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Wow Jeff
Mar 12, 2023
I didn't know that someone could make exciting music unexciting. By deconstructing songs and melodies, you losing the forest among the trees. They use much of the same schtick ever episode. I'm sure you might like it, but not my cup of tea
Jan 18, 2023
Mar 29, 2022
Mar 30, 2021
Great idea...
Jan 24, 2021
...not so great execution. Misleading episode titles, repeated themes/artists, a sense of "laziness" in some of the episodes, a patronizing tone when talking about some artists... Could borrow from podcasts like Decoder Ring and Reply All.
Episode | Date |
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Listening 2 Daft Punk: Human After All / Alive 2007
2382
Throughout their legendary career, Daft Punk continued to prove that the more robotic their music became, the more human they sounded. This dichotomy came to a head on their third album, aptly titled Human After All. Where their past two records wired their circuits and gave the robots a voice, on Human After All, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo gave Daft Punk sentience. On Human After All robots rock, but they also question their rigid programming. The record's ensuing tour and resulting live album, Alive 2007, furthered the narrative by ushering in a new age of live electronic performance. The impact of these two records range from the development of EDM to everlasting hits like “Technologic.” On episode three of our Listening 2 Daft Punk series, we take a look at these two records, and how both Alive and Human After All imbued the robots with super intelligence.
Songs Discussed
Daft Punk - Human After All
Daft Punk - The Prime Time of Your Life
Daft Punk - Robot Rock
Breakwater - Release the Beast
Daft Punk - Steam Machine
Daft Punk - The Brainwasher
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Daft Punk - Technologic
Daft Punk - Emotion
John Williams – Wild Signals
Daft Punk – Touch It / Technologic
Daft Punk – Oh Yeah
Daft Punk – Technologic
Busta Rhymes – Touch It
Daft Punk – Around the World / Harder Better Faster Stronger
Daft Punk – Face to Face / Short Circuit
Daft Punk – Da Funk / Daftendirekt
Kanye West – Stronger
Kanye West – On Sight
Daft Punk – Human After All / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better With You
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May 30, 2023 |
Listening 2 Daft Punk: Discovery
2211
Daft Punk’s first album laid the groundwork for their robot personas, with four to the floor beats, programmed drum machines, and sequenced synthesizers. On their second album Discovery, Daft Punk fully lean into the artificial – singing through robotic vocoders that correspond with their now-iconic robot helmets.
But in there is a paradox, explored on episode 2 of Listening to Daft Punk: the more machine the robots become, the more human the music sounds.
Songs Discussed
Daft Punk - One More Time
Daft Punk - Teachers
Daft Punk - Aerodynamic
Sister Sledge - Il Macquillage Lady
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
Laurie Anderson - O Superman
Daft Punk - Revolution 909
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Kraftwerk - The Robots
Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You
Zapp - More Bounce to the Ounce
Stevie Wonder - 1-2-3 Sesame Street
Cher - Believe
Kid Rock - Only God Knows Why
Barry Manilow - Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed
Daft Punk - Superheroes
Edwin Birdsong - Cola Bottle Baby
Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman
Daft Punk - Face to Face
Daft Punk - Something About Us
Daft Punk - Voyager
Daft Punk - Veridis Quo
Daft Punk - Superheroes
Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams - LYTD (Vocoder Tests) [feat. Pharrell Williams]
Daft Punk - Digital Love
Daft Punk - Crescendolls
Eddie Johns - More Spell On You
George Duke - I Love You More
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May 23, 2023 |
Listening 2 Daft Punk: Homework
2265
Ten years ago, Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories gave life back to music. The world-beating smash “Get Lucky” broke streaming records, forged a retro sound that still dominates the charts, and paved the way for artists like The Weeknd, Dua Lipa and Lizzo to craft their own throwback hits. How did Daft Punk do it? Switched On Pop’s four part-mini series Listening 2: Daft Punk unlocks the sounds, voices, and stories across all four of the group’s studio albums. On their first album, Homework, Daft Punk stretched the boundaries of electronic music and began wiring the circuits that would become their robot alter-egos, asking a fundamental question: where does the human end and the machine begin?
Songs Discussed
Daft Punk - Give Life Back to Music
Daft Punk - Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers)
The Beach Boys - Darlin'
Daft Punk - Around the World
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Strong
Daft Punk - Robot Rock
Daft Punk - Game of Love
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Daft Punk - Teachers
Black Box - Ride on Time
Daft Punk - Daftendirekt
Daft Punk - Fresh
Daft Punk - High Fidelity
Daft Punk - Oh Yeah
Daft Punk - Phoenix
Daft Punk - Rollin' & Scratchin'
Daft Punk - Rock'n Roll
Daft Punk - Burnin'
Kraftwerk - The Robots
Vangelis - Main Titles
Brad Fiedel - Main Title - The Terminator
Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow - The Turing Test
Daft Punk - TRON Legacy (End Titles)
Daft Punk - Indo Silver Club
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May 16, 2023 |
The Jonas Brothers' Yacht Rock Revival
2352
After nearly two decades as a band the Jonas Brothers are staking their claim to a magnum opus by calling their next album, quite simply, The Album (out May 12). The project follows the success of their 2019 comeback project Happiness Begins — which blended polished pop sounds with ‘70s funk breaks and produced the No. 1 single “Sucker” — with a focus on the smooth sounds of yacht rock. Switched On pop co-host Charlie Harding spoke with Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas in March 2023, during their five night broadway run, in anticipation for the release of The Album.
Songs Discussed
Jonas Brothers - Wings, Waffle House, Montana Sky, Summer Baby, Before the Storm
Daryl Hall & John Oates - She's Gone, Wings
Kenny Loggins - Meet Me Half Way
Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years
Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel, Leave Me Alone
The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It to the Streets, Minute By Minute
Thundercat, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins - Show You The Way
Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin'
Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle
Eagles - Take It Easy
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May 09, 2023 |
From Westeros-techno to trance metal: Eurovision 2023
1714
It’s May, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Eurovision Song Contest. This year’s edition of the international-but-primarily-in-Europe competition features a uniquely eclectic group of songs (per usual), from a take on electro-flamenco, to Game of Thrones EDM, to a previous winner’s return to the Eurovision stage. On this episode, Charlie and Nate look at the six songs bookmakers are looking at to lead the pack of this year’s entries.
Songs Discussed:
Alessandra – Queen of Kings
Deadmau5 – Right This Second
Gabry Ponte, R3HAB, Timmy Trumpet – Call Me
La Zarra – Évidemment
Édith Piaf – Non, je ne regrette rien
Claude François – Alexandrie Alexandra
Blanca Paloma – EAEA
TVORCHI – Heart of Steel
Kalush Orchesta – Stefania
Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
Kraftwerk – Radioactivity
Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone
Metallica – 72 Seasons
Loreen – Tattoo
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May 02, 2023 |
Who killed the key change in pop music?
1987
When trouble strikes in music town, there’s one guy who gets the call. That’s me, Joe Treble, forensic musicologist. This week, I've got one of the most shocking cases I've ever worked. Someone killed the key change in pop music, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to find the perpetrator.
The key change used to be at large on the Billboard charts. From the 1950s to the 1990s, 20-30% of all number one hits featured one. In Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody," the key change hits right before the final chorus. The song’s harmonic center shifts up, raising the pitch of the song, challenging the vocalist to hit higher and higher notes, juicing the big finish with excitement and pep. But starting in the 1990s the key change virtually disappeared from the Hot 100. Now, hit songs start and end in the same key, and no one seems to have even noticed. Except for me.
This investigation will bring me face to face with a rogue's gallery of suspects and sources: Chris Dalla Riva, music and data specialist; Brandon McFarland, alias 1-O.A.K., producer; Emily King, singer and songwriter. Each interrogation brings me closer to revealing the murderer, but will I be able to handle the terrible truth? Tune in as I tackle the hardest case of my career: the case of the missing key change!
Songs Discussed
Emily King - Georgia Sleepwalker, Medal, The Way that You Love Me
YG, Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign - Do Yo Dance (feat. Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign)
Beyoncé - Love On Top
Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Frank Sinatra - Strangers In The Night
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Apr 25, 2023 |
A.I. Drake has put music in a tailspin
2234
We have an emergency podcast drop because the biggest and fastest moving story on the internet right now is about a song called “Heart On My Sleeve.” The track sounds like it was made by the producer Metro Boomin featuring Drake and The Weeknd. It might be one of the most consequential songs in music history because it was actually a fake, made with artificial intelligence. The blowback from this song has been enormous and a bit confusing. So host Charlie Harding went on The Vergecast podcast to break down how this song was likely made, and what it might mean for the music industry, the tech industry and all of our intellectual property.
Listen to the whole episode on The Vergecast
Read Alex Cranz's story on Laser Bongs on The Verge
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Apr 21, 2023 |
BTS goes solo together
2940
The South Korean idol group BTS is one of the biggest musical sensations in history. They're constantly breaking records and they have one of the most dedicated fan bases in the world known as Army. Their hit singles like “Boy With Love,” “Dynamite,” and “Butter” have been discussed on the show in the past for breaking through the US charts. But back in 2022, they decided to take a break from group activities and start releasing solo material because of their obligations to each fulfill mandatory military service in South Korea, precluding them from working together at the same time. Solo projects aren’t new for the group – BTS members have released mixtapes as far back as 2015 and countless solo singles – but this was the first time that BTS had ever announced a prolonged break. This moment, originally presented as a hiatus, has evolved into a whole new musical chapter for the group, with a seemingly endless array of new solo releases. Switched On Pop listens back to one track from each solo effort so far to introduce the casual listener to what is happening in this new era of BTS. Joining the show is Lenika Cruz, senior editor at The Atlantic, who literally wrote the book on BTS, simply called On BTS out on the Atlantic Editions imprint.
Songs Discussed:
j-hope, J. Cole - on the street
Jimin - Like Crazy
RM, Youjeen - Wild Flower
Agust D - People Pt.2
Agust D - People
Jung Kook - Dreamers
JIN - The Astronaut
BTS - Singularity, Inner Child
Coldplay, BTS - My Universe
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Apr 18, 2023 |
This Generation's Caroline Polachek
2632
From the first seconds of her latest album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, Caroline Polachek asserts that she is truly a once-in-a-generation artist. From her work in the indie band Chairlift to years of behind-the-scenes songwriting, she has worked hard over years to build a stellar music career – culminating in the pop opus Desire, already one of the best rated albums of 2023. On this episode of Switched on Pop, we look at Polachek’s career thus far, and talk to her about the intricacies of her latest.
Songs Discussed
Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Caroline Polachek - So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings
Chairlift - Bruises
Ramona Lisa - Dominic
Beyoncé - No Angel
Danny L Harle, Caroline Polachek - Ashes of Love
Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek - Tears
CEP - Lilian’s Pavilion
Caroline Polachek - Pretty in Possible
Suzanne Vega - Tom’s Diner DNA remix
Caroline Polachek - Welcome to my Island
Caroline Polachek - Bunny Is A Rider
Caroline Polachek - Smoke
Caroline Polachek - Crude Drawing of An Angel
Caroline Polachek - Butterfly Net
Caroline Polachek - Sunset
Caroline Polachek - Fly To You
Caroline Polachek - Hopedrunk Ever Asking
Caroline Polachek - Billions
Caroline Polachek - Blood And Butter
Caroline Polachek - Butterfly Net
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Apr 11, 2023 |
The Shakira Conspiracy
1865
Shakira is back on the Billboard Hot 100 – thanks to the help of Argentinian producer Bizarrap. Together, their song “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” is layered with musical and lyrical references, from the callbacks to “She Wolf” to the multiple beat switches. It also works to play into something larger: something akin to a pop music conspiracy. On this episode of Switched On Pop, we take a closer look at Shakira’s latest, and how it’s indicative of a larger metatextual shift in pop music.
Songs Discussed:
Shakira, Bizarrap – Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53
Shakira – Vuelve
Alanis Morrisette – Not The Doctor
Shakira – Whenever, Wherever
Shakira, Alejandro Sanz – La Tortura
Shakira, Wyclef Jean – Hips Don’t Lie
Shakira – She Wolf
The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
Giorgio Moroder – Palm Springs Drive
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Pascal Letoublon – Friendships
Beyoncé – Sorry
Taylor Swift – All Too Well
Olivia Rodrigo – Driver’s License
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Apr 04, 2023 |
Reinventing Bach
2400
If you’ve ever learned classical piano, you probably tried to play one of Bach’s Inventions. The composer wrote fifteen pieces containing the most important fifteen keys in order to teach his son the fundamentals of piano and composition. Today, they remain some of the most popular pieces of piano music. Acclaimed jazz pianist Dan Tepfer recently revisited his childhood music books seeing them in a way he’d never realized as a student: the Inventions are much more than novice piano works.
For Tepfer, each of the Inventions not only highlight masterful command over harmony and counterpoint, but also contain moving character arcs that resemble the hero’s journey. A character is introduced at home in place of safety in act I. And then they are thrust into chaos and must overcome unsurmountable challenges in Act II. Finally, in Act III, our hero overcomes their final battle and returns home transformed by the journey. Once Tepfer heard this character arc, he started to apply it to his own free improv.
Through studying Bach, Tepfer conceived a new album: Inventions / Reinventions. In this project Tepfer fills in the missing keys from the Bach to complete all twenty four keys (there are twelve major and twelve minor keys) while updating the music with modern improvisation. In this conversation Tepfer walks co-host Charlie Harding through his process of playing Bach and applying it to jazz improv.
Listen to Dan Tepfer’s Inventions / Reinventions on StorySound Records
Listen to Into It with Sam Sanders on Fair Use
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Mar 28, 2023 |
100 gecs and the new sound of hyperpop
2358
Everyone will describe the music of 100 gecs differently. To some, Dylan Brady and Laura Les make deeply satisfying earworms, tracks able to scratch the itches that occupy the deepest memory-holed corners of the brain. To others, though, their music is an "anarchic assault on the ears,” a quilt of all of the genres historically ridiculed in the popular canon: nu-metal, scuzz-rock, ska and 90’s pop punk are all fair game in the world of gecs.
On their latest record, aptly titled 10000 gecs, Brady and Les double down on the crunchy distortion and harmonics, creating tracks equally influenced by Primus and Eddie Van Halen as they are by their hyperpop contemporaries. The album reflects a Internet-core approach to music as a whole, shedding notions of “good” and “bad” music in favor of catchy melodies and intricate song construction.
On this episode on Switched On Pop, we dig deep into the ethos of 100 gecs, and producer Reanna Cruz talks to the duo themselves about their eclectic sophomore record.
Songs discussed:
100 gecs – Hollywood Baby
100 gecs – Billy Knows Jamie
100 gecs – stupid horse
100 gecs – 745 sticky
100 gecs – Doritos & Fritos
Primus – Jerry Was A Racecar Driver
Ween – Bananas and Blow
Limp Bizkit – My Generation
Gorillaz – Dirty Harry
Future – I Been Drinking
J-Kwon – Tipsy
Justin Timberlake – Summer Love
Violent Femmes – Added Up
100 gecs – Dumbest Girl Alive
THX Deep Note
Cypress Hill – Insane in the Membrane
100 gecs – The Most Wanted Person in the United States
100 gecs – Frog on the Floor
Alan Jackson – Chattahoochee
Limp Bizkit – Dad Vibes
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Mar 21, 2023 |
Switches Brew
1459
Every week the Switched On Pop team gets together and everybody shares one song they’re loving right now. It is one of our favorite conversations each week because we hear music that is new and old, on and off the charts. We’re sharing that conversation with you as a new format we’re calling Switches Brew alongside friend of the show Brittany Luse, host of NPR's It's Been A Minute
Listen to Brittany Luse on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute: Web, Apple, Spotify
Songs Discussed
Little Freddie King - Messin' Around tha House
De La Soul - Tread Water
Nick Hakim - Qadir
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die (Marcus Intalex Remix) on Bandcamp
Madison Cunningham - Hospital (One Man Down) (feat. Remi Wolf)
Remi Wolf - Down the Line
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Mar 17, 2023 |
Modern Classics: Seal - Kiss From a Rose
2232
“Kiss From a Rose” is one of the most unusual number one hits of all time. Seal’s song can’t decide if it’s in minor or major, it uses an old-fashioned waltz rhythm, and its lush orchestration and elaborate vocal harmonies support mysterious lyrics about a “greying tower alone on the sea.” Seal himself wasn’t sure about the song, and needed some convincing to include the composition on his 1994 album SEAL II. But once director Joel Schumacher decided to use the track for the end credits of the film Batman Forever, the song went global and has remained a cultural phenomenon ever since. Ahead of his upcoming 30th anniversary tour for the albums SEAL I and SEAL II, we speak with the singer and songwriter about the enduring appeal of “Kiss From A Rose.”
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Mar 14, 2023 |
How John Denver got huge in Asia
1994
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a song about West Virginia, but its message of homecoming has resonance far beyond Appalachia. Songwriter and producer Ian Fitchuk found this out when he was requested to perform Denver’s music at a music festival in Tibet. Fitchuk discovered that Denver has a huge following in East and South East Asia, where Denver toured multiple times from the 70s through the 90s. Denver’s songs first came to the region through the US Armed Forces Network radio as well as a diplomatic performance for China’s leader Deng Xiaoping at the Kennedy Center in 1979. Denver performed alongside the Harlem Globetrotters and the Joffrey ballet, and he left such an impression, the show led to an invitation to be one of the first western musicians to tour China. To better understand Denver’s meaning in the region, Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding speaks with Ian Fitchuk about his performance and interviews journalist Jason Jeung who wrote about “Country Roads” in The Atlantic.
Songs Discussed
John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads
Kacey Musgraves - Oh, What A World
The East Is Red
John Denver - Rocky Mountain High
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
James Taylor - Carolina in My Mind
Carpenters - (They Long To Be) Close To You
John Denver - Thank God I'm a Country Boy
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Mar 07, 2023 |
Chartbreakers: Jersey Club, Complicated Country, and 50s Crooners
1834
Currently on Billboard’s hot 100 there is an unexpected UK Garage / Jersey House mashup, a disgraced country star making a questionable comeback, and an out of nowhere fifties ballad all jockeying for their moment on the charts. This week, we take a listen to the FEBRUARY 25, 2023 Hot 100, looking for triumphs, fumbles, and oddities.
Songs Discussed
PinkPantheress, Ice Spice - Boy's a liar Pt. 2
Ice Spice - Munch (Feelin’ U)
Drake - Currents
Lil Uzi Vert - Just Wanna Rock
Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers - Sunship Edit
Todd Edwards - Wishing I Were Home
Ice Spice - In Ha Mood
Morgan Wallen - You Proof
Morgan Wallen - Last Night
Tyler Childers - Way of the Triune God - Jubilee Version
Mac DeMarco - Heart To Heart
Miguel - Sure Thing
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage - Creepin' (with The Weeknd & 21 Savage)
Mario Winans - I Don't Wanna Know
Fugees, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras - Ready or Not
Enya - Boadicea
Stephen Sanchez - Until I Found You
The Everly Brothers - Let It Be Me
Ritchie Valens - We Belong Together
The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
Patsy Cline, The Jordanaires - Crazy
Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind - Original Master Recording
The Beatles - In My Life - Remastered 2009
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Feb 28, 2023 |
Five years later, the legacy of Nipsey Hussle's "Victory Lap"
2137
Five years ago, Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle released Victory Lap, his only full length album. It was the high point of a career stretching back to the mid 2000s, when Hussle started releasing mixtapes on his own record label — mixtapes that brought him respect from artists like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, but were not widely heard.
Victory Lap brought him both the critical acclaim and commercial success he deserved — It hit #2 on the Billboard 200, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album. But only a little over a year after its release, Hussle was shot to death outside his clothing store and community center in Crenshaw. In some ways, Hussle’s tragic end has overshadowed his incredible life as a musician and community activist.
In this conversation with Justin Tinsley, host of the podcast King of Crenshaw, we listen deeply to Victory Lap to hear Nipsey’s identity as an artist and consider the legacy of his debut album on its 5th anniversary.
Songs Discussed
Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap, Dedication, Hussle and Motivate, Last Time That I Checc'd, Real Big
Arctic Monkeys - Knee Socks
Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life
Snoop Dogg - Y'all Gone Miss Me
More
Listen to the King of Crenshaw podcast.
Check out more of Justin's work
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Feb 22, 2023 |
“Flowers” and the art of the response song
2387
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus is spending another week on top of the Billboard 100 – quite fitting for Valentine’s Day.
The disco-country track has gotten people talking for a few reasons, but most notably, Cyrus invokes Bruno Mars’ classic “When I Was Your Man” in both lyrical and melodic allusions. The connection between the two songs is not one of interpolation, but rather, Miley is responding to Bruno’s hit through her own words: making “Flowers” an answer song.
This episode of Switched On Pop, we take a deeper look at “Flowers” and how it fits in the canon of response songs throughout history, from classics like “This Land is Your Land” to Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.”
Songs Discussed:
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Kacey Musgraves – High Horse
Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
Dua Lipa – New Rules
Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
TLC – No Scrubs
Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg – California Girls
JAY-Z, Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind
Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog
Rufus Thomas – Bear Cat
Hank Thompson – The Wild Side of Life
Kitty Wells – It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Ray Charles – Hit the Road, Jack
Nina Simone – Come on Back Jack
The Chantels – Well, I Told You
UTFO – Roxanne, Roxanne
Roxanne Shanté – Roxanne’s Revenge
UTFO – The Real Roxanne
New Edition – Candy Girl
The Jackson 5 – ABC
Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
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Feb 14, 2023 |
ICYMI Rihanna Party!
3266
“Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician” according to NPR. Millions and millions of fans the world over agree, and while we try to avoid overt expressions of pop favoritism, we think they’ve got a strong case. It’s for that reason and a dozen others that we were thrilled to welcome Gina Delvac of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend back to the show to discuss the legendary career of one Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty. As we all await her ninth studio album (R9), join us for a virtual* blunt-smoke-laced tour through the hit songs that defined her early sound, and a delectable deep dive into her most recent album, ANTI.
MORE CONTENT
Check out Jenny Gathright’s NPR article “Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician.”
And find even more work from our wonderful contributors this week down below:
Gina
Ivie
Zoe
Cate
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Feb 12, 2023 |
The L.A. guitar shop that reinvented indie folk
2165
In 2010, a photographer named Reuben Cox moved to Los Angeles to start Old Style Guitar Shop. In the years since, the instruments that he continues to repair and sell have come to define the sound of the LA indie folk scene among artists like Blake Mills, Andrew Bird, Madison Cunningham, Ethan Gruska and Phoebe Bridgers.
Reuben’s guitars are Frankenstein-esque creations, cobbled together from spare parts and neglected guitar bodies found in flea markets and estate sales. The sounds that these make, though, are as eccentric as their source: the strings are laid on top of Reuben’s signature, a rubber bridge.
This sound, and the mythos of the rubber bridge guitar, has turned Reuben into a local celebrity and put Old Style at the center of Los Angeles’s indie music scene. In this episode of Switched on Pop, host Charlie Harding explores that sound and the man behind it all.
Songs Discussed (playlist)
Taylor Swift - champagne problems
Olivia Rodrigo - hope ur ok
boygenius - Emily I’m Sorry
Jenny Owen Youngs - Vampire Weeknight
Andrew Bird - The New Saint Jude
Marcus Mumford - Only Child
Perfume Genius - Slip Away
Andrew Bird - Underlands
Madison Cunningham - Anywhere
Madison Cunningham - Life According to Raechel
Phoebe Bridgers - Garden Song
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Feb 07, 2023 |
A History of Whammies at the Grammys - Into It with Sam Sanders
1485
It's Grammys weekend and Sam Sanders, host of Vulture's Into It podcast, is ready for disappointment! Sam is joined by Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding and Reanna Cruz to break down the Grammys' history of tone deafness when it comes to the night's biggest awards. Will Beyoncé lose Album of the Year again... or will the voting body finally give her her due?
