Pop Pantheon
By DJ Louie XIV
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| Episode | Date |
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Lana Del Rey's Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (with Shaad D'Souza)
3799
As a follow-up to last week's Lana Del Rey deep dive, music critic Shaad D'Souza returns to the show to break down her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which dropped last Friday. Shaad, who reviewed the record for The Guardian, and Louie discuss Did You Know...'s major themes and aesthetics, the evolution of Lana's lyrical approach, how the record fits into the grander scheme of her artistic and commercial arc and more. Read Shaad's Review of Did You Know... in The Guardian Listen to Pop Pantheon's Lana Del Rey Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Shaad D'Souza on Instagram
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Mar 30, 2023 |
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LANA DEL REY (with Kathy Iandoli)
6977
In preparation for her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, dropping tonight, Kathy Iandoli joins Pop Pantheon to explore the enigmatic and paradigm-shifting career of pop iconoclast Lana Del Rey. Kathy, who taught a course on Lana at NYU, joins DJ Louie to discuss Lana’s myth and all of her records, from her breakthrough, 2012’s Born To Die, to her psychedelic rock homage, Ultraviolence (2014), her magnum opus, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019), and her most recent efforts, Chemtrails over the Country Club (2021) and Blue Banisters (2021). Finally, Louie and Kathy talk about her sprawling legacy and place Lana Del Rey in the Official Pop Pantheon. Watch for our review episode of Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd next week. Buy Kathy's book, God Save the Queens The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Kathy Iandoli on Twitter Follow Kathy Iandoli on Instagram |
Mar 23, 2023 |
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KACEY MUSGRAVES (with Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger)
6363
Author and Who? Weekly co-host Bobby Finger joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the career of sly country agitator turned alt pop girlie Kacey Musgraves. Bobby and DJ Louie discuss the blend of traditionalism and iconoclasm on both Kacey’s 2013 debut, Same Trailer Different Park and her sophomore effort, Pageant Material (2015). They dig into Kacey’s 2018 critical smash, Golden Hour, which profoundly expanded the scope of her work and won the Grammy for Album of the Year, and revisit her latest effort, 2021’s Star-Crossed, as they parse out just how Kacey has treaded the line between expert genre practitioner and a gay pop queen. Finally, Louie and Bobby rank Kacey Musgraves in the official Pop Pantheon. Buy Bobby Finger's debut novel The Old Place Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Check out Pop Pantheon's Kacey Musgraves Essentials Playlist on Spotify Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter |
Mar 16, 2023 |
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Miley Cyrus' Endless Summer Vacation (with Shaad D'Souza) (Patreon Preview)
546
Miley Cyrus just dropped her 8th studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, last Friday, so critic Shaad D'Souza- our guest for our Miley episode and who reviewed the new record for Pitchfork- is here to help break this music down: what works, what doesn't, the major themes and aesthetics, the incredible success of lead single "Flowers", what we should and shouldn't expect from Miley at this point and whether any of it impacts her ranking in the Pop Pantheon. If you enjoyed this snippet and want to hear the rest of the episode, plus more bonus content, access to our Discord channel and more, you can subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. |
Mar 14, 2023 |
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Do We Still Need Poptimism? (with Vulture's Jason P. Frank)
3260
Vulture's Jason P. Frank joins DJ Louie to discuss the idea of "Poptimism", or the movement in musical critical discourse during the mid 2000s and 2010s that allowed for pop music to be taken seriously as art. Jason and Louie discuss the circumstances that created Poptimism, how it disseminated through discourse over the last twenty years, the major albums, songs and artists that calcified the term, and how it's perhaps become irrelevant in the modern pop landscape. Read Kelefeh Sanneh's "The Rap Against Rockism" from The New York Times Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 09, 2023 |
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New Music Speed Round: Sam Smith, Ava Max, Lana, Ice Spice & More! (with Main Pod Girl's AJ Marks) (Patreon Preview)
560
Main Pod Girl's (and PP Discord fav!) AJ Marks joins DJ Louie to dissect and debate new songs from Sam Smith, Kelela, Ava Max, Ice Spice, Zara Larsson, Chloe & More! To hear the rest of this episode and so much more bonus content, along with access to our Discord, guest list at Gorgeous Gorgeous and other great perks, Subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier! |
Mar 06, 2023 |
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JA RULE, NELLY, LUDACRIS & 50 CENT (with Jordan Sargent)
6865
Writer and A&R person Jordan Sargent returns to Pop Pantheon to explore a definitive moment in establishing hip hop’s centrism in mainstream pop music – the early 2000s. Jordan and DJ Louie explore the careers and legacies of a quartet of performers, Ja Rule, Nelly, Ludacris and 50 Cent, who hit their cultural peak during a moment when pop first fully allowed rappers to be mainstream pop stars. They discuss the sound of crossover rap in the 2000s and the biggest hits of the era from ‘In Da Club’ to ‘Hot in Herre,’ ‘Always on Time,’ and ‘One Minute Man’ and then rank all four hip hop stars in the Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Check out Pop Pantheon's 2000s Crossover Rappers Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 02, 2023 |
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The State of Streaming: How It's Impacted Pop Stars, Music & Us (with Trapital's Dan Runcie)
3850
Trapital Host Dan Runcie joins DJ Louie to discuss the state of the streaming ecosystem. Dan and Louie dig into how streaming has impacted the nature of pop stardom by helping to foster a dissolving monoculture and the rise of the niche superstar, financial incentives, stanning, pop music itself and us, the consumers, and how we relate to the value of music. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 23, 2023 |
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FRANK SINATRA (with You Must Remember This' Karina Longworth)
6251
Critic, author and host of the podcast You Must Remember This Karina Longworth joins Pop Pantheon to help tell the story of patient zero for the concept of a “Pop Music Icon,” the legendary crooner and American Icon Frank Sinatra. Karina and DJ Louie trace Frank's career from its origins in clubs in Hoboken to the onset of what was perhaps the first true pop star fandemonium craze of the modern era, Sinatramania. Next, they discuss Frank's cornucopia of definitive American Standards, his success in the movie business, his role in turning Las Vegas into a world-class entertainment city and the formation of The Rat Pack. Finally, they consider his legacy in American popular music, his impact on celebrity culture and his influence on artists as far ranging as Elvis, Michael Jackson and Billie Eilish. Listen to You Must Remember This Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Check out Pop Pantheon's Frank Sinatra Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Karina Longworth on Twitter Follow Karina Longworth on Instagram |
Feb 16, 2023 |
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Was Rihanna's Halftime Show Good? (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd) (Patreon Preview)
675
In a preview of our new Patreon episode available in full on Pop Pantheon: All Access, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd joins DJ Louie for a Monday morning recap of Rihanna's big return to the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show last night in Glendale, Arizona, her first live show since 2018. They discuss what they liked about the performance, what they felt was missing, the pregnancy reveal, the divisive reaction from fans, the setlist, the outfits, the staging, how the crew did with their predictions last week, how Rihanna defies pop star expectations and most importantly, what it all telegraphed about the future of her pop career, if there in fact is one at all. To hear the rest, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access for bonus content, access to our discord channel and many more perks. |
Feb 13, 2023 |
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Rihanna Super Bowl Setlist Draft Extravaganza!! (with Lindsey Weber, Jason Lipshutz & Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)
4583
For this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by a literal Navy of Pop Pantheon All-Stars- Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber, Billboard's Jason Lipshutz and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd- to preview Rihanna's epic return to music at Super Bowl LVII, this Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona! They talk all the big questions: Why now? What does it portend for new Rihanna music? What made her change her hard "no" to the NFL over their treatment of Colin Kaepernick? Then, the main event: Louie, Lindsey, Jason and Julianne try to figure which of Rihanna's ~40 hit songs she'll pull out for this 12-14 minute set, how she'll structure it to showcase the diversity and generational strength of her discography and pontificate on guests she could plausibly bring out to join her on stage. Finally, the crew discusses whether Rihanna's Pop Pantheon tier ranking has shifted from cuspy 2-1, where she was ranked in our series with Julianne back in December 2021, and if this performance- and the promise of new music- has the potential to finally elevate Rihanna, once and for all, to Tier 1 of the Pantheon. Listen to Louie and Julianne's two-part Pop Pantheon series on Rihanna Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Come See Louie DJ @ Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA, 2/10 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Jason Lipshutz on Twitter Follow Lindsey Weber on Twitter Follow Julianne Escobedo Shepherd on Twitter
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Feb 07, 2023 |
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We Need to Talk About The Grammys... (Patreon Preview)
430
In a preview of the new episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, DJ Louie and Russ break down the 2023 Grammys, from Beyoncé’s infuriating, disheartening and all-too-familiar snubs across the big three categories to Kim Petras and Sam Smith’s big win, the show’s electrifying, decades-spanning tribute to hip hop and its ever-increasing and seemingly inexorable march towards complete irrelevance. To listen to the rest of this episode and so much more bonus content, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access |
Feb 06, 2023 |
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THE WEEKND (with Anupa Mistry)
6936
Writer and producer Anupa Mistry joins Pop Pantheon to dissect the career of the most enigmatic pop superstar of his generation, The Weeknd. Anupa and DJ Louie discuss The Weeknd’s genre-obliterating early mixtapes, which helped to redefine the contours of R&B in the 2010s, and his studio debut, 2013’s Kiss Land. They also walk through his string of massive successes, from his breakthrough sophomore album, 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, 2016 follow-up Starboy, 2020’s revelatory After Hours, his 2021 Super Bowl performance, and most recent effort, last year’s Dawn FM. Read Anupa's 2015 profile of The Weeknd in Pitchfork Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Come See Louie DJ @ Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA, 2/10 Check out Pop Pantheon's The Weeknd Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 02, 2023 |
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What Pantheon Rankings Have I Gotten Wrong?: Kesha, ABBA, Miley, Your Calls & More!
4390
For this week's B-Side, we're reassessing all the Pop Pantheon rankings of the last year, including debates on Kesha, Miley, ABBA, Belinda Carlisle, Spice Girls and More. We're also taking listener Pantheon disputes via your phone calls. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Listen to our Original Pantheon Ranking Reassessment from April 2021 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Jan 26, 2023 |
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MADONNA: PART 4 (with Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak) [Originally Published on 4/21/2021]
3425
As a special bonus to wrap up our new Madonna series, we're re-publishing an episode, the fourth ever of Pop Pantheon (!!), from April 21, 2021 wherein DJ Louie and Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak attempt to parse about Madonna's commercial and artistic decline beginning with 2008's Pharrell and Timbaland-produced Hard Candy, 2012's limp return to dance music, MDNA, 2016's sprawling, trend-hopping Rebel Heart and 2019's generally baffling Madame X. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Listen to Madonna PT III Check out Pop Pantheon's Madonna Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jan 23, 2023 |
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MADONNA: PART 3 (with Annie Zaleski)
7084
Author and journalist Annie Zaleski returns to Pop Pantheon for part three of our Madonna series, covering the period in which Madonna fully solidified her status as one of the most important cultural figures of the modern era. DJ Louie and Annie discuss Madonna’s critically-adored, career-reimagining smash Ray of Light (1998), which saw her celebrate the epiphany of motherhood, her return to capital-f "Fun" on 2000's Music, and 2003's stilted American Life. Finally, they tackle her euphoric return to the club and last moment of true pop transcendence, 2005’s euphoric Confessions on a Dance Floor. Watch for the capstone on Pop Pantheon’s Madonna series – the re-release of one of our very first episodes, with Jezebel’s Rich Juzwiak, covering Madonna’s most recent work Buy Annie's new book, Lady Gaga: Applause
Listen to Madonna PT II Check out Pop Pantheon's Madonna Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter |
Jan 19, 2023 |
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MADONNA: PART 2 (with The Clive Davis Institute's Jason King)
7196
For part two of our Madonna series, Clive Davis Institute chair Jason King returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the imperial period of the Queen of Pop's career with DJ Louie. They discuss the capstone on Madonna's decade-defining run of records in the 1980s, 1989's Like a Prayer, her explosion into the 1990s with “Vogue,” 1992’s lightning rod Erotica and a singular record in Madonna’s discography, 1994's Bedtime Stories. Plus highlights from her cultural peak, like the genre-creating tour documentary Truth or Dare (1991), 1992's boundary-pushing coffee table book SEX and a complicated discussion about Madonna borrowing from other cultures. Join us next week for Part 3 which will cover Ray of Light, Music, American Life and Confessions on a Dance Floor. Listen to Jason King's podcast Sound Barrier: Sylvester on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous, 1/13 at Resident in DTLA Check out Pop Pantheon's Madonna Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jan 12, 2023 |
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New Music Speed Round: Meghan Trainor, Paramore, Lana Del Rey & More (Patreon Preview)
385
If you like this and want to hear more of this episode, plus tons of other bonus content as well as gain access to our Discord channel, the guest list at Gorgeous Gorgeous and so many other perks, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access! |
Jan 09, 2023 |
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MADONNA: PART 1 (with Inside The Groove's Edward Russell)
6708
For the first of our new three-part series on the Queen of Pop, Madonna, host of the podcast Inside the Groove Edward Russell joins DJ Louie to discuss Madge’s early years as an upstart pop-provocateur-turned-auteur. Louie and Edward begin with her early life and how her mother’s death from breast cancer, her strained relationship with her father and the family’s devout catholicism informed her path and future work before moving to the mythology of how she ended up in New York City, first to pursue a career in dance and later as a singer. They then discuss each of her first three albums, her self-titled 1983 debut, 1984’s explosive Like a Virgin and 1986’s seminal blockbuster True Blue and how each expanded the scope and depth of Madonna’s artistry while simultaneously mapping the blueprint for pop stardom. Along the way, Louie and Edward touch on iconic moments like 1984 VMA’s performance, the medium-defining “Material Girl” music video and so much more.
