THIS IS 50
Pop Stars’ Pop Idols
IF YOUR TEEN’S music choices spark a wave of nostalgia, there’s a reason. Many top artists are infusing the iconic sounds of the ’80s and ’90s into their music.
“The synth at the beginning of Chappell Roan’s ‘Good Luck, Babe’ hits me in a deep, nostalgic, Wham!-loving place,” says Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, 50, a New York–based pop culture historian and author of Pop Star Goddesses.
Olivia Rodrigo’s songs feature “emo and some ’90s alt rock,” plus ’00s influences like Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson, says Armstrong. “Nothing in music is ever new,” Rodrigo told Teen Vogue. “That’s the fun part, trying to make that your own.”
Charli XCX, who last summer topped the dance album chart with Brat, credits 1990s sensation the Spice Girls as a key influence. “They probably inspired me to pick up a hairbrush when I was like 5 and sing into it,” she once said to Billboard.
“I love dance and anthemic pop. Queen and Madonna vibes,” Roan said in an interview with Illustrate magazine, “but my biggest influence is definitely Alanis Morissette. She’s so amazing. Everything about her I love.” —Linda Childers
If you can balance on your nondominant leg for 30 seconds, you’re likely holding your own against neuromuscular aging, according to a recent study at the Mayo Clinic. (And if you can’t balance that long, daily practice can help, one of the authors points out.)
SOURCE: MAYO CLINIC
HEALTH
DUDE, WHERE’S YOUR SUNSCREEN?
IF YOU’RE A MAN in your 50s and think you don’t need sunscreen, we’ve got two words for you: lip cancer. Men make up 95 percent of lip cancer diagnoses in the U.S.—probably because fewer men than women are in the habit of applying lip balm with SPF.
Another vulnerable area? A balding scalp. Luckily, there are now sunscreens formulated specifically for the hair and scalp. Geeta Yadav, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Toronto, recommends using a powder sunscreen, but you might also consider a sunscreen stick or spray. And don’t forget to protect the tops of your ears, especially if your hair doesn’t cover them. —Anissa Gabbara
TRAVEL
HIT THE ROAD—ALONE
TWENTY-SIX PERCENT of Gen Xers plan on taking a solo trip, according to a Morning Consult report. Savvy travelers shared these tips. —Ken Budd
Book ground transportation before you arrive. Frequent solo traveler Lisa Niver, 57, author of Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty, does this to avoid getting stranded in an airport at night or dealing with pushy cab drivers.
Snag front-row seats. Buying last-minute tickets for events is easier if you’re solo. “I’ve gotten prime seats because there happened to be a single seat available in the front row,” Hunt says. “Folks traveling as a couple had to settle for much further back.”
Ask for a roommate. Many travel providers upcharge solo travelers. Requesting a roommate eliminates that cost. “About half the time, I don’t get matched, and I get a free single room,” says Lorelei Hunt, 56, who has traveled solo 18 times with Road Scholar.
Stay ahead of the tours. You can’t glom on to a tour group just because you’re alone. But you can stay one step ahead of them and predict where they’ll stop—for example, at a famous painting. “They can’t kick you out, because you were there first,” Hunt says.