KIMBERLY HAS THOUGHTS 💜

Hey y’all,

I’ve avoided talking about this for a while, but now that the trial has started, we need to face the facts: Rihanna might have procreated with a dusty. Yes, ASAP Rocky is a multi-millionaire, but let’s be real—his track record is questionable at best. From his legal troubles to the misogynoir he’s casually thrown around, I’m asking the important question: How did one of the most powerful, influential women in the world end up here?

This episode dives into ASAP’s past, the ways women overcompensate when they’re the breadwinners, and why men who think they’re the bad b*****s in the relationship are a liability.

But this isn’t just about celebrity relationships; it’s about power, autonomy, and the ways women navigate love and loyalty.

I also discuss the disturbing trends shaping teenage girlhood in the digital age. From social media commodifying young women’s self-expression to the alarming normalization of violent kinks among teens, it’s clear that online culture is reshaping intimacy, consent, and power dynamics in unsettling ways.

Let’s get into it.

Talk soon,Kim

💜TAKE THE POLL💜

✨Links & Resources✨

Here are the articles, news stories, and sources referenced in this podcast episode:

* Rihanna makes first court appearance at the trial of her partner A$AP Rocky, as accuser testifies, AP News

* State Dept. urges Sweden to treat arrested rapper ASAP Rocky fairly, Politico

* A$AP Rocky Responds to Red Lipstick Backlash, BET.com

* A$AP Rocky on Fatherhood, Falling For Rihanna & His New Album, Don’t Be Dumb, W Magazine

* The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex, New York Times

* FX’s Social Studies Docuseries

* YouTube, Twerking & You: Context Collapse and the Handheld Co-Presence of Black Girls and Miley Cyrus

ASAP ROCKY was dead f*****g wrong. My signature (😂) lip combo:

* MAC Chestnut Lip Liner

* Sephora Always Red Lipstick

Hey y’all,

Today’s episode explores the simultaneously repulsive and compelling chaos of this season of Real Housewives of New York, Ashley and Tyler’s impending divorce, how millennials are redefining adulthood and why traditional life goals feel more elusive than ever. I also reflect on the unexpected ways counterculture has shifted and why what once seemed rebellious has now become the norm.

Join me as I unpack it all.

Talk soon,

Kim

This post was sponsored by The Black Girl Blueprint. Buy beautiful, inexpensive art for Black women.

Hey y’all,

Today’s podcast is about how the tides are turning for women over 30 in pop music and beyond.

It’s easier than ever for women to thrive as they age (despite the aesthetic pressures), and we’re seeing it everywhere: from pop stars like Tinashe, Victoria Monét, and Charli XCX breaking through in their 30s, to the glow of confidence and control many of us feel as we settle into ourselves.

But as older women are claiming our space, I can’t help but think about how much more complicated life has gotten for young women. Social media, the pandemic, and global political catastrophes have turned adolescence into an overwhelming, hyperconnected mess where self-efficacy, body image, and mental health are constantly under siege.

Watching how this plays out for Gen Z and Gen Alpha makes me even more grateful I came of age before we all consented to have our brains melted by the technofeudalists.

These two threads—women embracing the power of age and young women struggling under the weight of modern pressures—are tied to deeper cultural shifts. Feminism’s work isn’t done until we can age without fear of losing our value or visibility, and we have to reckon with how the pitfalls of modernity have reshaped what it means to grow up as a girl.

There’s so much to unpack here. Catch the podcast for the full conversation, and let me know how you’re feeling about this shift. Are we finally seeing progress, or is it just a new flavor of the same old story?

Talk soon,Kim

P.S. Let’s let Regina Hall sing us out.

Hey y’all,

What a day. What a day.

How do I feel? Meh. No dramatic despair or rage, just a firm commitment to focus on the fights that matter and preserve my MF peace.

In today’s podcast, I unpack why I’m shifting my energy away from obsessing over every news cycle and toward investing in smaller-scale, meaningful actions. From discussing the derangement of Trump loyalists to examining the Democratic Party’s malpractice in engaging younger Black voters, there’s a lot to dissect about how we navigate this chaotic political era.

Speaking of that, I share some insights from my recent readings on Black political behavior and gender politics. Did you know that generational and regional divides deeply shape Black women’s policy views? Or that anti-feminism and racial resentment significantly drive support for Trump among some women of color? These patterns were predictable, yet ignored, and it’s frustrating to see how Democrats have failed to adapt their strategies.