Subscribe to Into It: https://link.chtbl.com/intoit?sid=stw
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Feb 02, 2023 |
Wonders: Bobby McFerrin
2089
In 1988, Bobby McFerrin recorded a song a cappella with a simple message: not to worry, and just enjoy life. That song, aptly titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” topped the charts and become one of the most well known one-hit wonders of all time.
In doing so, it also propelled McFerrin into the spotlight, winning him three Grammy awards and an eternal place in pop culture. His career, though, is more than just the Big Mouth Billy Bass: a deep dive reveals an incredible career in jazz, folk, and classical music as well as a remarkable command of his own voice. This episode of Switched on Pop, we explore the history behind "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and the ensuing legacy of Bobby McFerrin.
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Jan 31, 2023 |
The New Wave of Paramore
2063
Six years after their last record, Paramore is back with new music, and their upcoming record seems to have an uncanny connection to the era of new wave. But what is “new wave” anyway? Is it just a period of time in music or something more?
In this episode of Switched on Pop, we explore some of the tracks from This is Why, out February 10th, and connect them to the works of everyone from Talking Heads to Joy Division.
Songs Discussed
Paramore – C’est Comme Ça
Olivia Rodrigo – good 4 u
Paramore – Misery Business
Paramore – Ain’t It Fun
Paramore – Pool
Paramore – This Is Why
Talking Heads – I Zimbra
Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House
The B-52’s – Dirty Back Road
Gang of Four – Cheeseburger
Oingo Boingo – Just Another Day
DEVO – Uncontrollable Urge
Paramore – Hard Times
Les Rita Mitsouko – C’est comme ça
Talking Heads – Psycho Killer
Selena Gomez – Bad Liar
Paramore – The News
Joy Division – Disorder
Blondie – The Thin Line
Blondie – The Tide Is High
The Police – So Lonely
Paramore – Pressure
Paramore – Told You So
Boy Harsher – LA
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Jan 24, 2023 |
Taylor Swift and the music industry's next $20
4944
Streaming feels like it's both at its height and on a precipice. Musicians are fed up at getting paid fractions of a penny, and the whole business model seems precarious. Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding was talking about the challenges for streaming future with my friend Nilay Patel, editor in chief of The Verge and host the podcast Decoder - a show about big ideas. And they taped a conversation about what’s next for streaming through the case study of Taylor Swift who has deftly navigated the transition from CDs to streaming, and whose era tour may mark the end of an era in music.
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Jan 20, 2023 |
SZA's Endless Melody
1791
Why does SZA's latest album SOS hit different? It's the way her melodies don't repeat where you expect them to, defying all the rules of pop songwriting. We break down how her endless melodies echo the intimate themes of her most recent release, and how they connect to genres ranging from gospel to Wagnerian opera.
Songs Discussed
SZA - Kill Bill, SOS, Shirt, Notice Me, Seek & Destroy, Gone Girl, Low, Smoking on My Ex Pack, Ghost in the Machine (ft Phoebe Bridgers), F2F
Sam Smith & Kim Petras - Unholy
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero
Jazmine Sullivan - Girl Like Me (ft H.E.R.)
Summer Walker - No Love (ft. SZA)
Jessye Norman - Isoldes Liebestod
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Jan 18, 2023 |
Too Fast? We’re Curious: The sped-up remix phenomenon
1732
Over the past few months, you may have heard your favorite song pop up on the Internet – just slightly faster. You’re not alone: the phenomenon of the “sped-up” remix has taken over social media, with everyone from Lady Gaga to Thundercat getting the tempo treatment. The popularity of the craze has led to millions of TikTok videos, Billboard number ones, and songs becoming relevant again, decades after release. Ever since the proliferation of these “remixes,” the big questions remain: where did these songs come from and why are they here?
On this episode of Switched on Pop, we explore this exact phenomenon, tracing its roots from Thomas Edison to Cam’ron to vaporwave to nightcore.
Songs Discussed:
“Dream On” – Aerosmith (sped up)
“Escapism” – RAYE, 070 Shake (sped up)
“Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy (sped up)
“Miss You” – Oliver Tree (sped up)
“Say It Right” – Nelly Furtado (sped up)
“Bloody Mary” – Lady Gaga (sped up)
“Heat Waves” – Glass Animals (slowed down)
“Juicy” – Notorious B.I.G.
“Juicy” – DJ Screw
“Jolene” – Dolly Parton (slowed down)
“リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー |” – Macintosh Plus
“In Da Club Before Eleven O’ Clock” – DJ Rashad
“Monster [Nightcore]” – Meg & Dia, remixed by Barren Gates
“Concrete Angel” – Hannah Diamond
“Witch Doctor” – David Seville
“Oh Boy” – Cam’ron, Juelz Santana
“Cool for the Summer” – Demi Lovato (sped up)
“Them Changes” – Thundercat (sped up & Chopnotslop remix)
“That’s All” – Genesis
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Jan 10, 2023 |
ICYMI 90s Music Canon
2284
Matt Daniels, editor of the publication The Pudding, wanted to find out what songs from his youth would last into the future. So he designed a study that would test if Gen-Z had a grip on 90s culture. Hundreds of thousands of participants provided over 3 million data points. Daniels parsed through the data for insights. Sadly, the majority of his most beloved songs have not survived even one generation. Though most had been forgotten, he found that just a few songs had staying power across generations — what he defined as the emerging 90s music canon. Find out what songs make it and which have fallen to the wayside.
MORE
The Pudding’s study on Defining the 90s Canon
Take The Pudding’s quiz yourself
SONGS DISCUSSED
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Mariah Carey - Fantasy!
Lou Bega - Mambo #5
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Boys II Men - Motown Philly
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Savage Garden - I Want You
The Barenaked Ladies - One Week
Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
Jennifer Lopez - If You Had My Love
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
Smash Mouth - All Star
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
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Jan 03, 2023 |
ICYMI: We *do* talk about Bruno
1669
The number one song on the charts is a bit of a mystery. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is the unlikely hit from Disney’s sleeper animated musical Encanto. Set in a mountainous village in Colombia, the film was a middling commercial success when it was released in Nov 2021. But in recent months it has become a pop culture phenomenon for a confluence of reasons: an expansive discourse on Colombian representation in media, fan videos on TikTok, and of course it's ear-wormy hits.
The musical is yet another notch in the belt for Lin Manuel Miranda (the auteur behind Hamilton and In The Heights) who wrote the now chart-topping song book. While Disney certainly commands vast commercial success, its musicals rarely see such crossover attention. The last #1 Disney musical number was “A Whole New World” from the animated Aladdin back in 1993. Where that song was literally uplifting, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is quite the opposite.
Bruno is the uncle of the Madrigal family, whose skill for seeing the future portends gloom and sends him into exile. In his namesake song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” an ensemble cast trade verses about his ghostly presence (Bruno haunts the family home, living inside its walls). It is an odd ball song, with dark and bizarre lyrics. Sure it starts with a story about rain on a wedding day (which is not ironic), but then it takes a hard left into tales of dead fish, middle aged weight gain, and creeping rats. So then what makes it a hit? A distinctive concoction of salsa piano rhythms, familiar Lin Manuel Miranda-isms, and contemporary pop connections to Camila Cabello, Britney Spears, J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Cardi B.
Listen to Switched On Pop to solve the mystery of what makes “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” a hit.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Lin Manuel Miranda - We Don’t Talk About Bruno, In The Heights, Helpless, Satisfied, My Shot, Wait For It, Say No To This
Cardi B, J Balvin, I Like It
Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee - Despacito
Camila Cabello, Young Thug - Havana
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
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Dec 27, 2022 |
Anitta & Rosalía on the borders of Latin pop
1622
When it comes to distinguishing what exactly Latin music is, what makes the cut? To some, it’s simply music from the Latin American region, and to others, it’s any music that is sung in Spanish – but much like the pop canon, the phrase encapsulates so many different eras, styles, and genres.
Like any distinction, there’s also music on the periphery: specifically, the music of Brazil, where the sounds are similar but the main language is different, and Spain, where the history of colonization looms over the country’s relationship with Latin America, raising controversial questions of appropriation.
Nonetheless though, music from both countries has made big waves amongst U.S. listeners on Latin radio stations and at award shows. Anitta’s record Versions of Me has been finding success on streaming and the radio, while Rosalía’s MOTOMAMI has become one of the most acclaimed records of the year, winning this year’s Album of the Year award at the Latin Grammys. This episode of Switched on Pop, we take a look at these artists and how they incorporate both native and Latin sounds in their tracks.
Vote for the Signal Awards: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2022/shows/general/music
SONGS DISCUSSED:
Anitta – Girl From Rio
Rosalía – DESPECHÁ
Anitta, Ty Dolla $ign – Gimme Your Number
MC Marcinho, DJ Marlboro – Glamourosa (Rap Glamurosa)
M.I.A. – Bucky Done Gun
Anitta, Papatinho, MC Kevin o Chris, Mr. Catra, YG – Que Rabão
Anitta – Envolver
Karol G – PROVENZA
Rosalía – MALAMENTE - Cap.1: Augurio
Rosalía – BULERÍAS
Rosalía – DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA
Justo Betancourt – Delirio De Grandeza
Tego Calderon – Al Natural
Rosalía – SAOKO
Wisin, Daddy Yankee – Saoco
Rosalía – CHICKEN TERIYAKI
Rosalía – DIABLO
Rosalía, TOKISCHA – LA COMBI VERSACE
Rosalía, The Weeknd – La Fama
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Dec 20, 2022 |
How Bad Bunny won 2022
2097
For Switched On Pop’s end of year coverage, we just have one superlative: who won 2022? The answer, of course, is Bad Bunny. This year alone, the prolific Puerto Rican artist has topped charts worldwide, became Spotify’s most streamed artist globally, and his record Un Verano Sin Ti has obtained many accolades including being the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys.
The record itself serves as a textbook to the sounds of Latin America: over the course of 23 songs, we’re introduced to bachata, dembow, cumbia, merengue, bomba, and of course, reggaeton. This episode, alongside LA Times journalist Suzy Exposito, we unpack Un Verano Sin Ti and why the album is so important, both for Bad Bunny and the Latin diaspora.
Vote for the Signal Awards: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2022/shows/general/music
Songs Discussed:
Bad Bunny – Callaita
Bad Bunny – Diles
Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin – I Like It
N.O.R.E., Daddy Yankee, Nina Sky, Gemstar, Big Mato – Oye Mi Canto
Ruben Blades – Plástico
Bad Bunny – Después de la Playa
Bad Bunny – Tití Me Preguntó
Bad Bunny – El Apagón
Héctor Lavoe, Fania All Stars – Mi Gente - Live
Omega – Si Te Vas
Aventura, Don Omar – Ella Y Yo
Nando Boom – Ellos Benia Dem Bow
Daddy Yankee – Gasolina
El General – Tu Pun Pun
Shabba Ranks – Dem Bow
El Alfa, CJ, Chael Produciendo, El Cherry Scom – La Mamá de la Mamá
Bad Bunny – Me Fui de Vacaciones
Bad Bunny, Bomba Estéreo – Ojitos Lindos
Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto – The Girl From Ipanema
Bad Bunny – Si Veo a Tu Mamá
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Dec 13, 2022 |
The soft sounds of Kali Uchis (live from Vulture Fest)
1923
Through crafting a unique, cross-cultural sound, Kali Uchis has emerged as one of indie music’s most promising talents. From playing in jazz band as a kid to collaborating with Bootsy Collins and Kaytranada, the Grammy Award-winning artist has managed to take her bilingual, one-of-a-kind music to the Billboard charts while still keeping her DIY ethos. At this year’s Vulture Fest live in Los Angeles, host Charlie Harding talked with Uchis about her career, her songcraft and her two upcoming albums: one in Spanish and one in English.
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Dec 06, 2022 |
Why do new Christmas songs fail?
1669
In case you missed it last year: why are there no new Christmas songs? One one hand, there's more holiday songs than we’ll ever need. Every year pop stars drop countless holiday-themed album.
But despite the annual glut of Christmas releases, few of these new songs join the rotation of holiday classics. On Billboard's Holiday Hot 100 chart right now, there's only four songs from the past ten years that have made it to the top fifty.
We listen to each of these holiday hits—from Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and the Jonas Brothers—and and ask if these songs can go the distance and become the 21st century members of the Christmas music canon.
Songs Discussed - Playlist
Kelly Clarkson - Underneath the Tree
Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me
Justin Bieber - Mistletoe
Jonas Brothers - Like It's Christmas
The Bird and the Bee - You and I at Christmas Time
Loretta Lynn - White Christmas Blue
Woody Goss - One for One
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 8 Days of Hannukah
Jenny Owen Youngs, Tancred, John Mark Nelson - Fireside
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Nov 29, 2022 |
The Art of Flow
2203
In hip-hop, what draws us to an artist is not just the content of their lyrics but how they deliver them. Along with tapping your foot to the rhythm, understanding something called “flow” is essential to understanding hip-hop as a whole.
In this episode of Switched On Pop, we interview genre icon DJ Jazzy Jeff on the concept of flow: what it is, how it applies to all music – not just hip-hop – and how any rapper’s flow can be analyzed under his guidelines. Taking his word for it, we put our magnifying glasses on to look at the bars of our favorite rappers, from Megan thee Stallion to Babytron.
Songs Discussed:
The Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa
Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
A Tribe Called Quest - The Hop
Danger Mouse, Black Thought - Aquamarine
BabyTron - Crocs & Wock’
RXKNephew - Take Three
JID - Better Days (feat. Johnta Austin)
Megan Thee Stallion - Not Nice
Megan Thee Stallion - Cocky Af
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Nov 22, 2022 |
Willow Smith rocks harder
1561
Coping Mechanism, Willow's new album, is her heaviest music yet. Charlie and Willow chat about the making of the new record and the many multitudes of rock music.
Music Discussed
The Anxiety - Meet Me At Our Spot
Willow - Maybe It's My Fault, UR Town, Human Leach, PrettyGirlz, Lipstick, Why, Breakout, Hover Like a Goddess, Curious/Furious, Ur A Stranger
Yungblood - Memories (with Willow)
Deftones - Sextape
Radiohead - I Will
Straight Line Stitch - What You Do To Me
Killswitch Engage - My Curse
Lamb of God - Redneck
Primus - Lacquer Head
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Nov 15, 2022 |
The Sound of Sapphism
2025
Tegan & Sara and King Princess have found themselves placed under the banner, "sapphic pop," a term recently coined referring to music by and/or for sapphics (a.k.a. women or femme folks attracted to other femme folks). Journalist Emma Madden defines the folk-inspired sound as having a “soft tactile approach” that’s “more sensual than it is sexual.” This umbrella folds in everyone from indie pop veterans Tegan & Sara to nonbinary artists like King Princess; even artists like Hozier and Sufjan Stevens are, improbably, considered sapphic pop, with their music having the same sonic qualities of other songs dedicated to feminine yearning.
From articles popping up in multiple news outlets to the majority of Taylor Swift’s openers for this upcoming tour (looking at MUNA, girl in red, and Phoebe Bridgers, specifically), the terminology of “sapphic pop” has come to define a scene almost out of nowhere.
This week on Switched On Pop, we explore exactly what sapphic pop is, where it came from, and how artists feel about it – even asking Tegan & Sara and King Princess directly. You can listen wherever you get podcasts.
Songs discussed
Clairo – Sofia
King Princess – Talia
girl in red – i wanna be your girlfriend
Hozier – Cherry Wine (live)
Alex G – Sarah
The Velvet Underground – I Found A Reason
Sufjan Stevens – To Be Alone With You
Cris Williamson – Shine On Straight Arrow
Jaylib, Madlib, J Dilla – The Red
Taylor Swift – betty
Brittany Howard – Georgia
MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers – Silk Chiffon
Tegan & Sara – Call It Off
Tegan & Sara – Smoking Weed Alone
King Princess – 1950
King Princess – I Hate Myself, I Want To Party
King Princess – Pussy is God
Kate Bush – Why Should I Love You?
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Nov 08, 2022 |
Scary Pockets funkify pop classics (with Lizzy McAlpine)
2025
Scary Pockets is the musical collective that has been transforming pop classics into funk anthems for over half a decade. Each week they release a new cover on YouTube featuring razor-sharp instrumentalists and a rotating cast of virtuosic lead singers. Amazingly, each of their 200-plus covers is arranged on the fly, in a span of about 90 minutes—capturing the talent and spontaneity of a group of musicians at the top of their game. We here at Switched on Pop were struck by the band's ability to infuse familiar songs with syncopation and backbeat, and rack up millions of views in the process, so we reached out to Scary Pockets's leaders—guitarist Ryan Lerman and keyboardist Jack Conte—to arrange for Nate and Reanna to be flies on the wall during their creative process. After documenting the behind-the-scenes dialogue that led to a slow-burning interpretation of the Bee Gees's 1977 classic "Staying Alive," we called up Ryan, Jack, and the song's lead vocalist, Lizzy McAlpine, to hear their insights on making a song that everyone knows sound fresh and unfamiliar
Songs Discussed
Bee Gees - Staying Alive (Scary Pockets Cover)
Paul McCartney and Wings - Arrow Through Me (Scary Pockets Cover)
Beatles - Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Coldplay - Fix You (Scary Pockets Cover)
Parcels - Tieduprightnow
Bill Withers - Just the Two of Us (Scary Pockets Cover)
Justin Bieber - Peaches (Lizzy McAlpine Cover)
More on Scary Pockets
Watch the video of Scary Pockets and Lizzy McAlpine covering "Staying Alive"
See them LIVE with David Ryan Harris & John Scofield, November 16 at Echoplex in Los Angeles! Tickets
Subscribe to their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/scarypockets
Merch Store: https://www.scarypocketsfunk.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scarypockets
Listen on Spotify: Scary Pockets
Instagram: @scarypockets
Musician Credits:
Vocals: Lizzy McAlpine
BGVs: Sophia James, Arielle Kasnetz
Guitar: Ryan Lerman, Will Graefe
Wurlitzer & Synth: Jack Conte
Bass: Travis Carlton
Drums: RJ Kelly
Audio: Engineered & mixed by Caleb Parker
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Nov 01, 2022 |
Up late with Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’
2297
A Taylor Swift album is just not a collection of new music, it’s an exploration of a theme. For the last eight years, each release has embodied a single idea. Reputation marked a turn to the dark side, Lover a return to the light, and her pair of albums Folklore and Evermore painted acoustic, fictional landscapes. Each album propels fans to find covert lyrical connections to her personal life, and easter eggs to past compositions.
Whereas Swift's pop star contemporaries have focused their energies on becoming business moguls, Swift has gone deeper into songwriting and receiving accolades in the process. In September 2022, the Nashville Songwriting Association International awarded Swift the Songwriter of the Decade award. In her acceptance speech she says, “writing songs is my life’s work and my hobby and my never-ending thrill.”
Now she continues that thrill collaborating with her frequent producing partner and friend of the show, Jack Antonoff, on Midnights, her 10th studio album (not counting her recent “Taylor’s version” re-recordings of past releases). On Midnights Swift builds a lyrical and sonic world that takes place across “13 sleepless nights.” Nate and Charlie listen closely to hear how she constructs this late night feeling.
More
Nate’s article on “Taylor Swift and the Work of Songwriting” for the Contemporary Music Review Journal
John Hull's Soundfly course on Advanced Synths and Patch Design for Producers
Music Discussed:
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero, Lavender Haze, Maroon, Question, Snow On the Beach, Mastermind, Bejeweled, Vigilante Shit, Labyrinth, Midnight Rain, You’re On Your Own Kid, You Belong With Me, Stay
Kevin “Reese” Saunderson - Just Want Another Chance
Ray “Renegade” Keith - Terrorist P.A. Mix
Burial - Archangel
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Oct 24, 2022 |
Steve Lacy brings bedroom pop to the Billboard top
2091
It’s the song that launched a thousand TikTok videos – or over 500,000 to be exact: Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit.”
The track is a smooth, psychedelia tinged ode to yearning, currently spending its third week on the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Lacy is an artist dedicated to shifting form and convention, from his records with alternative R&B band The Internet to his productions for artists like Mac Miller and Vampire Weekend. Even in his solo work, his songs are unpredictable, deftly moving through genre in the vein of artists like Prince and Stevie Wonder.
“Bad Habit” specifically, though, is rooted in the genre of bedroom pop, a scene slowly gaining mainstream traction. With this track, Lacy is taking the sound that’s seeped through TikTok and Spotify to the top of the charts. On this episode of Switched On Pop, we dig deep into Lacy's career and his ability to craft immaculate melodies.
Songs Discussed:
Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras, “Unholy”
The Internet, “Dontcha”
The Internet, “Special Affair”
The Internet, “Palace/Curse (feat. Tyler, The Creator & Steve Lacy)
Steve Lacy, “C U Girl”
Steve Lacy, “Dark Red”
Steve Lacy, “Only If”
Steve Lacy, “Like Me”
Steve Lacy, “Playground”
Steve Lacy, “Static”
Stevie Wonder, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”
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Oct 18, 2022 |
Why it hurts to release a record (with Sylvan Esso)
2860
Earlier this year, the members of Sylvan Esso took a gamble, making their "most free and wild and strange" album yet: No Rules Sandy. And to add to the overall theme of lawlessness, Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn decided to do something equally as free and radical: they decided to forgo the typical multi-year album cycle as well as a standard promo campaign. While wrapped in what Amelia calls a “PR cocoon,” she began to think about the less tangible aspects of the album rollout process, and wanted to enlist other musicians (as well as Switched On Pop) in exploring certain aspects of what it means to be an artist to answer the question: why does it hurt to release records?
Songs Discussed
Sylvan Esso - Your Reality
Sylvan Esso - Cloud Walker
Sylvan Esso - Didn’t Care
Sylvan Esso - Look At Me
Sylvan Esso - How Did You Know
Sylvan Esso - Sunburn
MUNA - Number One Fan
MUNA - Silk Chiffon
MUNA - What I Want
Bartees Strange - Heavy Heart
Bartees Strange - Co Signs
Bartees Strange - Hennessy
Wilco - Cruel Country
Maggie Rogers - Alaska
Maggie Rogers - That’s Where I Am
Maggie Rogers - Anywhere with You
Maggie Rogers - Want Want
Maggie Rogers - Begging for Rain
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Oct 11, 2022 |
Santigold sings Spirituals
1596
After a four-year hiatus – and a name drop on a Beyoncé remix – musical polymath Santigold is back with a brand new album. Known for her signature blend of genre-defying songcraft, the artist’s fourth studio album Spirituals is one of her most artistically challenging projects yet. It’s another venture into what she does best: addressing heavy themes through toe-tapping melodies. From Nate’s personal favorite, 2016’s “Can’t Get Enough of Myself,” to “My Horror,” a pan-genre sonic vision has always been present in her career. On this episode of Switched On Pop, Santigold speaks about her new record, being a mother, and the emotions that went into making Spirituals.
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Oct 04, 2022 |
The future of music pt I
2033
In part 1 of our Vergecast: Future of Music series, Alex Cranz talks with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding about the trends in music today that make new songs out of old material, and whether it's foreshadowing the future of pop.
