Right Back At Ya!

Celebrating the highlights from the pop music festival Mighty Hoopla 2025, plus reactions and reflections from Dannii Minogue and incredible performers (and friends of the pod) Tom Aspaul, Pixie Lott, Amy Studt and Craig from the London Gay Men's Chorus who sang on the main stage with Samantha Mumba.

Ahead of A*Teens' eagerly-anticipated performance at Mighty Hoopla festival, your 2000s pop explorers Joel and David have gone back in the vaults to unearth one of our favourite episodes, celebrating the discography of this incredible Swedish pop group! After starting life as a teenage ABBA tribute pop group, this fab foursome quickly became a fully fledged pop act in their own right with massi...

Before she rocks out on stage next month at Mighty Hoopla festival, British singer-songwriter Amy Studt takes a special trip down memory lane with Joel and David, reminiscing on her anthemic 2000s smash 'Misfit' and every aspect of her landmark debut album "False Smiles", the Gold-certified album which spawned four singles - including two UK Top 10 hits. Where the US market had Avril Lavigne an...

Fighters, do you want to get crazy? Because this month marks 15 years of Christina Aguilera's "Bionic" era kicking off with the club banger 'Not Myself Tonight'. The Old Xtina of "Back To Basics" was gone and she's feeling brand new, embracing a futuristic and experimental electronic-pop chapter. 2010 was an epic year for our Caggie Aggie, not only was the new mum back stronger and sexier than ...

It's 20 years of "The Emancipation of Mimi", a cause for celebration, dahhlings! This is a very special reissue of our episode covering one of Mariah's greatest albums - and actually, arguably one of our best episodes. A classic's a classic. If Mariah's doing an anniversary reissue then so are we! Lambs and Lambs-in-training, stay locked into the #Mimi20 celebrations as the 20th Anniversary ed...

When Britney said 'I need time and space', we fully respected her wishes... which is why we have split this monumental "Britney" album era into two episodes. So, say 'hello' to Part 2. We are picking things up in 2002 with the other singles from this era after deep-diving into 'I'm A Slave 4 U' and our album highlights in the last episode. Here, Joel and David compare the videos for 'Overprote...

Is this thing on? Pop fans, we have been Anticipating this deep dive into one of Britney Spears’ most seminal albums: “Britney”. Arriving in 2001, ahead of her 20th birthday, our teen-pop sensation was growing up and is making sure the world is hearing what she has to say. Join Joel and David as they dive into this iconic body of work over a two-part episode. This was a massive era for our Bri...

Pop maestro Ian Masterson has been the powerhouse music producer behind so many of our favourite 'crying at the disco’ bangers and irresistible pop anthems. The icons he has worked with include Dannii and Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Geri Halliwell, Pet Shop Boys, Lisa Scott-Lee and more! On top of that, this true icon of the community is the music producer behind Strictly C...

As Our Kylie prepares to kick off the Tension World Tour this month, Joel and David don the old ostrich-feathered headdresses and step back in time for a little Showgirl glamour! We pick up our Kylie Ann journey in 2004 with her immaculately presented "Ultimate Kylie" compilation. Together we revisit the stunning Scissor Sisters co-write 'I Believe In You' and the edgy Xenomania gems 'Giving Y...

Are we witnessing one of pop's greatest vindications right now? This month marks the 15th anniversary of Heidi Montag's "Superficial" - a fabulous album of 'all killers no fillers' that was largely misunderstood by the general public at the time. Fast forward to 2025 and the album finally cracked the Billboard 200 for the first time this week, thanks to the overwhelming support of fans and a l...

Are you ready to let yourself go and 'Get Right' with your Right Back At Ya! boys? We're about to sign you up to an all-inclusive 20th anniversary celebration of Jennifer Lopez's deliciously funky R&B album, "Rebirth". For over two decades and counting, J.Lo has consistently proven why she is one of pop's greatest living entertainers! From the blockbuster movies (hello "Monster-In-Law") to cha...

Stand up, Soldiers! We are kicking off 2025 strong with a celebration of Cheryl's monumental chart-topping debut solo album era. After seven years with Girls Aloud and winning hearts as a judge on The X Factor, our Nation's Sweetheart went all in with 'Fight For This Love' - not only a powerful statement in the midst of the media frenzy surrounding her personal life, but a killer debut solo out...

"Hi, it's us. You won't believe what we're doing." Pop fans, for our final episode of 2024 we absolutely couldn't miss celebrating 21 years of Victoria Beckham's final solo single (to date). Join Joel and David as they revisit one of their favourite solo Spice Girls eras: Victoria Beckham's double A-side single 'This Groove' / 'Let Your Head Go'. Two different vibes, two stunning music videos ...

