PODCAST | Hey public radio nerds: Looking for a new podcast to fill the void that Serial left behind? Try INVISIBILIA ("all the invisible things" in Latin), which debuted at the end of January, about the unseen forces affecting human behavior. Co-hosted by NPR science reporters Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel, the show's theme-based, episodic format is reminiscent of This American Life. Miller and Spiegel intertwine journalistic reporting and narrative storytelling to explore psychoscience-y topics like our relationships with technology and synesthesia. (In one story, the reporters meet a woman who can physically feel what other people are feeling!) You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or listen to the program online at npr.org/programs/invisibilia.
CLOTHING | As any member of #TeamNoPants knows, you can only wear leggings so many times before you run out of shirts that cover your butt. Instead of doing laundry, diversify your winter wardrobe and buy a pair of BOYFRIEND JEANS. Think loose fit, cropped or cuffed bottoms, effortlessly cool and practical, not to mention comfortable. As I write this, I'm wearing a lightly distressed pair from LOFT's new spring line ($79.50) that fit loosely around my hips. They're cozy enough to take a nap in, yet chic enough to wear in a casual work environment — especially when you match them with a killer pair of shoes. Yes, pants are still the worst, but boyfriend jeans are a happy compromise.
ALBUM | There's a reason Nicki Minaj is the reigning queen of rap. Her third studio album, THE PINKPRINT, has been lauded as her best and most personal record to date — and rightly so. Don't let "Anaconda" fool you. Like always, Minaj's lyrics are raunchy and explicit (google "Truffle Butter" at your own risk), but this time, you'll also hear some more vulnerable and autobiographical rhymes. If you weren't a fan of her ass-tastic take on Sir-Mix-A-Lot's magnum opus, listen to "Feeling Myself," a female-empowerment duet with Beyonce, or "All Things Go," a sincere and emotionally raw song in which she raps about the abortion she underwent as a teenager and the violent death of a younger cousin. ♦