Further reading:
Selena Quintanilla Will Sound Older on Her New Posthumous Album
Michael Jackson songs removed from streaming services to 'move beyond' fake vocals controversy
Shred with Green Day, with some help from AudioShake
Invasion of the Vibe Snatchers
Music discussed:
Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti - Selena
My Way - Frank Sinatra
I'll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday
We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus
bad guy - Billie Eilish
Through The Wire - Kanye West
Breaking News - Michael Jackson
Real Love - The Beatles
Free As A Bird - The Beatles
2000 Light Years Away - Green Day
Betty (Get Money) - Yung Gravy
Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club
Fantasy - Mariah Carey
Big Energy - Latto
I'm Good (Blue) - David Guetta, Bebe Rexha
Bang Bang - Rita Ora, Imanbek
Higher Love - Kygo, Whitney Houston
Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa
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Sep 27, 2022 |
Lady Gaga & The Pequeños Monstruos
1960
After an enlightening experience at Lady Gaga's Chromatica Ball, producer Reanna Cruz takes a look at the connection between Gaga's music and the Latin sounds she's engaged with over the years, from traditional rancheras to the rhythm of reggaeton.
Songs discussed:
Lady Gaga, “Alejandro”
Ace of Base, “Don’t Turn Around”
ABBA, “Chiquitita – Spanish Version”
Madonna, “La Isla Bonita”
Rihanna, “Te Amo”
Vittorio Monti, Sarah Nemtanu, Chilly Gonzales, “Csárdás”
Lady Gaga, “Americano”
Rosemary Clooney, The Mellomen, “Mambo Italiano (with the Mellomen)”
Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, “Despacito”
La Flavour, “Mandolay”
Lady Gaga, “Dancin’ In Circles”
Alejandro Fernández, “Como Quien Pierde una Estrella”
Pedro Fernández, “Yo…El Aventurero”
Lola Beltran, “Cucurrucucu Paloma”
War, “Cinco de Mayo”
Santana, The Product G&B, “Maria Maria (feat. The Product G&B)”
Lady Gaga, “Dancin’ In Circles”
Justin Bieber, “Sorry”
French Montana, Swae Lee, “Unforgettable”
Tego Calderon, “Pa’ Que Retozen”
Rosalia, J Balvin, “Con Altura”
Juan Gabriel, “Abrázame Muy Fuerte”
Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Arca, “Rain On Me – Arca Remix”
Lady Gaga, “Fun Tonight”
Lady Gaga, Pabllo Vittar, “Fun Tonight – Pabllo Vittar Remix”
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Sep 20, 2022 |
Invasion of the Vibe Snatchers
1615
Why do so many songs sound familiar? Because the number of chart topping interpolations — songs built off of old hits — has roughly doubled in the five years. It’s everywhere, you can’t escape because many people are embracing it.
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Sep 13, 2022 |
Into It: Song of Summer 2022
1029
Who had the song of the summer? Sam Sanders chats with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding and Reanna Cruz about whose song (and album) is in the running: Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Lizzo, or Kate Bush?
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Sep 06, 2022 |
Learning to love the Killers (maybe)
1967
Are you like Nate? Is there one artist that, every time you hear them, you can't help it—you start to grimace, sweat, seethe. You can't explain it, but there's something about them that you just. can't. stand. For Nate, that band is the Killers. Lots of people love this band, they've been around for almost two decades, they're practically an institution! So why can't he get past his hang up? Charlie and Reanna step in to help break down what it is about the Killers that rankles their normally open-eared colleague so, and then step back to consider what it is that makes us think we hate the bands we do—and whether we can change those opinions.
Songs Discussed
The Killers - Human, All These Things That I've Done, When You Were Young, Mr. Brightside, Deadlines and Commitments, Where the White Boys Dance, boy, Shot at the Night, The Man, Tranquilize
Ariana Grande and Zedd - Break Free
Erasure - A Little Respect
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Aug 30, 2022 |
K-Pop Chartbreakers: BLACKPINK, Girls’ Generation, NewJeans, IVE
2052
A lot has happened in the world of Kpop this summer, from Girls’ Generation sugar coated banger “Forever 1” marking a triumphant return from a five year hiatus, to the ascendance of newcomers NewJeans, whose R&B infused sounds have quickly taken over the charts. But it's the return of BLACKPINK that has lit up the world literally in pink. Get a full deep dive on the songs at the top of the Kpop charts on the latest episode of Switched On Pop, where hosts Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan speak with journalist Kristine Kwak.
Songs Discussed
Psy, SUGA - That That
J-hope - MORE
BLACKPINK - Pink Venom
Girls’ Generation
IVE - LOVE DIVE
NewJeans - Attention
SWV - I’m So Into You
Rihanna - Pon De Replay
Missy Elliot - Work It
50 Cent - Just A Lil Bit
Taylor Swift “Look What You Made Me Do”
Panjabi MC, JAY-Z - Mundian to Bach Ke
Britney Spears, Madonna - Me Against the Music
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around
Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It’s Hot
Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Rock
The Notorious B.I.G. - Kick in the Door
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Aug 23, 2022 |
Demi Lovato Searches for "Substance" In Pop-Punk Perfection
1508
Demi Lovato has found herself in many avenues over the past few years – from releasing a tell-all documentary to uncovering extraterrestrials – but 2022 finds them traveling back in time to the sound of the late 90’s and early 2000’s: pop-punk. On this episode of Switched On Pop, we check out her two latest singles, “Skin of My Teeth” and “Substance,” and through focusing on the latter, pull out what, exactly, pop-punk is, and how Demi embodies the genre’s ever-evolving sound in their new track.
Songs Discussed:
Demi Lovato - Substance
Demi Lovato - Skin of My Teeth
Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
Demi Lovato - La La Land
Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
Turnstile - MYSTERY
Bring Me The Horizon - Chelsea Smile
Blink-182 - Dysentery Gary
Misfits - Astro Zombies
My Chemical Romance - Astro Zombies
Blink-182 - What’s My Age Again
WILLOW, Travis Barker - t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Machine Gun Kelly - bloody valentine
Citizen - Stain
La Dispute - Such Small Hands
Mom Jeans - Edward 40hands
Rise Against - Savior
NOFX - Whoa on the Whoas
Jarrod Alonge, Sunrise Skater Kids - Pop Punk Pizza Party
Paramore - For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic
Fall Out Boy - Of All The Gin Joints In The World
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
The Police - Message in a Bottle
Modern Baseball - Tears Over Beers
Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness
Good Charlotte - The Anthem
The Offspring - The Kids Aren’t Alright
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Aug 16, 2022 |
Beyoncé's ‘Renaissance’ Era
1903
Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance is one of her most ambitious albums yet. On this week’s episode of Switched On Pop, we discuss Renaissance with beloved guest Sam Sanders, host of the new Vulture podcast Into It. In Sanders’ words: “it’s trying to do a lot” – but in the best way. The album incorporates seemingly every decade of contemporary popular dance music from Chic’s “Good Times” to Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.”
Much of the early discourse surrounding the album was marred by a confusing controversy over a small sample (we try to resolve the issue musicologically) – but the references on Renaissance are worth listening closely to, acting as a guide through essential dance music. The album is an homage to the black and queer innovators of dance; with samples and interpolations of songs both niche and mainstream flying by, like a DJ set curated by house music pioneers.
On Renaissance, Beyoncé goes out of her way to cite, credit and compensate her influences, resulting in a triumph of musical curation. Just look at “Alien Superstar”: the song credits twenty-four people, largely due to Beyoncé’s musical nods, rather than an exercise in boardroom style songwriting. Sanders says “the liner notes themselves are showing you that this woman and her team have a PhD in music history.”
Listen to Switched On Pop to hear how Renaissance honors dance music innovators and finds new modes of expression in the genre.
Subscribe to Into It with Sam Sanders
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vE4jqf
Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3bB7Vmf
Listen elsewhere: https://bit.ly/3BI0Nz0
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Aug 09, 2022 |
Into It: The Business of Beyoncé
2348
Subscribe to Into It with Sam Sanders
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vE4jqf
Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3bB7Vmf
Listen elsewhere: https://bit.ly/3BI0Nz0
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Aug 05, 2022 |
"It's About Damn Time" for Another Lizzo #1
1830
In the middle of a long, hot summer 2022, the people have spoken, and the people want to dance. Lizzo's "About Damn Time" just replaced Harry Styles's "As It Was" to become the top song on the Billboard Hot 100. Powered by retro instrumentation, a propulsive groove, meme-worthy lyrics, and a generous dose of slash chords (not the Guns 'n Roses guitarist, the harmonic voicing), Lizzo's hit song marks a deepening of the sound she established in past tracks like "Juice." But on other tracks from her latest album Special, Lizzo aims for new aesthetics. "Coldplay"—featuring a rare Chris Martin vocal sample—opts for emotional honestly over pithy affirmations. With the upbeat "Grrrls," Lizzo found herself in an online controversy: she had used a ableist slur in the song's lyrics. Taking the criticism as an opportunity to learn, Lizzo chose to replace the offensive line—but have other artists of pop's past always followed suit when met with fan feedback?
Songs Discussed
Lizzo - About Damn Time, Juice, Coldplay, Grrrls
Daft Punk, Pharrel Williams - Lose Yourself to Dance
Michael Jackson - Rock With You, They Don’t Care About Us
Quelle Chris, Chris Keys - Sudden Death
Coldplay - Yellow
Beastie Boys - Girls, Sure Shot
Taylor Swift - Picture to Burn
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Orville Peck - Born This Way
Ella Fitzgerald - How Long Has This Been Going On
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Aug 02, 2022 |
Elvis, Big Mama Thornton, Doja Cat, and the Long Legacy of “Hound Dog”
1434
Baz Luhrmann’s hit box office hit biopic Elvis has spurred new interest in the music of The King. Elvis Presley’s streaming subscribers has grown by two million listeners on Spotify since the film’s release according to ChartMetric, and if you’re hearing a lot more “Hound Dog” these days, it might be partially due to the success of Doja Cat’s hit song “Vegas,” which updates – and interpolates – the song for contemporary listeners.
Doja Cat’s version samples from the original 1953 “Hound Dog,” sung by Big Mama Thornton and written by acclaimed songwriter team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (whose credits also include Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” and Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me”). The original is a sauntering blues song with a raunchy tale about a two timing man; Presley, who is frequently said to have stolen the song from Thorton, instead sings a tepid lyric about an actual dog, and radically changes the groove.
But in an interview with Rolling Stone, Stoller says Presley didn’t steal the song at all. Rather, he adapted one of many covers of the song, specifically the version performed by the Las Vegas lounge act Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Their “Hound Dog” borrows its upbeat rhythm from a song responding to the original “Hound Dog,” titled “Bear Cat.” It’s a similar rhythm to the one we hear on the contemporary Doja Cat version, “Vegas,” which heavily features samples of Thornton’s original vocals: listening closely reveals a song that synthesizes a complicated music history by uniting the best parts of the many versions of “Hound Dog.”
Listen to the latest episode of Switched On Pop and uncover the long legacy of “Hound Dog.”
Songs Discussed
Big Mama Thorton - Hound Dog
Elvis - Hound Dog
Doja Cat - Vegas
Esther Phillips - Hound Dog
Jack Turner - Hound Dog
Rufus Thomas - Bear Cat
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
T.L.C. - No Scrubs
Sporty Thievz - No Pigeons
W.C. Handy - St. Louis Blues
Duke Ellington - Conga brava
Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Didn’t It Rain
Fats Domino - Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Dave Bartholomew - Country Boy
Little Richard - Slipping’ And Sliding’
Jack Harlow - Dua Lipa
Future - Puffin on Zootiez
Hitkidd, Gorilla - F.N.F. (Let’s Go)
Bad Bunny - Después de la Playa
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Jul 26, 2022 |
We Won’t Go Back: Pop Music and the Fight For Reproductive Rights (w MILCK and Ann Powers)
1821
On June 24th 2022 the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v Wade and asserting that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion.
The decision marked a seismic moment in politics and culture that has affected everyone’s lives, and the world of pop music is no exception. Musicians started responding immediately, from Cher to Olivia Rodrigo: on social media, at their shows, and in their music. Critic Ann Powers has been chronicling the reactions in a running list at NPR, and she joins in the second half of the episode to talk about the long history of artists speaking out—and singing—about reproductive rights.
One artist who wasted no time responding to the Dobbs decision is the singer and songwriter Connie Lim, aka MILCK. Her song “We Won’t Go Back,” composed with Biianco, Autumn Rowe, and Ani DeFranco, came about after Politico published an article in May with the leaked draft of the Dobbs decision, telling the world in no uncertain terms that the Supreme Court was considering striking down Roe. MILCK found herself protesting in D.C., this time with her camera ready. The chants she heard there became the first sonic element of “We Won’t Go Back.”
Songs Discussed
MILCK, Biianco, Autumn Rowe, Ani DeFranco - We Won’t Go Back
MILCK - Quiet
Ani DeFranco - Play God
Poison Girls - Mandy Is Having a Baby
Cyndi Lauper - Sally’s Pigeons
Leslie Gore - You Don’t Own Me
Robyn - Giving You Back
Joni Mitchell - Little Green
L7 - Pretend We’re Dead
Everlast - What It’s Like
Madonna - Papa Don’t Preach
Lauryn Hill - To Zion
Megan Thee Stallion - Plan B
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Jul 19, 2022 |
Harry Styles and the Sledgehammer Horns
1496
As we hit the dog days of summer, the artist that’s started to soundtrack pool parties across the country is former One Direction bandmate and contemporary sex symbol Harry Styles.
In May, Styles released Harry’s House, an album propelled by the number one hit “As It Was.” Despite having critical and commercial success, a barb often thrown at the album is the idea of it being inoffensive: pleasant, “easy listening” music apt for an elevator, grocery store or, perhaps, a sushi restaurant.
Fans of Styles have warmly accepted this, and have come to love his sly appreciation of different decades of pop music history. This latest album reveals an interesting connection to one era in particular: the 1980s and the percussive, full-bodied horn sections that came with it.
The first track on Harry’s House, “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” offers a whole chorus of just horns, in an homage to one of Styles’s musical touchstones, Peter Gabriel. These 80s “sledgehammer horns” connect to a deep well of 80s grooves—from Lionel Richie's "Up All Night" to Janet Jackson and Herb Alpert's "Diamonds," —as Styles's strives to achieve the same effortless funk and propulsion of his brassy icons.
MORE
Sledgehammer Horns playlist
Every Olivia Wilde reference Vulture found on Harry’s House
Songs Discussed
Harry Styles - As It Was, Music for a Sushi Restaurant, Daydreaming
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
Lionel Richie - Up All Night
Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
Sheila E. - The Glamorous Life
Steve Winwood - Higher Love
Janet Jackson and Herb Alpert - Diamonds
Herb Alpert - Rise
Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
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Jul 12, 2022 |
ICYMI: The 90s’ Most Unlikely Hit (with Baz Luhrmann)
3182
In 1999 filmmaker Baz Luhrmann released the song “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen,” a 7-minute-long graduation speech set to downtempo electronic music. It was a highly unlikely hit that made its way across continents and eventually into the ears of a young Avery Trufelman via the album NOW That’s What I Call Music Volume 2. For over 20 years, Trufelman has applied the song’s advice to her daily life: “wear sunscreen… be nice to your siblings… do one thing every day that scares you.” This unusual song has left a lasting impression, and yet for Trufelman, it makes no sense that “The Sunscreen Song” was commercially successful. We investigate the song’s many architects — novelist Kurt Vonnegut, Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich and Baz Luhrmann himself — to unpack one of the internet’s first conspiracy theories that turned into Billboard’s greatest outlier.
We need your help. We are conducting a short audience survey to help plan for our future and hear from you. To participate, head to vox.com/podsurvey, and thank you!
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Jul 05, 2022 |
Beyoncé's House
1938
The world stops with a Beyoncé drop. On Monday, June 20th, our prayers were answered with “Break My Soul,” the lead single off of her upcoming album, Renaissance. The song draws from several places of inspiration: lyrically, it’s a cathartic dance-floor ode to liberation, soundtracking the current cultural moment that some have called the “Great Resignation.” Sonically, though, “Break My Soul” is Beyoncé’s foray into house music – a genre that the chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Jason King, summarizes as “a highly rhythmic dance music created by mostly Black and brown artists in the late 1970s and early 1980s,” propelled by a fanbase of queer and trans communities of color. There’s been an undeniable buzz that Beyoncé is “bringing house music back.” And from Charli XCX to Drake, it does feel like house music is currently having a moment in mainstream pop music, paralleling the original rise of the subculture from the ruins of disco. But the genre “has always been here,” in King’s words, and has decades of history. In this episode of Switched On Pop, we unpack house music – and how Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” fits into the genre.
Songs Discussed
Beyoncé - “BREAK MY SOUL”
Beyoncé - “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Drake - “Falling Back”
Thelma Houston - “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
Robin S - “Show Me Love”
Bob Sinclair, Steve Edwards - “World Hold On (Children of the sky)”
Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj - “Swish Swish”
Charli XCX - “Used To Know Me”
Livin’ Joy - “Don’t Stop Movin’”
Mr. Fingers - “Can You Feel It”
Madonna - “Vogue”
Black Box - “Ride on Time”
CeCe Peniston - “Finally”
Aqua - “Barbie Girl”
Big Freedia - “Explode”
Beyoncé - “Formation”
Drake - “Nice For What”
Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers - “Get Lucky”
Destiny’s Child - “Say My Name - Maurice’s Last Days Of Disco Millennium Mix”
Beyoncè - “FIND YOUR WAY BACK”
Madonna - “Deeper and Deeper”
Janet Jackson - “Together Again”
C & C Music Factory - “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
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Jun 28, 2022 |
Robert Glasper on jazz, basketball, and his score for "Winning Time"
1469
Robert Glasper is the only artist to have an album debut in the top 10 of 4 different Billboard charts. He's a musical polymath whose resume ranges from Kendrick Lamar to Herbie Hancock. At the piano, he serves up jazz licks worthy of Mary Lou Williams before segueing into a Nirvana cover. Glasper brings his diverse skill set to bear on his latest project, the score for the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, composed in collaboration with "Succession" soundtracker Nicholas Britell. It's not just Glasper's musical chops that made him the perfect candidate for the gig: in a past life, he was a baller himself. Nate spoke with Glasper about crafting the sound of the 1980s, improvising soundtrack themes on the spot, and what jazz and basketball have in common.
Songs Discussed
Robert Glasper - Over, FTB, "Winning Time" and "The Photograph" Themes
Nicholas Britell - "Succession" and "Moonlight" Themes
Morris Day and The Time - Get It Up
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Jun 21, 2022 |
Scoring Stranger Things with Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
1315
We recently deconstructed how Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” has found itself at the center of culture due to a placement in the Netflix, eighties, horror, sci-fi show, Stranger Things. For that episode we excerpted an interview with the composers of the show who shared great insights on how they created the iconic theme song and spooky soundscape for the most streamed show of 2022. But we want to share the full conversation with you because they have equally cheeky as well as valuable musical offerings to share. Surprisingly, this show steeped in 80s nostalgia, has a more contemporary soundtrack than you you might think.
Songs Discussed
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Stranger Things, Photos in the Woods, He’s Here, Soldiers, Agents, Starcourt
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer Theme Song
John Carpenter - Night
Vangelis - Main Titles (Blade Runner)
S U R V I V E - A.H.B.
S U R V I V E - High Rise
Merzbow - Woodpecker No.1
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Jun 16, 2022 |
Kate Bush, Stranger Things, and a hit song four decades in the making
1873
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” enters the latest season of Stranger Things during a brooding high-school hallway scene right out of the John Hughes playbook, and it has since bounded up the charts, hitting No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and performing better now than when it peaked at No. 30 upon release. Stranger Things, whose latest season has logged more viewer minutes for Netflix than any other English-language release to date, has leaned heavily on ’80s nostalgia since its premiere in 2016: Its iconic theme song is reminiscent of John Carpenter B-movies, and, in an email, used-instrument resale site Reverb.com tells us the show has boosted interest in analog synthesizers.
“Running Up That Hill,” then, is a natural fit for the show, and it plays a pivotal, spoiler-ridden plot point in the show, requiring us to hear the hook multiple times throughout the season — a perfect earworm. But its success is owed to more than just repetition. It waffles between major and minor, and the show’s composers, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, told Switched on Pop that both it and the rest of the Stranger Things score have “moments of darkness and lightness in it, constantly trading places.” Plus, they’re composed from the same set of instruments: classic synthesizers and drum machines like the LinnDrum. The song is part and parcel with the soundtrack itself: “There’s these little melodies that we always refer to as ‘And then the Kate Bush part comes in,’” Dixon says.
Listen to Switched On Pop to hear how Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” is an exquisite song placement and hear how it blends seamlessly with the Stranger Things soundtrack.
MORE
Check out Reverb Machine’s sounds of Kate Bush
Reverb.com made a tutorial on the synth sounds of Stranger Things
The story of the Kate Bush renaissance from The Ringer
Songs Discussed
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Stranger Things
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie
Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut To The Feeling
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
Prince - When Doves Cry
Phil Collins - Sussudio
Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer Theme Song
John Carpenter - Night
S U R V I V E - A.H.B.
S U R V I V E - High Rise
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Eggo in the Snow
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - She Wants Me to Find Her
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Starcourt
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Eight Fifteen
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Boys and Girls
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - The Ceiling is Beautiful
Kate Bush - Waking the Witch
Kate Bush - Hammer Horror
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Jun 14, 2022 |
So your song went viral on TikTok. What’s next?
2045
On TikTok, pop stars — Halsey, FKA Twigs, and Florence Welch among them — have been complaining a lot lately about their labels forcing them to make TikToks. As people spent the early part of the pandemic staring at their phones instead of flocking to concerts, the short-form-video social-media platform upended music discovery. In many cases, it gave unknown musicians a pathway to enormous audiences and allowed them to burst into the mainstream on the backs of their TikTok hits.
It’s a story as old as the music industry itself: No-name musician gets big overnight and lands a record deal. But until recently, it’s been hard to say just how big and how overnight, so Estelle Caswell from Vox and Matt Daniels from The Pudding spent seven months manually compiling and interrogating the data of who went viral, who got signed, and whose careers dropped off. Their resulting short documentary, We Tracked What Happens After TikTok Songs Go Viral, is a definitive dive into the 2020 class of viral TikTok stars.
Although the platform is clearly a dominant force in new-music discovery, they found that streaming music is still overwhelmingly dominated by legacy artists. And since these established acts are now competing for the same eyeballs as their lesser-known colleagues on TikTok, it’s getting harder and harder for the latter to break out. So what happens after you go viral on TikTok? Listen to Switched On Pop to find out.
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Jun 07, 2022 |
The 1980s jam that gave Latto and Mariah Carey Big D*** Energy
1644
If you've heard Latto's swaggering track "Big Energy"—and after 30 weeks on the Hot 100, you probably have—you may have heard a resemblance to Mariah Carey's 1995 hit "Fantasy." That's because both songs borrow a groove from the 1981 hit "Genius of Love," a genre-defying smash made by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. "Genius of Love" was made when Frantz and Weymouth took a break from playing in the band Talking Heads to let loose at the Island Records studio in the Bahamas with the help of some reggae luminaries. The original "Genius of Love" mashed up funk, new wave, disco, and rap, capturing the diverse sounds of 1980s downtown New York City, shouting out their musical influences in the process. From there, the song wended its way through hit after hit, from Grandmaster Flash to "Return of the Mack." Why does "Genius of Love" continue to spark musicians', and audience's, imaginations forty years after its release? Tune in to find out.