Check out Edward's Podcast on Madonna's music, Inside the Groove Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Listen to Madonna PT III Check out Pop Pantheon's Madonna Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jan 05, 2023 |
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Taylor Swift's Reputation (with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos) (Patreon's Version)
3995
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! As a little Xmas treat, we're posting this episode which was originally published on our Patreon, Pop Pantheon: All Access, a deep-dive with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos into Taylor Swift's misunderstood 2017 album Reputation. Largely derided upon its release in 2017, Reputation is an album that's worthy of a re-appraisal, especially given its connections to Taylor's current blockbuster success with Midnights. As a special bonus for our Patrons, Louie's tackling work by an artist not yet ranked in the Pantheon – he even teases his thoughts on Taylor's legacy as a pop icon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Dec 29, 2022 |
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KATY PERRY: PART 2 (with Variety's Daniel D'Addario)
4641
Chief Television Critic at Variety Daniel D’Addario is back with DJ Louie for part two of our series on Purposeful Popstress Katy Perry! Louie and Dan kick off this installment by talking about the long tail of Teenage Dream and how Katy's highly-publicized divorce from comedian Russell Brand informed both the deluxe edition's hit singles as well as the setting into which she delivered her much-anticipated fourth album, 2013's Prism. They then parse about Prism's disjointed mix of Dream-styled pure pop confections aimed at uplift and more earnest ruminations on the dissolution of her relationship, as well its mixed commercial reception with certain singles like "Roar" and "Dark Horse" topping the charts while a slew of other songs failed to connect, how her celebrated Super Bowl halftime show represented her last moment of monocultural dominance, the career nadir of her 2017 flop Witness which tried and failed at both deepening Katy's on-record persona and updating her sound for a new era without the help of long-time partner Dr. Luke, and how her career as centrist pop figure never recovered, yet her legacy as an emblem of the most unfettered iteration of Pop Stardom lives on. Finally, Louie and Dan rank Katy Perry in the official Pop Pantheon.
Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store! Check out Pop Pantheon's Katy Perry Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 22, 2022 |
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KATY PERRY: PART 1 (with Variety's Daniel D'Addario)
5900
Chief Television Critic at Variety Daniel D’Addario joins DJ Louie for a long-awaited and sprawling two-parter about Rick Caruso’s favorite pop star, Katy Perry! In Part 1, Louie and Dan begin with Katy’s cloistered early life as the daughter of two Pentacostal ministers who was denied access to most popular culture, her teenaged forays into Christian rock, eventual pivot to secular music and myriad false starts as a pop star, including dalliances with Alanis Morrisette producer Glen Ballard, a short stint fronting the artist project for production team The Matrix and series of failed record deals. They then lay out how everything finally clicked thanks to Capitol Records and, most importantly, her collaboration with super-producers Max Martin and Dr. Luke who helped craft the soft-serve controversy of her breakthrough smash, 2008’s “I Kissed a Girl”, parse apart the pop-rock leanings and pert poses of her hit second album, One of the Boys, later that year, before going long on her seminal third album, 2010’s technicolor pure-pop juggernaut Teenage Dream, only the second album in history to produce five #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store! Check out Pop Pantheon's Katy Perry Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 15, 2022 |
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Imperial Phases: What Are They, Who's Had One and Do They Still Exist? (with Tom Ewing)
3707
The concept of an "Imperial Phase"- a short-lived period of a pop star's career where artistic revelation meets commercial saturation and everything they touch turns to gold- comes up quite a bit on Pop Pantheon. Originally coined by Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, the term gained purchase in our pop music discourse thanks to Tom Ewing's taxonomy of the phrase in his classic 2010 Pitchfork piece, "Imperial". For this week's B-side, Tom joins DJ Louie to discuss Imperial Phases past, present and future. Louie and Tom get into the history of the term and the details of how to spot one when it's happening, before turning to the careers of individual pop stars- Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Prince, Madonna, Lady GaGa, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and more- to figure out who's had one, who hasn't and when exactly they've had happened (or not) for each. Finally, Louie and Tom discuss whether it's become more difficult to achieve an Imperial Phase in the streaming and social media era, how we need redefine the term in the context of cult-of-personality pop stardom and who of the new generation seems primed to achieve one in the coming years. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Pop Pantheon's "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 08, 2022 |
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The Best (and Worst) Pop Music of 2022 (with NPR's Hazel Cills)
5520
Editor at NPR Music Hazel Cills joins DJ Louie for a thorough rundown of pop music in the year 2022. They talk Beyoncé, Rosalia, Taylor, Muna, Drake, Charli, Kendrick, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Lizzo, shifting musical trends (welcome back, dance music!), wonky rollouts, more Beyoncé (of course), list their favorite and least favorite pop albums and songs of the year, and more. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous At Resident in DTLA on Dec 3 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Listen to a Spotify Playlist of Louie and Hazel's Favorite PopMusic of 2022 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 01, 2022 |
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AMY WINEHOUSE (with Sasha Frere-Jones)
6241
Musician and Writer Sasha Frere-Jones joins DJ Louie to discuss the tragically short career and life of the great British soul singer, Amy Winehouse. Louie and Sasha begin by discussing how an early death, perhaps before a pop star has even reached their peak, affects their legacy before diving into Amy’s story, how she grew up on the music of jazz greats like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn and ‘90s American hip hop superstars like Nas and Lauryn Hill and the ways that marriage formed the aesthetic of her debut album, 2003’s Frank. They then discuss how a painful breakup led Amy both down a dangerous path with drugs and alcohol but also inspired her breakthrough sophomore album, 2006’s modern classic Back to Black, a meticulously constructed throwback to ‘50s and ‘60s soul and girl group aesthetics made in collaboration with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. Louie and Sasha lay out the ways in which that album juxtaposed backwards-looking production with Amy’s utterly singular and thoroughly-modern perspective on love, heartbreak and substance abuse, how Black’s massive and expected success only exacerbated her problems, the toxicity of celebrity press coverage in the late 2000s, and how it all ultimately helped lead to Amy’s untimely passing from alcohol poisoning in 2011. Lastly, Louie and Sasha discuss the long shadow of Amy Winehouse’s legacy in pop culture, before ranking her in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Sasha's piece following Amy's death in The New Yorker Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous At Resident in DTLA on Dec 3 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Amy Winehouse Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Nov 23, 2022 |
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Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me and the State of the Pop Doc (with New York Magazine's Rachel Handler)
4599
New York Magazine's Rachel Handler joins DJ Louie to discuss both Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, the recently-released doc about the pop star on Apple TV+, and the broader state of the pop star documentary. Rachel had the opportunity to sit down with Selena and director Alek Keshishian to talk about the film, so Louie and Rachel first get into what Selena was like as interview before diving into My Mind & Me, what it tells us about Selena, and how it fits into the broader of narrative of pop docs historically, beginning with Keshishian's seminal 1991 film Madonna: Truth or Dare. Rachel and Louie then attempt to contextualize My Mind & Me in a recent wave of pop docs that began with Justin Bieber's Never Say Never in 2011, and includes films like Katy Perry's Part of Me, Beyoncé's Life is But a Dream, Lady Gaga's Five Foot Two, Taylor Swift's Miss Americana, Demi Lovato's Dancing With The Devil, and more, parsing apart what binds them all together, what separates them from one another and whether they are effective, either as revelations or machiavellian PR moves. Read Rachel's Interview with Selena and Alek in Vulture Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous At Resident in DTLA on Dec 3 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Nov 17, 2022 |
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BELINDA CARLISLE, DEBBIE GIBSON, TIFFANY & TAYLOR DAYNE: Forgotten Ladies of the 1980s (with Stereogum's Tom Breihan)
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We’re shaking things up a bit this week! The ‘80s were formative for our ideas of modern pop stardom but it’s not just Madonna, Prince, Michael, Janet, George and the gang that deserve credit for shaping that legacy. So in this episode, Senior Editor at Stereogum Tom Breihan joins me to break down the careers and legacies of four more erstwhile women who hit high highs during this decade, with smash singles and multi platinum albums, then fell off the charts just as the decade turned over to the 1990s: Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne. Tom and I first lay out why the ‘80s were such an important decade for our conceptions of the pop star and pop music, before turning to each woman’s story individually, where they came from, how they rose to fame, what made them click, why they all eventually fell off, and the important contributions each made to pop culture- whether it be songs (“Heaven is a Place on Earth”! “Only in My Dreams”! “Tell it to My Heart”!), tropes, music videos, or otherwise. Finally, Tom and I rank Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne in the official Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Check out our Forgotten Ladies of the 1980s Spotify Playlist! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Nov 10, 2022 |
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Can the Super Bowl Put Rihanna in Tier 1?? (Preview)
350
This is a preview of one of the bonus episodes out right now on our new Patreon, Pop Pantheon: All Access! If you like this and want to hear more of this episode as well as others including a look-back at Taylor Swift's Reputation with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, AND to receive at least one new bonus episode per month and a slew of other perks, subscribe at Patreon.com/poppantheon! |
Nov 07, 2022 |
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The Joys & Terrors of Stan Culture (with The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli)
4008
Pop Music Reporter for The New York Times, Joe Coscarelli, returns to the podcast to dig into the origins, agony and ecstasy of internet stan culture. DJ Louie and Joe discuss how classic fandoms morphed into internet stan armies, the difference between being a "fan" in the old sense of the word and a modern "stan", who often wraps their entire identity around a pop star, how these armies are weaponized by the star they worship and serve as powerful promotional arms and also, more worryingly, attack dogs against anyone who they perceive as slighting them. Louie and Joe also discuss the connection between pop star stan armies and the broader pervasive of grievance culture in politics and other areas, the positive aspects of these armies, which help like-minded, often queer individuals find community and sometimes organize for good, what gets lost artistically and developmentally in the blind devotion practiced many of these groups, and so much more. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Joe's New Book, Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Nov 03, 2022 |
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Announcement!
