The Meaning of Selena and Beyoncé in One Song

The release of an adaptation of Beyoncé’s song “Irreplaceable” in Spanish, “Irreemplazable,” sampling Selena Quintanilla’s hit “Como la flor” recently sparked an uproar. In this episode, Maria digs deeper, by exploring how Selena’s musical and aesthetic style was heavily informed by Black artists a…

The Meaning of Meryl Streep’s Intuition

Why is Meryl Streep called the greatest living actor? Today, Maria walks us through Meryl’s wide range of career phases. From her accent phase, to her controversial rom-com phase and her “mean-mommy” era. Because before becoming a “BILF” (Boss I’d Like to Fuck) in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Meryl had…

Love & Basketball: A Love Letter to a Girl’s Dreams

More than 25 years after its release, “Love & Basketball” (2000) still redefines what a love story can be. It’s not just a movie about basketball. It’s about a girl and her dreams, and what it means to believe in yourself against the odds. Today, producer and WNBA superfan Brittany Cronin joins Mar…

The Meaning of Mariah Carey and Luis Miguel

They were glamour, talent, beauty – captured in a duo. They were the darling of American Pop and R&B Mariah Carey and the sun of Mexico, Luis Miguel. Two world-dominating artists at the top of their game, successful, rich, gorgeous who belonged to different universes.Until they went on a blind date…

The Meaning of Aaliyah’s Baddie Vibe

Maria asked: why are there no divas anymore? Her friend Paris Alston said, “society traded divas for baddies.” When Maria thinks of the artist that embodies the baddie spirit in her mind most of all, it’s the princess of R&B Aaliyah. A young girl who became a woman as she made music history, transf…

The Meaning of Shakira’s Black Hair

When Maria discovered Shakira’s album “Pies Descalzos” at 12 years old, her brain chemistry got altered. Shakira was a revelation: her alternative leather pants, her messy makeup, and that blackest of black hair. Shakira was the antidote to the different shades of blonde that dominated MTV in the l…

The Meaning of the Magical Chihuahua

In a relationship, are you a golden retriever or a black cat? Maria is… neither. She’s a human chihuahua. Because they’re fierce, protective of their loved ones, ancient and some might say magical. Today, the story of the chihuahua like you haven’t heard it before. From spirit guides of the great T…

The Meaning of Ricky Martin’s Evolution

Maria was watching the Benito Bowl when an unexpected artist came on: the one and only Ricky Martin. He sang one of Bad Bunny’s most political, anti-colonial anthems. Maria knew this was a touchstone moment — the artist who most represented the ‘90s Latin Boom wasn’t performing to a white audience …

Introducing: Muy Excited with Maria Garcia

Attention pop culture lovers! Maria Garcia is back with a fun video podcast in which she picks a piece of nostalgic or contemporary culture—an event, an album, a movie—and unpacks what it reveals about ourselves. Expect divas, drama and lots of humor. Maria explores topics like: Why did the power c…