376: Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’: Let’s Discuss
The blockbuster singer-songwriter’s 10th studio album finds her at a crossroads: Will she continue to reckon with her past, or forge another new path forward? Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz, Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz.
1hr 7m Oct 25, 2022
1hr 7m
375: Remembering Loretta Lynn
A conversation about the country music titan’s sly radicalism and the many readings and misreadings of her work. Guest: Jewly Hight.
47m Oct 20, 2022
47m
375: The Young Women Who Make TikTok Weep
Songwriters who have found success on the app via emotional catharsis have expanded its range, and piqued the music industry’s interest. Guest: Stereogum's Rachel Brodsky.
51m Oct 12, 2022
51m
374: The Sudden Rise of Zach Bryan
The breakout country-folk singer and songwriter has found an audience for his old-fashioned artistry largely on a newer platform: streaming. Guest: Grady Smith.
53m Oct 05, 2022
53m
372: Popcast Live! The New Faces of 2022
Blondshell, Central Cee, Ethel Cain and more: a conversation about what’s breaking through, plus questions from the audience at our first live taping. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
1hr 24m Sep 22, 2022
1hr 24m
371: The Perseverance of Megan Thee Stallion
The rapper’s rise has been accompanied by outside noise. How has she grown on record, and how have extra-musical narratives shaped her career? Guests: Rolling Stone's Mankaprr Conteh and Pitchfork's Heven Haile.
50m Sep 14, 2022
50m
370: What Is a ‘Fake’ Artist in 2022?
Firestorms over the “virtual rapper” FN Meka and faceless artists on Spotify have sparked conversations about alienation and creative agency. Guests: Joe Coscarelli; Garbage Day's Ryan Broderick; and Music Business Worldwide's Tim Ingham.
1hr Aug 31, 2022
1hr
369: Rage Against the Machine, Roaring On
A conversation about the band’s return, its evolving message and the nature of comeback tours. Guests: Rolling Stone's Andy Greene and the writer and "Summer of Soul" producer Joseph Patel.
47m Aug 24, 2022
47m
368: Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’: The Speed Round
The conversation continues about one of the year’s most ideologically provocative pop albums, its queer inspirations and its credits. Guests: Naima Cochrane, Vulture's Jason P. Frank, Resident Advisor's Kiana Mickles and Patrik Sandberg.
1hr 16m Aug 17, 2022
1hr 16m
367: A Renaissance in American Hardcore Music
A look at the recent burst of bands and how the scene operates as music, ethic and feeling. Guests: Stereogum's Tom Breihan and The Ringer's Chris Ryan.
55m Aug 11, 2022
55m
366: The Robust Return of Beyoncé
A deep dive on “Renaissance,” her relationship to queer music communities and her framing of authorship. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Wesley Morris, Jon Pareles and Salamishah Tillet.
57m Aug 02, 2022
57m
365: Lizzo’s Complicated, Joyful Pop
The singer, rapper and songwriter’s peppy empowerment songs have made her an outlier in a field dominated by melancholic music. Guests: The Ringer's Justin Charity; Lindsay Zoladz; and William Robin.
52m Jul 27, 2022
52m
364: ‘Elvis’ vs. Elvis
How much do fantasy and imagination play into how we remember pop culture heroes? Guests: A.O. Scott and Alanna Nash.
58m Jul 13, 2022
58m
363: What’s Next for Jack Harlow?
He’s one of hip-hop’s biggest emerging stars, and he’s cutting a very different path than the white rappers who came before him. Guests: Hunter Harris, Larisha Paul and Peter Rosenberg.
1hr 2m Jul 07, 2022
1hr 2m
362: Where Is Jazz Most at Home?
The genre has long been filled with tension between mainstream outlets and the spaces in which the music is most likely to grow. Guests: Giovanni Russonello and WBGO's Nate Chinen.
54m Jun 29, 2022
54m
361: Drake Hits the Nightclub
How did the rapper arrive on the dance floor? And what subcultures and expectations might he experiment with next? Guests: Joe Coscarelli and The Baltimore Banner's Lawrence Burney.
1hr 3m Jun 22, 2022
1hr 3m
360: Digging Into Bob Dylan and Lou Reed’s Archives
Attempting to uncover unknown things about very well known people. Guest: Ben Sisario.