Songs Discussed
Latto - Big Energy
Mariah Carey - Fantasy
Mariah Carey ft Ol Dirty Bastard - Fantasy (Remix)
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
Grandmaster and the Furious Five - It's Nasty
Busta Rhymes and Erykah Badu - One
Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
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May 31, 2022 |
Kendrick Lamar and the big samples
1861
It’s been five years since Kendrick Lamar released his Pulitzer winning album DAMN. Having established himself as a modern rap virtuoso whose songs have become anthems fueling social movements, expectations run high for his latest release. So when he dropped his new album Mr Morale and the Big Steppers, people tuned in - it is the biggest album drop of 2022 so far. Lamar moves his focus presumably from the societal to the personal on the double LP. His words arrive seemingly from therapy sessions meditating on family, infidelity, and the healing power of nature. The album has some bumps: platforming artists with a problematic past and an inelegant attempt at LGBTQ+ allyship. But nothing on the record is quite straight forward. Lamar doesn’t always say exactly what he means. He frequently shifts voices and puts on different characters. In musical interludes on the record, the sound of tap dancers points to the performative nature of recored music. Rather than give us direct meaning Kendrick leaves breadcrumbs for us to follow. To unravel his lyrics its necessarily to also examine the underlying production. The samples on Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers aren’t used just for their sound, in many cases they unlock the song’s meaning. Switched On Pop picked six stand out samples for close listening to hear the intent hidden in the music.
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May 24, 2022 |
Modern Classics: PJ Morton made Nas’s Stevie Wonder dream come true
1762
On all of his projects — Grammy-winning albums, playing keys with Maroon 5, fronting a full string section in his NPR Tiny Desk Concert — PJ Morton evinces his mastery at updating classic soul and R&B with modern sounds. His latest full-length release, Watch the Sun, sees him joined by some of his own sources of inspiration, Stevie Wonder and Nas. The three combined forces on Morton’s track “Be Like Water,” which recites an uplifting mantra over unsettled harmonies. The effect is hypnotizing. Morton spoke with Switched on Pop about what it was like to work with his heroes and to share overlooked modern classics from Wonder’s and Nas’s catalogs.
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May 17, 2022 |
Will Ukraine win Eurovision 2022?
1739
Greece, Spain, UK, Sweden, Italy and Ukraine are the frontrunners in the 2022 Eurovision competition. Switched On Pop analyzes the top six songs as well as some of the more oddball picks.
Songs Discussed
Amanda Tenfjord - Die Together
Chanel - SloMo
Britney Spears - Work Bitch
Sam Ryder - SPACE MAN
Elton John - Rocket Man
Cornelia Jakobs - Hold Me Closer
Zdob și Zdub - Trenulețul
Citi Zēni - Give The Wolf A Banana
Mahmood, BLANCO - Brividi
Bad Bunny, Jhay Cortez - DÁKITI
Kalush Orchestra - Stefania
Stephane & 3G - We Don't Wanna Put In
Піккардійська Терція - Гей, пливе кача
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May 10, 2022 |
Belle and Sebastian on the value of staying "young and stupid"
1694
Belle and Sebastian released the first album Tigermilk in 1996, and they’ve released eight more since—a catalog that helped define the sound of rock and indie in the new millennium through buoyant melodies and verbose lyrics.
Their new album, A Bit of Previous, continues to refine their unique sound but also embraces new musical directions. We spoke to Stuart Murdoch, leader of the 7-piece band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, about their latest project.
Songs Discussed
Belle and Sebastian - Young and Stupid, Unnecessary Drama, If They're Shooting at You
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May 03, 2022 |
The New Alternative
1878
Last month, Nirvana entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in nearly two decades — only their fifth time in history — thanks to a comic-book movie. The band’s 1991 track “Something in the Way” was heavily featured in The Batman, whose director, Matt Reeves, said Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain inspired Robert Pattinson’s brooding performance as the caped crusader. Plus, Cobain’s music influenced the film’s score: Michael Giacchino references the dirge-like chords of “Something in the Way,” borrowed from Chopin’s famous funeral march, throughout The Batman’s soundtrack. While these musical motifs obviously pair well with the inner turmoil of a fledgling Batman, the sound is part of a larger revival of “alternative” music.
The DIY aesthetic of ’90s alternative, heard in the music of young stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Willow, is a pendulum swing from electronic-laden sounds of the last decade. And the genre’s anti-corporate perspective, which developed out of the excesses of the ’80s, is a fitting backdrop to contemporary activist attitudes. From the nostalgia of Beabadoobee, to the post-rock sounds of Wet Leg, to the industrial sonics of Halsey’s latest project, new artists are using alternative’s old sounds to shape the sound of contemporary pop. On the latest episode of Switched on Pop, Nate and Charlie scan the alternative radio and streaming charts for standout songs that trace this umbrella genre’s myriad sounds and influences.
More
Read Justin Curto's article 2021 Killed the Myth that Rock Ever Died
Songs Discussed (playlist)
Nirvana - Something In The Way, Heart-Shaped Box
Frédéric Chopin, Leif Ove Andsnes - Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 35 “Funeral March”
Michael Giacchino - Can’t Fight City Hallowwen
Beabadoobee - Care
Hole - Celebrity Skin
Tracy Bonham - Mother Mother
Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag
Blink-182 - I Miss You
Wet Leg - Chaise Longue
The Slits - Typical Girls
Halsey - I am not a woman, I’m a god
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Intriguing Possibilites
Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Wayne - ay!
Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj - Knockout
Willow ft. Siickbrain - PURGE
Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
Deftones - My Own Summer (Shove It)
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Apr 26, 2022 |
Jump-starting the creative process with Allison Ponthier
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Allison Ponthier knows the hardest part of making anything is getting started. When she was young, she “always wanted to write songs,” fanatically scribbling rhymes in a diary, but gave it up — the prevailing narratives of natural talent, artistic genius, and spontaneous inspiration put the brakes on her songwriting aspirations. She didn’t pick it up again until she turned 19: “It just took me that long to build the confidence.”
Now, after a short stint in jazz school, a scholarly approach to YouTube song tutorials, and consistent writing practice, the 26-year-old Ponthier has crafted a songwriting method that reliably turns the mundane into the profound. Her 2021 EP Faking My Own Death shows the hand of a seasoned artist, with lyrics that mine her personal life for unexpected twists and turns. (“It took New York to make me a cowboy,” says the Texas-born, New York–based singer on “Cowboy.”) It helps that she has the backing of songwriting heavyweights such as recent collaborators Lord Huron, Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, and Ethan Gruska (whose productions with Phoebe Bridgers soundtracked the pandemic).
To provide a closer look at her process, Ponthier gave us a tour of her songwriting notebook — but not before noting that “no one looks at this, by the way.” The details it contained on the making of her single “Autopilot” is a master class for anyone looking to break through creative barriers.
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Apr 19, 2022 |
A Higher Power Ballad
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The recorded version of Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” opens with a full-blast chorus alongside driving percussion and ringing guitars. But when he performed the song at this year’s Grammys, the song’s instrumentation was stripped down, with Bieber alone at a grand piano, crooning into the mic. Slowly, a band built up, and in came guest verses from Daniel Caesar and Giveon between seven repetitions of the chorus. Each time the chorus returned, the band got louder, the music pointing upward until a high-flying synth solo closed the song. It may have been a surprisingly churchy arrangement of Bieber’s hit, but it was the same sort of slow climb heard earlier in the night when Maverick City Music, the first Christian group to perform at the Grammys in 20 years, gave an uplifting performance of their song “Jireh,” off their award winning album Old Church Basement.
In the church tradition, the slow build is a common feature, beginning as a quiet prayer that expands outward as more voices join in. Naomi Raine, one of Maverick City Music’s members, describes this kind of slow build as a “common and underlying structure” that feels “supernatural and spiritual.” But it’s clearly not restricted to the church. “We are called to blur the lines as far as what is Christian and what is gospel — those two have been segregated for too long,” says the group’s leader, Chandler Moore. The expansiveness of the music is represented in Maverick City Music’s diverse makeup. The seven core members invite dozens of songwriters from countless backgrounds to songwriting camps to explore the traditions constraining boundaries. Having only started putting out music in 2019, Maverick City Music has since released more than 17 combined LPs and EPs in multiple genres, including worship, gospel, R&B, and Latin pop. Consistent across all those records is the transcendent slow build.
After exploring the discography of Maverick City Music, one starts to hear the slow build all over pop music. In the case of Bieber, who is both friends with the group and has a religious background, previous hit songs like “Holy” and “Anyone” also use the technique. Even the reworked “Peaches” Bieber performed at the Grammys makes sense, given the chorus’s final line: “I get my life right from the source.” There has been a long history of stylistic exchange between the religious and secular world. There would be no rock and roll without gospel, and Christian Contemporary draws its sounds from the ’60s folk movement. Today, songs made for worship share qualities with power ballads, the former elevating the spirit, the latter coaxing out emotions. On the latest episode of Switched on Pop, hosts Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan speak with Maverick City Music and listen to songs both religious and secular that lift us up.
Songs Discussed
Justin Bieber - Peaches (feat. Daniel Ceasar & Giveon), Holy (feat. Chance The Rapper), Anyone
Maverick City Music - Old Church Basement, Jireh, Same Blood, Used To This, Nadie Como Tú
Coldplay - Fix You
Céline Dion - Because You Loved Me
Luther Vandross - Endless Love (with Mariah Carey)
But, Honestly - Foo Fighters
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Apr 12, 2022 |
How sound becomes hearing
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We love listening to music at a ridiculous level of detail. But the other day we heard a podcast that made us fundamentally question the accuracy and reliability of our own listening skills. In it they played a familiar melody, “Yankee Doodle,” in such a way that we couldn’t recognize it at all. Our brain plays so many auditory tricks on us — some truly spectacular and unexplainable. In fact that’s the name of the show: Unexplainable. It’s hosted by Noam Hassenfeld, who in addition to being a fantastic reporter, is also a remarkable composer. So today we’re sharing Unexplainable’s episode on hearing. It’s the 1st in a 6 part series called Making Sense. We think you’re going to really dig this one.
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Apr 05, 2022 |
Listening 2 Britney: Gimme More
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There’s no more iconic Britney lyric than the opening of “Gimme More.” It's 2007, four years since her last album In The Zone was released, and Britney is affirmatively back with the uptempo track leading off her album Blackout: “It’s Britney, Bitch.” The song echoes the dance-pop Neptunes sound of “I’m A Slave 4 U.” It's built around a driving riff and off-kilter drums produced by Floyd Nathaniel Hills AKA Danja. Each time Britney sings “more” her voice is pitched down to a devilish growl. This disturbing vocal processing mirrors the vulgar paparazzi and public scrutiny in her personal life. On the fourth and final episode of our series Listening to Britney, we want to once again focus on her voice, how it's manipulated, how it’s evolved, and where it might be going.
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Mar 29, 2022 |
Listening 2 Britney: Toxic
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In 2003 Britney Spears released “Toxic,” a song that would make converts out of pop skeptics, be named one of the greatest tracks of the 21st century by multiple publications, and become a personal favorite of Switched on Pop.
Despite its success, when “Toxic” was released as the second single from Spears’s fourth album, In the Zone, even the song’s writers thought it was too “weird” to become a hit. But thanks to the new iTunes platform, which was just gaining traction in 2013, audiences kept buying the track and helped push it to the top of the charts.
For many listeners, your hosts included, hearing “Toxic” for the first time was a moment of epiphany, an opportunity to rethink one’s views on the expressive power and musical invention of Top 40 pop. And almost twenty years after its release, “Toxic” is still rippling through the culture. It’s been covered as a jazz-noir ballad by Yael Naim, a screamo anthem by A Static Lullaby, and a bluegrass burner by Nickel Creek. In 2022, the song enjoyed yet another revival in the form of DJ duo Altego’s viral TikTok mash-up of the song with Ginuwine’s “Pony.”
What makes “Toxic” so enduring? For one, it’s the pull of Spears’ voice, as she moves from her chest voice in the verse to an eloquent falsetto in the pre-chorus, then combines the two techniques in the chorus. It’s the way the song’s producers, Bloodshy and Avant, combine a matrix of sounds that should not go together—a 1981 Bollywood love song, electric surf guitar, and funky synthesized bass—into an unforgettable melange. And it’s the lasting power of Cathy Dennis’s lyrics, which spins a universal tale of trying to resist temptation…and ultimately failing.
Songs Discussed
Britney Spears - Toxic
Lata Mangeshkar and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam - Tere Mere Beech Mein
Kylie Minogue - Can’t Get You Out of My Head
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
Yael Naim - Toxic
A Static Lullaby - Toxic
Nickel Creek - Toxic
Mark Ronson - Toxic
Altego - Toxic/Pony Mashup
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Mar 22, 2022 |
Listening 2 Britney: I'm a Slave 4 U
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In the first three years of Britney Spears’ pop music career, she released annual, consecutive albums. In 1999 we got Baby One More Time – its lead single was #5 on the Billboard year-end Hot 100 chart. In 2000, Oops… I Did It Again generated multiple hits. It’s eponymous single reached the #1 spot on Top 40 radio but only ascended to #55 on the year-end chart — the single was only released on vinyl, not CD, to boost album sales. Destiny's Child, Aaliyah and Janet all outperformed “Oops” on the year end chart. CD era marketing tactics aside, these artists were harbingers of what’s to come. The sound of pop music was changing and Britney needed to change with it. So in 2001, she released her self-titled album Britney. When we hit play on our metaphorical discman, the skittering beats of “I’m A Slave 4 U” suggests a significant musical transformation. Enter Spears’ Virginia Beach era.
Britney signaled that she’s moved beyond the Swedish-produced pop polish for an entirely new sonic identity just as she left behind the ingenue character for the first two albums. Working with the Virginia Beach-based duo The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), on “I’m A Slave 4 U” Spears evolved her sound to sit aside the the R&B sounds of her chart peers. Now with a soundtrack of off-kilter beats and harmonic dissonance, Spears needed a new vocal approach.
We hear this transformation in the opening line: “I know I may be young.” She begins with a breath and a half-whispered vocal. As she propels into the verse, we hear some of Britney's unforgettable tone: controlled vocal fry and rhythmic percussiveness. But there's no sign of the ballad-style singing from her earlier hits. Instead, she sing-speaks through the song. The melody is loose because as she says, “dancing’s what I love - now watch me.” This is not a sing-a-long, this is a dance song and the introduction of a whole new musical era for Spears.
Songs Discussed
Britney Spears – I’m A Slave 4 U, Overprotected, Don’t Go Knockin’ on My Door, Overprotected (Darkchild Remix), Boys
Destiny’s Child - Say My Name; Bills, Bills, Bills
Aaliyah - Try Again
Janet Jackson - Doesn’t Really Matter, Son Of A Fun
Mase, Diddy - Lookin’ at Me
Mystikal - Shake Ya Ass
JAY-Z I Just Wanna Love U
Nelly - Hot In Herre
Selena Gomez, A$AP Rocky - Good For You
Lorde - Ribs
Kesha - Die Young
FKA Twigs - Lights On
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Mar 15, 2022 |
Listening 2 Britney: ...Baby One More Time
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On a crisp Autumn morning in 1998, the world was introduced to the voice of Britney Spears, and pop would never be the same. Britney’s mix of vocal fry, percussive pronunciations, and timbral play on “...Baby One More Time” hadn't been heard before. As successful as they were, these techniques were derided by critics as parts of her manufactured “baby voice." Listening in 2022, we can hear Britney with more clarity: as a radical new artist.
"...Baby One More Time" was not Britney's first turn in the spotlight. She had been cast on the Mickey Mouse Club in 1992, when she was 12 years old, executing immaculate vocals and choreography. But the voice on her first single represents a different side of the singer, and a new sound on the pop landscape. With Britney's ferocious vocals at the center, "...Baby" rocketed to number one and broke sales records. On her next release, "Oops!... I Did it Again," Spears upped the ante. Working again with producers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, "...Oops" borrowed liberally from music across the radio dial, and added a dash of 16th-century harmony into the mix.
Between her first two albums, Britney had taken hold of audiences by sheer force of personality and artistry, fought for in every syllable she sang. The stardom that followed was as unprecedented as her sound. But for someone as scrutinized as Britney has been, the artistry behind her celebrity has often been ignored. On the first episode of the four-part series Listening to Britney, we focus on Britney's voice in order to hear a pop icon with fresh ears.
Songs Discussed
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time, Oops!... I Did it Again, Stronger, Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know, Email My Heart
Backstreet Boys - Larger than Life
Jean-Baptiste Lully - Les Folies d'Espagne
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Mar 08, 2022 |
Chartbreakers (ft. Megan Thee Stallion and the Red Hot Chili Peppers)
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Presenting Chartbreakers, in which Nate and Charlie listen to the Billboard Hot 100 chart from top to bottom and discover a TikTok controversy, a Nashville music mystery, a rogue duck-billed platypus, and Megan Thee Stallion's debut piano concerto.
Songs Discussed
Gayle - abcdefu
Muni Long - hrs and hrs
Ckay - Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)
Dustin Lynch featuring Lauren Alaina or Mackenzie Porter - Thinking 'Bout You
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Black Summer
Megan Thee Stallion - Megan's Piano
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Mar 01, 2022 |
Leon Bridges and Khruangbin Sing a Song of Texas
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Leon Bridges is the soul singer hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, who burst onto the music scene in 2015 with the album Coming Home. Since then he’s established himself as an adventurous musician whose latest album Gold Diggers Sound combines retro sounds with contemporary production. Khruangbin is the Houston-based power trio——Mark Speer on guitar, Laura Lee on bass, and DJ Johnson on drums—who also debuted in 2015 with the album The Universe Smiles Upon You, which introduced their unique brand of funky, dreamy, psychedelia.
In 2020, Bridges and Khruangbin teamed up to release the EP Texas Sun, whose title track managed to channel both spaghetti western soundtracks and classic soul at the same time. Now, the quartet is back with another collaborative EP, Texas Moon, which continues the musical palette of their first release while inverting its lyrical themes.
We spoke with Leon Bridges and Khruangbin about their new EP, the Texas songs that connect them to their home state, and why they chose to go lunar for their latest project.
Songs Discussed
Leon Bridges and Khruangbin - Texas Sun, B Side, Chocolate Hills
Mel Waiters - Got My Whiskey
Townes Van Zandt - Columbine
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Feb 15, 2022 |
Shaking Out the Numb with Sylvan Esso
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The last proper, blowout concert Charlie attended was devastatingly long ago, back in the winter of 2019. Bringing some funk to buttoned-up Walt Disney Concert Hall, the duo Sylvan Esso rocked Charlie’s world with epic performances of songs like “Die Young.” When live music, and the world, shut down shortly after—well, it was a great note to go out on.
Now, that moment comes full circle, as Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn join Charlie to discuss their album, Free Love, one of the bright spots during a dark time—an album which is now nominated for best electronic/dance album in this year's Grammy cycle.
Free Love is a testament to Sylvan Esso’s unique sound. If you choose, you can just listen to the intoxicating textures and move your body unconsciously. But if you listen in close, you’ll find the duo blending the inquisitiveness of folk lyrics with danceable electronic beats. Each song offers layers of sounds and text to ponder, so we dove deep through Sylvan Esso's latest to better understand the secrets behind their musical alchemy.
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Feb 08, 2022 |
We *do* talk about Bruno
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The number one song on the charts is a bit of a mystery. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is the unlikely hit from Disney’s sleeper animated musical Encanto. Set in a mountainous village in Colombia, the film was a middling commercial success when it was released in Nov 2021. But in recent months it has become a pop culture phenomenon for a confluence of reasons: an expansive discourse on Colombian representation in media, fan videos on TikTok, and of course it's ear-wormy hits.
The musical is yet another notch in the belt for Lin Manuel Miranda (the auteur behind Hamilton and In The Heights) who wrote the now chart-topping song book. While Disney certainly commands vast commercial success, its musicals rarely see such crossover attention. The last #1 Disney musical number was “A Whole New World” from the animated Aladdin back in 1993. Where that song was literally uplifting, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is quite the opposite.
Bruno is the uncle of the Madrigal family, whose skill for seeing the future portends gloom and sends him into exile. In his namesake song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” an ensemble cast trade verses about his ghostly presence (Bruno haunts the family home, living inside its walls). It is an odd ball song, with dark and bizarre lyrics. Sure it starts with a story about rain on a wedding day (which is not ironic), but then it takes a hard left into tales of dead fish, middle aged weight gain, and creeping rats. So then what makes it a hit? A distinctive concoction of salsa piano rhythms, familiar Lin Manuel Miranda-isms, and contemporary pop connections to Camila Cabello, Britney Spears, J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Cardi B.
Listen to Switched On Pop to solve the mystery of what makes “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” a hit.
Songs Discussed
Lin Manuel Miranda - We Don’t Talk About Bruno, In The Heights, Helpless, Satisfied, My Shot, Wait For It, Say No To This
Cardi B, J Balvin, I Like It
Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee - Despacito
Camila Cabello, Young Thug - Havana
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
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Feb 01, 2022 |
32 Albums in, Elvis Costello is Just Getting Started
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Elvis Costello burst onto the music scene in 1977 with the album My Aim Is True. Songs like “Alison” established him as a powerful new voice in rock. His next album, This Year’s Model, introduced hits like “Pump it Up,” which has resounded through stadiums and arenas across the country ever since.
From then on he released album after album, decade after decade, becoming a force to be reckoned with in pop music. Now, Costello has released his 32nd studio album, The Boy Named If, and it's a kaleidoscopic journey through many of the sounds and styles that he's experimented with over the years.
We spoke with Elvis about his wrong notes and open-ended lyrics, his much-publicized defense of Olivia Rodrigo, and why he turned down working with Adele
Songs Discussed:
Elvis Costello - Farewell, OK, Magnificent Hurt, Alison, Pump It Up
Richie Barrett - Some Other Guy
Olivia Rodrigo - Brutal
Chuck Berry - Too Much Monkey Business
Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
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Jan 25, 2022 |
Accidental K-pop star Eric Nam risks it all to go his own way
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Eric Nam is an accidental K-pop star. Growing up in Atlanta, and graduating from college in Boston, he did not expect that in his twenties he’s sign to a K-pop label, be named 2016 Man of the year by GQ Korea, and become a go-to television personality in South Korea. His music, imbued with his charisma and charm has charted globally. As fun as it is, the K-pop machine can be a real grind — it churns through young people not unlike the NFL draft. Nam is unusually candid about this experience, likely because he decided to quit the label system, and take his blossoming music career independent. On his second all English full length album There And Back Again Nam has full creative control, and all the burdens of sustaining a solo music career. Nam spoke with Switched On Pop co-host Charlie Harding about what it is like to go from K-pop star to indie musician.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Eric Nam - Ooh Ooh, Heavens Door, Good For You, Honestly, Can’t Help Myself (feat. LOCO), Lost On Me, I Don’t Know You Anymore, Wildfire, Love Die Young
Lee Hyori - 10 Minutes
MOMOLAND - BBoom BBoom
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Jan 19, 2022 |
The Weeknd drives through purgatory (with a little help from Jim Carrey)
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Dawn FM is The Weeknd’s most narratively compelling album yet. More than just a collection of eighties-nostalgia single bait, Dawn FM is a concept album that picks up on a multi-year meta narrative. Abel Tesfaye, seemingly killed off his character at the end of his last album, After Hours. Getting caught up in the “Blinding Lights” of fame and excess, the narrator ends up overdosing in the back of an ambulance. On the final song “Until I Bleed Out” he sings “I can’t move, I’m so paralyzed.” Dawn FM picks up where After Hours left off. The album opens with pastoral winds and bird sounds, with The Weeknd driving down the road searching for a light at the end of a tunnel. His radio is turned to a fictional radio station: 103.5 Dawn FM hosted by The Weeknd’s real life neighbor, the actor Jim Carrey. Channeled through the Vaporwave inspired production of Oneohtrixpoint Never, Dawn FM is the sound of purgatory.