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Please welcome to the stage: Pop Pantheon All Access!! Simply can't get enough of Pop Pantheon? Well, great news! I am so excited to announce the launch of our new Patreon channel, Pop Pantheon All Access (click here to join)! This is the spot for even more of the trenchant, in-depth, fun-loving pop music analysis you expect from Pop Pantheon but with a few fun twists, as well as a great community of fellow pop obsessives. There are two tiers (duh) in PPAA: 1. Icon Tier: for $5 a month, Icon Subscribers will get access to at least one bonus episode of Pop Pantheon a month! That's right, ya'll! These episodes will focus largely on new music by all of our favorite pop stars, even ones we have yet to rank in the Pantheon, in-depth look-backs at past albums and eras and some more personal content from me on my life, DJ career and some behind the scenes on how the show gets made! You will also get access to our Discord server, exclusive virtual album release parties, early merch drops, guest list for my queer pop party Gorgeous Gorgeous in LA, and to provide meaningful input on who and what you'd like to see featured on future episodes of Pop Pantheon! 2. Niche Legend Tier: for just $2 a month, Niche Legend Subscribers can support the show, gain access to our Discord server, early merch drops and provide input on future episodes of the show. Right now, there are three new bonus episodes up on PPAA: 1. A new music speed round where Russ and I talk new releases by Rihanna, Lizzo, Tove Lo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Rina Sawayama and more, then play a game called "Step up, Step down" where we assess major pop news of late (eg. Rih playing the Super Bowl!) and discuss how it might affect their Pantheon placement. 2. A conversation with Pop Pantheon fav, Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, where we deep dive on Taylor Swift's 2017 album Reputation, lay out all the controversy that swirled around the record when it dropped, dig through the music, themes, and aesthetics with a fine-toothed comb and the power of hindsight, and tie it all to her new blockbuster album, Midnights. 3. A very personal (and silly :-)) convo with my sister Lily about some of our favorite shared pop music memories, the role she plays behind the scenes in making this show better and of course, all the Pantheon rankings she disagrees with. I can't thank you enough for supporting this independently-produced show and I am so excited to do even more over-analysis of all your favorite pop stars! See you guys there :-). |
Nov 01, 2022 |
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Taylor Swift's Midnights (with The Ringer's Rob Harvilla)
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Host of the Podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s, The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, is back with DJ Louie to break down Taylor Swift's 10th studio album, Midnights, which dropped this past Friday. Louie and Rob set up Taylor's career and discography heading into this record before breaking down the lyrical motifs, recurrent themes and production choices on the album, what's working and not working for each of them, whether this record marks the end of one phase, the beginning of a new one, or some sort of static transitional moment, the Jack Antonoff of it all and so much more. Read Rob's review of Midnights on The Ringer Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Oct 26, 2022 |
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SPICE GIRLS (with Owen Myers)
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Music journalist Owen Myers is back with DJ Louie to discuss the career and legend of British super girl group, Spice Girls. First, Louie and Owen talk through the history of girl groups and how various waves helped form the foundation for the Spice Girls’ ethos, before getting into the band’s journey from prefab answer to the UK boy band wave of the era to self-possessed girl-gang in control of their own destiny. Louie and Owen then discuss what made the Spice Girls and their explosion so singular with their debut album, 1996’s Spice, which cleverly fused American R&B tropes with a European pop sheen to create accessible music with edge, the ways they embodied their message of female friendship and solidarity above all else in their music and presentation and the vibe of fun, goofiness and sexiness which rendered them wholesome without ever seeming pandering. Next, Louie and Owen discuss Spice Girls’ second album and its accompanying movie, 1997’s Spice World, how the record expanded their sonic palette and the film, along with a panoply of endorsement deals, doubled down on their commercial prowess but also lent to burn out both on the part of the public and girls, how member Geri Halliwell’s sudden and explosive departure from the group in 1998 ended their brief imperial phase, the ways they’ve sured up their legacy over the last couple of decades and how the true meaning of Girl Power has reverberated through the pop that’s come after them. Finally, Louie and Owen rank Spice Girls in the official Pop Pantheon. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Listen to the Pop Pantheon Spice Girls Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Oct 20, 2022 |
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GEORGE MICHAEL (with Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak)
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Senior Writer for Jezebel Rich Juzwiak joins DJ Louie once again to discuss the formidable work and legacy of the iconic George Michael. Louie and Rich discuss George’s early life, his chance middle-school meeting with Andrew Ridgely which lead to the formation of his breakthrough musical endeavor- the duo Wham!- the group’s two albums, 1983’s Fantastic and 1984’s blockbuster Make It Big, and how both Wham!’s well-executed appropriation of canonically Black musical aesthetics and its pervasive critical derision set the table for Michael’s solo career. Then then breakdown Michael’s era-defining magnum-opus, his debut solo record 1987’s Faith, how it showcased his meticulous craftsmanship as a producer, songwriter, performer and purveyor of Pop Stardom, his struggles with his sexual identity and why they may have lead him to retreat from the spotlight on its much more low-key follow-up, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, and how the tragic death from AIDS of his first true love, Anselmo Feleppa, along with a drawn-out lawsuit with his record label created a nearly six-year gap between Listen and 1996’s Older, his bold and devastating 3rd album that all but revealed Michael’s sexuality to the world. Next, Louie and Rich discuss Michael’s 1998 arrest for cruising in a public restroom, how he cannily used it as an opportunity to come out to the world once and for all and why, unfortunately, his post-closet life ultimately ended in tragedy with his untimely death in 2016 at the age of 53. Finally, they debate Michael’s enduring legacy as both a consummate pop figure, a lynchpin in the broader narrative of gay male pop stars and rank George Michael in the official Pop Pantheon. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Listen to the Pop Pantheon George Michael Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Oct 13, 2022 |
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Listener Mailbag! Britney, Bowie, Flops, Divas and More!!
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It's listener mailbag time! DJ Louie and Russ are here to tackle questions from across the Pop Pantheon extended universe. Who is the greatest British pop star of all time? Is Nicki BACK?! Are "Flop Eras" actually good?! Can DJs be Pop Stars??!! How does dying young affect your Pop Pantheon ranking?!!! How can Janet reach Tier 1??!! And so much more. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Oct 06, 2022 |
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BTS (with Tamar Herman)
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Senior Culture Reporter for the South China Morning Post and author of the book BTS: Blood Sweat and Tears, Tamar Herman, joins DJ Louie for a deep-dive on K-Pop phenom boyband BTS. First, Louie and Tamar lay out some of the contours and history of the K-Pop scene and music industry before diving into BTS’ story, how they were initially put together in 2010 by producer Bang Si-Hyuk as a socially-conscious rap outfit on their “Skool Trilogy” in 2013 and 2014, and Bang’s vision for a boy band that broke K-pop norms by giving each member more agency in creating a distinct persona and shaping the group’s music. They then get into the group’s pivot to a more overt pop-oriented sound with mid-2010s output like the "Youth Trilogy", Wings, and the Love Yourself suite, all of which continued the group’s message-forward music while expanding their sound into EDM, R&B, Moombahton and more to massive success in Asian marketplaces and eventually, in the English-speaking world as well. Later, Louie and Tamar discuss just how BTS were able to fully cross-over into the biggest boy band in the world in the later 2010s, breaking into mainstream U.S. popular culture in a way no K-pop act had even whiffed at prior with their Map of the Soul albums, 2020’s BE, as well as on massive English-language hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter”, the unique pressure K-pop “Idols” are under in terms of how the present themselves in public, and how BTS and their success have changed the pop landscape both in their home country, stateside and across the globe. Finally, Louie and Tamar rank BTS in the official Pop Pantheon. Buy Tamar's book BTS: Blood Sweat & Tears Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Listen to the Pop Pantheon BTS Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Tamar Herman on Twitter |
Sep 29, 2022 |
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Lady Gaga's Chromatica Ball (with Steven Avalos, Omri Rolan & Lala Thompson)
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For this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by his bffs Steven, Omri and Lala to debrief their night at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium stop of Lady Gaga's epic, years-in-the-making Chromatica Ball World Tour. They talk all aspects of the show- from the stage to the setlist to the fashion to Gaga's presence, dancing and voice- how it stacks up against past LG tours, where they'd rank Chomatica against her previous records, what it felt like to finally hear "Rain on Me" amongst 52,000 other Little Monsters and finally, the girlies have a knock-down-drag-out-take-no-prisoners fight about whether GaGa belongs in Tier 1 or 2 of the Pop Pantheon. Paws up! Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 9/23 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Sep 22, 2022 |
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DONNA SUMMER (with Black Girl Songbook's Danyel Smith)
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Author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop and host of The Ringer podcast Black Girl Songbook, Danyel Smith, joins DJ Louie to explore the work, impact and legacy of the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. Louie and Danyel begin with Donna’s early life as the eccentric Black girl in her Boston community during the 1950s and ‘60s, her move to Germany in 1968 to star in the musical Hair which eventually led to a star-crossed meeting with producers Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte who would go on to be her primary collaborators, and their breakthrough with the radically orgasmic disco anthem “Love to Love You Baby” in 1975. Louie and Danyel then cover Donna, Giorgio and Pete’s ambitious run of concept albums through the mid ‘70s, their seismic innovations on 1977’s “I Feel Love”, considered the first electronic dance song, Donna’s status as the poster child for both the music and aesthetics of the disco movement thanks in part to her role in the film Thank God It’s Friday and its luscious Oscar-winning smash “Last Dance”, her magnum opus, 1979’s Bad Girls which set the template for the modern pop event album, and how she managed to outrun the sudden decline of disco thanks to 1983’s economical new-wave anthem “She Works Hard for the Money”. They conclude with Donna’s commercial decline in the latter 1980s, her Born-Again Christianity and controversial statements about the AIDS Epidemic and the gay community, her absolutely massive impact on the sound and look of pop stardom and how her legacy- and that of the movement she defined- has evolved over time. Finally, Louie and Danyel rank Donna Summer in the official Pop Pantheon.
Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Buy Danyel's Book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Sep 15, 2022 |
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Disco: Past & Present (with The Clive Davis Institute's Jason King)
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For this week’s B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Chair of the The Clive Institute of Recorded Music, Jason King, to talk the history, culture, ethos and aesthetics of disco music. Louie and Jason lay out the elements of a disco song, what the word meant as a cultural movement, its roots as a queer black artform and unique platform for black women’s voices, what made the “disco diva”, the genre’s trajectory through the 1970s as a fast burning phenomenon that crashed just as quickly by the turn of the 1980s and the key artists, songs and moments of its prime years. Finally, Louie and Jason discuss whether disco ever really died, how it’s continued to be revived again and again in pop music, and Jason shares some of his favorite disco deep cuts. Come See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 9/23 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Check out Louie's Disco Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Sep 08, 2022 |
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MERCH ALERT!
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We did it! We finally made merch! Please welcome to the stage: The Pop Pantheon "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Be the Carly Rae Jepsen you want to see in the world by purchasing this gorgeous black and hot pink baseball cap! It reads "Niche Legend" on the front and "Pop Pantheon" on the back. This hat is a celebration of both our favorite Niche Legend pop girlies AND, most importantly, the Niche Legend in all of us!! Enjoy <3 |
Sep 07, 2022 |
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USHER (with Rawiya Kameir)
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Music writer and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, Rawiya Kameir, is back on the show to discuss the career and confessions of the great Usher. DJ Louie and Rawiya break down Usher’s musical origins singing in the church, the failed boy band he fronted in the early ‘90s, Nu Beginnings, and how his deal with the storied LaFace Records and subsequent “flavor camp” with Sean “Puff Daddy’ Combs set the stage for his self-titled debut record in 1994. They then dive into his breakthrough sophomore album, 1997’s My Way, how it solidified Usher’s persona as a smooth, sensitive, emotionally-conflicted lover boy as well as one of the most dexterous R&B singers of his generation, its blockbuster follow up, 2001’s 8701, which furthered Usher’s thematic fascination with the complexities of and distress caused by love and sex and of course, his magnum opus, 2004’s Confessions, a hit-packed concept album about the aftermath of infidelity that sold over 20 million copies worldwide and stands today as Usher’s signature artistic and commercial achievement. Next, Louie and Rawiya debate Usher’s latter period output, from swings at trendiness on 2008’s Here I Stand and 2010’s Raymond Vs. Raymond to more rewarding experiments on 2012’s Looking 4 Myself and 2016’s Hard II Love. Finally they rank Usher in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Usher Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Sep 01, 2022 |
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MTV VMAs: Past, Present & Our Favorite Moments (with Dunzo's Troy McEady)
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The MTV Video Music Awards will air this Sunday, August 28 2022, from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ but does anybody care? For this week’s Pop Pantheon B-Side, Dunzo’s Troy McEady is back to discuss the history of the once-must-watch award show with DJ Louie, what made them the most raucous and exciting live event around at their peak, how grabbing a VMA headline could change a pop star’s career forever and what’s gone wrong with the show in recent years. Then, Louie and Troy count down their favorite “VMA Moments” in history. Listen to Louie and Troy's episode on MTV's TRL Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Aug 25, 2022 |
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MILEY CYRUS (with Shaad D'Souza)
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Music critic Shaad D’Souza joins DJ Louie to talk about one of modern pop’s most captivating, divisive and perplexing figures, Miley Cyrus. Louie and Shaad open with a break down of Miley’s emergence on the smash Disney show, Hannah Montana, how the character’s own double life as a pop star and a “normal girl” mirrored Miley’s own, and the chaste image and anodyne pop-rock empowerment anthems on which Miley-as-Hannah made her name and, later in career, had to torch. They next dive into Miley’s various, often bold but almost always awkward attempts to break out of the Hannah Montana box, first with her calculated pivot towards sexed-up dance pop on 2010’s nonstarter Can’t Be Tamed and much more effectively on 2013’s Bangerz, a fascinating, garish record that repositioned the former Disney kid as a freewheeling, hip hop-obsessed party monster, a brazen and un-self-aware culture vulture and, for the first and perhaps only time in her a career, a trendsetting pop star. Louie and Shaad debate the record’s prescient centering of trap in mainstream pop, as well its table-setting fusion of rap and country, how we view Miley’s egregious cultural appropriation through a contemporary lens, and whether the album’s whirlwind of controversy obscured some of the record’s delicate, honest songwriting and virtuoso vocal performances. Later, they discuss how Miley squandered a lot of remaining good will with her next two projects, 2015’s utterly bizarre Wayne Coyne-collabo Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz and 2017’s middle-of-the-road country-pop-leaning Younger Now, and if Miley has effectively repositioned herself in recent years with a series of well-received live performances and covers and a turn towards rock homage on her 2020 album Plastic Hearts. Finally, Louie and Shaad rank Miley Cyrus in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Shaad's review of Plastic Hearts in Pitchfork Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Aug 18, 2022 |
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Billboard's Hot 100: Hits, History and Kinks (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy)
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Every episode of Pop Pantheon contains at least some mention of the Billboard's iconic singles chart, the Hot 100. So for this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by chart analyst, cultural critic and host of Slate's podcast Hit Parade to talk the 60 year history of the chart, the way its metrics have evolved over time, what role having hits on the Hot 100 plays in a pop star's mythology and legacy, whether or not we can compare current hits like this week's #1 "Break My Soul" to past ones given how Billboard's methodology has been altered to fit new data and music-consuming ecosystems, some weird kinks that have prevented massive hits like "I'm a Slave 4 U" from reaching to the top of the charts, and what fixes Chris might make to improve the Hot 100, still our best tool for measuring a hit record. Listen to Chris Molanphy's podcast Hit Parade Check out Chris' last appearance on Pop Pantheon, discussing The Supremes and Diana Ross Tickets to DJ Louie's Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 8/12 in Downtown Los Angeles!
Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Aug 11, 2022 |
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BEYONCÉ'S RENAISSANCE (with The New Yorker's Doreen St. Félix)
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Beyoncé’s seventh studio album and her first in over six years, Renaissance, is finally upon us! For the fourth and final episode of our series on Queen B, DJ Louie is joined by The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Félix to discuss the new record. Louie and Doreen share gut-check reactions, break down Renaissance's themes of bacchanalia and sexual freak-dom and how they register through Beyoncé’s signature meticulousness, its lush, dynamic sonic palette which runs the gamut from house to disco to afrobeat, this weekend’s controversy with Kelis and whether an artist of B’s stature’s can celebrate other artists and sub-cultures- like ballroom- without subsuming them, and why this may be a superlative pandemic record, a manifestation of Beyoncé’s delayed adolescence and of a superstar’s fantasy of what life is like for people who, unlike her, can actually go to a club. Read Louie's review of Renaissance in Buzzfeed Tickets to DJ Louie's Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 8/12 in Downtown Los Angeles!
Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Aug 04, 2022 |
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BEYONCÉ PART 3: AMERICAN ICON (with Yale University's Dr. Daphne A. Brooks)
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Part 3/4! Beyoncé’s latest solo album, Renaissance, drops on July 29th so to get everyone prepared, Pop Pantheon will be releasing a series of four episodes on the work and legacy of Queen Bey, each with a different guest! In our third installment, DJ Louie is joined by author of Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound, Yale University’s Dr. Daphne A. Brooks, to discuss the latest decade of Beyoncé’s solo career. Louie and Dr. Brooks begin with the quagmire that pop stars- and particularly black female pop stars- face as they enter their mid 30s in the fickle, ageist pop cultural landscape and how various icons of the genre like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson have re-engaged audiences during this period of their lives and careers. They then discuss Beyoncé’s culturally transformative 2013 self-titled 5th studio album, how the surprise release and inclusion of visual components for each song solved the problem of finding a hit single, created a singular shared cultural experience, and forever changed the way pop stars would release music, the rich musical textures which filtered black musical tradition through mordern electro-R&B, and the ways in which this record depended Beyoncé’s artistry and self-revelation, as well as her feminism and activism. They then unpack her 2016 single “Formation”, its confrontational video and performance at the 2016 Super Bowl, and how the song functions as both a call to action and certified rump shaker for the ages, before diving into her masterwork of that same year, her sixth album, the audiovisual magnum opus Lemonade. Louie and Dr. Brooks break down how Lemonade reimagined the feminist ideal of the “personal as political”, using Beyoncé’s own story of domestic disruption to narrate a broader story about American history, how it effectively reclaimed genres like rock ‘n roll and country for Black women, and the innovative ways Beyoncé mined her own pain to radically heal herself, her marriage, her people and the nation through this project. Finally, Louie and Dr. Brooks dive into Beyonce’s latest three side projects, 2018’s collaboration with Jay-Z Everything is Love, 2019’s live concert film Homecoming and 2020’s Lion King companion-piece Black is King, all of which have helped enrich and deepen her artistry and activism and served as a victory lap for her storied career and what, when we look back on it in 50 years or more, Beyoncé’s enduring legacy will be as the greatest and most important pop figure of the 21st century thus far. Stay tuned for next week’s installment, in which we’ll be giving first reactions to Beyoncé’s new record Renaissance, her seventh studio album and first in over six years! Tickets to DJ Louie's Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 8/12 in Downtown Los Angeles!
Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Jul 28, 2022 |
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BEYONCÉ PART 2: SOLO SUPERSTAR (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)
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Part 2/4! Beyoncé’s latest solo album, Renaissance, drops on July 29th so to get everyone prepared, Pop Pantheon will be releasing a series of four episodes on the work and legacy of Queen Bey, each with a different guest! In our second installment, DJ Louie is joined by author and journalist Julianne Escobedo Shepherd to discuss the first decade of Beyoncé’s solo career. Louie and Julianne begin with Beyoncé’s first steps outside of Destiny’s Child, including her film appearances in 2001’s MTV’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera and 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember, as well as on record with “Work It Out” and, most importantly, her feature on future-husband Jay-Z’s smash 2002 hit “‘03 Bonnie and Clyde”. They then discuss the major themes of the first period of Beyoncé’s solo music: ecstatic monogamous love, betrayal and infidelity, wealth accumulation and imbalanced gender dynamics and how they’re all represented on Beyoncé’s first solo album, 2003’s blockbuster Dangerously in Love and amplified on her second, 2006’s funky, terse fan-favorite, B’Day. They then dig into how B’Day’s harder edge and relative commercial underperformance-- and the attention her co-star Jennifer Hudson swept up from under Beyoncé in the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls-- led to the more widely-appealing, if less singular, I Am… Sasha Fierce in 2008, and, after firing her father Mathew as manager, how Bey began to shape a new phase of career with 2011’s languid, lowkey 4, in which she was no longer beholden to trends or hit-chasing, expanding her impact into something much greater than conventional pop stardom and providing the platform for the thrilling audio-visual projects which would both define the next decade of her career and change the music industry forever. Stay tuned for next week’s installment, in which we’ll dive into 2013’s BEYONCÉ the visual album, 2016’s Lemonade, 2018’s Everything is Love, 2019’s Homecoming and 2020’s Black is King!
Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jul 21, 2022 |
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BEYONCÉ PART 1: DESTINY'S CHILD (with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos)
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Part 1/4! In the first of four episodes in our new series covering the work and career of pop titan Beyoncé, DJ Louie is joined by Senior Writer at Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos, to discuss the group that started it all: Destiny’s Child. Louie and Brittany begin with a broad history of black R&B girl groups, specifically the ‘90s wave of which DC was a part, and the ever-evolving way black women have presented themselves in the pop space. They then discuss Beyoncé’s early life, how she and her father Mathew Knowles helped form Destiny’s Child with the initial lineup including Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and Letoya Luckett, their 1998 self-titled debut and it’s surprise #3 hit, the remix of their ballad “No No No”, “No No No Pt. 2” featuring Wyclef Jean which showcased Beyoncé’s signature singing-rapping hybrid. Next, they dive into their smash sophomore album, 1999’s The Writing’s on the Wall and its innovative singles, all of which featured the groups virtuosic harmonies, a sharp pop feminist perspective that often traded in the role money plays in gender dynamics, and futuristic staccato R&B production courtesy Darkchild and others, before diving into all the tea on how, at the peak of their success, the initial line-up very messily and publicly gave way to a new trio: Beyoncé, Kelly and new member Michelle Williams. Louie and Brittany then cover DC’s blockbuster third album, largely an answer to the negative press of the group shake-ups, 2001’s Survivor and its attendant hits, the member’s various solo endeavors, and how Beyoncé returned to the group following her solo success for one final chapter, 2004’s Destiny Fulfilled. Finally, Louie and Brittany rank Destiny’s Child in the official Pop Pantheon.
Tickets to see Louie DJ Pop Music at Gorgeous Gorgeous 7/16 in DTLA! Check out Louie's Destiny's Child Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jul 14, 2022 |
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Song of the Summer: History, Favs and Predictions (with Billboard's Jason Lipshutz)
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In this week's B-Side episode, Executive Director of Music at Billboard Jason Lipshutz joins DJ Louie to discuss the Song of the Summer! Louie and Jason dig into the history of the concept and Billboard's SOTS Chart, discuss the most recent winners and what makes for the ideal Song of the Summer, whether having a SOTS can meaningfully change the trajectory of pop star's career, and then each name their favorite Songs of the Summer of all time. Tickets to see Louie DJ Pop Music at Gorgeous Gorgeous 7/16 in DTLA! Check out Pop Pantheon's Song of the Summer Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jul 07, 2022 |
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DURAN DURAN (with Annie Zaleski)
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Journalist and author of the 33 ⅓ book Duran Duran’s Rio, Annie Zaleski, joins DJ Louie for a deep-dive into ‘80s British pop-rock band and seminal music video-pioneers, Duran Duran. First, Louie and Annie parse the various music scenes-- glam rock, new wave, “The New Romantics”-- from which Duran Duran emerged before discussing the band’s formation in Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, their deal with storied label EMI, and what factors lead their 1981 self-titled debut, a prescient blend of rock and dance music, to become a smash overseas but fail to impact here in America. They then move on to the band’s second record, 1982’s blockbuster Rio, their groundbreaking and trendsetting videos for singles like “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf”, the latter of which won the inaugural Best Music Video prize at the 1984 VMAs, how the group cleverly broke onto American radio thanks to their then-novel use of dance remixes, and how their massive success with teenage girls led them to be dismissed as fluff by the rockist critical establishment. Louie and Annie then lay out Duran Duran’s continued success with albums like 1983’s Seven and the Ragged Tiger and 1986’s Nile Rodgers-produced Notorious, why the band quickly fell out of favor with mainstream audiences during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, how they made one of the most unlikely comebacks in pop history with 1993’s Duran Duran (The Wedding Album) featuring two of their definitive hits, “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone”, and what their recent induction into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame means for their legacy. Finally, Louie and Annie rank Duran Duran in the official Pop Pantheon. Tickets to see Louie DJ Pop Music at Gorgeous Gorgeous 7/16 in DTLA! Buy Annie Zaleksi's 33 1/3 Book on Duran Duran's Rio Check out Louie's Duran Duran Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jun 30, 2022 |
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Bey-Side: Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" and Renaissance Predictions
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In an emergency B-Side (Bey-Side??), DJ Louie, along with Pop Pantheon producer Russ, break down everything about Beyoncé's latest single, the '90s house-nodding club anthem "Break My Soul", which dropped last night. Louie and Russ lay out where Beyoncé's commercial and artistic trajectory stands leading into this new era, from which genres, songs and artists "Break My Soul" draws, whether or not it's any good, pontificate on whether Bey can score a radio hit in the third decade of her in her career, what the song might portend for the rest of her forthcoming solo album, Renaissance Pt. 1, her first in 6 years, and what they each hope the album sounds like. Listen to Louie's appearance on Eat, Pray, Britney Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Jun 22, 2022 |
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Father's Day Special (with my dad)
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My dad, Tim, is not only the biggest Pop Pantheon fan who loves to share his many opinions on all the episodes, but is also a music fanatic and entertainment attorney who specializes in music. As such, I had the privilege of growing up in a household where the two of us bonded over our mutual love of pop and often got to experience it together. His passion for it all was (obviously) formative to my own identity, career and life. For this bonus episode of Pop Pantheon, in honor of Father's Day this Sunday, I invited him on the show to talk a little about his own musical journey, a lot about our shared pop memories (including him taking me to see Alanis Morissette at Roseland Ballroom when I was 7, playing me "...Baby One More Time" for the first time in the car and screaming "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" at The 1989 Tour together), all of his opinions on the episodes and rankings, and of course, whether he thinks his fav pop girlie of all time, Taylor Swift, is in Tier 1 or Tier 2 of the Pop Pantheon. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Jun 17, 2022 |
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KELLY CLARKSON (with Legends Only's Bradley Stern)
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This week, DJ Louie is joined by music journalist and co-host of the podcast Legends Only, Bradley Stern, to discuss the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson! First, Louie and Bradley discuss Kelly’s legendary run on Idol, from being deemed “forgettable” by Simon Cowell to winning the show and America’s hearts in a landslide victory, her display of down-home affability and incredible versatility on the show, equally adept at Motown as she was at rock, show-tunes and pop ballads, her first album, 2003’s Thankful, which played up her chameleonic and powerful vocal talent but played down her singular personality to middling results, how she fought tooth and nail to take more control of her artistry on her juggernaut second album, 2004’s more rock-oriented classic Breakaway, and calcified her on-record scorned-by-resilient persona on its signature hit, the iconic kiss-off anthem “Since U Been Gone”. Louie and Bradley then cover Kelly’s legendary and very public battle with label-boss Clive Davis over her third record, 2007’s largely self-penned My December, her mea-culpa for that defiance, 2009’s All I Ever Wanted, how Kelly eventually reached a detente with the powers that be in the 2010s and unlocked a very successful second decade of her pop career, and how all the qualities that made us fall in love with her twenty years ago as a cocktail waitress with a big voice and a dream on Idol lead to a third wave of her career as a beloved daytime talk show host, as well as to her viral covers series, “Kellyoke”. Finally, Louie and Bradley rank Kelly Clarkson in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Kelly Clarkson Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Bradley Stern on Twitter |
Jun 16, 2022 |
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Bloghouse (with Lina Abascal)
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Bloghouse has come up a number of times in episodes of Pop Pantheon, from Robyn to Kesha to Scissor Sisters. So for this Week’s B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Lina Abascal, author of the book Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor, to discuss the late aughts micro-movement and how it influenced mainstream pop. Louie and Lina dig into what exactly bloghouse was, how the internet, innovations in music software and dance music trends came together to bring it into being, the major artists and songs of the era, how it evolved for its five year run, and how it influenced a generation of pop stars like Lady GaGa, Robyn, Kesha, Marina and The Diamonds, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Charli XCX, Calvin Harris, Britney Spears, Rina Sawayama, Dua Lipa, and more. Finally, Louie and Lina share some of their favorite classics of the era. Check out Louie's Bloghouse Essentials Playlist on Spotify Check out Lina's book, Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Lina Abascal on Instagram |
Jun 09, 2022 |
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SCISSOR SISTERS (with Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua)