44m Jun 15, 2022
44m
359: Mailbag Madness: Adele, Jack Harlow, the State of Rock’s Return
The team answers your questions about Chance the Rapper, how the critics consider extramusical concerns and more. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz and Jon Pareles.
1hr 8m Jun 08, 2022
1hr 8m
358: Can Harry Styles’s Music Catch Up to His Fame?
How his time in One Direction and a powerful online fan base have shaped the pop star’s career. Guests: The Atlantic's Kaitlyn Tiffany, and Lindsay Zoladz.
59m Jun 01, 2022
59m
357: Kendrick Lamar’s Anxiety Era
During his five-year pause between albums, the rapper has been reckoning — with his own evolution, and the narrative that’s been constructed for him. Guests: Rolling Stone's Jeff Ihaza; New York magazine and Vulture's Craig Jenkins; and The Nation's Stephen Kearse.
59m May 24, 2022
59m
356: How Gossip Is Remaking Online Hip-Hop Media
Actual music can seem like an afterthought as digital coverage of the genre has tilted toward tabloidism. Are there other paths forward? Guests: HipHopDX's Jerry Barrow; Complex's Andre Gee; and Genius's Rob Markman.
1hr May 18, 2022
1hr
355: Why We Collect
A conversation about the urge to accumulate treasured items and the stories objects can hold. Guest: The New Yorker's Hua Hsu.
57m May 11, 2022
57m
354: A Decade of Drill Rap
Pop Smoke, Lil Durk, Fivio Foreign and more have taken the sound that emerged in Chicago in different directions. What might come next? Guests: Joe Coscarelli and David Drake.
1hr 8m May 08, 2022
1hr 8m
353: Machine Gun Kelly’s Pop-Punk Pivot
After decreasing returns in the hip-hop world, the musician and actor stepped into a revival that had roots in SoundCloud rap, and a champion in Travis Barker. Guests: Meaghan Garvey and Arielle Gordon.
48m Apr 27, 2022
48m
352: Will Smith, Before the Slap
Plenty has been said about Oscars night. But what about the rapper-turned-actor’s remarkable journey up to that point? Guest: Andscape's Soraya Nadia McDonald.
48m Apr 21, 2022
48m
351: The 2022 Grammys: Let’s Discuss
What are the awards at this point, and who benefits from them? Guests: Jon Pareles, Wesley Morris and Lindsay Zoladz.
1hr Apr 05, 2022
1hr
350: Charli XCX’s Ever-Evolving Pop
The singer and songwriter’s career has inspired dance parties as well as spirited conversations about her ambitions and aesthetic innovations. Guests: Hazel Cills and Shaad D’Souza.
47m Mar 30, 2022
47m
349: The Many Worlds of Rosalía
The Spanish phenom’s music takes in a host of global influences, making her one of the most sonically ambitious and critically dissected pop artists today. Guest: Joe Coscarelli.
54m Mar 23, 2022
54m
348: The Sounds of Ukrainian Pop
A conversation about some of the country’s stars, the musical traditions they work within and how they have grappled with the war. Guest: Vogue's Liana Satenstein.
41m Mar 15, 2022
41m
347: Reggaeton’s Global Expansion and Wide-Open Future
As the genre grows in worldwide popularity, it is engaging with the pop music mainstream and stratifying into subsets, introducing new opportunities and dilemmas. Guests: Isabelia Herrera and Katelina Eccleston.
55m Mar 08, 2022
55m
346: The Enigma of Big Thief
A conversation about the space the breakout Brooklyn band occupies in contemporary indie-rock circles, and its latest album. Guests: Rolling Stone's Jon Dolan and Pitchfork's Sam Sodomsky.
53m Mar 02, 2022
53m
345: Remembering Betty Davis, a Futuristic Funk Force
A conversation about her unique music, her short career and the path that led to her rediscovery. Guests: Jon Pareles, Maureen Mahon and Oliver Wang.
50m Feb 23, 2022
50m
344: Mitski, In and Out of the Spotlight
The indie-rock musician’s albums inspire deep feelings and attract ever-bigger audiences, but in many ways she remains a mystery. Guests: New York's E. Alex Jung and Pitchfork's Cat Zhang.