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Jan 11, 2022 |
Why do new Christmas songs fail?
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Why are there no new Christmas songs? One one hand, there's more holiday songs than we’ll ever need. Every year pop stars drop countless holiday-themed album.
But despite the annual glut of Christmas releases, few of these new songs join the rotation of holiday classics. On Billboard's Holiday Hot 100 chart right now, there's only four songs from the past ten years that have made it to the top fifty.
We listen to each of these holiday hits—from Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and the Jonas Brothers—and and ask if these songs can go the distance and become the 21st century members of the Christmas music canon.
Songs Discussed - Playlist
Kelly Clarkson - Underneath the Tree
Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me
Justin Bieber - Mistletoe
Jonas Brothers - Like It's Christmas
The Bird and the Bee - You and I at Christmas Time
Loretta Lynn - White Christmas Blue
Woody Goss - One for One
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 8 Days of Hannukah
Jenny Owen Youngs, Tancred, John Mark Nelson - Fireside
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Dec 21, 2021 |
Tai Verdes TikTok-ed his way to a breakout hit
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Whether you’re a TikTok fanatic, or the app’s K-hole-inducing stream of content has forced you to delete it from your phone, its influence on music is undeniable. In 2020 the platform bragged that over 70 artists on the platform signed with major labels. TikTok’s success was linked to pandemic-related stay-at-home orders -- people were stuck at home and musicians couldn’t tour. And while trending dances and songs on TikTok may turn over weekly, with a billion monthly users, the social media platform has industry power. In 2021, Billboard’s Hot 100 was overflowing with TikTok hits -- over 175 according to the company -- more than twice that of last year.
While major artists like J Balvin and Taylor Swift use the platform, TikTok’s algorithm is surprisingly good at exposing aspiring artists. Take Tai Verdes for example. While working his day job at the Verizon store. Ty set his mind on using TikTok to launch his musical career. When he released a video singing his song “Stuck In The Middle” in his Prius, millions saw him for the first time. Tai’s music has since been heard at Lollapalooza and on Top 40 radio. But like so many overnight successes, he built it up over years of practice and creative releases. If you want to know how social media has fundamentally changed music, you need to hear Tai’s Verdes tell his story to Switched On Pop’s Charlie Harding.
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Dec 14, 2021 |
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raise The Roof
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Robert Plant is in his own words “cold” and “prickly” while speaking about his new album with Alison Krauss, Raise The Roof. First thing upon joining the Zoom call from London, Plant jovially launches into the much misattributed quote “talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” But he is neither callous, nor coy. For Plant the music is ineffable, a joyous celebration of friendship, and a kindred love of song that he shares with Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett. Their album follows up from their 2007 Grammy award winning album Raising Sand. Both albums are steeped in americana and roots music, favorites that the trio traded across the Atlantic over many years of friendship. There are few hints of Plant’s Led Zeppelin or Krauss’ Union Station. Instead their collaboration sounds timeless, haunting and melancholic. Their idiosyncratic sound emerged from an entirely organic process, a method that both parties are happy to share, but reticent to analyze. Switched On Pop’s co-host Charlie Harding spoke with Plant and Krauss about the making of Raise The Roof.
SONGS DISCUSSED - Spotify Playlist
Robert Plant, Alison Krauss - Quattro (World Drifts In), The Price of Love, Go Your Own Way, Trouble With My Love, Can’t Let Go, It Don’t Bother Me, You Led Me To The Wrong, Last Kind Words Blues, High and Lonesome, Going Where The Lonely Go, Somebody Was Watching Over Me
Calexico - Quattro (World Drifts In)
The Everly Brothers - The Price of Love
Anne Briggs - Go Your Own Way
Bert Jansch - Go Your Own Way
Sandy Denny - Go Your Own Way
Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore
Betty Harris - Trouble With My Love
Lucinda Williams - Can’t Let Go
Bert Jansch - It Don’t Bother Me
Ola Belle Reed - You Led Me To The Wrong
Geeshie Wiley - Last Kind Words Blues
Merle Haggard - Going Where The Lonely Go
Pops Staples - Somebody Was Watching
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Dec 07, 2021 |
The Beatles get back to their roots
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2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ final album, Let it Be. To commemorate the occasion, the remaining members of the band have remixed the album and unleashed an eight-hour-plus documentary directed by Peter Jackson that lays bare the making of the record. For super-fans this video memoir reveals a lot about the messiness of the creative process: The Beatles nearly broke up while making it! Author Tim Riley says that the band approached Let It Be with an aesthetic challenge: to get back to playing as a live band. But the original release of the album deviated from that mission and received mixed reviews. Over the decades, The Beatles have revisited this work with multiple mixes and alternative takes that try to show the original spirit of this direct-to-tape, live album. Charlie and Nate listen back, warts and all, to get to the heart of this enigmatic project.
Songs Discussed
The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Strawberry Fields, Dig A Pony, Good Golly Miss Molly, I’ve Got A Feeling, One After 909, Get Back, Two Of Us, The Long & Winding Road, Let It Be, I Me Mine
Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
More
Read Tim Riley's works on The Beatles
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Nov 30, 2021 |
Taylor, Adele & Silk Sonic’s broken hearts club (with Brittany Luse)
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This week we are having a blast feeling really sad. Guest Brittany Luse, cohost of the acclaimed podcast For Colored Nerds, joins Nate and Charlie to dig into this fall's slate of breathtaking breakup albums from Adele, Kacey Musgraves, Summer Walker, and Mitski.
Some have been calling this confluence of releases, "sad girl autumn," but the melancholy moment goes beyond gender, with even Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak's leaning into the lachrymose on their album An Evening With Silk Sonic.
On top of all this, Taylor Swift has stormed the charts with her re-recording of her hit album Red and the ten-minute version of fan-favorite breakup song "All Too Well."
We take the opportunity to mine this gold rush of emotions and diagnose every type of heartbreak on the radio dial.
Songs discussed:
Taylor Swift - All Too Well (Taylor's Version)
Summer Walker - Throw it Away
Silk Sonic - Put On a Smile
Adele - Easy On Me
Mitski - The Only Heartbreaker
Kacey Musgraves - Justified
More
Listen to Brittany's podcast For Colored Nerds
Watch Guy Winch's talk How To Fix a Broken Heart
Weep along to our playlist of breakup albums
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Nov 23, 2021 |
Snotty Nose Rez Kids on hip hop and Indigenous protest
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Merging hip hop and Indigenous culture, rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids are creating a sound that goes hard for a cause. On tracks like “War Club” with DJ Shub, Yung Trybez and Young D connect Indigenous protests to the Black Lives Matter movement, and on “Boujee Natives,” Snotty Nose Rez Kids celebrate traditional culture through a modern lens. But as much as this music has a message, it also bangs, and SNRK’s new album After Life runs the gamut of emotions; from tackling police brutality on “Red Sky at Night” to celebrating their community on “Wild Boy.”
Their first tour since COVID brought them to Los Angeles, where Nate talked to the band repping the Haisla Nation about pipeline protests, reclaiming the term “savage,” and how the hell the Disney movie Pocahontas ever got greenlit.
Songs Discussed
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - Red Sky At Night, War Club, Creator Made An Animal, Sink or Swim, Boujee Natives, Wild Boy, Northern Lights, Something Else
Megan Thee Stallion - Savage
Jay Z and Kanye West - Otis
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Check out a playlist of our favorite SNRK tracks
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Nov 16, 2021 |
The State of the Pop Union
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From time to time, it is our constitutional duty to provide an update to the people on the current state of pop. What are the sounds? Who’s making the hits? What are they singing about? We take the musical temperature by consulting the charts, the platforms, and the people.
MORE
Cat Zhang’s review of PinkPantheress’ “Passion”
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Nov 09, 2021 |
Why ABBA songs just hit different
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Swedish supergroup ABBA is releasing their first album in forty years, making this the perfect time for Nate and Charlie to investigate what makes their music so beloved and reviled in equal measure. For every ABBA stan, there’s a hater lurking, like legendary pop critic Robert Christgau, who once said of the group: “We have met the enemy, and they are them.” That suspicion was earned through ABBA’s musical catchiness and lyrical earnestness, but regardless of how you feel about their music, their compositional acumen cannot be denied.
The longevity of their songs is testament to that musical brilliance. So after breaking down the vocal contrast, musical maximalism, and studio wizardry used to concoct world-beating hits like “Super Trouper,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Dancing Queen,” Nate and Charlie turn their ears to the band’s latest singles, “Don’t Shut Me Down” and “I Still Have Faith in You,” to determine whether the newest releases represent a return to classic form or a departure into new sonic realms.
Songs Discussed
ABBA - Super Trouper, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Don’t Shut Me Down, I Still Have Faith in You
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Nov 02, 2021 |
The Healing Power of Pop with Esperanza Spalding
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It. Has. Been. A. Year. We’ve felt it; you’ve felt it. Sometimes, it’s comforting to consider how universal that overwhelming sense of blah is. Other days, woof, it can be tough to see the light. That’s the subject of today’s episode, brought to you by our producer Megan Lubin.
When Megan hit an especially low point earlier this year, she noticed something in the music she was listening to: Über-popular artists making explicit references to the state of their mental health and the things they do to cope with it. It made her want to know more about the impact of those lyrics, so she dug around and found an academic who studies that very thing: Alex Kresovich, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media who has authored a bunch of studies on mental health and popular music. In today’s episode, we walk through one of those studies with him and learn how influential lyrical content can be — even when you’re not paying super-close attention. Alex’s research, and research like it, opens up the possibility that pop artists are an underestimated asset when it comes to mental-health messaging. “People like to point at pop music as a source of problems, not a source of solutions,” he says. Alex sees his job as guiding the scientific community toward new data that could change how we understand the value of pop-music lyrics — “laying the railroad ties,” as he puts it.
In the second half of today’s episode, we talk to an artist who has taken the concept of music as medicine to a whole new level. Over the course of her career, Esperanza Spalding has reimagined the music-making process — transforming it from one designed to meet her label’s commercial needs to one designed to meet the mental-health needs of her immediate community. With her new album Songwrights Apothecary Lab, Spalding offers up a collection of songs for “releasing the heaviness of a seemingly endless blue state,” for “steadying the vast-spinning ‘potential hurt’ analysis triggered by the bliss of new romance,” and for “slowing down and remembering to make space/time for your elders.” Spalding made clear that this way of “musicking” is nothing new:
It’s like the oldest thing ever….we’re playing with the origin of music. The origin of music being: a response to others in your community, in your surroundings. And the response is intuitive! When you hum for a baby or when you’re sitting with somebody who is grieving and you, you feel compelled to hum, or when you’re excited and go, “Wow!” That’s music!
Spalding’s view of music these days opened our eyes wide to the true healing power of individual songs and just how accessible music is when we need it.
Songs Discussed
girl in red - Serotonin
Billie Eilish - Getting Older
Julia Michaels ft. Selena Gomez - Anxiety
J. Cole ft. kiLL edward - FRIENDS
Lil Nas X - VOID
Kehlani - 24/7
Kendrick Lamar - u
Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams
Panic! At the Disco - King of the Clouds
Shawn Mendes - In My Blood
Ariana Grande - breathin
Logic, Alessia Cara, Khalid - 1-800-273-8255
Billie Eilish ft. Khalid - lovely
Lil Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3
Esperanza Spalding - Formwela 3
Esperanza Spalding - Formwela 6
Esperanza Spalding - Formwela 10
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Oct 26, 2021 |
Janet Jackson's Legacy After 'Control' from It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders
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Sam Sanders is one of our favorite friends of the podcast. His NPR show, It's Been A Minute, has released an outstanding three part series exploring crossover in pop music. We want to share with you the 2nd episode form that series on the legacy of Janet Jackson.
From It's Been A Minute
On the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, we look back at Control, her career-defining album that changed the trajectory of pop music in the late '80s and '90s. In the second episode of a three-part series exploring crossover in pop music, we look at Jackson's musical and cultural legacy over the years. We also reconsider how Jackson was vilified after her Super Bowl XXXVIII appearance, and why. Episode art by Blake Cale for NPR
All episodes in the series
There Was Nothing Like 'Soul Train' On TV. There's Never Been Anything Like It Since
Janet Jackson Once Had 'Control' of the Charts. We Don't Give Her Enough Credit
1999's 'Latin Explosion' chased crossover hits. Today, Latino artists don't need them
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Oct 22, 2021 |
James Bond's Spycraft Sound
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The latest installment of the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, closes the book on the Daniel Craig era of the international superspy. The film’s theme song, “No Time to Die,” by Billie Eilish, Finneas, and Hans Zimmer, also marks the conclusion of one of the great musical sagas in recent cinema. Monty Norman’s and John Barry’s now-iconic “James Bond Theme,” written for 1962’s Dr. No, has remained a constant across six decades of espionage and one-liners. But every new Bond theme has also developed subtle variations on the original that reflect the character’s changes over time. On this episode of Switched On Pop, we uncover what inspired the theme, how it’s changed, and why it almost never happened.
FURTHER JAMES BOND THEME READING
The James Bond Songs: Pop Anthems of Late Capitalism by Adrian Daub and Charles Kronengold
The Music of James Bond - Jon Burlingame
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Oct 19, 2021 |
James Blake & The Return of Harmony
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For a decade James Blake has crafted an idiosyncratic sound. His early work as a minimalist electronic producer fused lush R&B chords with lyrical collage and unfiltered synthesizers. He describes his hit 2013 song “Retrograde” as apocalyptic yet also romantic. This single was in stark contrast to the bubblegum pop of the early 2010s. But other artists recruited him to spread his subversive sonics. He produced on three of the most seminal albums in recent history: Beyoncé’s Lemonade, Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN and Frank Ocean’s Blonde. Before Blake, it sounded like pop was caught in the same four chord loop. But gradually Blake’s vision of harmonic melancholy has infused popular music. On his new album “Friends That Break Your Heart,” Blake has written his most compelling songs yet, but underneath are those his familiar wandering chords and emotional suspense.
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Oct 12, 2021 |
Sparkle spoke out against R Kelly. It cost her her career.
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On this week’s episode we're sharing a story fromThe Cut where senior writer Angelina Chapin and co-host Jazmín Aguilera talk about and talk with Sparkle (born Stephanie Edwards), who first reported R. Kelly to the police for allegedly sexually abusing her 14-year-old niece. Back then, no one believed her, but following the explosive documentary Surviving R. Kelly and the R&B artist’s trial, at the end of which he was found guilty of nine federal sex crimes, she’s been vindicated. Angelina spoke with Sparkle a few times during and after R. Kelly’s most recent trial to hear about the monumental costs she has paid for coming forward.
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Oct 07, 2021 |
ICYMI: The Mystery of Montero AKA Lil Nas X (feat. Take A Daytrip)
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Lil Nas X has a talent for creating productive controversy. First with “Old Town Road,” he challenged expectations about blackness in country music. Now with “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” he takes aim at anti LGBTQ+ messages propagated by the religious dogma from his youth (he came out as gay during Pride 2019). The song describes a romantic encounter without innuendo. Sure it’s raunchy, but the song doesn’t especially stand out on Billboard where explicit sexual fantasy is commonplace. But his use of religious iconography in his video and merchandise created an immediate backlash. In the video to “Montero,” Lil Nas X rides a stripped pole into hades where he gives a lap dance to Satan (also played by Lil Nas X). Despite the obvious commentary on repressive orthodoxy, religious conservatives failed to see the subtext. The song became a lightning rod. But as pundits fought on social media about the song's meaning, most critics failed to look into the song’s musical references. Produced by Take A Daytrip, the duo behind Shek Wes’ “Mo Bamba” and Lil Nas X’s “Panini,” “Montero'' mashes up genres that take the listener on a global journey, sharing his message of acceptance across cultures.
Music
Lil Nas X — Montero, Old Town Road, Panini
24kGoldn, iann dior - Mood
Dick Dale and his Del-Tones - Misirlou
Tetos Demetriades - Misirlou
Aris San Boom Pam
Silsulim - Static & Ben El
Shek Was — Mo Bamba
Lehakat Tzliley Haud
Bouzouki recording from xserra from FreeSound under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
More
Listen to Gal Kadan’s project: Awesome Orientalists From Europa on Bandcamp
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Sep 28, 2021 |
Deja Vu: Why Olivia Rodrigo keeps giving up songwriting credits
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In the last few years music copyright claims have skyrocketed. More and more artists are giving songwriting credits away. Frequently, credits are given retroactively to avoid the cost of long jury trials like when Sam Smith credited Tom Petty. Smith’s melody for “Stay With Me” clearly drew from Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” On rare occasions these cases go to court, where music litigation is at an all time high. In the last ten years there have been 190 public cases, up over 350% from the prior decade, according to The George Washington University & Columbia Law School Music Copyright Infringement Resource.
This story has come in and out of the news cycle in closely watched jury trials including artists like Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, and Katie Perry. Historically, courts have extended copyright to only unique combinations of words and music, not rhythms, chords, instruments. But recent cases increasingly litigate the core building blocks of music. Many artists fear that a bad court outcome could let an artist copyright a “vibe” using commonly used musical language.
The question of whether someone can borrow a vibe resurfaced when Olivia Rodrigo shared songwriting credits on her hit 2021 album Sour with Taylor Swift, and comparisons have been made to the art of Courtney Love and music of Elvis Costello. Many listeners have commented on Rodrigo’s more obvious influences on social media. Viral TikTok videos compared Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” to Paramore’s “Misery Business,” which share a common chord progression and vibe. This online campaign likely contributed to Rodrigo handing songwriting credits, also known as publishing, to Hayley Williams and Josh Farro of the band Paramore.
This week we are airing the conversation Switched On Pop’s Charlie Harding had on the podcast Decoder with host Nilay Patel who is also editor and chief of The Verge. Together we try to understand how the byzantine music copyright system works, and how its rules affect the sound of pop music today and in the future.
SONGS DISCUSSED - Spotify Playlist
Sam Smith - Stay With Me
Tom Petty - I Won’t Back Down
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
The Clash - Straight To Hell
Olivia Rodrigo - deja vu
Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer
Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u
Paramore - Misery Business
Robin Thick, T.I., Pharrell Williams - Blurred Lines
Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up
Katy Perry, Juicy J - Dark Horse
FLAME , Lecrae, John Reilly - Joyful Noise
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Spirit - Taurus
Michael Bolton - Love Is a Wonderful Thing
The Isley Brothers - Love Is A Wonderful Thing
Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do
Right Said Fred - I’m Too Sexy
Doja Cat, SZA - Kiss Me More
Olivia Newton-John - Physical
Anne-Marie - 2002
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Sep 21, 2021 |
CHVRCHES and the sound of 80s horror
2018
CHVRCHES is well-known for their comprehensive use of synthesizers and their updated take on “synthpop”, a subgenre of pop we most closely associated with the 1980s. While gearing up to make their second album in 2015, CHVRCHES members Iain Cook and Martin Doherty spent much of the recording budget buying up many of the original synthesizers used to make those iconic 80s dance tracks. Contemporary replicas of those synth sounds are now commonplace with pop acts like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd. But CHVRCHES has been wielding these sounds for more than a decade, and their newest project is a great reminder of how closely we link that synth sound with not just to a bygone era, but specifically to the eerie sound of horror film.
Screen Violence is their new album. It draws inspiration from classic horror films like John Carpenter's Halloween. With its horror frame, the lyrics explore dark themes, like the violent online abuse CHVRCHES lead singer Lauren Mayberry has endured for much of the band’s existence, a hyper consciousness of her own mortality brought on by that abuse, and fears of losing her grip on reality. Switched On Pop’s co-host Charlie Harding spoke with Lauren, Ian, Martin from CHVRCHES about the making and meaning of Screen Violence.
MORE
Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry: 'I will not accept online misogyny'
SONGS DISCUSSED
CHVRCHES - Never Ending Circles
Dua Lipa - Physical
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
CHVRCHES - California
CHVRCHES - Lullabies
CHVRCHES - Final Girl
CHVRCHES - Violent Delights
CHVRCHES - He Said She Said
CHVRCHES - Asking For A Friend
John Carpenter - Halloween Theme
Suspiria - Markos
John Carpenter - Christine
John Carpenter - Turning The Bones (CHVRCHES Remix)
CHVRCHES - Good Girls (John Carpenter remix)
CHVRHCES - How Not To Down (with Robert Smith)
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Sep 14, 2021 |
From Taylor Swift to Bon Iver, Aaron Dessner Finds Meaning in Musical Community
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On August 27th Big Red Machine, the joint musical project of Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner - artists known for their work as Bon Iver and in the rock band The National, respectively - returned with new music. You’ve most definitely heard Dessner’s production work elsewhere, like on Taylor Swift’s pandemic albums evermore and folklore. The Big Red Machine album, titled How Long Do You Think it's Going to Last, celebrates the fruits of creative partnership and the importance of family and community. At least, that’s what we took from our conversation with Dessner. “A lot of my favorite music - usually there's something elusive about it, in that whatever is elusive is coming from this weird cocktail of different people's input. There's just this weird, swampy alchemy, and you can't easily put your finger on why it's so moving.”
Dessner told us he draws much of his creative inspiration from the kinetic energy generated by multiple musical brains working in tandem, which makes sense given the list of features on this album - everyone from Swift to Sharon van Etten to Anaïs Mitchell to The Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold. “I'm such a born collaborator. I'm definitely interested in this exchange where you make something and you send it out into the ether and then it comes back slightly changed or radically changed. Then you work on it and send it again. I like this handoff, this communal approach to music making.”
The musical collective fostered by Vernon and Dessner on How Long Do You Think It's Going to Last is a testament to the power of musical communities in a year of intense isolation. We’re so pleased to bring you Nate’s conversation with Aaron Dessner in this week’s episode.
Songs Discussed
Big Red Machine - Birch, feat. Taylor Swift
Big Red Machine - Phoenix, feat. Fleet Foxes & Anaïs Mitchell
Big Red Machine - Magnolia
Big Red Machine - Renegade, feat. Taylor Swift
Big Red Machine - Mimi, feat. Ilsey
Big Red Machine - The Ghost of Cincinnati
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Sep 07, 2021 |
Modern Classics: Carina del Valle Schorske on Cat Power's "Manhattan"
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Recently the hosts of Switched on Pop kept seeing the same byline next to their favorite pieces of music writing. A moving profile of Bad Bunny? There was the name. A searing critique of West Side Story? There it was again. An elegy on love, loss, and an Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson duet? By now it was committed to memory: writer and translator Carina del Valle Schorske. So we knew we had to invite Carina to participate in our Modern Classics series and learn what this brilliant writer would place in her modern pop pantheon.
Carina’s pick, the 2012 song “Manhattan” by Cat Power, presents an opportunity to analyze an artist we’ve never discussed on the show before, and a song that sparks associations with New York City’s rich musical history. Cat Power, aka Chan Marshall, released “Manhattan” on her 2012 album Sun, and the song—on which Marshall recorded every instrument herself—has become an unlikely sleeper hit in the Cat Power catalog. Perhaps that’s because, as Carina tells it, the song is a celebration and elegy at once, trying to capture the beat of a city that is constantly in flux, but with an inescapable iconicity.