Pop fans, we've got one more festive season treat for you! Joel and David are back with a fun recap of a truly wild moment in television history. Let's head back to Christmas Day 2003 when Simon Fuller pulled out all stops for a one-off global competition: "World Idol". Hosted by Ant & Dec, this All Stars meets Eurovision style special brought together 11 Idol winners from around the world, inc...

We are kicking off the year-end party season with a recap of Girls Aloud's brilliant 2008 ITV special, "The Girls Aloud Party". With comedy sketches - featuring appearances by Cilla Black, Paul O'Grady and more - as well as exclusive performances of songs from their "Out of Control" album; this was an imperial Girls Aloud era. There was truly something for everyone here - from performances of t...

From Huddersfield to Bangkok, pop fans - are you ready for an adventure? Join Joel and David as they kick start a new ‘Discovering’ series where they each pick a hidden gem of an artist from the 2000s and select 5 songs from their catalogue for a taste test! Signed to Jive Records and launched in 1999, British pop starlet Ellie Campbell looked and sounded like a ready-made pop star here for th...

Get the eyeliner out, grab your guitars and throw on a pair of roughed-up Converse because we are getting dead pop-punky (but also dancefloor ready) for this episode! Joel and a very back-combed hair David are throwing back to The Veronicas' killer double-platinum-selling album, "Hook Me Up", first launched in 2007. This fun, heady, emotional and edgy body of work summed up the sound of our you...

Here we go! Here we go! This year marks 30 years since the Spice Girls were formed and as a podcast literally named after a Spice Girls album track, we simply could not let this milestone slip away without some kind of celebration! Joel and David are breaking tradition and going all the way back to 1996 to revisit the legendary debut album "Spice". Geri, Mel B, Emma, Melanie C and Victoria com...

We may be in our triple-figure episodes now but your Right Back At Ya! boys are 'Still Dirrty'! Join Joel and David as they go back to 2006 to celebrate Christina Aguilera's "Back To Basics" album. The incredible, multi-million-selling hit album scored Christina her most No.1s and also her biggest tour to date. If Caggie's giving you bang for your buck with a 2-CD collection of original tunes,...

This is second and final part of our "Thank You Baby Awards" where you, our wonderful listeners, are picking the Artists of the 2000s! If you've just been to the bar to top up on Kylie wine during the interval, it's time to scurry back to your seat because we're picking things up from 2005 to 2009... and a very special Vanguard Award at the very end. Throughout this double-part episode, we've...

For our milestone 100th episode, Joel and David are hosting the inaugural "Thank You Baby Awards" where you, our wonderful listeners, get to pick the Artists of the 2000s. This is arguably the most intense voting process in pop history! Popjustice £20 Music Prize has nothing on us. From Girls Aloud to Britney, Spice Girls to Sugababes, Madonna to Kylie, S Club 7 to Destiny's Child... how did y...

Grab those cowboy boots and pull on those sexy denim shorts because we are steppin' out for A Public Affair! Joel and David are heading back to 2005 and 2006 to revisit this iconic chapter in Jessica Simpson's career - and arguably, her best album to date! As the sun was setting on her high-profile marriage to Nick Lachey and the "Newlyweds" series; Our Jessica Ann is hitting a new stride! She...

This is one of the most special conversations we've ever had on the podcast. Joel and David are joined by chart-topping, BRIT-nominated pop singer songwriter Pixie Lott to celebrate 15 years since the release of her No.1-selling debut single, 'Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)' and the massive debut album "Turn It Up", which sold over a million copies and spawned six Top 20 singles! But we're going even ...

It's about time! Continuing our love letter to one of the greatest girl bands of the 2000s, Girls Aloud, we will be walking Primrose into a paradise with ice cream skies for this very special episode, coinciding with "The Girls Aloud Show" 2024 Tour. Join Joel and David as they travel back to 2008 for Girls Aloud's "Out of Control" album era and their biggest headline tour. From their glittery...

Joel and David are back with a new girl band episode and in a rare move for this 2000s pop podcast, we've opened the time portal and crossed into the future... the 2010s! Get ready, 'cause here comes a hurricane! Today we're celebrating Neon Jungle, Parade and SoundGirl - three amazing UK girl groups backed by major labels that blasted on the scene between 2011 and 2013, but were sadly gone to...