51m Feb 16, 2022
51m
343: Spotify’s Ongoing Joe Rogan Problem
The controversy over the star podcaster and misinformation raised thorny questions about the streaming service’s role as a platform, and exacerbated its conflicts with musicians. Guests: Ben Sisario and New York's Nick Quah.
58m Feb 09, 2022
58m
342: Remembering Greg Tate, Critic and Catalyst
Conversations with two of his contemporaries about the fertile scenes he covered, and the indelible impression he left. Guests: Michael A. Gonzales and Joan Morgan.
1hr 1m Feb 01, 2022
1hr 1m
341: A Killing Jolts Sweden’s Rap Scene
A conversation about hip-hop’s evolution in the country, and how a high-profile shooting thrust the music into the spotlight. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Petter Hallen and Alex Marshall.
55m Jan 26, 2022
55m
340: What’s Left for the Weeknd to Conquer?
“Dawn FM” suggests at least one future direction for the pop powerhouse, who’s spent a decade making careful moves. Guest: The Ringer's Rob Harvilla.
46m Jan 18, 2022
46m
339: 2021 in Jazz: Intimacy and Conversation
Throughout the pandemic, the music’s flexibility has become an asset. Where will artists take it next? Guests: Giovanni Russonello and Marcus J. Moore.
44m Jan 12, 2022
44m
Bonus Episode: Lana Del Rey’s American Fever Dreams
As a New Year's treat, we've recovered an old episode sidelined by technical issues (thank you, Pedro!): a discussion of Lana Del Rey’s “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” and the long arc of her career. Guests: Mina Tavakoli and Lindsay Zoladz.
53m Jan 01, 2022
53m
338: What We Forgot to Talk About in 2021
A catch-up round table on a host of topics: Maneskin, Jazmine Sullivan, Kelly Clarkson, a Real Housewife’s music career and much more. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
1hr Dec 28, 2021
1hr
337: TikTok’s Music Critics Reflect on 2021
Four of the app’s voices on pop name their favorite releases of the year and discuss developing taste in the age of the algorithm. Guests: Margeaux Labat, Eric Morris, Cam Sullivan-Brown and Hunter White.
1hr 3m Dec 21, 2021
1hr 3m
336: The Best Albums of 2021? Let’s Discuss.
Our critics spar over their year-end lists (and agree on Olivia Rodrigo and Tyler, the Creator) in a wrap-up of the year in LPs. Guests: Jon Pareles and Lindsay Zoladz.
57m Dec 14, 2021
57m
335: Remembering Stephen Sondheim, Musical Theater Visionary
A conversation about his legacy, his engagements with pop music and whether he has any true inheritors. Guests: Jesse Green and Elisabeth Vincentelli.
42m Dec 07, 2021
42m
334: Adele Returns, From Beyond Space and Time
Will we ever see a star who unites audiences like this British musician again? Guests: Jon Pareles and Pitchfork's Jillian Mapes.
47m Nov 30, 2021
47m
333: The Emotional and Financial Business of Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’
What does the rerecorded song from “Red” say about how power and the past have shaped her career? Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz.
38m Nov 17, 2021
38m
332: Remembering the Velvet Underground Through the Mirror of Film
A conversation about how the band was experienced in its time, and how Todd Haynes’s new documentary explores the world that birthed it. Guests: Jon Pareles and A.O. Scott.
40m Nov 16, 2021
40m
331: How the Mosh Pit and ‘Raging’ Came to Hip-Hop
The tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld turned attention to how rap festival performances are increasingly oriented toward the rowdy. Guest: Masked Gorilla and Masked Records' Roger Gengo.
42m Nov 09, 2021
42m
330: Popcast Mailbag! Halsey, Nicki, TikTok and, of Course, Taylor
Answering your questions about pop’s big names, the state of the music video and more. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
1hr 16m Nov 03, 2021
1hr 16m
329: glaive and Hyperpop’s Breakthrough Moment
A conversation about one teen’s rapid ascent, and what the future might hold for a singer and sound evolving in real time. Guest: The Fader's Alex Robert Ross.
48m Oct 19, 2021
48m
328: The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 3
Remembering Jacob Desvarieux, John Davis and Chucky Thompson. Guests: The New Yorker's Doreen St. Felix; Billboard's Gil Kaufman; Jeff Mao.
58m Oct 12, 2021
58m