We’re officially in 2026, and the vibe is… intentional. After spending the holidays recovering from a flu-from-hell, Mehak (@whathemehak) is back in the studio for a solo deep dive into the trends and transitions defining the start of the year.

This episode covers everything from personal dating updates to the rise of "Friction-maxxing"—the radical art of choosing the inconvenient path for the sake of deeper relationships and a life that actually feels real. We also dissect why the internet is collectively losing it over Tamara’s 365 Buttons project and how a simple jar of crafts became the ultimate symbol of staying in your own lane.

To wrap it all up, Mehak explains why Heated Rivalry is the only thing on her FYP right now and why its portrayal of male intimacy is striking such a deep chord with everyone watching.

Equal parts reflective and lighthearted, this episode is your personal guide to finding your own 2026 obsession. Grab a drink, get cozy, and let’s get into the first real conversation of the year.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

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In this holiday special, Love-ly closes out 2025 with a cozy, unfiltered yap session between three friends. Host Mehak (@whathemehak) is joined by former guests Erik (@erikhruszowy) and Waleed (@wearswali) to reflect on the year and share holiday hot takes—keeping things funny, warm, and very real.

The conversation ranges from holiday dating do’s and don’ts to how a double Gucci belt nearly brought Mehak to tears, Waleed’s hot takes on therapy, and Erik’s take on Santa capitalism. Along the way, they share holiday memories and encourage listeners—especially singles—to decenter others’ opinions and focus on what actually brings them fulfillment.

Equal parts reflective and lighthearted, this episode is perfect holiday listening for singles, offering laughter, comfort, and a thoughtful send-off as the trio sets intentional words and looks ahead to 2026.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a trad wife, really? What are they selling—and what are we not seeing?

This week on Love-ly, Mehak sits down with bestselling author, journalist, and podcaster Jo Piazza, widely considered one of America’s sharpest observers of women, motherhood, and the influencer economy. Together, they unpack the increasingly visible and controversial world of “trad wives”—women who embrace and promote full-time homemaking on social media. Mehak and Jo explore why the aesthetic is so magnetic, what’s intentionally left out of the picture-perfect narrative, and how domesticity is often repackaged as empowerment. Along the way, Mehak and Jo discuss a viral TikTok from @cortneygetsfit, a stay-at-home mom navigating life post-divorce after years of financial dependence on her husband.

Piazza opens up about the realities of feminist choice, financial independence, and how her own views on marriage and partnership have shifted over time. Pulling from her years of reporting and her latest book, Everyone Is Lying to You, the conversation gets into shifting gender roles, the pressure cooker of modern womanhood, and the glossy myths social media keeps feeding us.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Love-ly, Mehak sits down with sex educator and pleasure expert Danielle Bezalel—host of Sex Ed with DB. Together, they unpack the motifs that shape our earliest understandings of intimacy: immigrant households where sex was whispered, cultures that mistake silence for safety, and school systems that replace curiosity with misinformation.

From Danielle’s Afghan Jewish upbringing to Mehak’s own cultural reflections, this episode explores how identity, religion, shame, and generational expectations influence the way we date, desire, and perceive ourselves. Danielle also shares the turning point that led her into public health and sex education, the emotional stakes of bad sex ed in the U.S., and why pleasure still feels like a radical act—especially for women of color.

We end with a Love-ly signature: a modern dating detour into why everything—including romance—feels so aesthetic now, and what it would mean to return to our bodies instead of performing our lives for the camera.

This is an episode about unlearning, reclaiming, and finally giving ourselves permission to want what we truly desire.

Check out Sex Ed With DB @sexedwithdbpodcasts on IG and on the website, www.sexedwithdb.com

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are substance addiction and love addiction connected?

In this episode of Love-ly, host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ welcomes licensed therapist Kendall Bierman, who shares her personal journey through anxiety, substance addiction, and the path to sobriety. She reflects on the influence of her family dynamics, competitive upbringing, and the turning points that led her to pursue a career in therapy.

