like a school group project but for adults and it isn’t mandatory. To my delight, everyone from the show made the effort to time travel back to the 90’s with us and help with this video.
Hit show Bridgerton is back with season 4, and the new episodes took Netflix by storm. The Regency-era romantic drama is the most-watched show on the platform, with 39.7 million views over the last week.
Not only that, but season 1 and season 3 are also back in the global charts, a testament to the show’s undeniable popularity. That means we’re definitely getting more episodes, right? Here’s what we know so far.
Bridgerton Season 5 Release Date
Season 4 of Bridgerton comes out in two parts. The first four episodes are currently streaming, with the final ones scheduled to drop later in February. This season is inspired by book 3 in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, titled An Offer From a Gentleman.
As for what’s next, fans will be happy to know that Netflix has already renewed the series for two more seasons. In other words, Bridgerton season 5 could be here before you know it – perhaps in early 2027?
Bridgerton Cast
Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek
Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun
Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton
Adjoa Andoh as Lady Agatha Danbury
Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown
Jonathan Bailey as Lord Anthony Bridgerton
What Could Happen in Bridgerton Season 5?
Set in early-1800s London, Bridgerton follows the wealthy Bridgerton family as they navigate the marriage market. Each season centres on a different sibling’s love story, blending swoony romance with court intrigue.
Season 4 shines the spotlight on Benedict, the second Bridgerton son. His romance follows a Cinderella-inspired arc, complete with a hefty dose of class divide to complicate matters.
Benedict meets a mysterious “Lady in Silver” (Sophie) at a masquerade ball and is instantly captivated. While they share a deep connection, she disappears before revealing her identity. Obsessed with finding her, he searches high society, unaware that she’s not part of it.
As for Bridgerton season 5, fans are speculating that it will revolve around Eloise, the second eldest daughter. Back in January, showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed that seasons 5 and 6 are Eloise and Francesca’s love stories, but didn’t give away the order.
For now, we still have season 4 part 2 to look forward to. Will Benedict and Sophie get their happy ending? Probably, but it will still be fun to watch it happen when the show returns on February 26.
Cher turned 79 and her boyfriend Alexander Edwards is 39. The pair have been together since 2022, and she has made no effort to hide the 40-year difference between them. When asked about it on CBS Mornings, she offered a simple response: nobody knows what goes on between them, but they have a blast. That answer tells you more about age-gap relationships than any survey could. The people inside them rarely share the anxieties that outsiders project onto them.
Public fascination with celebrity couples who have large age differences has existed for decades. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Celine Dion and René Angélil, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn. Each of these pairings drew attention and criticism in their time. The question of taboo, then, is less about the relationships themselves and more about who is watching and what they believe they see.
The Numbers Behind the Noise
A 2025 Ipsos poll measured American attitudes toward age-gap dating. The findings showed that 39% of Americans have dated someone with a 10-year or greater age difference. A large majority said it was socially acceptable for both men and women to date someone 10 or more years younger. These figures suggest that age gaps are more common and accepted than public commentary might indicate.
Still, acceptance comes with qualifications. The same poll found that nearly a quarter of Americans between 18 and 34 said they feared what people might think if they entered such a relationship. Younger adults, who might seem more open to unconventional arrangements, reported higher levels of concern about perception. The gap between stated acceptance and personal anxiety points to something unresolved.
When Public Perception Pins a Label on Partners
Age-gap couples in the spotlight often face assumptions about their motives. A 2025 Ipsos poll found that 24% of Americans aged 18-34 worry about judgment if they date someone with a large age difference. Critics tend to reduce these pairings to stereotypes, and the scrutiny makes them seem like a sugar daddy or sugar baby rather than two people who chose each other.
Celebrities like Cher, who is 40 years older than Alexander Edwards, push back against this framing. She told CBS Mornings that outsiders cannot know what happens between them, adding that they have a blast together. Sarah Paulson, with a 32-year gap from Holland Taylor, called her relationship positive and unconventional in a May 2025 interview with El País.
Hollywood Couples Defying Convention
Paulson and Holland Taylor began dating around 2015. The actress has spoken openly about how their age difference attracts attention. In May 2025, she told El País that many find the gap disconcerting. She added that she likes to represent something positive and unconventional. Her willingness to discuss the relationship publicly has made them one of the most visible age-gap couples in entertainment.
Other pairings receive similar scrutiny but handle it differently. Some avoid interviews entirely. Others offer brief acknowledgments and move on. The strategy depends on the couple, but the presence of age-gap relationships in celebrity culture has remained steady for years.
When Women Are Older
The traditional pattern placed older men with younger women. That configuration drew criticism but also acceptance rooted in long-standing gender norms. When the dynamic reverses, reactions differ.
Films released in recent years have explored relationships where women are the older partner. “The Idea of You,” “Babygirl,” and “Lonely Planet” all feature this premise. Author Robinne Lee, whose novel inspired one of these films, said women want to see characters reclaiming their sexuality. Director Halina Reijn stated that age gaps switching should be completely normalized.
These films signal a shift in storytelling, but they also respond to existing demand. Audiences have shown interest in narratives that treat older women as romantic leads rather than supporting figures. The box office results and streaming numbers suggest the interest is genuine.
What Taboo Actually Means
Taboo implies social prohibition backed by consequence. By that definition, age-gap relationships among celebrities do not qualify. No one faces exile for dating someone decades older or younger. Careers continue. Public appearances proceed. The relationships exist openly.
What remains is discomfort, and discomfort is not the same as taboo. People may gossip. Tabloids may speculate. Social media users may post opinions. But none of this amounts to prohibition. The couples themselves often live without apparent penalty.
Judgment Without Enforcement
Public figures who enter age-gap relationships face commentary but rarely suffer professional harm. Cher has maintained her career and public profile throughout her relationship with Edwards. Paulson continues to receive awards and leading roles. The gap between what people say and what actually happens to these couples suggests the taboo is rhetorical rather than functional.
Younger people may fear judgment, as the Ipsos poll indicated. But that fear exists alongside widespread acceptance. The contradiction suggests that social pressure operates unevenly. What feels dangerous in theory often proves tolerable in practice.
Private Lives, Public Opinions
Celebrities who discuss their relationships do so on their own terms. Cher’s comment about having a blast offered no apology and no defense. Paulson’s description of her relationship as unconventional accepted the label without treating it as negative. Both responses treated outside opinion as irrelevant to the reality of their partnerships.
This approach limits the power of criticism. If the people inside the relationship refuse to treat it as shameful, external shame loses force. The couples set the terms, and observers can only react.
Where Things Actually Are
Age-gap relationships among celebrities persist. Public interest in them persists. Neither shows signs of ending. The question of taboo depends on definition. If taboo means forbidden, the answer is no. If it means subject to comment and speculation, the answer is obviously yes.
The difference matters because it changes what the discussion is actually about. We are not debating prohibition. We are debating taste, preference, and the limits of social curiosity. Those are different conversations, and they lead to different conclusions.
Ratboys’ new album, 
Mandy, Indiana’s viscerally ambiguous music turns away from escapism and towards the body on their sophomore LP, 
The blurring of Dan Snaith’s alter egos is becoming more and more overt. On his new 
J. Cole’s long-anticipated seventh album, 
London art-rockers Ulrika Spacek’s fourth album, 