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Happy Pride! To celebrate Pride Month, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua joins DJ Louie to talk one of the most iconic gay pop acts of the century, Scissor Sisters. Louie and Matthew talk the history of queer men in mainstream pop, Scissor Sisters' formation in the downtown NYC electroclash scene of the late '90s and early '00s, their fluke first hit, a BeeGees-esque cover of "Comfortably Numb", how their 2004 self-titled debut album played like a expertly made, fun-loving tour through gay music history, why they exploded as pop stars in the UK but remained a cult phenomenon here in America, and how they presaged artists like Robyn and Charli XCX by carving out a space for alternative pop stars stateside. They then talk about their second album, 2006's Ta-Dah, it's myriad of slightly obscure pop historical references, the smash hit and their signature song, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'", their turn towards more sex-forward music on their 2010 Stuart Price-produced masterpiece, Night Work, and Louie shares a bit about what the record meant to him in his personal journey with his sexuality. Next, Louie and Matthew discuss their final album, 2012's Magic Hour, how they mainstreamed the word "kiki" on their gay club hit "Let's Have a Kiki" and the impact they've had on future queer pop stars like Mika, Sam Smith and Lil Nas X, as well as on campier American pop icons who followed in their footsteps like Lady GaGa and Katy Perry. Finally, Louie and Matthew rank Scissor Sisters in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Matthew's review of Night Work in Pitchfork Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jun 02, 2022 |
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Best Pop Music of 2022 So Far (with Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber)
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We’re halfway through 2022 so for this week’s Pop Pantheon B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber to talk all their favorite pop songs and albums of the year so far, any trends they're spotting (short songs, short albums, and where are the main girlies??!!) and finally, Louie and Lindsey go through 15 buzzy new bottom tier Whos and decide whether they have a shot at top tier Themdom. LA Niche Legends! Grab tix for DJ Louie's Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous: Pride Edition, Friday, June 10 at Resident in DTLA! Listen to Louie and Lindsey's previous Pop Pantheon Episode on Carly Rae Jepsen Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
May 26, 2022 |
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SHANIA TWAIN (with Kate Dries)
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Executive Editor of Dwell, Kate Dries, joins DJ Louie to talk the Queen of Country Pop, Shania Twain. First, Kate lays out some of the scant historical examples of country icons who have managed to crossover into mainstream pop stardom like Dolly Parton and explains a bit about why Nashville has been a hermetically-sealed ecosystem, resistant to change, outsiders and country artists who have ambitions beyond its traditional scope. Next, Louie and Kate discuss Shania's upbringing in Canada, surviving abject poverty, a household rife with domestic abuse, and the untimely death of both of her parents by writing, singing and performing in local bars beginning when she was just 8 years-old. They then move on to Shania's discovery performing at a resort in Canada which lead to her record deal Mercury Nashville, her flop first album, 1993's Shania Twain, her chance meeting with rock super-producer Robert "Mutt" Lange who quickly became her partner in both music and life through her massive run of success from the mid '90s-early '00s, and the genre-busting sound the pair developed on her blockbuster sophomore release, 1995's The Woman in Me. Louie and Kate also dive into Shania's third record, 1997's legendary Come On Over, which stands to this day as one of the biggest selling albums in history and provided the platform for Shania to make the leap from country legend to mainstream pop icon, parse apart how smashes like "You're Still the One", "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" displayed Shania's unique combo of girl-next-door approachability, '90s middle-finger-up feminist attitudes and an infectious sense of carefree joy and fun, how her flair for presenting herself visually and sartorially in music videos was both integral to her crossover and forever seared her into pop cultural memory, her globe-trotting fourth album, 2002's Up!, the dissolution of her marriage to Mutt and her subsequent loss of her ability to sing, her comeback Vegas residency and her 5th album, 2017's Now, and her legacy and impact on the pop landscape to this day. Finally, Louie and Kate rank Shania Twain in the official Pop Pantheon. Check Out Louie's Shania Twain Essentials Playlist Check out Louie's TRL Essentials Playlist Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
May 19, 2022 |
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MTV's Total Request Live (with Dunzo's Troy McEady)
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In this week's B-Side episode, host of the podcasts Dunzo and Beyond The Blinds, Troy McEady, joins DJ Louie to discuss Millennial pop cultural touchstone, MTV's Total Request Live. Inspired by a Zoomer in the Pop Pantheon Discord who, following last month's Christina Aguilera episode, revealed they didn't know what TRL was, Louie and Troy attempt to explain the show's history and format, how its' interactive vibe served as the turn-of-the-century pop fan's precursor to social media, lay out the major players from host Carson Daly to signature stars like Britney, Good Charlotte and Eminem and attempt to illustrate the power MTV had over their generation. They also wax poetic on some of their favorite forgotten songs, videos and artists from the "TRL Era", reflect on the show's top ten videos of all time and share a bit about why TRL meant so much to each of them as burgeoning pop fanatics. Listen to Louie and Troy talking about Rihanna's Anti on Dunzo a few months ago Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
May 12, 2022 |
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BILLIE EILISH (with Molly Lambert)
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Writer and host of the new podcast Heidi World: The Heidi Fleiss Story, Molly Lambert, joins DJ Louie to break down the spectacular emergence of Gen Z's most paradigm-shifting star, Billie Eilish. First, Molly, who profiled Billie last year for the cover of Elle, shares insights into what it was like spending time with her, how she's relating to her newfound megastardom, as well as her fans on social media and out in the world, and why she doesn't consider herself a "pop star" at all. Louie and Molly then discuss how unlikely 2010s breakouts like Lorde, Halsey and Lana Del Rey softened the ground for idiosyncratic, insular-sounding bedroom artists to become mainstream pop stars. Next, they track Billie's career origins, along with her brother and collaborator Finneas, on Soundcloud, how their viral hit "Ocean Eyes" lead to a record deal with Interscope when Billie was just 15, and how her debut EP, 2017's Don't Smile At Me, presented a new kind of teen idol who leaned into, rather than glossed over, the alienation, depression and anxiety of being a young person in the internet era, thus endearing her to a new generation of pop fans who craved less-aspirational and more relatable pop figures. They also dive into she and Finneas' far-ranging aesthetic influences from horror movies to trip hop, Gorillaz, Lil Peep, Bjork, Garbage and even Frank Sinatra, before laying out her explosion into the mainstream with her debut album, 2019's Grammy-sweeping When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, how that record expanded the duo's musical palette but also perhaps garnered Billie an unwanted and unintentional level of fame, how she went about addressing all of that on her sophomore album, 2021's more low-key masterpiece Happier Than Ever, how she's uniquely positioned to bring large swaths of the pop-consuming public along with her singular, strange musical instincts, and where she might go next. Finally, Louie and Molly rank Billie Eilish in the official Pop Pantheon. Check Out Louie's Billie Eilish Essentials Playlist Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
May 05, 2022 |
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One Year of Pop Pantheon: Reassessing All the Rankings
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In this week's B-Side episode, DJ Louie reflects on a year of Pop Pantheon, shares how the podcast got started and offers a refresher on all of the tiers, how they work and if they've changed or been refined as the show has progressed. He then goes through all of the 31 artists ranked so far, decides if he still agrees with his ranking or if any artist's standing in the Pop Pantheon has shifted since the episodes originally aired. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Apr 28, 2022 |
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ABBA (with Carl Magnus Palm)
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ABBA Scholar and author of 8 (!!!!) books on ABBA, Carl Magnus Palm, joins DJ Louie for an epic deep dive into the Swedish pop legends. First, Louie and Carl discuss the history of pop and "schlager" in Sweden and how the country's musical traditions helped form ABBA's music before tracing the pre-ABBA careers of the four members, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, through the 1960s and how the group came together in the early 1970s, both as bandmates and romantic couples. Louie and Carl then break down how the "ABBA Sound" developed from the group's early recordings and their obsession with Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and The Beach Boys' vocal-layering, ABBA's unique international ambitions, how the glam-rock nodding, Eurovision-winning "Waterloo" changed their career, the ways they continued to refine and expand their singular aesthetic on subsequent hits like "Mamma Mia" and "SOS", the darker and more wistful lyrical themes that began to surface on mid-period hits like "Fernando", the majestic ebullience of "Dancing Queen", their canny techniques for incorporating numerous pop subgenres into their work without ever losing their essential ABBA-ness, the powerful interplay of light and dark in their work, how the dissolution of the group's two romantic couples informed their more emotionally-complex latter period hits like "The Name of the Game" and "The Winner Takes It All", how the band came apart in the early 1980s, and how their legacy has evolved and changed over the last 40 years thanks to their greatest hits album ABBA Gold and the jukebox musical and film, Mamma Mia!. Finally, Louie and Carl rank ABBA in the official Pop Pantheon. LA Pop Pantheon Girlies! Get Info for Louie's New Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 4/22 at Resident in DTLA! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Apr 21, 2022 |
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Charli XCX's Crash (with Owen Myers)
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Freelance Music Journalist for the New York Times, Pitchfork, The Guardian and more, Owen Myers, joins DJ Louie to tackle Charli XCX's recently released 5th studio album, Crash, which Owen recently reviewed for Pitchfork. Louie and Owen discuss Charli's assertion of this album cycle as her "main pop girlie era" and whether that's really come to fruition, how Charli shrewdly draws on '80s titans like Janet Jackson, Cameo, New Order and Eurythmics as well as novelty '90s dance songs like September's "Cry For You" to create the sonic palette for the album, wonder where her true career ambitions lie between her avant-garde instincts and her desire to play in the mainstream, her prickly relationship to writing personal songs, break down The Crash Tour, and rank Crash in the Charli canon. Read Owen's Review of Crash in Pitchfork Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Apr 14, 2022 |
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CHRISTINA AGUILERA (with Evan Ross Katz)
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Writer and podcaster Evan Ross Katz joins DJ Louie for a wide-ranging discussion about TRL-icon-turned-pop-iconoclast, Christina Aguilera. First, Louie and Evan discuss the teen pop boom of the late '90s and early '00s, how it presented young stars as both wholesome and over-sexualized, and the factory-style, scientifically-perfect-if-personality-less music that defined the era. They then cover Christina's emergence on The Mickey Mouse Club as the "little girl with the big voice", her breakthrough singing the Mulan theme song "Reflection", how Britney Spears' explosion helped shape her first album, 1999's Christina Aguilera, how the massive success of that record both launched Christina to superstardom and put her in an uncomfortable box that obscured her unique talents, how she re-wrote the script with her iconic sophomore album, 2002's Stripped, her penitent for massive sonic and visual reinventions on subsequent albums like 2006's Back to Basics and 2010's Bionic, the latter of which helped usher the word "flop" into common parlance and also recast Christina as a underdog and gay icon, and how her singular career choices and trajectory has influenced recent pop stars and is deserving of a modern reassessment. Finally, Louie and Evan rank Christina Aguilera in the Pop Pantheon. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Apr 07, 2022 |
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NORMANI (with Keep It! Host Ira Madison III)
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APRIL FOOLS!!! Keep It! host Ira Madison III returns to Pop Pantheon for a very special (and silly) episode on the glacially unfurling career of former Fifth Harmony member and aspiring pop starlet, Normani. Louie and Ira talk about why people fell in love with Normani as the clearest talent in 5H before debating the conditions that have allowed Normani to release only seven songs in the last five years before diving into her multiple attempts at getting her solo career off the ground. They begin with her two hit Spotify-core duets, 2018's "Love Lies" and 2019's "Dancing with a Stranger" with Khalid and Sam Smith respectively, before moving through her erstwhile Calvin Harris collabs, her apparent lift-off with 2019's banger Beyonce-referencing "Motivation" and its' break-the-internet music video showcasing her formidable dancing talents followed by her perplexing disappearance from music for two years, and finally her two recent underperforming "comeback" singles, the Aaliyah-sampling slinky R&B groover "Wild Side" and her latest non-event, "Fair". Finally, Louie and Ira place Normani in the official Pop Pantheon (SPOILER ALERT: she's Tier 5....). Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Apr 01, 2022 |
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Grammys Special! (with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos)
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The Grammy Awards are this Sunday April 3 and to get you ready for the big show, Senior Writer for Rolling Stone Brittany Spanos is back with DJ Louie to talk all things Grammys! Louie and Brittany break down what the problems have been for the Grammys over the last few years before dissecting each of the four major categories, how the Grammys did this year, who's nominated and why, who they each think should and will win each award, who got snubbed and debate whether or not Olivia Rodrigo will just sweep the whole damn thing. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 31, 2022 |
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KESHA (with Pitchfork's Cat Zhang)
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Assistant Editor at Pitchfork Cat Zhang joins DJ Louie for a deep dive into the career and music of misunderstood, resilient 2010s trash pop queen, Kesha. First, Louie and Cat break down the hip-hop-dance-pop party music of the mid-late aughts- a hedonistic period fueled in part by a desire for escapism during The Great Recession- and discuss artists like Fergie, Gwen Stefani and others who set the stage for the uptempo rap/EDM hybrid that would become Kesha's calling card. Next, they lay out Kesha's biography, growing up poor with a single mom who wrote country songs for artists like Dolly Parton, her initial connection to superstar producer/songwriter Dr. Luke, what made Luke such a prolific hitmaker in the 2000s, and finally how a chance appearance on the hook of Flo-Rida's "Right Round" provided the launching pad for Kesha's breakthrough debut album, Animal. Louie and Cat go long on Animal, breaking down it's unique, gaudy sonic landscape and Kesha's singular perspective as an anti-materialistic, dumpster-diving party animal who proudly flew in the face of respectability on hits like "Tik Tok", "Blah Blah Blah" and "Take It Off", the way the album inverted pop gender politics and drew on far-ranging influences from Daft Punk to the Beastie Boys to Bloghaus, the fine lines Kesha's rapping walked in terms of cultural appropriation, and the borderline-experimental ways Kesha and Luke found true heart and personality in the maximalist machinery of modern pop. They then chronicle the contentious creation of Kesha's follow-up album, 2012's Warrior, and how she and Luke's diverging artistic visions presaged greater rifts in their relationship, how the album's sole hit "Die Young" was pulled from radio following the school shooting at Sandy Hook, the moment Kesha filed lawsuits against Luke for sexual assault, battery, sexual harassment, and emotional abuse, how those lawsuits derailed her career for five years, her comeback with her radically different third album, 2017's critical-darling Rainbow, and how we see Kesha's influence on modern pop. Finally, Louie and Cat rank Kesha in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Cat's retrospective review of Animal in Pitchfork Check Out Louie's Kesha Essentials Playlist Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 24, 2022 |
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LISTENER MAILBAG!: Answering Your Questions on Dua, Beyonce, Kylie, Charli, Kacey and.... Ava Max!