The discussion dives into dating while sober, attachment styles, and the cultural pressures that shape our choices. Kendall also offers professional insights on cultivating emotional resilience and overcoming self-sabotage.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Love-ly, we’re sharing some sage wisdom from Sex Ed with DB — your go-to show for smart, science-backed sex education. Each episode delivers trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure.

In this episode, DB talks with Dr. Lexx about the many different kinds of pleasure — and how to keep pleasure centered in a long-term monogamous relationship. It’s not always just about sex; pleasure can come from all parts of our lives, our senses, and our connections with others.

✨ Enjoy this convo, and tune in next week for a brand-new episode of Love-ly.

SEX ED WITH DB 

Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Danielle Bezalel (DB) (she/her) | Communications Lead: Cathren Cohen (she/her) | Growth Marketing Manager and Producer: Wil Williams (they/them) | Theme Music: Hook Sounds | Background Music: Bright State by Ketsa | Ad Music: Soul Sync by Ketsa; Always Faithful by Ketsa; Soul Epic by Ketsa.

Instagram: ⁠@sexedwithdbpodcast⁠ | TikTok: ⁠@sexedwithdb⁠ | Twitter: ⁠@sexedwithdb⁠ | Threads: ⁠@sexedwithdbpodcast⁠ |YouTube: ⁠Sex Ed with DB ⁠Email: [email protected]

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or others, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Love-ly, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mehak⁠⁠⁠⁠ sits down with psychotherapist and @well.guide founder Israa Nasir to discuss life as a third-culture kid and why she doesn’t feel guilty about not having children, despite parental expectations.

Their conversation also takes a turn into the future of digital mental health care, inspired by Israa’s essay, “Outsourcing Emotional Labor to ChatGPT,” and how we should be using AI for in therapy (hint: definitely not your Hinge replies).

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or others, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is building human connection so difficult in modern dating? This week on Lovely, ⁠⁠Mehak⁠⁠ talks to Aubrey Aust, researcher and podcast host of Hint of Trauma, to decode the complexities of modern relationships. They explore how cultural norms have warped our perceptions of love (and boyfriends) and dive deep into the cycles of hyper-independence versus people-pleasing.

This episode is a masterclass on why vulnerability is the essential, non-negotiable key to building truly secure connections. Aubrey shares her personal journey of navigating non-traditional relationships, offering a path to finding fulfillment and relational trust in today's hyperconnected digital age. Don't miss this must-listen guide to understanding what human connection is actually all about.

Listen to Hint of Trauma and follow Aubrey's work at www.aubreyaust.com.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or others, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, Mehak opens up about being in her “in-between era,” a space where she’s rediscovering herself. After a recent breakup, she reflects on emotional maturity, intuition, and the lessons that come with letting go. From unlearning survival habits to recognizing relationship patterns, Mehak shares what it means to stop romanticizing potential and start honoring her inner voice. She also gets candid about reentering the dating world — including her experience on the exclusive app Raya — and the performative side of modern dating. This episode is about slowing down, growing alone, and finding comfort in your own company before diving back into love.

Hosted by: Mehak ⁠@whathemehak⁠ on TikTok and ⁠@whathemehak_⁠ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 ⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or others, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠ | ⁠@immigrantly⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠@love_lypod⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Love-ly, Mehak sits down with Samir Mourani, host of Gent's Talk, to explore masculinity, men’s mental health, and emotional healing. Samir shares his personal journey breaking the stigma around male vulnerability, how his divorce reshaped his views on manhood, and the role of self-awareness and male friendships in his growth. Together, they unpack how men heal—and how women can support without taking on all the responsibility.

Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok and @whathemehak_ on IG

Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan

🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!

 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this or other episodes, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: @immigrantlypods (IG) | @immigrantly (TikTok) | @love_lypod

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices