3 Podcasts to Listen to in February

February Podcasts

Each month, Podcast Review’s staff offers recommendations on the best new podcasts to listen to. Here are our favorites for February:

The United States of Anxiety

Kai Wright’s WNYC program is spending Black History Month trying to figure out its purposes, thrills, conflicts, and discontents. As Wright explains in the mini-series’ opener, his position towards Black History Month has shifted over the course of his life. He turns to Dr. Pero Dagbovie for the story of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the historian who brought the celebration of black history, at the time just a weeklong, to the academy, public school system, and larger culture. The interview is a primer on the project of Black History Month, before it was accepted by the mainstream.

Vox Quick Hits

Vox’s latest podcast is a daily “playlist” designed to fit around our new schedules, sacrificing as little analysis and content as possible. With topics ranging from culture to current affairs, Vox Quick Hits puts out multiple short-form stories during each day of the work week — perfect for coffee breaks. Want a concise summary of GameStock? What’s up with manifesting? Can someone explain the latest coup? There are many shows with a similar format, but Vox Quick Hits is worth checking out for topical content that you’ll actually want to listen to.

Welcome to Your Fantasy

Welcome To Your Fantasy offers the history of the Chippendales, the exotic male dance troupe of the ‘80s. Host Natalie Petrzela frames the podcast around the murder of Chippendales choreographer Nick De Noia, as she attempts to find the clues in the Chippendales’ rise that foreshadow the killing. In its opening episodes, Welcome To Your Fantasy foregrounds the history, spending more of its time world-building than other murder mysteries. This Gimlet-Pineapple Street co-production has a propulsive pace and is likely to attract a good chunk of the true crime audience.

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