“Manhattan” isn’t the only piece of urban musical alchemy Carina brought to the show. Cat Power’s ode to the borough syncs up in surprising ways with the 1978 salsa track by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades, “Buscando Guayaba.” Together, the songs stake out a twisting path across genre, time, and language, but along on the same streets.
Songs Discussed
Cat Power - Manhattan
Rubén Blades and Willie Colón - Buscando Guayaba, Pedro Navaja
Ella Fitzgerald - Manhattan
Stevie Wonder - Livin’ for the City
Alicia Keys and Jay Z - Empire State of Mind
Check out Carina’s profile of Bad Bunny, her essay on Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson, and more writing at her website.
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Aug 31, 2021 |
The Joy of Music Festivals
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For the past two weeks, our series on summer music festivals has uncovered the interplay of festival fashion and music and examined festival subcultures. But we've so far overlooked an essential reason that people attend music festivals: to experience transformational joy.
At the start of summer 2021 it seemed like the pandemic was waning and that live music was coming back. But now, heading into the fall with the Delta variant, the fate of live music is once again in question. Caught in this limbo, we thought it might be a good time to get nostalgic and reflect on joyous music festival moments as we hope for more live music in the future.
This week's episode features seven stories from listeners about their most surprising and wonderful moments at festivals past. The first story comes from musician and producer Dave Harrington of the band Darkside, who was once helped out of a musical rut by a Phish festival set
Songs
Phish (live Aug 4, 2017) - Everything In Its Right Place, Axis Bold As Love, Prince Caspian
Darkside - Only Young
Music scored by Zach Tenorio of Arc Iris
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Aug 24, 2021 |
The Beauty and Horror of Insane Clown Posse's Summer Festival
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The Gathering of the Juggalos is the music festival centered around the rap duo Insane Clown Posse. Their songs are hyper-violent and profane; their stage show features grotesque clown makeup and blasting the audience with their favorite drink, Faygo soda; and their fandom has even been designated by the FBI as a loosely organized gang. Musically, they’ve historically been rejected by critics: The Guardian has called them “a magnet for ignorance;” Allmusic has called them a “third rate Beastie Boys,” and Blender called them “the worst band in music.” Nate became fascinated with them after watching the 2011 documentary American Juggalo — that’s when he realized that there’s more to Insane Clown Posse and its fans than he previously thought.
For the second episode of our summer festival series, we dig into the sound of Insane Clown Posse to ask: Is their music really as bad and offensive as all the critics say? What is the general public missing that ICP’s fans are hearing? To answer these questions, we talk to Nathan Rabin, the author of You Don't Know Me but You Don't Like Me: Phish, Insane Clown Posse, and My Misadventures with Two of Music's Most Maligned Tribes, and 7 Days In Ohio: Trump, the Gathering of the Juggalos and The Summer Everything Went Insane.
Songs Discussed
Insane Clown Posse - House of Horrors, Hokus Pokus, My Axes, F*** the World, Miracles, Down with the Clown
Esham - The Wicketshit Will Never Die
Eminem - Stay Wide Awake
More
Check out more of Nathan Rabin's writing
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Aug 17, 2021 |
How Coachella took the Woodstock look
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The co-hosts of The Cut, Jazmin Aguilera and B.A. Parker, think deeply and incisively about fashion. For this special episode of Switched on Pop — the first in our three-part miniseries about summer festivals — we invited the hosts of The Cut, Jazmin Aguilera and B.A. Parker, as our honorary co-hosts to help us break down the connections between festival fashion, music, and culture. With the additional help of Dr. Lorynn Divita, Associate Professor of Apparel Merchandising at Baylor University, we dissect the commercialization of festival fashion, and how it could lead to some festival goers feeling alienated from the musical experience they love. And, of course, we all discuss the iconic looks -- and performances -- of two of the most quintessential music festivals: Woodstock and Coachella.
MORE
3 Days of Peace & Music & Fashion : A History of Festival Dress from Woodstock to Coachella
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Aug 10, 2021 |
Modern Classics: Mark Ronson on Ginuwine's "Pony"
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Mark Ronson has a CV too long to list here. Suffice to say he’s a musician who’s worked with everyone from Amy Winehouse to Lady Gaga to Dua Lipa, has one of the highest selling singles of all time with Bruno Mars in “Uptown Funk,” and has been making just really good music since the turn of the millennium. He’s also the presenter of one of our all time favorite TED talks on the history of sampling, and he’s been continuing that journey of musical curiosity with the Apple TV show “Watch The Sound,” which explores the untold stories behind music creation and the lengths producers and creators are willing to go to find the perfect sound, and the FADER Uncovered Podcast, where he interviews artists ranging from David Byrne to HAIM. Today, Mark is the guest for another episode of Modern Classics, in which he brings Ginuwine’s classic 90s jam “Pony,” produced by Timbaland and Static Major, as an example of the ways that innovation and radical experimentation undergird even the biggest of pop smashes.
Songs Discussed
Ginuwine - Pony
Rakim - Juice (Know the Ledge)
Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Part II
Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy
Aaliyah - Are You That Somebody?
10cc - I’m Not in Love
Shangri-Las - Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand)
Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson - Valerie
Paul McCartney - Get Enough
Usher - Climax
Beatles - Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
Stevie Wonder - You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Cher - Believe
Gang Starr - Work
Nikka Costa - Like a Feather
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
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Aug 03, 2021 |
Summer Hits: Jack Antonoff on Bleachers “Stop Making This Hurt”
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We’ve been wanting to speak with Jack Antonoff since we started Switched On Pop back in 2014. We've had countless hours of conversation sound tracked to his productions with artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Ray starting in just our second episode. When we wrote a book about 21st century pop, we devoted a chapter to the song “We Are Young” by his band, Fun.
And so we're excited to finally sit down with him to hear about how he approaches his own work. He has a new album out with his band Bleachers called Take the Sadness out of Saturday Night. And for our series on Summer Hits, we wanted to start our conversation with Jack Antonoff about the song “Stop Making this Hurt.”
More Episodes ft. words or music by Jack Antonoff
Chained to the Green Light: Katy Perry + Lorde
The Oeuvre of Taylor Swift
folklore: taylor swift's quarantine dream
"evermore" of a good thing
Total Request Live! Taylor, Lana, Kim, and More (with Sam Sanders)
Song of Summer 2020: TikTok Jams, Protest Anthems, Breezy Bops & Bummer Bangers
Carly Rae Jepsen: Meeting The Muse
Songs Discussed
Bleachers - Chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
Bleachers - How Dare You Want More
Bleachers - Secret Life
Bleachers - Stop Making This Hurt
Bleachers - What'd I Do With All This Faith?
Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
Fleetwood Mac - Bleed to Love Her (Live at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, CA 52397)
Fleetwood Mac - Bleed to Love Her
Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex
Television - 1880 Or So
The Strokes - New York City Cops
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
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Jul 30, 2021 |
Modern Classics: Yola on Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” and the Longevity of Soul
1998
In this installment of Modern Classics we speak to the amazing four-time Grammy Nominee musician, singer and songwriter Yola about her new record, Stand For Myself, and how hearing Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” and all its references to 1970s funk encouraged Yola to unlock her own unprecedented mix of symphonic soul and classic pop.
As Yola tells it, it’s not just a sound from the past that she’s conjuring, it’s a sense of possibility. The way that progenitors like Funkadelic, Minnie Ripperton, and the O'Jays combined political protest with deep grooves, what Yola calls “the Mary Poppins philosophy of music” (the groove being the spoonful of sugar to help the socially-conscious medicine go down).
With this marriage of sound and statement, Yola makes retro sounds relevant again, as on the title track “Stand For Myself,” where she uses throwback slap bass, fuzz guitar, and orchestral strings to craft a distinctly modern messages about her identity as a Black woman, cultural allyship, and UK politics. Also, why she likes mixes that sound like they have a “big old booty.”
Songs Discussed
Yola - Stand For Myself, Diamond Studded Shoes, Starlight, Barely Alive, Be My Friend, If I Had to Do it All Again
Childish Gambino - Redbone, Riot
Bootsy Collins - I’d Rather Be With You
Funkadelic - Can You Get to That
The O’Jays - Back Stabbers
Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.
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Jul 27, 2021 |
The Appealing Uneasiness of Listening to L’Rain (Live at JBL)
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L’Rain is the musical persona of singer and multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek, whose new album, Fatigue, begins with a lyrical quandary: “What have you done to change?”
What follows is a journey of self-discovery, the songs interwoven with home recordings of practicing piano, clapping games, and everyday life. The first full length song, “Find It,” repeats the mantra “Make a way out of no way,” looking for a path out of darkness. An unexpected sample of a preacher at a friend’s funeral service — recorded with permission by L’Rain — interrupts the chant promising that “Good days outweigh my bad days.”
But L’Rain doesn’t provide quick solutions for making change. Rather, she takes us on a journey that evades easy understanding. By avoiding conventional structures, L’Rain asks the listener to lean in close to the music. The sounds are at times unsettling — on “Blame Me,” the guitar warbles in and out of tune — though the uncomfortable moments are blanketed over on songs such as “Take Two,” where warm synthesizers mix with angelic voices. The melodic hooks and captivating rhythms on “Suck Teeth” reveal L’Rain’s command over the experimental work — she is meticulous about building layers of sound on her many instruments.
Had L’Rain pursued a more traditional style of songwriting, or further fleshed out Fatigue’s catchiest moments, the record might be an easier listen — but not as rewarding. Instead, its undulating moods and nonlinearity mirror the unpredictability of human emotion and the up-and-down nature of personal change. To help decipher this album, Switched On Pop’s Charlie Harding spoke with L’Rain at JBL’s flagship store in Soho in front of a live audience.
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Jul 23, 2021 |
Summer Hits: City Girls - Twerkulator (with Kyra Gaunt)
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One of the songs we anticipate playing on repeat this summer is “Twerkulator” by Miami rap duo City Girls. It’s a track with enough sonic energy to power a small town, but that’s not all we dig. The song’s music includes a chain of samples that stretch back through pop music history—from 1990s house, to 1980s electro, to 1970s German krautrock—and poses an implicit challenge to some of hip hop’s most problematic figures. Meanwhile, the lyrics celebrate a tradition of movement that’s as culturally important as its controversial
To break down the manifold cultural dimensions of twerking we welcome a very special guest: Kyra Gaunt, ethnomusicolgist and author of the forthcoming book “Twerking at the Intersection of Music, Sexual Violence, and Patriarchy on YouTube,” who explains why twerking is not what you think it is (and why the Oxford English Dictionary got it wrong).
Songs Discussed
City Girls - Twerkulator, Twerk (featuring Cardi B)
Cajmere - Percolator
Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
Kraftwerk - Numbers, Trans-Europe Express
Juicy J featuring A$AP Rocky - Scholarship
More
Dr. Kyra Gaunt's TED Talk and her brilliant book, The Games Black Girls Play
Estelle Caswell's Video, "The Sound that Connects Stravinsky to Bruno Mars"
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Jul 20, 2021 |
Summer Hits: Lorde - Solar Power (w Hanif Abdurraqib)
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Lorde's new song "Solar Power" set the internet ablaze when it dropped from out of nowhere in June. Some fans found the song to be a buoyant departure from Lorde's last release, Melodrama, while others thought the track felt half-baked. On top of that, listeners questioned the song's provenance — had Lorde cribbed too closely from 90s hitmakers like Primal Scream and George Michael?
To listen closely to "Solar Power" and unpack its polarizing sounds, we needed to speak to someone with an unerring ear and a razor-sharp mind: the author, poet, and host of Object of Sound, Hanif Abdurraqib. Hanif knows Lorde's catalog like the back of his hand, and he's got feelings about this latest release. But he also offers a word of caution: wait for the album before reserving judgment!
Hanif doesn't just take us deep into "Solar Power," though, he helps us get philosophical on some trenchant musical questions, including: What is a summer song, anyway? Where's the line between stealing and inspiration? And most importantly, does Lorde's track end six minutes too early??
Songs Discussed:
Lorde - Solar Power, Royals, Liability, Green Light, The Louvre
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
Roxy Music - In Every Dream Home a Heartache
Primal Scream - Loaded
George Michael - Freedom! '90, Faith
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
More
Check out Hanif Abdurraqib's podcast Object of Sound
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Jul 16, 2021 |
Summer Hits: Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u (with Jessica Hopper)
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Olivia Rodrigo’s summer breakup anthem “good 4 u” is filled with the kind of ebullient angst that makes us want to spontaneously dance around our house and belt the lyrics out with abandon. Whether it’s the creeping baseline that pulls us in, or the cathartic release of the chorus, we can’t get enough of this track. And we’re not alone, it seems. The song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and like its predecessor “Driver’s License,” has fueled and been fueled by viral TikTok memes that helped solidify the song’s position among 2021’s summer jams.
Those TikTok memes range in format, but tend to play off of one unavoidable observable of Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” - just how beautifully it syncs up with Paramore’s 2007 pop-punk “Misery Business.” The two songs share some of the most common building blocks in pop music, from their 4, 1, 5, 6, chord progression to the opening note of their choruses. Those links have led critics and fans alike to wonder aloud if “good 4 u” indicates the emo-slash-pop punk revival we discussed back in May is here to stay.
In the second installment of our Summer Hits series, producer Megan Lubin goes searching for the musical roots of Rodrigo’s ebullient angst, and uncovers two histories - the first is the sound of emo as it branched off of punk music in the 1980s, and the second is of women raging on the microphone through time, from the blues to country, to Olivia’s chart-topping confessional.
Lubin gets help from the rock critic Jessica Hopper, who reminds us of emo’s gendered origins: “It became prescriptive. The narrative was always girls were bad and they never had names” and takes us on a journey through Rodrigo’s rage-full forebears. We’re still thinking about her lines about women in pop and the boxes we try to put them in. “People just need to stop trying to draw it back to something that a man did before, and realize that teenage women have completely remade the landscape of top 40 pop in the last 15 years.”
More:
Jessica Hopper’s The First Collection Of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic
Helen Reddington “The Forgotten Revolution of Female Punk Musicians in the 1970s”
nikjaay’s “misery 4 u” mashup
Music
Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u
Paramore - Misery Business
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the U.K.
The Clash - London Calling
Minor Threat - Straight Edge
Rites of Spring - Drink Deep
Dashboard Confessional - Screaming Infidelities
Bessie Smith - Devil’s Gonna Git You
Nina Simone - Break Down and Let it All Out
Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
Miranda Lambert - Mama’s Broken Heart
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
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Jul 13, 2021 |
Modern Classics: Labrinth's "Sexy MF" (with Sam Sanders)
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Modern Classics is the new series where Charlie and Nate invite their favorite musicians, journalists, and friends of the show to wax lyrical about a song that's important in their life. In the first installment of Modern Classics, Nate and Charlie sit down with the host of NPR’s hit news and culture program It’s Been a Minute, Sam Sanders. Sam is one of the best people to talk music with, not only because he has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the entertainment world, but because as a former music major he’s got knowledge for days.
That knowledge makes Sam the perfect person to explain why Labrinth’s 2019 track “Sexy MF” might be one of the hidden gems of contemporary pop, a song that he hears as “fun and fantastical with all these wonderful tricks and bells and whistles.” Nate and Charlie had never heard “Sexy MF” before Sam brought it to them, and were immediately hooked by the song’s copious ear candy: sly references to Prince and James Brown, death-defying vocal harmonies, all scaffolded atop an indomitable piano groove.
Labrinth, aka Timothy Lee McKenzie, is a U.K. singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who released his first single in 2010. Since then he’s gone on to compose the score for the hit TV show Euphoria, collaborated with Sia and Diplo as L.S.D., and worked with Beyoncé on the live-action Lion King soundtrack. Labrinth has racked up massive streaming numbers with tracks like “Jealous” and “Thunderclouds,” but “Sexy MF” is more of what one might call a “deep cut.” If you haven’t heard it yet, like Sam, you might find that it’s one you’ll play “perhaps a thousand times” after your first listen.
Songs discussed
Labrinth - Sexy MF, Still Don’t Know my Name, Mount Everest, Misbehaving
Prince - Sexy M.F.
James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine)
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
Paul Anka - Put Your Head on my Shoulder
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up
Foreigner - Cold As Ice
Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg - Still D.R.E.
Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
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Jul 06, 2021 |
Growing Pains with Lucy Dacus
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Growing up is never easy. But pop songs about adolescence too often gloss over the complicated moments. The “teenage dream” archetype is just a pop culture fantasy. And no one really wants to be 17 forever.
On her new album “Home Video,” Lucy Dacus talks about youthful growing pains. She remembers the uncomfortable moments. Dacus says that “a lot of childhood is crisis mode… you get pushed around by the world and the rules that are set for you.” Her songs examine unequal power relationships between parents and friends and lovers.
On the lighter side, the album opens up with “Hot And Heavy,” which takes us back to the scene of an early romantic encounter on a basement sofa, red faced and awkward. But by the next song, “Christine,” the amorous feelings fade: “He can be nice, sometimes / Other nights, you admit he's not what you had in mind.” Bad dads, bible camp indoctrination, and perpetual peer pressure all take the stage in Dacus’ coming of age album.
Dacus says that writing about those years is “a process of extorting control over things that I didn’t have control over at the time.” With untethered teenage dreams safely behind her, Dacus now gets to reclaim the meaning of youth: “I am the narrator of my own life so I get to say what this meant.”
Songs Discussed
Lucy Dacus - Night Shift
Frank Zappa - Sharleena
boygenius - Souvenir
Lukas Graham - 7 Years
Kendrick Lamar - Beyonce
Justin Bieber - Baby
Mandy Moore - Fifteen
Hilary Duff - Sweet Sixteen
The Beatles - When I'm Sixty Four
ABBA - Dancing Queen
Sound of Music - Sixteen Going On Seventeen
Avril Lavigne - 17
Kings Of Leon - 17
Lake Street Dive - Seventeen
Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen
Alessia Cara - Seventeen
Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
Janis Ian - At Seventeen
More
Playlist of coming of age songs
Study on songs that references age
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Jul 02, 2021 |
Summer Hits: BTS - Butter (with Jenna Andrews)
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In summer 2020, BTS released “Dynamite,” their first single recorded entirely in English. The song shot up the charts, became one of the most successful YouTube videos in history, and won over pop radio, which had stubbornly refused to play their songs in Korean. Now, in summer 2021, BTS have topped themselves again with “Butter,” yet another English-language bop that melts like … well, you get it. BTS member Jimin told Variety that they wanted to make an “easy-listening,” fun song, and it arrived as a much-needed distraction from the interminable global pandemic.
With everyone constrained by travel restrictions, the song was written over WhatsApp, a collaboration achieved via text and voice notes sent between South Korea and the U.S. Jenna Andrews, one of the songwriters, says the track went through at least 50 rewrites to reach perfection. The final single is a tightly produced, less than three-minute song in which every moment is a hook. It shifts nostalgically from ’80s Prince to ’90s Michael Jackson through 2000s EDM, each second highlighting BTS’s musical savvy and distinctive vocal performance.
In our kick-off episode of Switched on Pop’s Summer Hits series, Andrews spoke about how she worked with BTS to craft this song remotely and map out every throwback reference. In the second half of the episode, we speak with Bora, a prominent BTS translator who presents the case for why we should hear “Butter” as the first step down the BTS rabbit hole, especially into their Korean-language discovery.
Songs Discussed
BTS - Butter, Dynamite, Silver Spoon, Dope, Dis-ease
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal, Rock With You, Man In The Mirror, Remember The Time, Bad
Usher - “U Got It Bad”
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger
More
Bora’s BTS Rabbit Hole Playlist
ARMY translators' lyric translations:
doolset lyrics – BTS Lyrics in English
BTS TRANSLATIONS – (do you, bangtan / do you bangtan?)
Lyrics — BTS-TRANS/BANGTANSUBS
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Jun 29, 2021 |
Pop’s Worst Kept Secret ft. Emily Warren
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In 1974 country music, singer songwriter, Dolly Parton got wind that Elvis Presley wanted to record her new song, “I Will Always Love You.“ According to Dolly, the deal fell through when Elvis's manager demanded 50% of the publishing revenue. Dolly refused, released the song herself, and years later arranged a more equitable deal with Whitney Houston, who of course made it a massive hit.
It's a juicy bit of industry history that actually speaks more to our current reality than you might think. What Elvis’s management did, demand a cut of the publishing revenue on top of the money he'd already make from album sales and live shows, is not an anomaly.
Songwriter, Emily Warren knows this all too well. Emily's a songwriter and performer in Los Angeles. You've heard her on the show before in part, because she's written some huge hits, including Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” and The Chainsmokers “Don’t Let Me Down.”
What happened to Dolly in ‘74 has happened a lot to Emily. She says that countless times, after an artist decides to record a song of hers that she wrote without any involvement with the artist, she'll get an email from the artist's management team, asking for a cut of her publishing. She says the emails are polite, but the mask and implied arrangement: give us a cut of the publishing they say, or we won't put out the song.
So Emily's started talking to other established songwriters she knows, Tayla Parx, Ross Golan, Justin Tranter, and Savan Kotecha—they've all been asked to give up publishing. Together they decided they wanted to do something about this practice. So they formed an organization called The Pact, a group of music professionals who refuse to give publishing away for songs where artists do not contribute. Their goal is to make the music business more equitable for the creative laborers.
Songs Discussed
Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Dua Lipa - New Rules
The Chainsmokers - Don’t Let Me Down
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Jun 22, 2021 |
40 Years Later, Japanese City Pop is Still Crashing the Charts (with Cat Zhang)
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If you listen to a lot of music on YouTube, you may have been recommended a video. The thumbnail image is a striking black-and-white photo of a Japanese singer named Mariya Takeuchi. The song, “Plastic Love,” is a lush disco track with deep groove, impeccable string and horn arrangements, and a slow-burn vocal performance from Takeuchi. When the song was released in 1984, it sold 10,000 copies. Today, it’s racked up over 65 million views since its posting in 2017.
How did the relatively obscure genre of Japanese City Pop, an amalgam of American soul and funk and Japanese songcraft from the 1970s and 80s, become the sound of the moment? For Pitchfork’s Cat Zhang, City Pop’s heart-on-its-sleeve emotions and slick production resonates with the nostalgic leanings of much contemporary pop. Sampled by artists like Tyler the Creator and inspiring original material from bands around the globe, City Pop has much to tell us about cultural exchange, technology, and the enduring universal power of slap bass.
Songs Discussed:
Miki Matsubara - Stay With Me
Mariya Takeuchi - Plastic Love
Makoto Matsushita - Business Man Pt 1
Tatsuro Yamashita - Marry-go-round
Anri - Good Bye Boogie Dance
Boredoms - Which Dooyoo Like
Toshiko Yonekawa - Sōran Bushi
Takeo Yamashita - Touch of Japanese Tone
Mai Yamane - Tasogare
Young Nudy ft Playboi Carti’s - Pissy Pamper
Tatsuro Yamashita - Fragile
Tyler The Creator - GONE, GONE / THANK YOU 9
Sunset Rollercoaster - Burgundy Red
Check out Cat’s article The Endless Life Cycle of Japanese City Pop on Pitchfork
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Jun 15, 2021 |
J Cole’s The Off Season and the Power of the 12/8 Shuffle
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J Cole is one of the most successful rappers of his generation, someone who racks up hits while sustaining critical acclaim. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Cole’s sixth studio album “The Off Season” finds a musician struggling to stave off complacency and keep his skills sharp. In a short documentary about the album, Cole describes the album as an attempt to “push himself,” a sentiment reflected in a line from the Timbaland-produced track “Amari”: “If you solo these vocals, listen close and you can hear grumbling.” Cole is never satisfied on this album, pushing his technique to the breaking point through verbal dexterity and rhythmic complexity.