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In a special mailbag episode, DJ Louie answers listener questions about the "Levitating" lawsuit, the greatest pop comebacks of all time, Kylie Minogue's placement in the Pop Pantheon, Charli XCX's new album, what Beyonce should do next, how artists are selected for the podcast, relatability vs. virtuosity in pop stardom, Christina Aguilera's signature song and more! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter |
Mar 17, 2022 |
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DIANA ROSS PT. 2: THE SOLO YEARS (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy)
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Pop critic, chart analyst, writer of Slate's "Why Is This Song No. 1?", and host of the podcast Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy, joins DJ Louie once again for the second part of our series on Diana Ross. This episode, Louie and Chris discuss Diana's initially rocky transition from lead singer for The Supremes into solo superstar and how she finally scored a solo #1 with an unexpected, avant-garde cover of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in 1970. They then discuss her spotty track record through the early-mid '70s, sometimes scoring massive hits with mostly adult-contemporary ballads like "Touch Me in the Morning" and "Do You Know Where You're Going To", but just as often releasing records that made little impact, all while pursuing a secondary career as a movie star most notably in her Oscar-nominated performance as Billie Holiday in 1972's Lady Sings the Blues. Louie and Chris then chronicle various pop movements that coincided with and affected Diana's career in this '70s- the racial segregation of radio, the birth of the female pop singer-songwriter like Carole King and Joni Mitchell, innovative R&B artists like Roberta Flack and Chaka Khan- Diana's third wind as a disco queen, beginning with 1976's smash "Love Hangover", 1979's "The Boss" and eventually, her blockbuster, career-defining collaboration with Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, 1980's Diana and it's legendary singles, "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down". Finally, Louie and Chris debate what allowed Diana to beat the odds, defying pop's ageist bent with hits across three decades and what exactly makes Diana one of the ultimate Tier 1 Icons in the official Pop Pantheon. Send questions about this episode, the Pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Monday 3/14 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Diana Ross Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 10, 2022 |
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DIANA ROSS PT. 1: THE SUPREMES (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy)
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Pop critic, chart analyst, writer of Slate's "Why Is This Song No. 1?", and host of the podcast Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy, joins DJ Louie for the first of a two-part series on American Icon, Diana Ross. First, Louis and Chris set the stage by discussing how the phrases "pop" and "pop star" came into form in the late 1950s, the establishment of the teenager as a target market group for music and the birth of the "teen idol". They then discuss Diana Ross' backstory growing up in the burgeoning Detroit music scene, how the formation of the predecessor to The Supremes, The Primettes, dovetailed with the creation of her future-label-boss-turned-husband Berry Gordy's Motown Records, why Motown and "the Motown Sound" were so transformational in the pop music landscape in the late '50s and early '60s, and how a popular wave of pre-Supremes girl groups like The Shangri-Las and The Marvelettes functioned as musicians and stars in this period. Next, Louie and Chris walk through The Supremes signing with Gordy, their flop first album and Diana being promoted to permanent front-woman, their historic collaboration with storied producers and songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland, their smash second album, Where Did Our Love Go? and subsequent astounding run of hits through the middle and end of the '60s, how their music evolved with the times, the inherent radicalism of a group of black women becoming the most popular pop act in the world, what makes Diana's star quality and voice to singular, and how Gordy positioned her for eventual solo stardom, often at the expense of the other girls in the group. Join us next week for Part 2, which will cover Diana's solo career! Send questions about this episode, the Pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Monday 3/7 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's The Supremes Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Mar 03, 2022 |
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Bonus: Louie and Rich Juzwiak on the Janet Jackson Documentary
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In a special bonus minisode, Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak joins DJ Louie to discuss Benjamin Hirsch's documentary Janet Jackson, which aired in January on A&E and Lifetime. With Janet's active participation, this doc was billed as the historically cagey superstar baring all about her formidable career and legacy, as well as various controversies which have swirled around her including the Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" and the child sexual abuse allegations leveled at her brother Michael. Louie and Rich break down how while the documentary presented some riveting new behind-the-scenes footage of Janet at her peak, it failed to adequately re-establish her unfairly tarnished legacy and to provide real insight into some of the more opaque elements in her celebrity narrative. Rich Rich's assessment of the original Super Bowl incident and the fallout on Gawker Send any questions or comments to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 24, 2022 |
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NICKI MINAJ (with Keep It! Host Ira Madison III)
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Keep It! Host Ira Madison III joins DJ Louie for a deep dive into the Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj. Louie and Ira begin with a discussion of the first golden era of female rappers in late ‘90s and early ‘00s, how stars like Lil Kim and Missy Elliott blurred the lines between rapper and pop star, and speculate a bit about why many of the preeminent female MCs of this period disappeared from the charts in the mid-late aughts. They then break down what made Nicki such an exciting and dynamic force on her early mixtapes like Beam Me Up Scotty, her first run of head-spinning hit features, attempt to parse apart all of her different on-record personas, and discuss the formation of her formidable and foundational stan army, The Barbz. Next, Louie and Ira mull over the pressures Nicki faced in creating her smash debut album, Pink Friday, as the first commercially viable female rapper in years, her keen instincts to craft a sound that appealed to both rap fans and a broader pop audience and how that affected her artistry and cred for better and worse, the surprise success of “Super Bass”, her bonkers sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, why Nicki functions so well as perhaps the greatest, most versatile featured artist of all time, how she sometimes struggled to show true vulnerability on albums like 2015’s The Pinkprint, and lay out the impact she’s had on both pop and rap over the last nearly 15 years. Finally, Louie and Ira rank Nicki Minaj in the official Pop Pantheon. Send questions about this episode, the Pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (2/17) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Nicki Minaj Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 17, 2022 |
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Super Bowl Halftime Show Extravaganza! (with Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak)
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Just in time for this weekend's big performance from Dr. Dre & Friends, Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak returns to Pop Pantheon to talk about a crowning moment in any pop star's career: The Super Bowl Halftime Show. First, DJ Louie and Rich explain the ever-evolving nature of the halftime show and how it crystalized into its modern form, which types of stars gets chosen for this prestigious slot, and what makes these performances work when they're good or flop when they're... not. They then each share their top 5 favorite Halftime performances of all time as well as a few of their least favorites, before giving a brief comment on every single show from 1991 to the present day. Finally, Louie and Rich discuss which pop stars they'd like to see headline the show in the future. Send any questions or comments to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 10, 2022 |
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NELLY FURTADO (with Bianca Gracie)
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Entertainment journalist Bianca Gracie joins DJ Louie to discuss 2000s quirky Canadian singer-songwriter turned unlikely dance pop diva, Nelly Furtado. First, Louie and Bianca lay out the ecosystem of alternative female pop stars in the late 90s and early 00s before turning to Nelly’s emergence, first on Toronto’s alternative hip hop scene and later as the earnest, genre-melding breakout star of her Grammy-winning debut album, 2000’s Whoa, Nelly!. After breaking down what made that record and it’s lead single, “I’m Like a Bird”, play like canny counter-programming to the early aughts teen pop boom and her prescient appearance on the remix of Missy Elliott’s 2001 hit “Get Ur Freak On”, Louie and Bianca ponder what made Nelly’s follow-up, 2003’s Folklore, a failure with both critics and fans, how she effectively rebooted her career in 2006 with an assist from Missy-collaborator Timbaland on her 2006 record, Loose, the sexist, rockist discourse of the mid 2000s around the idea of “selling out”, Nelly’s less commercially fruitful but perhaps creatively intriguing records of the 2010s and what they’d like to see her do next. Finally, Louie and Bianca rank Nelly Furtado in the official Pop Pantheon. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (2/3) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Nelly Furtado Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Feb 03, 2022 |
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CYNDI LAUPER (with The Ringer's Rob Harvilla)
5420
Senior Staff Writer for The Ringer Rob Harvilla joins DJ Louie for a deep dive into foundational early MTV-era icon, Cyndi Lauper. First, Louie and Rob parse what made the early 1980s such a crystallizing moment for The Pop Star as we know it today and particularly the role MTV played in taking pop stardom 360°, making it a visual endeavor as much as a musical one. They then breakdown Cyndi’s rough-and-tumble upbringing in Queens and how it established her distinct star persona and voice, her stint as a cover band front-woman honing her skills as a canny interpreter of other people’s songs, and her first breakout attempt as the lead singer of erstwhile new wave band, Blue Angel. Next, they consider her seminal solo debut album, 1983’s She’s So Unusual, how she remade cover songs in her own image, the towering success of her first single “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” which both solidified her place in the pop canon but potentially became an albatross around her neck, as well as the versatility she displayed on her second hit, quintessential ‘80s power-ballad “Time After Time”’. Next, Rob and Louie examine Cyndi's successful sophomore album, 1986’s True Colors, how it cemented both her more overt activist bent and her status as an LGBTQIA+ icon, Cyndi’s third record, 1989’s A Night To Remember, which she’s since referred to as “A Night To Forget”, how she struggled to regain her commercial footing through the ‘90s and ‘00s despite releasing some of her best music and finally, her surprising late-career renaissance as the Tony-Award winning composer of the hit Broadway musical, Kinky Boots. Finally, Louie and Rob rank Cyndi Lauper in the official Pop Pantheon. Send questions about this episode, the pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (1/20) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Cyndi Lauper Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jan 20, 2022 |
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SELENA GOMEZ (with The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli)
5983
On the premiere episode of 2022, DJ Louie first wraps up last year’s cliffhanger by finally placing Rihanna in the official Pop Pantheon. Then, Pop Music Reporter for The New York Times, Joe Coscarelli, joins Louie to talk Disney-Princess-turned-peculiar-pop-figure, Selena Gomez. First, Louie and Joe dig into just who Selena Gomez’s fans are, how Disney stars have transitioned into pop stars over the last two decades, and Selena’s rise to fame on her Disney show, Wizards of Waverly Place. They then break down the neutered “pop punk” aesthetic of Selena, Miley, and Demi’s music in the late aughts, Selena’s… um…. “band”, Selena Gomez and the Scene, and how their eventual turn towards synthetic dance pop led to her first crossover hit, 2011’s “Love You Like a Love Song”, and both Selena’s canny pivot towards adult stardom with her role in Harmony Korine’s controversial film, Spring Breakers, and her less successful one with her 2013 solo debut, Stars Dance. They then track how she eventually found a musical aesthetic following the one-two punch of the Lorde-and-Lana-fication of pop in the mid aughts along with her link up with songwriting duo Michaels and Tranter, the artistic revelation of her 2015 sophomore album, Revival, how she functions as a featured artist on late ‘10s hits like “It Ain’t Me” and “Taki Taki”, and each give their takes on her most recent record, 2019’s Rare. Finally, Louie and Joe debate Selena’s position in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Joe's Profile of Selena in The New York Times Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (1/6) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Selena Gomez Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Jan 06, 2022 |
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RIHANNA PT. 2 (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)
5853
Former Editor-in-Chief of Jezebel and famed author of The Rihanna RihPort, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Is back with DJ Louie for part two of their discussion about the newly anointed Queen of Barbados, Rihanna. Louie and Julianne pick up with Rihanna's 5th album, 2010's Loud, her commercial pop peak and a celebration following the thornier, darker Rated R the previous year. They then analyze what made "We Found Love" the emblematic EDM-pop song and Rih's biggest hit to date, the way she drew from female rappers on salacious hits like "Cockiness (Lick It)" and "Birthday Cake", the alluring fatigue of 2012's sprawling Unapologetic, how she became the superlative celebrity Instagrammer, and her subversive choice to re-unite on record with Chris Brown. Rounding out her career, they consider Rihanna's artistic peak, 2016's startlingly insular Anti, how she's recently applied The Rihanna Thing in non-musical ventures like her lingerie and makeup lines, and her impact on contemporary pop stars, before each sharing their ranking of Rihanna albums. Finally, Louie and Julianne have a lengthy and heated debate about whether Rihanna has ascended to (*gasp*) Tier 1 in the official Pop Pantheon. Ready Julianne's column, The Rihanna RihPort, in Jezebel Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (12/16) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Rihanna Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 16, 2021 |
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RIHANNA PT. 1 (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)
