The 2019 Grammys Make Up For Last Year, Somewhat
The best and worst of the 2019 Grammys.
1hr 5m Feb 12, 2019
1hr 5m
Maggie Rogers and Sharon Van Etten Break Free From Old Expectations
A discussion about new albums by Maggie Rogers and Sharon Van Etten.
1hr Feb 01, 2019
1hr
Fyre Festival’s Post-Mortems: We’ve Still Got Questions
A conversation about the Fyre Festival — and two documentaries about the debacle.
57m Jan 25, 2019
57m
Listening to Pop Music’s Class of 2019
Artists to watch in 2019.
53m Jan 18, 2019
53m
Bad Bunny Is Just Getting Started
What’s next for this Puerto Rican new-pop superstar?
1hr 12m Jan 12, 2019
1hr 12m
The New Battles Over the Direction of Jazz
Where is jazz headed next?
1hr 12m Jan 04, 2019
1hr 12m
Your Questions About Pop Music, Answered (or Ruled Unanswerable)
Answering reader questions about Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, streaming and more.
1hr 16m Dec 27, 2018
1hr 16m
A New Kind of Pop Star Has Arrived
In 2018 a new class of pop stars took over, and the old pop stars may never be the same.
1hr 21m Dec 21, 2018
1hr 21m
Listening to the Best Songs of 2018
The best songs of 2018
51m Dec 13, 2018
51m
How the Grammy Nominations Really Made Us Feel
A reaction to the 2019 Grammy nominations
48m Dec 08, 2018
48m
Debating the Best Albums of 2018: Janelle Monáe, Soccer Mommy and More
A conversation about the best albums of 2018
1hr 16m Dec 07, 2018
1hr 16m
6ix9ine’s Troubled Past and Uncertain Future
A conversation about the Brooklyn rapper’s arrest and musical prospects as he releases “Dummy Boy” while behind bars. Guest: The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli.
1hr 5m Dec 01, 2018
1hr 5m
The Gentle Return of Mariah Carey
With her 15th album, “Caution,” the singer has entered a new phase of her long career. Guests: Michael Arceneaux; Jezebel's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd; The New Yorker's Briana Younger.
1hr 7m Nov 29, 2018
1hr 7m
Kane Brown, Pistol Annies and Country Music’s Inclusion Problem
The tug of war between how the genre advertises itself and how it’s actually evolving is growing more tense. Guests: Nick Murray; Natalie Weiner.
1hr 2m Nov 17, 2018
1hr 2m
Remembering Roy Hargrove, Who Brought Jazz History Into Tomorrow
The trumpeter, who died at 49, was a singular figure dedicated to keeping jazz’s past in dialogue with its future. Guests: The New York Times's Giovanni Russonello; Jozen Cummings.
1hr 3m Nov 09, 2018
1hr 3m
Robyn, Pop’s Reluctant Pacesetter
With “Honey,” the Swedish star returns to a landscape she’s quietly shaped for over 20 years. Guests: The New York Times's Caryn Ganz; the Guardian's Laura Snapes; Jezebel's Hazel Cills
58m Nov 02, 2018
58m
BTS Conquered America. What’s Next for K-Pop?
Now that K-pop is successful on its own terms, the questions it faces are changing. Guest: Billboard's Jeff Benjamin.
1hr 27m Oct 26, 2018
1hr 27m
For Those About to a Rock, An Uncertain Fate
Is rock music in 2018 a sound, a mood or a retail category? Where do Twenty One Pilots, the 1975 and Greta Van Fleet fit in? Guests: The New York Times's Caryn Ganz; Rolling Stone's Kory Grow; the Ringer's Lindsay Zoladz
1hr 19m Oct 20, 2018
1hr 19m
‘A Star Is Born’ Is Here. Let’s Discuss.
