What Now? with Trevor Noah is the perfect mix of important discussion and entertainment, as Noah’s comedic nature complements his serious side.

After his surprise exit from The Daily Show in September 2022, Trevor Noah announced his new podcast with Spotify, ironically titled What Now?, in June at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France.

In the initial announcement, Noah described his vision behind this new venture. “We’ll engage in interesting and meaningful conversations with some of the world’s most fascinating people,” he said. “We’ll also probably fix every single issue humankind has ever faced so you definitely want to join us for every episode,” Noah added.

The first episode came out Thursday. In the intro, Noah explained the importance of deep conversations, “If we cannot have conversations about difficult things if the conversations themselves are now the difficult things, then what hope do we have of fixing the difficult things,” he said.

The episode epitomized this theme of deep conversation. Featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, it shined a new, deeply personal light on the lived experiences of the pop culture superstar. Topics ranged from depression, parenting, and the Maui wildfires, to the entertainment industry and masculinity.

In general, Trevor Noah was his usual self; those who liked him on The Daily Show will probably appreciate his much-anticipated return to the limelight. Though Noah does utilize his storytelling and comedy skills, fans of The Daily Show may be surprised at the level of profoundness maintained throughout the episode.

Those looking to delve into the lives of “some of the world’s most fascinating people” through a laid-back lens would love this podcast. The interview format allowed for a loose, flowing conversation in the first episode, boosted by “The Rock’s” strong abilities as a speaker.
However, this podcast is not for those looking to unwind. The wide range of topics and discussion of societal issues may be unnerving for those not used to Noah’s style.

What Now? with Trevor Noah gets the wheels turning, taking deep dives into complicated topics in a laid-back and personal interview format. Turn it on in the car or listen during breakfast for a highly stimulating listen.

What Now? with Trevor Noah is available on Spotify. Episodes are about one hour long and will come out weekly.

Rating: ★★★★

If you liked What Now? with Trevor Noah, you might also like Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.