And yes, I do spend a little time critiquing fashion moments from the inauguration (Melania’s hat? A no from me. Ivanka’s outfit? I loved it 🤷🏾‍♀️ ). Still, this podcast is really about sidestepping the outrage traps set to drain us.

Peace and clarity,Kim

First, please know that I NEVER use “wokeness” that way in serious conversations. That’s why it’s in scare quotes. Here, I’m talking about the caricature of progressive values right-wingers love to promulgate.

Moving on…

I’ve been thinking about how much socializing revolves around alcohol and the ethics of hosting events that include it. I barely drink because alcohol is gross and dangerous, but I know the girls love a cocktail. Should spaces for connection and fun always come with a drink in hand? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Speaking of connection, let’s talk about the never-ending gender wars and the absurd competition patriarchy tries to create between women of different ages. (Hint: I’m not competing with 20-somethings twerking in their kitchens. Auntie Kim is rooting for you.)

I also just read Doreen St. Felix’s latest piece in The New Yorker about Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, and the Me Too era’s complexities. It’s a sharp look at power, internet narratives, and how spectacle undermines justice.

This part of the piece really hit:

And so Lively’s allegations against Baldoni were never going to be seen as brave, but, rather, as the kindling for a culture war. The late twenty-tens genre of #MeToo reportage cannot thrive on today’s volatile Internet. Information is misinformation and vice versa. Victims are offenders and offenders are victims. The word that comes up again and again in all the Internet litigation of Lively v. Baldoni is “narrative.” Abuse seems to be far from anyone’s mind. What matters is which side’s story is better suited to the politics of our time.

Finally, a wild story of college students staging a “To Catch a Predator”-style sting operation revived the debate about the fine line between weird and immoral behavior and how vigilantism rarely delivers anything that likes remotely like justice.

Questions to Ponder:

* What happens when pursuing justice becomes a moral crusade tangled with personal resentments?

* Where does personal distaste end and immorality begin?

Three days into my habit-tracking streak, y’all. Progress!

Hey y’all, it’s Kim, and I’m back (two days in a row raise the roof)!

✨ What’s inside:

* Renaissance is Queen Bey’s masterwork, and I’m so glad she’s taking it on tour again (allegedly).

* TikTok’s looming ban and its impact on creators and marginalized voices.

* A plea for grown folks to stop meddling in Gen Z’s business.

If you’re reading this outside my newsletter, head over to kimberlynicolefoster.co to get the full episode, my notes, and all the extras.

Let’s get into it. 💜

– Kim

Justice for Thique!

♫ Song of the Day ♫

I knew Julia’s name before I watched her interview with Daniel Wall, but I’d never taken the time to go through the catalog of songs she’s written. She done some jams, include “Good Graces” which was one of my Pop & B faves of 2024!

🎶Top Julia Michaels Songs🎶

* Nick Jonas — Close Featuring Tove Lo

* Selena Gomez — Good for You

* Janelle Monae — Make Me Feel

* Justin Bieber — Sorry

* Sabrina Carpenter — Taste

✨Links & Resources✨

* Michelle Obama will not attend Trump's inauguration, her office says, CBS News

* How We Fell Out of Love with Dating Apps, Financial Times

* Boosting beauty in an economic decline: mating, spending, and the lipstick effect, Journal of Personal and Social Psychology

Hey y'all! It's me Kim, and I'm back with another Paywall-exclusive podcast. Today, I dive into a few things, from the intense watch party for The Substance to the strange wealth focus in Southern California fire coverage. I also talk about how so many middle-aged actresses in Hollywood are doing great work and the allure of luxury knockoffs like the Wirkin, and the shift toward solitude in modern life. Check out the timestamps below to skip around and find the segments you’re most interested in. Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments! 💜

Also, can y’all please leave a comment and tell me what you’d want to hear my hot takes on? I have literally (not literally) 1000 things in my head right now.

Note: I already planned on recording a separate episode for the “main pop girls,” but now I will have to do another Pop & B episode because I cannot believe I forgot to mention Tinashe’s “Nasty.” 🤦🏾‍♀️

Note 2: This morning, I was listening to 80s R&B and noticed that it was much softer than the newer music. Has music gotten louder?