What does Bradley Cooper’s remake starring Lady Gaga say about the pop music business — and the film industry — today? Guests: The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli, Manohla Dargis, Caryn Ganz, Wesley Morris and Jon Pareles
1hr 15m Oct 11, 2018
1hr 15m
How Lil Wayne Became One of Hip-Hop’s Most Durable Stars
Tracing the rapper’s evolution from a teen in New Orleans to his long-awaited album “Tha Carter V.” Guests: XXL's Vanessa Satten; The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli
1hr 24m Oct 05, 2018
1hr 24m
Should They Stay or Should They Go? Pop Stars and Retirement
Why do some artists stick around and others choose to retreat? Guest: The New York Times's Jon Pareles
35m Sep 28, 2018
35m
What Makes for a Great Celebrity Profile?
Writing in-depth features about stars can be an art form. But it’s been changing in recent years. Guests: The New York Times Magazine's Vanessa Grigoriadis; GQ's Zach Baron.
1hr 5m Sep 20, 2018
1hr 5m
Remembering Mac Miller, Low-Key Hip-Hop Bellwether
The 26-year-old rapper and producer stood at the crossroads of movements that have been shaping popular music over the past decade. Guests: ItsTheReal's Eric and Jeff Rosenthal; Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce; and Eric Renner Brown.
1hr 12m Sep 15, 2018
1hr 12m
Remembering The Village Voice, Music Criticism's Crucible: Part 2
Forty years of writers and editors share memories about helping invent a language to talk about music, and the artists they critiqued — some grateful, some not. Guests: Ann Powers, Evelyn McDonnell, Chuck Eddy, Rob Harvilla and Tom Breihan.
1hr 5m Sep 10, 2018
1hr 5m
Remembering The Village Voice, Music Criticism's Crucible: Part 1
Forty years of writers and editors share memories about helping invent a language to talk about music, and the artists they critiqued — some grateful, some not. Guests: Robert Christgau, Jon Pareles, Nelson George, Kyle Gann and Joe Levy.
1hr 14m Sep 10, 2018
1hr 14m
How We Arrived at Ariana Grande’s Big Moment
“Sweetener” has taken the singer to new heights at a moment of transition for the top ranks of female vocalists. Guests: The Ringer's Lindsay Zoladz; VF.com's Josh Duboff; and Billboard's Nolan Feeney.
59m Aug 28, 2018
59m
Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott, Rivals With Common Problems
One is an old-style hip-hop star, one comes from a newer school. But both are facing challenges making effective albums and defining their artistic identities. Guests: David Turner and Briana Younger.
56m Aug 21, 2018
56m
Aretha Franklin: The Artist We Knew, and the Woman We Didn’t
The Queen of Soul leaves a towering legacy. How will we remember her? Guests: The New York Times's Jon Pareles and Wesley Morris; and David Ritz.
1hr 12m Aug 17, 2018
1hr 12m
The Shrinking Space Between Band T-Shirt and High Fashion
Merch has become a crucial part of a musician’s rise. Here’s how it’s evolved. Guests: Procell's Brian Procell; The Cut's Emilia Petrarca; and Grailed's Lawrence Schlossman.
1hr 19m Aug 10, 2018
1hr 19m
Can Guns N’ Roses, or Any Artist, Erase an Unflattering Moment?
What happens when a band wipes a stain from its historical record? Or when physical albums vanish, replaced by different digital versions? Guests: Mark Richardson; Rolling Stone's Christopher R. Weingarten; and The New York Times's Caryn Ganz.
1hr 13m Aug 04, 2018
1hr 13m
Who’s in Charge of Telling Whitney Houston’s Story?
Two documentaries have attempted to unpack the life of one of pop’s transformative figures, whose complex legacy is still riddled with questions. Guests: Naima Cochrane; Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak; Alan Light; and The Times's Joe Coscarelli.
1hr 7m Jul 27, 2018
1hr 7m
When Superfans Attack
A writer critiqued Nicki Minaj online; the rapper’s fans responded in force. How does celebrity fandom become a vicious tool online, and what’s behind stan culture? Guests: iOneDigital's Janeé Bolden; Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber; The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
1hr 12m Jul 21, 2018
1hr 12m
Drake: Platinum in a Day, but Still at a Crossroads
With his new double album, “Scorpion,” the rapper and singer is grappling with brand maintenance. Is he innovating, and where can he go next? Guests: The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli and Reggie Ugwu; Sheldon Pearce; and Jasmine Sanders.