One way Cole stays on his toes is through the use of a trap beat melded with one of the oldest grooves in pop: the 12/8 shuffle. He’s far from the only artist to make use of an often overlooked, but iconic meter. Why does this pattern keep us moving? And where did its unique sound come from? We have a theory about that...
Songs discussed:
J Cole - Amari, Punching the Clock, The Climb Back, Interlude
Brief Encounter - I’m So in Love With You
Adam Lambert - Another Lonely Night
Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me
Disclosure ft Sam Smith - Latch
Steely Dan - Aja
Toto - Roseanna
Led Zeppelin - Fool in the Rain
Kanye West - Black Skinhead
Billie Eilish - Bury a Friend
Vulfpeck ft Bernard Purdie and Theo Katzman - Something
Watch Bernard “Pretty” Purdie: The Legendary Purdie Shuffle
Read more on The Off Season in Craig Jenkins in-depth review on Vulture.
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Jun 08, 2021 |
ICYMI Rina Sawayama Reimagines the 00s
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One of our favorites artists right now is Rina Sawayama. She works with her producer Clarence Clarity to make this mash up of sounds from the late 90s and early aughts. She in particular recasts Max Martin pop and Nu Metal — too styles that rarely converged — to make compelling songs with a strong anti-consumerist message. I spoke with Rina Sawayama last summer about her debut eponymous album Sawayama and she shared with me the stories behind her songs XS and STFU. We're rebroadcasting our interview with her from last summer.
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Jun 01, 2021 |
Vijay Iyer on why jazz has always been political
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When you think of jazz, you might think of La La Land, luxury car commercials, or fancy dinner parties. Cool, sophisticated, complex, jazz today seems to signify the epitome of class and taste. For pianist Vijay Iyer, that view gets the music completely wrong. Jazz isn’t cool. Jazz is countercultural. Jazz is alive and relevant. Jazz fights racism and injustice. And for those reasons, maybe we shouldn’t be calling this music “jazz” at all.
With a trio of Linda May Han Oh on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, Iyer has recorded a new album, Uneasy, that continues the defiant political legacy of improvised music. Through songs that tackles the Flint water crisis, the murder of Eric Garner, and social unrest, Iyer connects to the key of issues of our day without saying a word. While his songs speak to our chaotic present and crackle with fierce urgency, they also reach back to elders like John Coltrane, Geri Allen, and Charles Mingus—musicians who never shied away from a fight.
Songs discussed:
Charlie Parker - Ko Ko
Charles Mingus - Fables of Faubus, Original Faubus Fables
Vijay Iyer - Children of Flint, Combat Breathing, Uneasy
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May 25, 2021 |
Introducing Galaxy Brains
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Today we’re sharing something a little different - a new TV and film show from the Vox Media Podcast Network that we think you’ll like called Galaxy Brains. On Galaxy Brains, entertainment writer Dave Schilling and Mystery Science Theater 3000’s Jonah Ray explore a big, mind-expanding question raised by a TV show or movie, and take it way, way too seriously. In the preview episode we’re sharing today, they explore why the once-panned musical comedy Josie and The Pussycats may have actually been a sharp critique of capitalism that was well ahead of its time. It’s weird. It’s funny. We’ll hope you’ll give it a listen, then go follow Galaxy Brains on your favorite podcast app.
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May 18, 2021 |
Turns out Willow Smith rocks
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Willow Smith has a new Paramore-inspired emo-slash-pop punk track with a formidable drum groove powered by Travis Barker. Over churning guitars she sneers at fake friends: "smile in my face, then put your cig out on my back." As Nate and Charlie headbanged along to we found ourselves asking "why did we sleep on Willow Smith?"
Maybe because we had not taken Willow seriously, knowing her only as the nine (!) year-old singer behind the precocious hit "Whip My Hair" back in 2010. In the ensuing decade, your hosts missed out on the rise of a talented musician. Her slow-burn, consciousness-expanding, galaxy-brain funk track "Wait A Minute!" from 2015 showcased the voice of a full-fledged artist. So why couldn't we hear her? Whether because we perceived nepotism or industry sleight-of-hand as the cause of her success, or maybe because we just didn't think a celebrity kid could also have anything to say worth hearing.
Whoops. And it's not just Willow. Turns out the whole Pinkett-Smith clan have discographies worth taking a closer listen to. Who knew Jaden was sampling 1930s jazz wailer Cab Calloway? Or that Jada fronted a death metal band who got booed for being Black in a white genre? Or that the much-maligned "Getting' Jiggy Wit It" by Big Willie Style himself....actually bangs?
Songs discussed:
Willow Smith - Transparent Soul, Wait A Minute!, Whip My Hair
Osamu - Koroneko No Tango
Jordy - Dur dur d'être bébé!
Wicked Wisdom - Bleed All Over Me
Jaden Smith - Icon
Cab Calloway - Hi De Ho Man
Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer
The Bar-Kays - Sang and Dance
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May 11, 2021 |
Julia Michaels’ Songwriting Superpowers
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For nearly a decade, Julia Michaels has penned hit songs for the biggest acts in pop music. She is adept at turning people’s vulnerabilities into memorable hooks — think Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” or Selena Gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.” There are countless others, but all of them share distinctive traits. Where many songwriters might turn to the simplest, almost nursery-rhyme-level lyrics to get the message across, Michaels does the opposite. She crams as many words as possible into each phrase. Her lyrics sound spoken. On her own hit song, her 2017 debut solo single “Issues,” she sings, “Bask in the glory, of all our problems / ’Cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve ’em”; it earned her a Song of the Year nomination at the 2018 Grammys, along with a Best New Artist nod. Her rhyming may sound accidental, but that’s the pop-song illusion. Michaels’s idiosyncratic phrasing has symmetry and her rhyming is indeed purposeful, all to illuminate her primary subject: the infinite recursions of human relationships. After releasing three EPs and countless singles of her own, Michaels has just released her first full-length album, Not in Chronological Order. On this week’s episode of Switched on Pop, Nate and Charlie try to identify Julias Michaels songwriting superpowers and then Charlie speaks with Michaels about how the vagaries of the heart inspire an endless stream of songs.
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May 04, 2021 |
How Take A Daytrip took off (full interview)
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The story of the hitmakers behind Lil Nas X’s “Montero” Sheck Wes’s “Mo Bamba” and many more
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Apr 30, 2021 |
The Mystery of Montero AKA Lil Nas X (feat. Take A Daytrip)
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Lil Nas X has a talent for creating productive controversy. First with “Old Town Road,” he challenged expectations about blackness in country music. Now with “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” he takes aim at anti LGBTQ+ messages propagated by the religious dogma from his youth (he came out as gay during Pride 2019). The song describes a romantic encounter without innuendo. Sure it’s raunchy, but the song doesn’t especially stand out on Billboard where explicit sexual fantasy is commonplace. But his use of religious iconography in his video and merchandise created an immediate backlash. In the video to “Montero,” Lil Nas X rides a stripped pole into hades where he gives a lap dance to Satan (also played by Lil Nas X). Despite the obvious commentary on repressive orthodoxy, religious conservatives failed to see the subtext. The song became a lightning rod. But as pundits fought on social media about the song's meaning, most critics failed to look into the song’s musical references. Produced by Take A Daytrip, the duo behind Shek Wes’ “Mo Bamba” and Lil Nas X’s “Panini,” “Montero'' mashes up genres that take the listener on a global journey, sharing his message of acceptance across cultures.
Music
Lil Nas X — Montero, Old Town Road, Panini
24kGoldn, iann dior - Mood
Dick Dale and his Del-Tones - Misirlou
Tetos Demetriades - Misirlou
Aris San Boom Pam
Silsulim - Static & Ben El
Shek Was — Mo Bamba
Lehakat Tzliley Haud
Bouzouki recording from xserra from FreeSound under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
More
Listen to Gal Kadan’s project: Awesome Orientalists From Europa on Bandcamp
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Apr 27, 2021 |
Pop On A Perilous Planet (w Kyle Devine)
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Earth Day 2021 gives us the chance to pause our usual programming and consider the role pop music plays in our deepening climate emergency. On Side A, we listen to artists who have confronted the climate crisis head-on. Side B considers the environmental cost of streaming music with Kyle Devine, author of Decomposed: The Political Ecology of Music.
Songs Discussed:
George Pope Morris - Woodman, Spare That Tree!
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Tower of Power - Only So Much Oil in the Ground
Various Artists - Love Song for the Earth
Anohni - 4 Degrees
The Weather Station - The Robber
DJ Cavem - Sprout That Life
Learn more about the environmental impact of NFTs
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Apr 20, 2021 |
5 Rules of Great Songwriting Collabs, According to Teddy Geiger and Dan Wilson (On Air Fest 2021)
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On Switched on Pop we talk to songwriters and artists about how they make great songs. Most songs are written with two or more people in the room. Something we've never done before is pair two of the best songwriters in the business to explain how they create a successful collaboration.
Teddy Geiger is a Grammy nominated songwriter who's written countless number ones. You've likely heard her work with Sean Mendes, Leon Bridges, and Christina Aguilera, among many others. She’s also a critically acclaimed artist who's just released a single called “Love Somebody” written with Ricky Reed and Dan Wilson.
Dan Wilson is the bandleader of Semisonic, famous for the song “Closing Time,” and the co-writer of Adele's “Someone Like You” and “Ready to Make Nice” by the Chicks. Wilson recently shared his top songwriting and collaboration tips published as a deck of cards called Words and Music in Six Seconds. He shared his ground rules for collaboration from the deck, through the case study of Teddy Geiger’s “Love Somebody” as part of On Air Fest 2021.
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Apr 13, 2021 |
Silk Sonic's Retro Soul (with Tayla Parx)
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Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars have joined forces as the duo Silk Sonic, and their first release “Leave the Door Open” suggests that their collab is as natural as peanut butter and jelly. The song exudes throwback vibes through its lush harmonies and sensuous lyrics. But this isn’t any run-of-the-mill exercise in empty nostalgia. Silk Sonic have a very specific sound in mind that they’re reviving for 21st century audiences: Philly Soul, the sophisticated 70s sound that “put a bow tie on funk.”
Charlie and Nate aren’t the only ones trying to blow the dust out of the grooves of “Leave the Door Open.” Songwriter Tayla Parx, who’s worked with everyone from Ariana Grande to Panic! At the Disco to Anderson Paak himself, joins the hosts to help explain how Silk Sonic created such a catchy track, and why modern listeners might be ready for a blast from the past.
Songs Discussed
Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open
Aretha Franklin - I Say a Little Prayer
The Temptations - My Girl
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Martha and the Vandellas - Dancing in the Street
Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness
Sam and Dave - Soul Man
Commodores - Who’s Making Love
MFSB - TSOP
O’Jays - Love Train
Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones
The Stylistics - You Are Everything
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes - If You Don’t Know Me By Now
The Delfonics - Didn’t I Blow Your Mind
Seals and Croft - Summer Breeze
Smokey Robinson - Quiet Storm
Teddy Pendergrass - Close the Door
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Apr 06, 2021 |
AJR Conjure Broadway on 'OK Orchestra'
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Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, better known as AJR, started playing gigs on the streets of New York City. The sidewalk hustle taught them how to grab the attention of the least forgiving audience. Now on their fourth studio album, OK Orchestra, they’ve honed an ear-stopping sound that combines modern pop with broadway bombast.
Their platinum-certified single “Bang” pairs a carnival-like horns section with skittering trap style hi-hats. This strange pairing worked. Peaking at No. 8 on the Hot 100, the song is their strongest commercial release so far, despite sounding like nothing else on Billboard. It is a coming of age celebration (“I’m way too old to try so whatever, come hang / Let’s go out with a bang”) with lyrics that lament the pedestrian parts of adulthood: eating healthy, paying taxes, and remembering your passwords. Like its broadway influences, “Bang” takes little moments and makes them sound larger than life.
Switched On Pop’s Charlie Harding spoke with Jack and Ryan Met about the making of “Bang,” their latest single “Way Less Sad” and the showtune influences on OK Orchestra.
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Mar 30, 2021 |
Return of the Funk Guitar: Cory Wong Breaks Down Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware and Nile Rodgers
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Cory Wong is a Minneapolis native and Vulfpeck collaborator known for pushing rhythm guitar from a background instrument to the star of the show. Wong’s a walking encyclopedia of funk guitar, and he takes us through the riffs and styles—from Nile Rodgers to Quincy Jones—that power modern bops such as Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” and Jessie Ware’s “Step Into My Life.”
For Cory, rhythm guitar isn’t just a source of propulsive joy, but a sound that’s intimately connected to different regional scenes: change one note in a riff and you’ve moved from Philadelphia to Cincinatti. Every bubble and chuck speaks to a history of musical innovation - a history Cory mines on his new album-slash-variety show, Cory and the Wongnotes. Mixing comedy sketches, massively funky performances, and interviews, Cory’s project imagines what happens when the bandleader takes over as late night host.
Songs Discussed (it’s a long one)
VULFPECK - Cory Wong
Doja Cat - Say So
Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (Audio) ft. Bruno Mars
Dua Lipa - Levitating
Chic - Good Times
Earth, Wind & Fire - Shining Star
Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster
Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover
Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger feat. Christina Aguilera
Morris Day & The Time - The Bird
Bootsy Collins - Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)
Gap Band - I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops Up Side Your Head)
James Payback - The Payback
Sly & The Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
Jessie Ware - Step Into My Life
Chic - Le Freak
David Bowie “Modern Love”
Duran Duran “Notorious”
Diana Ross - I’m Coming Out
The B52’s “Love Shack”
Avicii “Lay Me Down”
Diana Ross - Upside Down
Sister Sledge - We Are Family
Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You
Sister Sledge - He’s The Greatest Dancer
Steve Winwood “Higher Love” chorus
Stevie wonder - Higher Ground
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
David Bowie - Let's Dance
Madonna - Like a Virgin
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A
Stevie wonder - Higher Ground
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
David Bowie - Let's Dance
Madonna - Like a Virgin
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A
Cory Wong - Tiki Hut Strut
Cory and The Wongnotes - Episode 4, “Genre (ft Grace Kelly)”
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Mar 23, 2021 |
What the 63rd Grammys say about the state of pop
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The 63rd Grammys was as unprecedented and unusual as last year. Backdropped by the pandemic, the show was delayed and had to be taped in multiple locations in front of a bare bones audience. Echoing the public cries against injustice, standout performances by Mickey Guyton, DaBaby, and Lil Baby decried racism to the nation and to the Grammys—the academy made multiple public statements throughout the night promising to do better. The more light hearted performers played best against highly produced backdrops (Silk Sonic, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, and Taylor Swift), but others fell flat, lacking an audience reaction. Not unexpectedly, the Grammy awards ranged from predictable to jaw dropping. Notably, Beyoncé broke records: she now holds more Grammys than any other singer in history. And the major four categories —Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year — were all awarded to women. While the Grammy ceremony horse race can be as much a commentary on commercial worth as musical strengths, the ceremony has much to teach us about what pop music means in 2021.
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Mar 16, 2021 |
Kimbra reflects on a song that we used to know
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Ten years ago the Australian artist Gotye asked New Zealand musician Kimbra to feature on his song “Somebody I Used To Know.” At the time Kimbra had no idea it was going to be a hit. No wonder—the song lacks the trappings of a conventional pop song. The chorus shows up late and it only repeats once in a track composed of an obscure Brazilian guitar sample and nursery rhyme xylophones.
But this slow burner about opposing sides in a relationship's bitter end found a global audience, ascending to No. 1 in more than 25 countries, and accumulating billions of plays across streaming platforms. In 2013, Prince anointed Gotye and Kimbra the Grammy for record of the year (it won best pop duo/group performance as well). The song created many opportunities for both Gotye and Kimbra, but both chose unconventional paths, resisting the industry’s desire to generate the next hit for hits sake.
Reflecting on the song a decade later, Kimbra spoke with Charlie Harding from the podcast Switched On Pop about how this unlikely song inspired her to pursue her singular musical vision, and how it feels to be yet again co-nominated for a 2021 Grammy for her collaboration with Jacob Collier and Tank and The Bangas on “In My Bones.”
SONGS DISCUSSED
Gotye - Somebody I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)
Luiz Bonfá - Seville
Kimbra - Miracle
Kimbra - 90s Music
Kimbra - Top of the World
Jacob Collier - In My Bones
Kimbra - Right Direction
Son Lux - Lost It To Trying
MORE
Check out Kimbra’s course on Vocal Creativity, Arranging, and Production over at Soundfly
Listen to our conversation with Jacob Collier
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Mar 09, 2021 |
Kaytranada's journey from basement beat-making to the Grammys
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Kaytranada has what every producer strives for: an in-demand signature sound. His records glide fluidly between four-to-the-floor house beats, hip-hop sample-flipping, and P-Funk style 808 bass lines. He honed the technique as a teenager, and it has since grabbed the attention of some all-star collaborators: Pharrell Williams, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Anderson .Paak, and Kendrick Lamar. This year, he’s nominated for three Grammys, including Best Dance/Electronica Album for his 2019 sophomore release, Bubba, and Best New Artist. But Kaytranada is hardly new to music; at 28, he has been building a career in the industry for more than a decade. Although the recognition may be overdue, the thrill of it hasn’t worn off. “I’m Kaytranada, all the way from Montreal, Canada — been making beats since I was young. And now here I am, [one of the] Best New Artists for the Grammys. It’s really crazy and exciting,” he says. On this week’s episode of Switched on Pop, co-host Charlie Harding spoke with Kaytranada about how his DIY approach to production led him to music’s biggest stage.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Kaytranada — Got it Good (feat Craig David), Lite Spots, TOGETHER (feat Aluna George & GoldLink), GLOWED UP (feat Anderson Paak), You're the One (feat SYD), Kulture, 10% (f Kali Uchis), Rush (Kali Uchis), Love Thang (First Choice)
Pontos De Luz (Gal Costa)
Janet Jackson - If (Kaytranada Remix),
Teedra Moses - Be Your Girl (Kaytranada Edition)
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Mar 02, 2021 |
JP Saxe Didn’t Mean for His Grammy Hit ‘If the World Was Ending’ to Be So Literal
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JP Saxe wrote the song “If the World was Ending” with acclaimed songwriter Julia Michaels in 2019 about a fictional cataclysm. The record was released in the before times in a way that seemed to presage lockdown. In the early months of the actual pandemic the song resonated so widely that it catapulted up the charts. It’s now been nominated for a Grammy for song of the year — an award JP Saxe could share with his grandfather János Starker who was awarded a Grammy in 1997 for a recording of Bach’s cello suites. We wanted to speak with JP not just because of the song's success, but also because he has a way of thinking about the practical implications and even morality of songwriting in this track as well as his song "Line By Line" with Maren Morris.
Songs Discussed
JP Saxe with Julia Michaels - If The World Was Ending
JP Saxe - 25 In Barcelona, A Little Bit Yours, The Few Things, Same Room
Lennon Stella - Golf on TV (with JP Saxe)
JP Saxe, Maren Morris - Line By Line
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Feb 23, 2021 |
Adrian Younge's new project sounds like James Baldwin meets Marvin Gaye
2081
Adrian Younge is a producer for entertainment greats ranging from Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar to the Wu Tang clan, a composer for television shows such as Marvel's Luke Cage (with A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Mohammad), and owner of the Linear Labs record label and analog studio. Younge has a new mixed media project that breaks down the evolution of racism in America that he calls his “most important creative accomplishment.” A short film, T.A.N., and podcast, Invisible Blackness, accompany the album The American Negro (available Feb 26). Younge tells Switched on Pop how his experience as a law professor and his all-analog approach to recording resulted in a sound he describes as “James Baldwin hooked up with Marvin Gaye.”
Music Discussed
Adrian Younge - Revolutionize, The American Negro, Revisionist History, Black Lives Matter, Margaret Garner
Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
More
Additional production by Megan Lubin
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Feb 16, 2021 |
The Scandalous Sounds of Bridgerton (w Kris Bowers)
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The Netflix series Bridgerton has hooked audiences with its bodice-ripping sex scenes, a colorblind approach period drama casting, and a soundtrack featuring recreations of modern bangers from pop stars like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish arranged in the style of a classical string quartet. By bringing modern melodies into the proper world of Regency England, the show reminds us that classical music wasn’t always so stuffy and solemn. In its time, it trafficked in the same scandal as modern pop.
Alongside these classical-pop mashups, Bridgerton serves up its own ravishing score from composer Kris Bowers, who joins to break down how he made the past pop.
Songs Discussed:
Vitamin String Quartet - Thank U, Next, Bad Guy, In My Blood
Kris Bowers - When You Are Alone, Flawless My Dear, Strange
Maurice Ravel - Tombeau de Couperin, Prelude
Clara Schumann - Der Mond Kommt Still Gegangen
Johannes Brahms - Symphony No 3 in F Major Op 90, Mvt 3 (for Four Hand Piano)
More
Read Maria Popova on the letters of Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann
and Adrian Daub on Four Handed Monsters
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Feb 09, 2021 |
How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” used retro sounds and modern bass to break every record
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This Sunday, The Weeknd will perform his distinctly dark brand of pop at the Super Bowl halftime show. On the surface, the alter-ego of Abel Tesfaye is a strange pick for the ostensibly family-friendly main-stage — for more than a decade, The Weeknd has fused the sounds of pop, R&B, and trap into a cinematic horror-thriller about drugs, sex and the excess of fame. While his sheer volume of Hot 100 hits have rightly earned him mainstream status, even his most commercial material is hardly PG — the 2015 hit “Can’t Feel My Face” is an 80s throwback laced with on-the-nose cocaine metaphors.
But over the last year his subversive image has been rewritten by the song “Blinding Lights,” from his 2020 album After Hours. The song vaulted up the charts in March 2020, supported by a viral TikTok challenge: Using the song’s opening instrumental as inspiration, countless families performed the dance together while sheltering in place. Since then, seemingly every radio format, adult contemporary included, has played this song on repeat, making it the longest running song in the Hot 100 top five and top ten (given the songs success, The Weeknd is justly aggrieved by the Grammy’s recent snub).
On Switched on Pop’s first episode as part of Vulture, we break down how “Blinding Lights” blends lyrical relatability with musical familiarity, earning The Weeknd the biggest and perhaps most misunderstood hit of his career.
