312: J. Cole, Triumphant (at His Own Pace)
The rapper’s sixth No. 1 album is here. Listen to a conversation about his career, and the long exchange between hip-hop and basketball. Guests: The New York Times's Elena Bergeron and Rap Portraits' Yoh Phillips.
1hr 1m May 29, 2021
1hr 1m
311: The Beatific Re-emergence of Beverly Glenn-Copeland
A conversation about his winding path to a receptive, ready audience — and how music can be a bulwark against cynicism and trauma. Guests: Taja Cheek and Mina Tavakoli.
49m May 14, 2021
49m
311: Where Is Country Music Making Room for Women?
Nashville remains challenging for women artists. But some rising performers are breaking through on radio — and TikTok. Guests: Marissa Moss and Natalie Weiner of the Don’t Rock the Inbox newsletter.
53m May 09, 2021
53m
309: The Sing-Rap Generation Diversifies
How melody has continued to reshape hip-hop via the work of Polo G, Rod Wave, Lil Tjay and more rising artists. Guest: Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre.
53m Apr 26, 2021
53m
308: When a TikTok Influencer Dances, Who Gets Credit?
Addison Rae’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show sparked conversations about appropriation and how dance has been central to the platform. Guest: Taylor Lorenz.
41m Apr 16, 2021
41m
307: The Telling of DMX’s Life Story
A conversation about the intense potency of the rapper’s music and religious fervor, and what it was like to interview him. Guest: Smokey Fontaine, the co-author of the 2002 book “E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.”
59m Apr 11, 2021
59m
306: Taylor, Billie, Demi, Blackpink: The Pop Star Documentary Boom
A conversation about the influx of films made about (and by) current stars and its implications for the format. Guests: The Observer's Simran Hans; and Caryn Ganz.
1hr Apr 02, 2021
1hr
305: The Grammys, Improbably, Made It Work
The show navigated a year of crisis, minted a new generation of stars and didn’t fixate on boomers. Guests: Jon Pareles, Joe Coscarelli, Ben Sisario, Lindsay Zoladz and Caryn Ganz.
1hr 4m Mar 16, 2021
1hr 4m
304: TikTok and the Pop Music Rough Draft
The wildly popular platform has reshaped pop during the coronavirus pandemic, and changed how record labels grapple with unpredictable virality. Guest: Caryn Ganz.
52m Mar 13, 2021
52m
303: New Jazz That Agitates for Change
A conversation about strong recent debuts, and how canon and community can be in tension. Guests: Giovanni Russonello and Marcus J. Moore.
54m Mar 02, 2021
54m
301: The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 2
Remembering Fred the Godson, Adam Schlesinger and Cristina. Guests: Kurt B. Reighley; Complex's Shawn Setaro; and Ben Sisario.
1hr 9m Feb 05, 2021
1hr 9m
300: Olivia Rodrigo and ‘Drivers License’ Aren’t Going Anywhere
A conversation about the year’s first genuine pop phenomenon, and the long arc of the Disney machine. Guests: Joe Coscarelli; Vulture's Justin Curto; and Larisha Paul.
1hr 4m Jan 31, 2021
1hr 4m
299: Inside the Bull Market for Songwriting Rights
The emergence of Hipgnosis has helped turn the battle for catalogs into an arms race that shows no signs of slowing down. Guest: Ben Sisario.
46m Jan 19, 2021
46m
298: How Zev Love X Became MF Doom
Conversations about the legacy of the beloved rap figure’s early career, which set the table for the artist he would become. Guests: Stretch Armstrong, Bobbito Garcia and Dante Ross.
1hr 17m Jan 07, 2021
1hr 17m
297: 2020 Popcast Listener Mailbag: Taylor, Dua, MGK and More
Answering your questions about the year’s biggest stars, and also some of its curious flops. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
1hr 18m Dec 23, 2020
1hr 18m
296: Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’: Let’s Discuss
A second album written and recorded during pandemic lockdown carries the singer and songwriter further from conventional pop. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz and Jon Pareles.
59m Dec 15, 2020
59m
The Best Albums of 2020? Let’s Discuss.
Breaking down LPs from Sufjan Stevens, Sam Hunt, Lianne La Havas, Phoebe Bridgers, Charli XCX, Justin Bieber and many more.
1hr 9m Dec 09, 2020
1hr 9m
Saweetie, City Girls and the Female Rapper Renaissance
More women in hip-hop are gaining traction than ever before.
56m Nov 29, 2020
56m
Who Will Control Britney Spears’s Future?
An update on the pop star's conservatorship, and a conversation about the mid-2000s tabloid era that was the kiln for her public unraveling.
54m Nov 18, 2020
54m
Ariana Grande, a Pop Star for the Post-Pop Star Age
Breaking down how the singer expands the range of what a contemporary pop star can be, her relationship to R&B and hip-hop, and more.
1hr 6m Nov 10, 2020
1hr 6m
The Many Mariah Careys
Which Mariah Carey is your favorite? And did you enjoy Chick's "Someone's Ugly Daughter"?
1hr 5m Oct 22, 2020
1hr 5m
Luke Combs’s Country Stardom and the Remaking of the Bro
Luke Combs is the most promising new country star of the last five years, a feat he's achieved by changing up the music's recent formulas.
