Are ordinary life experiences, bodily imperfections and normal differences being unnecessarily pathologised? One doctor argues just that

School was a difficult time for Anna. It still haunts her. She recalls being a sociable child, good at making friends. But she also remembers becoming hyperfixated on one friend, then another and another in succession. She tended to be impulsive and, wanting to please others, easily led. One distressing incident in particular has never left her. On the first day after moving to a new school, she was relieved to be taken under the wing of two girls. At lunchtime, in fits of giggles, the girls egged each other on to do naughty things. Anna spat orange juice at the boys. She did it with relish, only to reproach herself later. She feels the episode coloured her whole school experience.

As a child and an adult, Anna felt sanctioned, judged and misunderstood. She considers herself a chameleon who adapts to new environments and survives by being funny, but all too often regrets things she has said. Her self-esteem is low. Anna is a nurse and, although she loves her job and is good at it, she still often feels inadequate. “People don’t think I’m as clever as I feel. I can’t get the words out quickly enough,” she says.

(RCA)
The Blackpink singer’s high-energy debut solo album, astutely timed to coincide with her role in The White Lotus, is packed with styles and stars that only highlight her lack of musical identity

It must feel pretty damn good to be Lisa right now. Alter Ego, the debut solo album by the Thai rapper and singer, is arriving at a germane time: HBO is airing the third season of its venomous satirical hit The White Lotus, in which she stars as one of the titular resort’s receptionists. The show is one of the last vaguely monocultural products that seems to exist right now, making instant stars of its cast; not that Lisa, government name Lalisa Manobal, necessarily needed the profile boost. As a member of behemoth K-pop four-piece Blackpink – perhaps the most successful girl group of all time, with billions of streams and a trail of sold-out stadiums left in their wake – she is already one of the most famous people in the world. But a show such as The White Lotus, which everyone and their grandmother watches, brings with it a different kind of fame.

Alter Ego is the kind of debut album seemingly designed to capitalise on that newfound attention – it’s a brash, high-octane pop-rap record that clearly wants to cover all bases. Opener Born Again, featuring Raye and Doja Cat, taps into 80s disco sleaze, landing somewhere between the Weeknd and Dua Lipa. A collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion is a would-be bad bitch anthem; one with Future is begging for placement in the trailer for an edgy mainstream action film. There’s a song with Rosalía – perfect for insertion into one of Spotify’s many well-streamed musica urbana playlists – as well as a gratuitous 90s sample (on Moonlit Floor) and a collaboration with nascent Afrobeats star Tyla for good measure.

The actor, 48, on stage fright, dashed tennis dreams, meeting a naked Harvey Keitel and why he loves Mortherland

When I was five, I was in the front row of the choir for our school nativity and couldn’t hack it. I pulled a sickie, started crying, had to get out. I don’t know why the hell I wanted to perform in front of people.

My parents’ mantra was “do what makes you happy if you can”. They didn’t push my three siblings and me to be academic. Our home was beautifully relaxed. Behaving well and being nice was drilled into us. And we could throw a party and they would stay out of the way.

Microplastics can’t be avoided completely, but even small steps in the right direction can help significantly

• Sign up for our Detox Your Kitchen newsletter

On a recent trip to New Orleans, the king cake baby became, for me, a symbol of plastic’s ubiquity in the food system. King cakes are a beloved Mardi Gras season sweet, and when bakers are done cooking them, they hide a small plastic baby in each. Whoever gets a slice with the baby in it receives good luck in the coming year.

I write about toxic chemicals for a living, so when I learned about the tradition, I let out a small groan while estimating how many microplastics the baby must be shedding into the cake.