1hr 18m Jul 05, 2018
1hr 18m
Kanye West: You Asked, We Answered
Was "Ye" rushed, and does it matter? How do women fit into Kanye’s world? Are conversations about politics with him fruitless? Guests: The New York Times's Joe Coscarelli and Reggie Ugwu, and the Ringer's Justin Charity.
1hr 23m Jun 27, 2018
1hr 23m
XXXTentacion, Mourning and Morality
The 20-year-old broke out of the SoundCloud rap scene and reached No 1. But he faced accusations of violent crimes against a woman, and leaves behind a troubling legacy. Guests: Noisey's Lawrence Burney and Miami New Times's Tarpley Hitt.
58m Jun 22, 2018
58m
Charlie Puth and Shawn Mendes, Would-Be Pop Kings
Boy bands are on the rise and young male singers have some choices to make. A conversation about two performers with their sights set on pop ubiquity.
1hr 8m Jun 16, 2018
1hr 8m
Kanye West’s ‘Ye’ Is Here: Let’s Discuss
The rapper’s polarizing eighth album arrived surrounded by a celebrity circus and provided few answers.
1hr 14m Jun 06, 2018
1hr 14m
Drake vs. Pusha-T, Unpacked
An excavation of the skeletons animating the back-and-forth between the two rappers — and a conversation about who’s inching ahead.
57m May 31, 2018
57m
Yes, We Stuck With ‘American Idol’
Maddie Poppe won the show, rebooted on ABC with a new cast of judges. What worked, what didn’t and who really stood out? Two longtime “Idol” enthusiasts discuss.
54m May 26, 2018
54m
Pursuing R. Kelly: The Reporter Who Never Gave Up
For two decades, accusations of sexual impropriety have been leveled at the R&B superstar. And Jim DeRogatis has been covering the story.
38m May 23, 2018
38m
‘Girls’ Gone Wrong: Who Gets to Make a Gay Love Song?
The Rita Ora track was positioned as a celebration of bisexuality, but struck a sour note with critics who found its lyrics problematic.
53m May 18, 2018
53m
Avicii: Overexposed and Underappreciated?
The 28-year-old producer and D.J., who died last month in Oman, was a pop savant and an EDM innovator who left behind a complicated legacy.
1hr 5m May 04, 2018
1hr 5m
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Break Boundaries
A Coachella set stunning in scope and execution. The first Pulitzer Prize winner who isn’t from classical or jazz. A conversation about the two artists’ triumphs.
1hr 16m Apr 25, 2018
1hr 16m
Pop’s Category Killers, From Live Nation to Spotify, Under the Microscope
In recent weeks, the businesses that present music to the public have undergone major shifts.
44m Apr 20, 2018
44m
Cardi B Arrives at the Top
The 25-year-old’s LP “Invasion of Privacy” is part of her broad-scale pop culture takeover. A conversation about her rise and debut album.
1hr 5m Apr 12, 2018
1hr 5m
Logic, XXXTentacion and Hip-Hop Morality in 2018
A conversation about the earnest rapper and the SoundCloud renegade, both successes of modern internet-driven rap fandom.
1hr 9m Apr 06, 2018
1hr 9m
Kacey Musgraves and Ashley McBryde, Country Traditionalists With a Twist
Two new albums put a spotlight on Nashville’s ongoing, agonized relationship with female performers.
58m Mar 30, 2018
58m
Ashlee Simpson: You Asked, We Answered
Part two of our conversation about the mid-2000s pop star features debates about her MTV reality show and “S.N.L.” debacle, and a listener mailbag.
1hr 18m Mar 16, 2018
1hr 18m
Was Ashlee Simpson Underappreciated? Discuss
In the mid-2000s, the pop singer had platinum albums and an MTV reality show. Hear the first of two conversations about Ms. Simpson’s misunderstood career.
1hr 14m Mar 09, 2018
1hr 14m
Lucy Dacus, Soccer Mommy, the Breeders and the Future of Indie Rock
A conversation about carefully considered creative paths — and how pristine voices with powerful messages are amplified — as three strong new albums arrive
57m Mar 02, 2018
57m