5425
Former Editor in Chief of Jezebel and famed author of The Rihanna RihPort, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, joins DJ Louie for part one of a two-part discussion about one of the biggest and most dynamic pop icons of the 21st Century, Rihanna. Louie and Julianne get into detail about what exactly the ethereal "Rihanna Thing" is and what allows her to be so versatile with genre before discussing the state of pop and R&B prior to her emergence in 2005 and breaking down the dancehall and reggaeton explosion of the mid-aughts. They then trace Rihanna's discovery by Evan Rogers, her famed audition for Jay-Z, her breakthrough smash with "Pon De Replay", and how her artistry and persona came into full-form on her second and third albums, 2006's A Girl Like Me and 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad. Louie and Julianne dive into Rihanna's penchant for songs about love as tragedy, why her voice was distinctly suited to deliver on the promise of "Umbrella" and what makes it so instantly addictive and recognizable, how she began to establish her singular personal style, the abuse she faced at the hands of then-boyfriend Chris Brown, and the ways she dealt with that on her fourth studio album, 2009's hip hop, rock, and dubstep-inflected Rated R. Join us in two weeks for part two of this discussion, where Louie and Julianne cover the second half of Rihanna's career, rank all of her albums, and debate whether she belongs in Tier 1 of the Pop Pantheon! Ready Julianne's column, The Rihanna RihPort, in Jezebel Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (12/2) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Rihanna Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Dec 02, 2021 |
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ONE DIRECTION (with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos)
4746
Rolling Stone Senior Writer Brittany Spanos joins DJ Louie for a conversation about British boyband, One Direction. First, Louie and Brittany break down how generational waves of boybands have riffed on a similar formula in their performance styles, musical tropes, and teen fandemonium over the last 50 years. They discuss how One Direction both stands in that lineage and break from it, beginning with their formation on the reality show X Factor, use of newly emergent social media platforms to galvanize their massive stan army, The Directioners, and their aesthetic reliance on rock signifiers rather than American r&b. Louie and Brittany then tackle all of One Direction's albums, the culture of Directioner-ism, trace the heavily referential nods they makes towards moments in rock 'n roll history, common subjects of their songs, the bombshell departure of Zayn Malik, and their impact on both boyband and pop history. Finally, Louie and Brittanny rank One Direction in the official Pop Pantheon. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (11/18) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's One Direction Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Nov 18, 2021 |
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MINISODE: Answering Your Questions on Charli, Charli, More Charli, Hailee Steinfeild's Career, Katy and Tinashe, Girl Groups and ME!
1451
DJ Louie answers a slew of listener questions about Charli XCX: When will she have her next hit? What does her new single "New Shapes" tell us about the sound of her new record? Who are Louie's dream future collaborators for Charli? And more! He then gives some quick fire answers on Hailee Steinfeild, Katy Perry, Tinashe, Girl and Boy Groups as Pop Stars and one question that's a little more.... personal. Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod |
Nov 11, 2021 |
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CHARLI XCX (with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan)
5014
Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan of the podcast Switched on Pop join DJ Louie to talk one of pop’s great agitators, Charli XCX. Charlie, Nate and Louie parse out the dueling instincts in Charli’s career between her chart-topping ambitions and her impulse to disrupt the boundaries of pop. They situate her debut album True Romance amongst a slew of early ‘10s records treading the line between indie rock and pure pop while tracking what makes her first hit as a writer and feature, Icona Pop’s EDM masterpiece “I Love It”, such a quintessential example of Charli’s strengths as a songwriter, performer and student of popular music. They then ponder why Charli’s second album Sucker underperformed commercially while she simultaneously topped the charts with her A Fault in Our Stars OST single “Boom Clap” and her feature on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy”, discuss what makes Charli such a great fit in the world of PC Music, how her established pop persona affected the aesthetics of hyperpop, what makes her ongoing collaboration with A.G. Cook and others from his collective singular, and where her new single “Good Ones” signals she may go next. Finally, Charlie, Nate and Louie rank Charli XCX in the official pop pantheon. Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (11/4) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Charli XCX Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter |
Nov 04, 2021 |
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POST MALONE (with Larry Fitzmaurice)
4626
Editor, writer and author of the newsletter Last Donut of the Night, Larry Fitzmaurice, joins DJ Louie as the two attempt to understand “pop’s most suffocating presence”, Post Malone. First, Larry and Louie break down Post’s emergence with his debut hit, the post-Drake lament “White Iverson'', his incoherent and often baffling dismissal of criticisms that he appropriates Black musical signifiers and icky attempts to distance himself from the hip hop sounds on which he made his name. They then discuss Post’s ascent to the top of the streaming ecosystem with his blockbuster second record, Beerbongs and Bentleys, how his genreless dirge of music has come to define this era of pop and effectively ended the idea of The Album, his secret strengths as an emo rock, grunge, and nu-metal practitioner, how exactly this unlikely superstar became one of the most listened to artists in the modern pop ecosystem, and whether or not Post Malone actually has fans. Louie and Larry then rank Post in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Larry's Piece "How Post Malone Became Pop's Most Suffocating Presence" in Vice Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (10/21) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out a Playlist of All the Music From This Week's Episode NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! LA: RSVP to Come See DJ Louie play the Who? Weekly X Pop Pantheon Party on 10/28! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram |
Oct 21, 2021 |
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MINISODE: Answering Your Questions on Toni, Tamar, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake and Iconic Pop Stars With Terrible Debut Singles
1432
DJ Louie answers listener questions about whether Gen Z is more familiar with Tamar or Toni Braxton, the Aaliyah rollout on streaming, how Pop Stars having (or not having) obvious musical descendants affects their legacy, what we should call Pop Pantheon listeners, iconic artists whose first single is still their best OR whose first single is their worst, and more. Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! LA: RSVP to Come See DJ Louie play the Who? Weekly X Pop Pantheon Party on 10/28! Check out Pop Pantheon Graphic Designer Juan Pilar's Work and Hire Him! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod |
Oct 14, 2021 |
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TONI BRAXTON (with Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak)
5249
Senior Writer for Jezebel Rich Juzwiak returns to Pop Pantheon to talk The Queen of Heartbreak, Toni Braxton. DJ Louie and Rich first break down the craft of melisma, the centrality of “The Voice” in early ‘90s pop, and how Babyface’s sound helped R&B cross over in that period. They then take a journey though Toni’s emergence, the anthems of codependency on her classic debut, her singular contralto voice, her primary motifs as both the heartbroken torch singer and the sultry mid-tempo R&B chanteuse, the agony of “Unbreak My Heart” and the ecstasy of “You’re Makin Me High”, the financial troubles which derailed her career in the late ‘90s, her comeback with “He Wasn’t Man Enough”, and the ups and downs of her discography since. Finally, Louie and Rich rank Toni Braxton in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Toni Braxton Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cthF6qdsqr2BeldVZyQLP?si=8fe757c5209f4927 Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 10/7 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT!: https://discord.gg/HxjdKSTUhf Send your questions for next week's Minisode to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! LA: RSVP to See DJ Louie play the Who? Weekly X Pop Pantheon Party on 10/28! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Rich Juzwiak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichJuz |
Oct 07, 2021 |
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MINISODE: Answering Your Questions on Britney, The Pantheon and The Best Pop Songs of the Year
1437
DJ Louie answers listener questions about the difference between "pop" as popular music and Pop as a specific genre, the relevance of the Grammys, whether Britney is a Tier 1 Icon or a Tier 2 Megastar, what he thinks of Dua Lipa, whether artists can slide between tiers throughout their careers, lists his favorite songs of the year so far and more. Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! LA: RSVP to Come See DJ Louie play the Who? Weekly X Pop Pantheon Party on 10/28! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod |
Sep 30, 2021 |
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JUSTIN BIEBER (with Pitchfork Contributing Editor Rawiya Kameir)
5644
Pitchfork Contributing Editor and Asst. Professor at Syracuse University Rawiya Kameir and DJ Louie get into it about one of contemporary pop’s most divisive figures, Justin Bieber. Louie and Rawiya discuss pop’s evolution beyond the need for male pop stars in the late ‘00s and how Bieber entered to fill the void, initially as one of the first music superstars to emerge on YouTube, and later as a certified hitmaker. They then dive into what makes the Beliebers perhaps the definitive Standom of the internet era, the numerous ways Bieber attempted to pivot to credible adult star in the first part of ‘10s, the implicit racial dynamics in his passion for R&B music as well as attempts by the powers that be to moderate that, how he became the most loathed celebrity on earth before mounting a massive comeback with his 3rd album Purpose, his ongoing knotty relationship to fame and latest incarnation as a chilled-out, proudly devout Wife Guy. Finally, Louie and Rawiya have a thorny debate about where Bieber belongs in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Bieber Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gx2Fa46woFqHkJ0LTqiPY?si=5036fcedb6b74a57 Join the Pop Pantheon Bieber Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 9/23 at 9PM ET / 6PM PT!: https://discord.gg/xqVe5bsE Read Rawiya's Review of Justice on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/justin-bieber-justice/ NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Rawiya Kameir on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rawiya |
Sep 23, 2021 |
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LORDE (with Billboard's Jason Lipshutz)
4863
Senior Director of Music at Billboard Jason Lipshutz joins DJ Louie to discuss everyone’s favorite off-the-grid alt-pop icon, Lorde. First, Louie and Jason break down the EDM pop and festival boom of the late aughts and early 2010s. They then break down how Lorde’s “Royals” presented an appealing response to that escapist era of pop culture and how the success of her debut album, Pure Heroine, set the stage for an anti-pop movement that’s only gained steam since with acts like Halsey, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo, the critical triumph and commercial underperformance of her sophomore album, Melodrama, and how it purposefully de-centered her pop stardom, and they give early opinions on her latest album, last month’s Solar Power. Finally, Louie and Jason rank Lorde in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Lorde Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4vfnoV3z77iXG1SlrKduZn?si=b2cb2233b6524a4e Join the Pop Pantheon Lorde Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 9/9 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT!: https://discord.gg/e43UF2MZ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Jason Lipshutz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonlipshutz |
Sep 09, 2021 |
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KYLIE MINOGUE (with HuffPost's Noah Michelson)
4392
DJ Louie is joined by HuffPost’s Noah Michelson to discuss Australian Queen of Pop, Kylie Minogue. Louie and Noah trace the singularity of Kylie’s two-tract pop career: In most of the world, she’s an A+ list arena-trotting superstar with more than three decades of hits and yet here in America, she’s perceived as either a one-hit-wonder or a niche gay icon. They discuss why that is, break down Kylie’s entire career from late ‘80s teenybopper to mid 90s avant boundary-pusher to her later period resurgence with the smash global hit “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and her recent solid run of well-made albums that relish in well-worn Kylie tropes. Louie and Noah then break down Kylie’s influence on the pop stars who came after her like Lady GaGa and Britney Spears, what makes her so beloved amongst the gay community, and the differing requirements for pop stars in America vs. the rest of the world. Finally, they take on the extraordinarily challenging task of ranking Kylie in the Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Kylie Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5wIrtrsbNMesqLHXcj3IdW?si=9a1f1897a76a4d1e Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Noah Michelson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/noahmichelson |
Aug 26, 2021 |
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CARDI B (with Pitchfork's Clover Hope)
4134
DJ Louie is joined by Pitchfork writer and author of the new book, The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop, Clover Hope, to discuss one of the hottest contemporary rap and pop stars, Cardi B. First, Louie and Clover break down the history of female rappers who operate as bonafide crossover pop stars, beginning with Roxanne Shanté and Salt N Peppa in the ‘80s through Nicki Minaj’s melting of the lines between hip hop and pop star in the last decade. They then discuss Cardi’s emergence as a social media personality, what made her uniquely charming in that space, the singular position of having to translate an established personality into musical form, the surprise success and critical acclaim of her debut album Invasion of Privacy, the unique ways Cardi’s musical career operates as just one aspect of her broader celebrity, and finally the doors she has helped open for the plethora of female rappers currently all operating at once in the pop space. Finally, Louie and Clover debate which tier to place Cardi in in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Cardi B Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R2aNuBZHWrjHbuh0gamO2?si=2fc5b3d72eb242a8 Buy Clover's Book The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop: https://www.amazon.com/Motherlode-100-Women-Made-Hip-Hop/dp/1419742965 Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Clover Hope on Twitter: https://twitter.com/clovito |
Aug 12, 2021 |