The most comprehensive podcast episode dedicated to Billie Piper's music ever? We'd be tapped in every day and night, babe! Depending on your walk of life, you may primarily know Billie Piper as the formidable actress, director and producer she is... or fondly recall meeting her first as a chart-dominating teen popstar of the early 2000s. Since the multi-million-selling "Honey To The B", the s...

Hush. Just. Stop. Pop fans, it’s absolutely time that we jumped back into the world of Britney on the podcast! We are travelling back to the year 2000, with location pins dropped from Mars to Miami, to celebrate Britney’s iconic second album “Oops!… I Did It Again” and its accompanying world tour, which saw her in the very same room as our very own Joel Babbington for the first time in London. ...

We are delighted to be chatting with one of our all-time favourite British pop songwriters, Hannah Robinson. Over the past two decades; you would've no doubt had on repeat the tracks Hannah worked on. Many of which were hit singles and eternal pop fan favourites like 'Some Girls' and 'So Good' (Rachel Stevens), 'Bittersweet' and 'Me & My Imagination' (Sophie Ellis-Bextor), 'Chewing Gum' (Annie)...

In celebration of Kylie's "Body Language" album coming out on vinyl, your fun-loving 2000s pop explorers Joel and David are diving deep back into 2003 and 2004 to rediscover this iconique body of work. This is one of Kylie's most underrated albums with plenty of fan-favourites, including hits like the chart-topper 'Slow', 'Red Blooded Woman' and 'Chocolate'. The sensual and confident mix of el...

We love a bit of pop justice, don't we?! And today we're fist-pumping through a ton of it in our bubbly and inspiring catch up with Alexis Strum, one of Britain's best kept pop secrets of the 2000s. Kylie and Rachel Stevens recorded Alexis's songs, which became everlasting fan favourites. She has written with Billy Steinberg (Madonna, Cyndi Lauper), Brian Higgins and Richard X and yet, tragica...

Pour yourself a dirty martini and get ready to go from Girl Power to Flower Power as we celebrate 20 years of Emma Bunton's "Free Me" album. Widely recognised as one of the best solo Spice Girls albums, this iconic body of work - with its lush 60s pop, Motown and bossa nova influences - completely revamped Our Baby's career with four UK Top 20 hits: 'Free Me', 'Maybe', 'I'll Be There' and 'Cric...

"Face to face, it's Murder on The Dancefloor. Cut to the chase, just give us what we came for!" Pop fans, we hear you loud and clear. It's a new year and the dawn of the Sophiessance Age! Joel and David are jumping in that time machine with the dials set for 2009 to 2011 for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Make A Scene" era - her clubbiest body of work yet! This all-killer-no-filler fourth album marked...

Happy New Year, pop fans! In celebration of Our Sophie returning to the Top 10 with her classic hit 'Murder On The Dancefloor' - thanks, Saltburn! - we are reissuing Episode 46, our very first Sophie Ellis-Bextor episode. Recorded and launched back in 2021 (where did the time go?), Joel and David dived into Soph's first two albums "Read My Lips" and "Shoot From The Hip" - covering her career f...

Get those Cheetah-licious winter coats on because we are heading down Santa Claus Lane for a festive Disney Girlies Christmas Special! Join your RBAY! boys as they hand-pick some of their favourite 2000s holiday tunes by Disney Channel icons that lit up our screens and CD players. Whether they're beloved classics remade with "11-out-of-10" performance shimmer or originals you can't get out of y...

Welcome to our first ever Right Back At Ya! Book Club episode. It's a new thing we're doing to cross into the world of literature, just like so many of our popstars-turned-authors. For our very first attempt at this spin-off series; we're speaking with respected pop music journalist and author Michael Cragg, who released his first book - the very 'right up our street' - "Reach for the Stars - 1...

This podcast truly loves a pop girl group - and it shows! For years we have talked about doing a special episode celebrating the 'lost' girl bands of the 2000s and now here we are. It felt absolutely right to kick things off with the three distinct British girl groups that were launched in 2009: Mini Viva, Dolly Rockers and Girls Can't Catch. While these groups sadly disbanded not long after th...

Do you like to Boogie Woogie? Because your Right Back At Ya! boys are covering the Queen of Pop for the first time, so grab that pink cowboy hat and tiara - and let's get to it! With The Celebration Tour going full throttle now (and yes we will give our thoughts on it!), it feels like the perfect moment to dive into Madonna's 2000 album "Music". Joel and David dive into this monumental album, i...

