August 7, 2026 - Week in Review: Ariana Grande, an AI summer camp, and John Cage's long awaited chord change

This week on The Culture Show, Jared Bowen is joined by Culture Show co-host Callie Crossley and Culture Show contributor James Sullivan, a journalist and author specializing in popular culture and Americana who is also on the faculty of Emerson College, for a look at the week’s top arts and culture headlines.Ariana Grande plans to step back from public life after her Eternal Sunshine tour, following years of scrutiny over her body and health. Can a celebrity ever truly reclaim her privacy?A new MASSCreative survey finds New England arts groups lost $11.4 million in federal funding, affecting 486 jobs and forcing cuts to programs and public services.Live Nation-owned Veeps has laid off nearly all staff at BrooklynVegan, Alternative Press, Revolver and Goldmine, shrinking the music press that helps emerging artists find an audience.Fans buying albums from Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo and others are finding missing passages, early mixes and absent guest stars—the result of physical copies going into production before the music is finished.John Cage’s As Slow as Possible changed a chord for the first time in two and a half years. The 639-year performance at a German church is scheduled to end in 2640.