59m Oct 04, 2020
59m
Will Pop Music of the Future Rely on Actual Musicians, or Avatars?
Avatars are working harder than ever, and perhaps making a blueprint for how the pop stars of the future will handle the work of fame.
43m Sep 28, 2020
43m
Is TikTok a Music Industry Friend or Troll?
A conversation about how TikTok’s relationship to music has evolved over the last 12 months.
52m Sep 17, 2020
52m
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, Preserving Pop’s Old Guard
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry both arrived in 2008 and recently released albums hailed as returns to form. What does that mean in 2020 in their own trajectories and the wider pop landscape?
48m Sep 09, 2020
48m
Remembering Riley Gale of Power Trip, a Thrash Titan
A conversation about the life and work of Riley Gale, the frontman for the genre-blending metal band Power Trip, who died last week at 34.
57m Sep 01, 2020
57m
How Merchandise Bundles Undid the Album Chart
What's the value of music in 2020? Are charts measuring album sales the best metric for popularity?
54m Aug 22, 2020
54m
The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 1
The Covid-19 pandemic is claiming the lives of musicians and others integral to the music industry. The Popcast celebrates their lives and work.
58m Aug 18, 2020
58m
The Welcome Return of the Chicks
Examining the legacy of the Chicks and their new album, "Gaslighter."
55m Aug 10, 2020
55m
Answering Your Questions About Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’
The "Folklore" conversation continues, with prompts from our readers and listeners.
1hr 27m Aug 04, 2020
1hr 27m
Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’: Let’s Discuss
A conversation about what “Folklore” portends for Taylor Swift’s musical evolution.
1hr 4m Jul 28, 2020
1hr 4m
Remembering Ennio Morricone, the Film Score Maestro
A conversation about how Ennio Morricone’s music shaped the films he worked on.
54m Jul 20, 2020
54m
The Timely Agitation of Run the Jewels
How Run the Jewels went from an idiosyncratic late-career lark to the most politically timely hip-hop act of the day.
1hr 5m Jul 09, 2020
1hr 5m
Pop Superfans Are Getting Politically Active. What Happens Next?
A conversation about the activism feedback loop between stans and the stars they obsess over.
56m Jun 30, 2020
56m
Lil Baby Is Warming Up to the Spotlight
Lil Baby began his rap career reluctantly, but in just three years has grown into an evocative and consistent hitmaker.
44m Jun 21, 2020
44m
The Long, Complicated History of ‘Urban’ Music
The notion of an “urban contemporary” approach to music dates back to the 1970s and the pioneering radio D.J. Frankie Crocker. But two decades later, "urban" became an umbrella term in the industry.
59m Jun 15, 2020
59m
How Did The Source Cover the 1992 Los Angeles Uprisings?
A conversation about the moral and journalistic responsibilities of entertainment-focused media to address the political issues brought up by the art it covers.
49m Jun 07, 2020
49m
After Missteps, Pop Stars Apologize … and Sometimes Push Back
In the last two weeks, Lana Del Rey and Doja Cat both found themselves in hot water on the internet, and didn't embrace the usual cycle of the celebrity apology.
1hr 15m Jun 01, 2020
1hr 15m
The Many Lives of Doja Cat
A conversation about Doja Cat, who is signed to the imprint of the producer Dr. Luke.
47m May 18, 2020
47m
Remembering Tony Allen and Florian Schneider, Two Pillars of Rhythm
Tony Allen and Florian Schneider were working on evolutions in rhythm in the same time frame but in vastly different fashions.
1hr 1m May 11, 2020
1hr 1m
The Triumphant Return of Fiona Apple, Pop Music Renegade
Fiona Apple's singular vision has remained firm, and she’s become a role model for generations of artists. Let's discuss.
53m Apr 30, 2020
53m
Beyond ‘Trolls’ and ‘Frozen’: What Are Our Kids Listening To?
Are you at home with a child playing a particular song on repeat?
1hr Apr 19, 2020
1hr
Dua Lipa, Dance-Pop Crusader
After years of planning, the pop star released her highly anticipated second LP during a global crisis. It wasn't easy.
48m Apr 11, 2020
48m
Sam Hunt and Kenny Rogers, Country Music Rule-Benders
A conversation about the borders Nashville polices, and the excellence that can emerge when they are tested.
57m Apr 05, 2020
57m
What Is the Role of Criticism in a Crisis?
Pop music critics are asking (and facing) hard questions about how they listen and write during the coronavirus pandemic.
57m Mar 27, 2020
57m
What Music Should I Listen to in a Crisis?
10 music writers share the song that brightens up dark times.
1hr 17m Mar 20, 2020
1hr 17m
How Will Pop Music Respond to the Coronavirus?
The concert industry has been devastated by the pandemic. What's music's next move?
59m Mar 19, 2020
59m
The Unrelenting Space Jams of Tame Impala
Kevin Parker has had a sui generis kind of success in the last decade reviving a strain of rock not much heralded in decades.
44m Mar 08, 2020
44m
The Death of Pop Smoke and the Future of Brooklyn Drill
A conversation about Pop Smoke's career and the scene he was poised to bring to the world.
59m Feb 28, 2020
59m
Justin Bieber Is Back With Confessions, Personal and Musical
Justin Bieber has returned on his own terms, and with some unexpected musical allies.
1hr 1m Feb 21, 2020
1hr 1m