Your 2000s pop podcasters Joel and David are looking for more than just a "ding-a-ling" on this episode! Widely recognised as one of Girls Aloud's most critically acclaimed albums, "Tangled Up" certainly holds a special place in the hearts of fans, thanks to hits like 'Sexy... No No No!', 'Call The Shots' and 'Can't Speak French'. 2007 saw Girls Aloud reach new heights artistically but also per...

Hang on to your knickers, girls! Because things are about to get MAJOR. For a 2000s podcast literally named after a Spice Girls album track, Joel and David will certainly be giving you everything for this very special episode celebrating VB's one-off reality show "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America"! 2007 was not just major for "The Pob" (Posh Bob) and the Spice Girls reunion; but for reality...

Pop fans, are you ready to be tempted with the Sweetest Sin by the podcasters with the Levis on and an open heart? It's finally time for us to continue our journey with Jessica Simpson's discography... and this era was truly bigger than Texas! Join the HBIC Successica from Essex, Joel, and David as they dive into Jessica Ann's iconic "In This Skin" era. Between 2003 and 2004, Jessica redefined ...

We've got to heat it up, got to got to heat it up! We can't possibly get through the long hot summer without a serotonin boost from Girls Aloud, can we? Your Right Back At Ya! boys are heading back to 2006 for a pit stop at the fabulous first Girls Aloud greatest hits compilation. Aside from the mega hit singles 'Something Kinda Ooooh', 'I Think We're Alone Now' and 'Walk This Way' (with their ...

Can we truly call ourselves 2000s pop explorers if we don't scale one of the biggest albums of the decade: Nelly Furtado's "Loose"? This monumental album was the world's best selling album by a female artist in 2006 and third overall best-seller that year. It goes on to rack up over 12 million sales, spawning 8 hit singles including the classic 2000s floor-fillers 'Promiscuous' feat. Timbaland,...

Can you hear what we hear? It's calling you, my dear. This is our very first All Saints episode and your 2000s pop explorers are headed to The Beach for a deep-dive into the "Saints & Sinners" album. In the 90s and early 2000s, this British girl group were the epitome of cool, renowned for their impeccable vocal harmonies, timeless tunes and enviable street style fashion. Join Joel and David as...

*Rachel Stevens voice* "This is Part 2! This is the remix". No, not really but in celebration of our 5th anniversary, we asked you, our wonderful listeners, to send in your voice notes and messages... and we had so many to include, we wanted release them in two-parts. Thank you, baby for sending in your questions and highlights of the podcast over the years. And music recommendations! It truly...

In celebration of our 5th anniversary, we asked you to send in your voice notes and messages with any questions or highlights from over the years... and we are truly overwhelmed by the responses. Thank you, baby! Here is Part 1 of our 5th Anniversary Mailbag Special. Stay tuned for the second and final part coming very soon. It truly means everything to us to see you guys enjoying the podcast ...

Ahead of Kelly Rowland's hotly-anticipated headline set at Mighty Hoopla 2023 festival in London, we are calling all pop fans and fellow Rowland Stoners to unite for this very special episode! It has been three years since we covered Kelendria's first two albums, "Simply Deep" and "Ms Kelly", and now we are completing the journey with a sumptuous deep-dive into her third album era, "Here I Am",...

Pop fans, prepare to feel the Fever as your favourite 2000s pop explorers Joel and David dive into one of the most epic albums of the decade! No one can deny the magnitude of Kylie Minogue's future nostalgic "Fever" album era; the music she was playing really blew our minds. This is our Kylie Ann's biggest album to date, selling over 6 million copies worldwide, and spawning a string of unforge...

Are you ready? 'Cause here we are! Get the prosecco out of the fridge because we are celebrating Booty Luv, the dazzling duo behind some of the UK's most fun and hun poppers o'clock dance bangers of the 2000s! Nadia and Cherise first shot to international fame as members of the British hip-hop and R&B group Big Brovaz. After a chance offer from Ministry of Sound to record and release a club-re...

Can you believe it has been 20 years since Delta Goodrem's iconic debut album "Innocent Eyes" shook the world? Over the years, so many of you have requested that Joel and David do a Delta episode and right now feels like the perfect moment to relive all the memories and da-da, da-da-da-DAHs together! "Innocent Eyes" is one of Australia's most successful albums ever. Not only was it the best-se...

Attention Lambs and Lambs-in-Training, this is a meauxment. Your RBAY! boys are going for the big one here in our second Mariah episode! Join Joel and David in this fabulous celebration of Mariah Carey's classic, smash hit album "The Emancipation of Mimi". This was the mother of all comebacks for The MC; selling over 10 million copies worldwide to become one of the best-selling albums of the 21...