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MAX MARTIN (with The New Yorker's John Seabrook)
4472
DJ Louie is joined by author of The Song Machine and New Yorker staff writer John Seabrook to discuss the greatest pop producer auteur of the modern era, Max Martin. Louie and John discuss Max’s roots in Sweden and why the country is such a historical breeding ground for world-class pop music. They then discuss Max’s initial run a hitmaker in the late ‘90s, crafting the sound of the teen pop boom with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and *NSYNC, his reinvention in the mid 2000s with his protege Dr. Luke on pop-punk hits like Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”, the duo’s continued, chameleonic radio dominance in the early 2010s with Katy Perry, Britney, and Kesha, and Max’s latest wave of success adding his glisten to the work of already-established superstars like Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. Finally, Louie and John debate the secret to Max’s unparalleled success and what his future looks like now that new stars prize authenticity over his patented brand of airtight pop perfection. Check out Louie's Playlist of Max Martin Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0TnSOt8jOfuWsmMDDspWML?si=3b6a260a796247df Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow John Seabrook on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmseabrook |
Jul 29, 2021 |
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CELINE DION (with Call Your Girlfriend's Aminatou Sow)
4160
DJ Louie is joined by writer and co-host of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, Aminatou Sow, to discuss the Queen of the North, Celine Dion! Louie and Amina discuss Celine’s origins in the Francophone recording industry and Amina's early connection to her French music, the different perceptions of schmaltz in French-speaking vs. American popular culture, Celine’s relationship with her husband and manager Rene Angelil, her crossover as one of the biggest divas of the ‘90s, debunk annoying critiques that have dogged her career and denigrated her work, break down what constitutes art in pop music, and so much more. Finally, Louie and Amina debate which tier to place Celine in in the official Pop Pantheon and how to classify bilingual artists who mean different things in different parts of the world. Check out Louie's Playlist of Celine Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jp9JOwAUu1JBbsAP2ONXW?si=982a51bae903424d Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Aminatou Sow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aminatou/?hl=en |
Jul 15, 2021 |
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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (with Jordan Sargent)
4840
DJ Louie is joined by former Gawker and Spin writer Jordan Sargent for a reassessment of a pop star who really demands one: Justin Timberlake. Louie and Jordan break down the ways Justin’s legacy has been altered by cultural reckonings on white male privilege, cultural appropriation, and his roles both implicit and explicit in harming the careers of Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. They then break down Justin’s gold-standard transition from boy bander to credible adult star and the successful-if-unsavory ways he put a white face on contemporary R&B music with his massively successful debut album, Justified. They also discuss how luck and privilege played into his cultural dominance in the mid aughts, the genuine, daring musical innovation on his smash second album FutureSex/LoveSounds, and how he and his collaborators lost the thread in the latter period of his career. Louie and Jordan then debate if you could tell an abridged history of pop without mentioning Justin and how his fall from grace in the eyes of the general public has affected his standing in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Timberlake Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eualDkxF3g4KbzVzbFEgQ?si=4be24c541900467a Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Jordan Sargent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordansarge |
Jul 01, 2021 |
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MISSY ELLIOTT (with Steven J. Horowitz)
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Returning guest, writer and editor for Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, Vulture and more, Steven J. Horowitz, joins DJ Louie to chop it up about pop revolutionary Missy Elliott. Louie and Steven discuss Missy’s entree into the music biz along with partner-in-crime Timbaland as a songwriter and producer for artists like Jodeci, Ginuwine, and Aaliyah. They then break down what makes Missy's music sound as mind-bending today as it did in the late ’90s, why her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, caused such a stir when it was released, her one-of-a-kind video aesthetic and physical presentation, perpetual innovation as she crossed over from hip hop star to pop icon at the turn of the century and why all the great female rappers of Missy’s era stopped creating new music in the mid aughts. Finally, Louie and Steven rank Missy in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Steven's ranking of every Missy song ever in Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/best-missy-elliott-songs-ranked.html Check out Steven's appearance on our previous episode on Ariana Grande: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ariana-grande/id1556457357?i=1000512516103 Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Steven J. Horowitz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/speriod |
Jun 17, 2021 |
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LADY GAGA (with NY Times Contributor Lindsay Zoladz)
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DJ Louie is joined by New York Times Contributor Lindsay Zoladz to discuss Mother Monster herself, Lady GaGa! First, Lindsay drops some EXPLOSIVE ArtPop Hot Goss. Then, Louie and Lindsay dig into GaGa’s meteoric rise to mega-stardom, her bold queering of the pop cultural landscape, debunk some of the annoying critical narratives that plagued initial rise, chart the Pop-altering establishment of the Little Monsters, her musical, presentational, and social media innovations, whether or not ArtPop deserves Justice, and how, in the latter part of her career, she’s morphed from a hit-to-hit pop star into a much grander type of Icon. Finally, Louie and Lindsay debate the BIG question: is GaGa a Tier 2 Megastar or…. *gasp*... has she ascended to the top of the Pantheon as a Tier 1 Icon?! Check out Lindsay's retrospective on the "Telephone" video in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/arts/music/lady-gaga-beyonce-telephone.html Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Lindsay Zoladz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsayzoladz |
Jun 03, 2021 |
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ROBYN (with The New Yorker's Jia Tolentino)
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DJ Louie is joined by The New Yorker's Jia Tolentino to talk Niche Pop Icon, Robyn. Louie and Jia explore Robyn's early breakthrough during the teen pop boom of the late '90s with her Max Martin-produced hit, "Show Me Love", before going deep on her re-emergence nearly a decade later as pop's most beloved iconoclast. They break down the contours of her reinvention on her self-titled album in 2005, dig into tracks like "Be Mine!" and "With Every Heartbeat' to pinpoint what exactly constitutes a Robyn song, the crowning achievement of 2010's venerated Body Talk series, the ways "Dancing on my Own" and "Call Your Girlfriend" both define and subvert pop in its' purest form, and how Robyn has reimagined embodying sexuality as a female pop star. Finally, Louie and Jia assess what tier Robyn belongs in in the Pop Pantheon and explore the notion of creating a new tier for artists like her, whose success and influence is somehow greater than traditional pop metrics can measure. Read Jia's piece on Robyn and "Honey" in the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/honey-reviewed-robyn-has-returned-and-she-has-what-you-want Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Jia Tolentino on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jiatolentino |
May 20, 2021 |
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DRAKE (with The WSJ Mag's Myles Tanzer)
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DJ Louie is joined by Wall Street Journal Magazine Digital Editor Myles Tanzer for a supersized episode about the Certified Lover Boy himself, Drake. Louie and Myles track the collapsing boundaries between pop and hip hop, Drake’s groundbreaking emergence in the late '00s as a new kind of hip-hop-star-turned-pop-icon, the innovative emotional language of his work along with his singular sonic universe, how his influence has trickled down through pop, and so so SO much more. Finally, Louie and Myles grapple with a HUGE first for the podcast: After over 200 Billboard Hot 100 hits and more than a decade of uninterrupted pop cultural dominance, are they ready to elevate Drake as our first Tier 2 Megastar-to-Tier 1 Icon?! Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Myles Tanzer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mylestanzer |
May 06, 2021 |
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MADONNA (with Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak)
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This week, DJ Louie is joined by Jezebel Senior Writer and Pot Psychology Host Rich Juzwiak to discuss the Queen of Pop, Madonna. Their conversation focuses mainly on Madonna's latter period career, from 2008's Hard Candy through 2019's Madame X, and the ways Madonna's vice-grip on both her artistic muse and Pop writ-large have slipped after 25 years of dominance. Louie and Rich discuss Madonna's strange choice to make Hard Candy with a post-prime Timbaland and Pharrell, debate her legacy as an innovator and clout-chaser, her often cringey Instagram presence, her self-destructive feud with Lady GaGa, how notions Pop and diva-dom have shifted over her nearly four decade (!!) career, and the ideas- or lack thereof- behind her recent albums. Finally- and despite these recent missteps- Louie and Rich discuss Madonna's well-earned position atop the Pop Pantheon, what she could do now to right the ship, and whether she is in fact the greatest pop star of all time. Read Rich's review of Madame X on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/madonna-madame-x/ Read Louie's review of Madame X on Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/djlouiexiv/madonna-madame-x-pop-music-age-women Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Rich Juzwiak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichJuz |
Apr 22, 2021 |
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CARLY RAE JEPSEN (with Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber)
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In episode 3 of Pop Pantheon, DJ Louie is joined by Who? Weekly Co-Host Lindsey Weber to discuss Queen of Everything, Carly Rae Jepsen. Louie and Lindsey discuss Lindsey's pedigree as a JepFriend, including her travels across national borders to see Carly perform with a symphony in faraway Canada and her secret "Call Me Maybe" lip-sync video from 2012. They then get into why "Call Me Maybe" was Carly's only hit, if having your first song be an out-of-nowhere smash is a gift or a curse, the magic of Carly's perfect second album E•MO•TION, and the unique and prescient niche community Carly established around her as perhaps THE emblematic underrated Flop Star. Finally, Louie and Lindsey debate which tier Carly belongs in in the official Pop Pantheon. Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Lindsey Weber on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindseyweber |
Apr 08, 2021 |
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CIARA (with Chris Stedman)
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In episode 2 of Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV addresses the veritable uproar from the KatyCats following last week's episode. He then briefly reviews the concept of the Pop Pantheon tiers before being joined by author and professor Chris Stedman to discuss the Princess of Crunk&B, Ciara. Louie and Chris dissect the idea of "flops" in the context of Chris' Pitchfork piece, "The Enduring Appeal of Pop Stars Who Flop", the trajectory of Ciara's career from centrist pop star to flop to critical darling and gay icon, the unjust tension projected onto women of color in pop who move between genres, and Ciara's resilience and longevity in the fickle and ever-shifting pop landscape over the last twenty years. Finally, they debate which tier Ciara belongs in in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Chris' piece, "The Enduring Appeal of Pop Stars Who Flop", on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-enduring-appeal-of-pop-stars-who-flop/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV Follow Chris Stedman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisDStedman |
Mar 25, 2021 |
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ARIANA GRANDE (with Steven J. Horowitz)
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In the debut episode of Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV briefly introduces the concept and tiers of the Pop Pantheon. He is then joined by music journalist extraordinaire Steven Horowitz- writer and editor for publications like Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety and Vulture- to discuss all things Ariana Grande: her arrival on the scene as an antidote to the EDM-pop of GaGa and Katy Perry, the benefits and pratfalls of her relationship with hip hop and R&B, where the concept of the "diva" stands in 2021, and the possibility of Ari as the last monoculture pop superstar. Finally, Louie and Steven debate which Tier to rank Ariana in the official Pop Pantheon. Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV Follow Steven Horowitz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/speriod Check out all Steven's writing on: http://www.stevenjhorowitz.com/ |
Mar 11, 2021 |
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Mini-sode: What Exactly is the Pop Pantheon?
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Welcome to the podcast! In this mini-episode of Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV breaks down how exactly the Pop Pantheon works, tier-by-tier. In each episode of Pop Pantheon, Louie and his guests will break down the career of pop icon, from titans of the genre like Beyonce to..... lesser titans, like Nicole Scherzinger. At the end of each episode, they'll attempt to place each subject in their proper pantheon tier. Is Ariana a Tier 2 Megastar or merely a Tier 3 Superstar? Is Charlie Puth a Tier 5 Niche Legend, or a Tier 4 Blue-Collar Pop Star? And has Taylor ascended to Tier 1 Icon Status yet (a topic of HOT debate)??!! This teaser helps explain what all the tiers are and the criteria for each one. The first official episode drops Thursday! Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PantheonPop Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV |
Mar 09, 2021 |
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Pop Pantheon Teaser
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Welcome to the podcast! In the teaser for Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV breaks down the format of the show and all the pop music over-analysis you can expect. In each episode of Pop Pantheon, Louie and his guests will break down the career of pop icon, from titans of the genre like Beyonce to..... lesser titans, like Nicole Scherzinger. At the end of each episode, they'll attempt to place each subject in their proper Pantheon Tier. Episode 1 drops this Thursday! Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PantheonPop Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV |
Mar 08, 2021 |