Songs Discussed
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
Michael Sembello - Maniac
a-ha - Take on Me
Bruce Springsteen - Blinded By The Light
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light
The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
The Weeknd - Faith
The Weeknd - In Your Eyes
The Weeknd - Save Your Tears
The Weeknd - Until I Bleed Out
More
Read Chris Molanphy's "Why the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Is the First Chart Topper of the Coronavirus Era"
Thanks to Arc Iris for the theme song reharmonization
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Feb 02, 2021 |
Epik High is our gateway into Korean hip hop (with Tablo)
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Epik High are elemental to Korean hip hop. DJ Tukutz, Mithra Jin and Tablo’s underground style boom bap beats with dexterous rapping helped bring this music from its underground roots to a global scale. On their latest release, Epik High Is Here Part I, the textures are subdued but paired with heavy drums and aggressive vocals, a contrast that matches our collective anxiety arising from the pandemic. Charlie speaks with Tablo about the creation of the album, but first first ethnomusicologist Youngdae Kim shares a short history on the development of Korean hip hop.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Epik High - Rosario, Go, Fly, Map the Soul, Harajuku Days, Born Hater, Lesson Zero, Based On A True Story, Leica, Wish You Were
Seo Taiji and Boys - I Know
Verbal Jint - Overclass
MORE
Read Youngdae Kim and T.K. Park’s “A Brief History of Korean Hip-hop”
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Jan 26, 2021 |
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” is a full throttle power ballad
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Power ballads used to top the charts regularly, from 80s rock to 90s R&B. But then in the 2000s, the formula of constant escalation gradually fell off the Billboard. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Olivia Rodrigo’s single “Drivers License” is breaking streaming records as listeners yearn for the emotional catharsis from this contemporary power ballad. With the help of David Metzer, professor of music history at the University of British Columbia, we break down how “Drivers License” sticks to an age-old formula, and how it deviates from a well worn musical path.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License
Barry Manilow - Mandy
Roy Orbison - It’s Over
Clyde McPhatter - Without Love There Is Nothing
Etta James - I’d Rather Go Blind
Journey - Open Arms
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day
Seal - Kiss From A Rose
Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be with You
Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
MORE
Professor David Metzer’s The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to Beyoncé
Aiyana Ishmael for Teen Vogue “Olivia Rodrigo Song "Drivers License" Sparks Fan-Made TikTok POV Covers”
Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram demo
Richard S. He Twitter thread
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Jan 19, 2021 |
D.O.C. (Death of the Chorus) with Emily Warren
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Listen to Top 40 pop over the last decade and you’ll notice something weird is happening. The chorus—the emotional apotheosis of a pop song, its dizzying high, its cathartic sing-along center—is disappearing. In its place, artists from Bad Bunny to Taylor Swift are toying with new, chorus-lite song forms that introduce a new musical grammar to the sound of contemporary pop. We may not think much about pop structure when listening to our favorite songs, but this is a big deal—the last time pop experienced such a seismic shift was when the chorus first came into fashion, back in the 1960s. What does this mean for modern musicians and listeners? Emily Warren, songwriter for new-guard stars like Dua Lipa and Khalid, joins to break down why the sea change in pop form represents a new horizon of creative possibility.
Songs Discussed
Bad Bunny - Si Veo a Tu Mamá
Future & Drake - Life Is Good
Billie Holiday - Blue Moon
Beyonce - Formation
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Drake - Laugh Now Cry Later (ft. Lil Durk)
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Jan 12, 2021 |
ICYMI: The End Of Pop Music As We Know It: Fall Out Boy & Charli XCX
2907
Is it true that all pop music sounds the same today? For the past year the “pop-drop” has dominated the airwaves. This new form of EDM infused pop came out of DJ culture and has infused its sound with every mainstream act like Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Tiring of this sound, some artists are finding creative ways to parody this pop trope. The rock outfit Fall Out Boy’s “Young And Menace” demonstrates equal parts mastery and mockery of the pop-drop. And PC Music, a rising art-music label out of London, skewers the whole of pop cliché on their mixtape collaboration with Charli XCX. After this episode, we promise you’ll be ready to move on to new sounds. Luckily, listeners have collaborated to create a new favorites playlist to help you cleanse your palette.
This episode was originally published May 2017.
SONGS DISCUSSED
The Chainsmokers – Closer
Kygo & Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me
Lady Gaga – The Cure
Fall Out Boy – Sugar We’re Going Down
Fall Out Boy – Young And Menace
Jay Z – D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
Ariana Grande – Into You
Katy Perry feat. Skip Marley – Chained To The Rhythm
Drake – Passionfruit
Postmodern Jukebox – Sugar We’re Going Down Swinging
Britney Spears – Oops! I Did It Again
Skrillex – Bangarang
DJ Snake – Middle
Beyoncé – Love On Top
Icona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charlie XCX)
Iggy Azalea – Fancy ft. Charli XCX
Selena Gomez – Same Old Love
Charli XCX – 3AM (Pull Up) (feat. MØ)
Hannah Diamond – Every Night
Bronze – Thy Slaughter
Danny L Harle – Super Natural (ft. Carly Rae Jepsen)
SOPHIE – JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE
A.G. Cook – Superstar
Ariana Grande – Side To Side
Coon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra – I’m Gonna Charleston Back To Charleston
Spotify Playlist
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Jan 05, 2021 |
ICYMI: Do You Believe in Life After Autotune?
2945
Auto-Tune may be the most divisive effect in music. Artists have protested it publicly at the Grammys, and critics have derided the effects for its inauthentic reproduction of the voice. And yet, nearly a decade since Jay-Z prophesied the death of Auto-Tune, the sound is alive and thriving in contemporary pop and hip-hop. Journalist Simon Reynolds has written a definitive history of Auto-Tune for Pitchfork that fundamentally changed how we hear this sound. This deep dive criss crosses geology, technology, and the evolution of pop as we know it.
Songs Discussed:
Cher - Believe
Katy Perry - Firework
Rihanna - Diamonds
Future - F*ck Up Some Commas
Emma Robinson - Stay (Cover)
Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek
Zapp & Roger - Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)
T. Pain - Chopped N Screwed ft. Ludacris
Lil Wayne - “How To Love”
Kanye - “Heartless”
The Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”
Jay-Z - Death Of Auto-Tune
Elvis - Mystery Train
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
Whispering Jack Smith - Baby Face
Kesha - Tik Tok Bon Iver - Woods
Future & Juice WRLD - Jet Lag ft. Young Scooter
Shek Wes - Mo Bamba
The Carters - Apeshit
Further Reading: Simon Reynolds - “How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music" Simon Reynolds -Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture
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Dec 29, 2020 |
Wham! Op. 84 “Last Christmas” with Chilly Gonzales
3200
Wham’s 1984 contribution to the holiday cannon, “Last Christmas,” has surprising staying power. When Grammy-winning pianist Chilly Gonzales set out to record a holiday album, “A Very Chilly Christmas,” most of the selections were over a half century old. That’s because most of our favorite seasonal songs come from the 1960s and earlier. But in addition to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” Wham’s “Last Christmas” reliably returns each winter. Despite the cheesy 80s synths and drum machines, the song’s harmonies are remarkable resilient, a testament to George Michael’s auteur songwriting method. Celebrated artist known for his solo piano works, collaborations with Feist and Daft Punk, and his musical masterclasses series, Chilly Gonzales—musical genius—AKA “Gonzo,” sits down at the piano to share in the beauty of this nu-classical Christmas love song, as well as a few selections from his new album “A Very Chilly Christmas.”
MORE
Get tickets for A Very Chilly Christmas Special airing Dec 23rd at www.chillygonzales.com
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Dec 21, 2020 |
Taylor Swift has "evermore" of a good thing
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Just five months after releasing her Grammy-nominated album “folklore,” Taylor Swift surprised fans with a continuation of sorts — her ninth studio album “evermore.” Working with many of her “folklore” collaborators, Swift says that the team “couldn’t stop writing songs.” Like its sister album, “evermore” shies away from over-the-top pop production, and leans into Swift’s craft. Stripped of the highly produced synth layers from her “Lover” and “Reputation” era, Swift’s lyrics and vocal performance shine in their unvarnished restraint. On this hour-long album, Swift shows her ingenuity with the building blocks of songwriting, giving us more of her signature Swiftian strengths: Lyrics, melody and story.
More
Read "Figure It Out: The Linguistic Turn in Country Music" by Jimmie N. Rogers and Miller Williams in Country Music Annual 2000
Listen to Jenny Owen Youngs album Night Shift for more rubber bridge guitar and great songs
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Dec 15, 2020 |
Women's Rap Renaissance
2538
Producer Bridget Armstrong shares her top tracks from women who are running hip-hop in 2020: Megan Thee Stallion, Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, Flo Milli, and CHIKA
More
Listen to the Drake episode on In My Feelings: https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/93-drake-vs-drake
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Dec 08, 2020 |
Red Hot + Blue with Meshell Ndegeocello
2606
In 1990 John Carlin and Leigh Blake pioneered a new kind of charity album. Together they co-founded Red Hot, a non-profit music label that uses music to raise money and awareness to for the fight against AIDS. This year is the 30th anniversary of their record: Red Hot + Blue, a platinum tribute album to Cole Porter, featuring artists like U2, Jody Watley, David Byrne, k.d. lang and Annie Lennox. Having released 20 projects and raised over $15M for AIDS charities, Carlin reflects back on Red Hot's idiosyncratic approach to reaching music audiences with a public health mission. And ten time Grammy nominee Red Hot collaborator Meshell Ndegeocello discusses how her contributions informed her own prolific music activism.
More
Listen to Red Hot's records at redhot.org
Listen to Meshell's Chapter & Verse by calling 1-833-4-BALDWIN or visiting www.meshell.com
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Dec 01, 2020 |
The Cyndi Lauper Conspiracy (with Sam Sanders)
2190
Every song Cyndi Lauper writes is pop perfection according to Sam Sanders, host of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute.” Many fall for “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” but Sanders's favorite song is the slow burner “All Through The Night,” save for one moment: the synthesizer solo. For Sanders, this solo never fit in. Charlie investigates the source of his musical malady and uncovers how the 80s got its groove.
Songs Discussed
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper - She Bop
Cyndi Lauper - All Through the Night
Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You
Janet Jackson - The Pleasure Principle
Janet Jackson - Nasty
Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone
Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All
Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever
Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It
Cyndi Lauper - Change Of Heart
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
Tom Petty - You Got Lucky
Cars - Lets Go
Talking Heads - Burning Down The House
Parliament Funkadelic - Atomic Dog
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
Dua Lipa - Physical
Little Mix - Break Up Song
Miley Cyrus - Heart of Glass (Blondie Cover)
More
Read Dr. Megan L. Lavengood's research on the DX7: https://meganlavengood.com/research/
Listen to Dave Smith's (recently re-released) Sequential Prophet 5 synthesizer: https://www.sequential.com/product/prophet-5/
Learn about William Wittman's production credits on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/170639-William-Wittman
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Nov 24, 2020 |
ANTHEMS: Missy Elliott — Work It
2274
Cultural critic Ivie Ani breaks down how Missy Elliott broke into the pantheon of anthems, and how she changed the scope of who could belong.
Songs Discussed
Missy Elliott - Work It
Blondie - Heart of Glass
RUN-DMC - Peter Piper
Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three - Request Line
Snoop Dogg - Y'All Gone Miss Me
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Trace Adkins - Honky Tonk Badonkadonk
Missy Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
Lil Kim - Not Tonight (Remix)
Missy Elliott - Lose Control (feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop)
Missy Elliott - Sock It 2 Me
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Nov 17, 2020 |
ANTHEMS: Smash Mouth — All Star
2068
When Smash Mouth wrote "All Star,” they knew that it was going to change their lives. But they never expected it would become an anthem played in sports arenas, soundtracked by Hollywood, and embedded into seemingly every internet meme. Darryn King joins the show to break down "The Never-ending Life of Smash Mouth's 'All Star.'"
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Nov 10, 2020 |
ANTHEMS: Jock Jams — Get Ready For This
2100
In 1995, ESPN launched Jock Jams Volume 1, a compilation record that would define the sound of sports for the next quarter century. We listen to the album's biggest songs to define what makes a "Jock Jam," and tell the story of how this record came to define the sound of the stadium.
MORE
Read Emily VanDerWerff's article: “The Jock Jam” megamix inadvertently plays out ESPN’s inner tensions
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Nov 03, 2020 |
ANTHEMS: Queen — We Are The Champions
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Freddie Mercury and team made one of the most unusual anthems of all time. “We Are The Champions” has a somber beginning, an uncertain ending and a sprinkling of operatic allusions. Yet more than 40 years after this slow burners debut, it continues to be a staple at sporting events. In the first episode in a four part series, ANTHEMS, Nate and Charlie break down the song’s fundamental elements that place this song in the anthemic pantheon.
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Oct 27, 2020 |
Cory Henry has Something to Say
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Cory Henry is a remarkably gifted multi-instrumentalist. Growing up in the church, he started playing the Hammond B3 organ at age 2 and played his first gig at Apollo theater in NYC at age 6. As a professional musician he’s played along side Bruce Springsteen, Boyz II Men, The Roots, Kirk Franklin and many others including the acclaimed group Snarky Puppy which earned 3 Grammys during his tenure playing keys. Now he leads his band Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles who are releasing an album on Oct 30th called Something To Say, which features all of Henry’s gifts, but especially his voice in an album that makes you want to get up and dance as much as it makes you want to take action.
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Oct 20, 2020 |
The Pop Music Forecast (with Lauren Michele Jackson)
2503
Shawn Mendes, BTS, Alicia Keys, 24kGoldn, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber & Chance The Rapper are all in the Hot 100 with songs that attempt to cope with the state of the world. What do they tell us about the sound of popular music and our collective psyche? Charlie is joined by writer, critic and friend of the podcast, Lauren Michele Jackson to offer a meteorological reading of music in late 2020.
MORE
Read Aja Romano's article "With 'Dynamite,' BTS beat the US music industry at its own cheap game" on Vox.com
SONGS DISCUSSED
Shawn Mendes - Wonder
Alicia Keys - Underdog
Hamilton - My Shot
Dua Lipa - Break My Heart
INXS - Need You Tonight
BTS - Dynamite
Justin Bieber - Holy ft. Chance The Rapper
24kgolden - Mood ft. iann dior
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Oct 14, 2020 |
Brandy Clark's Life Is A Record
1908
There is a type of country song that loves flawed characters lost on a winding journey ... likely down a dit road. One of the best songwriters in this style is acclaimed artist Brandy Clark. Her credits include a whose-who of country music—Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Lean Rimes—and her albums have received overwhelming critical acclaim. And her debut record, 12 Stories, earned her a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
We spoke with Brandy about her new album Your Life Is A Record, which asks what if your life’s journey fit on one LP. The songs are honest, and buck the all too familiar pop-country clichés. Clark writes songs about anti-heroes who make imperfect choices (“Who You Thought I Was,” “The Past Is The Past.”) All together her songs portray one whole life.
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Oct 07, 2020 |
Keith Urban on The Speed of Now Part 1
2607
Keith Urban is a legend of country. He’s been releasing hit records for two decades now. Each album he describes as a portrait of his life in that moment. On his latest work, The Speed Of Now Part 1, has Urban disregarding country convention (as he’s known to do), and collaborating with a diverse roster of musicians who contribute an eclectic array of sounds funk guitar, breakbeat drums and even EDM style programming. The result is less straight ahead country and more the unique sound of Keith Urban. In this conversation, we discuss his music, how he stays creative, and why he believes music can still be a uniting force.
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Oct 02, 2020 |
Mickey Guyton sings truth to Country Music
3313
Mickey Guyton spent a decade of fits and starts trying to make a career in country music. But now in recent months she’s having a country music moment releasing vulnerable songs that use her experiences of rejection, exclusion and racism as inspiration. Charlie speaks with Guyton about her breakout songs “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” and “Black Like Me,” as well as what it took for her to make it onto one of country musics most beloved stages, the American Country Music Awards.
Songs Discussed
Mickey Guyton - What Are You Gonna Tell Her
Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers - Islands In the Stream
Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors
Mickey Guyton - Safe (Acoustic)
Mickey Guyton - Heartbreak Song
Mickey Guyton - Why Baby Why
Mickey Guyton - Better Than You Left Me
Mickey Guyton - Black Like Me
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Sep 29, 2020 |
Disclosure: Where Energy Flows
2446
Howard and Guy Lawrence, the brothers behind Disclosure, found global acclaim in 2012 with their song “Latch” ft. Sam Smith which blended house and dubstep in a doo-wop time signature. Since, they have collaborated with many of pop’s most sought after vocalists (The Weeknd, Lore and Khalid to name a few) in an ever evolving vision of dance music. On their latest album release, “Energy,” Disclosure channels sounds and samples from the global south. Listen to find out how they make the energy flow.
Survey
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Sep 22, 2020 |
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT IV, What Beethoven Would Have Wanted
1883
When we listen closely to the Fifth, we hear a testament to self-expression and determination. Which means that we get to decide how to honor this symphony today, whether that means taking a break from Beethoven to commission new works from underrepresented composers, bringing new audiences into the fold by staging concerts in communities outside of the concert hall, or re-writing Beethoven’s works to make them reflect our present moment.
Featuring:
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Andrea Moore, Musicologist
Deborah Borda, CEO and President
David Lang, Composer
Jaap van Sweden, Conductor
Leelanee Sterett, Horn
Sherry Sylar, Oboe
Music Featured:
Carlos Simon, Loop
Tania Léon, Stride
David Lang, Prisoner of the State
Recoding of Beethoven Symphony 5 by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Jaap van Sweden used by permission from Decca Gold.
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Sep 18, 2020 |
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT III, Putting the Classism in Classical
1942
Before Beethoven’s time, classical music culture looked and sounded quite different. When Mozart premiered his Symphony 31 in the late 1700s, it was standard for audiences to clap, cheer, and yell “da capo!” (Italian for “from the beginning!”) in the middle of a performance. After Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony debuted in the early 1800s, these norms changed — both because the rising industrial merchant class took ownership of concert halls and because of shifts in the music itself.
As we explored in episodes I and II of the Switched On Pop podcast series The 5th, the musical complexity of Beethoven’s symphony required a different kind of listening. The Fifth’s four-note opening theme occurs and recurs in variations throughout the symphony, slowly shifting from minor to major keys and mirroring Beethoven’s experience with deafness. The Fifth’s creative rule-breaking — subverting the classical sonata form in the first movement, for example — requires close listening to fully grasp. Over time, these norms crystallized into a set of etiquette rules (e.g., “don’t clap mid-piece”) to enhance the new listening experience. In the third episode of The 5th, we explore how Beethoven’s symphony was used to generate the strict culture of classical music — and the politics that undergird those norms of behavior.
Music Discussed
Recording of The New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 conducted by Jaap van Zweden used by permission from Decca Gold.
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Sep 15, 2020 |
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT II, From Struggle to Victory
1684
In the first movement of his famous symphony, Beethoven sets up a battle between hope and despair. The dark side of that spectrum is represented by the anguished opening notes of the first movement: DUN DUN DUNNN. Over the course of the next three movements, Beethoven keeps trying to overcome his dark fate with bright major melodies, and keeps getting defeated.
With each high and low, we begin to understand that this battle isn't just about major and minor keys, it's about the will to live in the face of adversity. How do you perform such an emotional rollercoaster? We talk to the members of the New York Philharmonic about what it's like to sound a symphony whose stakes are life and death.
Jaap van Zweden, Conductor
Leelanee Sterrett, Horn
Kyle Zerna, Percussion
Frank Huang, Violin
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Sherry Sylar, Oboe
Recording of The New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 conducted by Jaap van Zweden used by permission from Decca Gold.
Hear new episodes of our four-part miniseries The 5th every Tuesday and Friday starting September 8th.
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Sep 11, 2020 |
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT I, A Battle Brewing
1668
You know Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. You’ve heard it in films, advertisements, parodied in Saturday morning cartoons and disco-ized in Saturday Night Fever. The Fifth Symphony is a given, so much so that it blends into the background. You know this piece, but how well? Of all the symphonies of the bewigged classical "greats," why is this one still stuck in our heads over two centuries later?
To answer these questions, we’re giving Beethoven’s famous symphony the same treatment we give to pop songs. And we’re doing so with the help of an orchestra that’s been performing this piece since 1842, the New York Philharmonic.
In Movement I, we hear how the famous opening notes of the symphony aren't just melody: they’re the main character in a drama that will unfold over four movements.
Featuring:
Frank Huang, Violin
Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Sherry Sylar, Oboe
Recording of The New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 conducted by Jaap van Zweden used by permission from Decca Gold.
New episodes of our four-part miniseries The 5th drop every Tuesday and Friday starting September 8th.
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Sep 08, 2020 |
The Resistance is Dancing in the Streets (ICYMI)
1933
Our Switched on Summer Throwback Series continues with “Dancing in the Street,” the 1964 Motown hit by Martha and the Vandellas that was co-written by none other than Marvin Gaye. Over 50 years and countless covers later, we explore how this song still manages to get people off their feet and onto the streets—not just to dance, but also to raise their voices in joy, catharsis, and protest.
SPONSOR
We use Reason Studios to make music on Switched On Pop. You can use Reason too free for 30 days: http://reasonstudios.com/onpop
SONGS DISCUSSED
Martha and the Vandellas – Dancing in the Street
Marvin Gaye – Stubborn Kind of Fellow
The Mamas and the Papas – Dancing in the Street
The Grateful Dead – Dancing in the Street
Van Halen – Dancing in the Street
Mick Jagger and David Bowie – Dancing in the Street
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Pharrell Williams – Happy
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Sep 01, 2020 |
Benee and the Art of the Sad Banger
1736
How does it feel to become a global pop star under lockdown? Benee’s “Supalonely” had been out for over 5 months when in March of 2020, it quickly became the second most popular song on TikTok. The song’s hook “I’ve been lonely… Supalonely” clearly reflected a global collective malaise about the pandemic—and people wanted to dance to it. She wrote this “sad banger” to help get over a breakup. And now the song changed her life. Not along before she’d dropped out of college to make music while working at a pizza place. Her first EP had found an audience in her home country, New Zealand. Now, with her TikTok success Benee has ascended the top 100 in 30 countries. All of this happened from the solitude of her childhood bedroom, where like so many people, she’s taking zoom calls all day. She tells Switched On Pop about using levity to overcome personal difficulty and what’s like to achieve global recognition from home.
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Aug 26, 2020 |
90s Music Canon
2284
Matt Daniels, editor of the publication The Pudding, wanted to find out what songs from his youth would last into the future. So he designed a study that would test if Gen-Z had a grip on 90s culture. Hundreds of thousands of participants provided over 3 million data points. Daniels parsed through the data for insights. Sadly, the majority of his most beloved songs have not survived even one generation. Though most had been forgotten, he found that just a few songs had staying power across generations — what he defined as the emerging 90s music canon. Find out what songs make it and which have fallen to the wayside.
MORE
The Pudding’s study on Defining the 90s Canon
Take The Pudding’s quiz yourself
SONGS DISCUSSED
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Mariah Carey - Fantasy!
Lou Bega - Mambo #5
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Boys II Men - Motown Philly
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Savage Garden - I Want You
The Barenaked Ladies - One Week
Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
Jennifer Lopez - If You Had My Love
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
Smash Mouth - All Star
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
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Aug 18, 2020 |
Bruno Major restyles the Great American Songbook
2820
Bruno Major blends old song structures from The Great American Songbook with contemporary production on his new album “To Let A Good Thing Die.” The result is a nostalgic, yet contemporary collection of love songs for the Netflix and chill generation. We speak with Bruno Major about how he draws inspiration from the past to craft something new. He breaks down his songs "Nothing," "To Let A Good Thing Die," and "The Most Beautiful Thing," which he wrote with Finneas. And we unpack how Bruno Major found success only after being dropped from his record label.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Bruno Major - Nothing
Autumn Leaves - Nat King Cole
Fly Me to The Moon - Frank Sinatra
Stella By Starlight - Tony Bennett
There Will Never Be Another You - Nat King Cole
Like Someone in Love - Chet Baker
Deep in a Dream - Frank Sinatra
All The things you are - Ella Fitzgerald
Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
Wes Montgomery - In Your Own Sweet Way
Bruno Major - Wouldn't Mean A Thing
Bruno Major - Bad Religion (Live)
Bruno Major - I'll Sleep When I'm Older
J Cole - KOD
J Dilla - La La La
Bruno Major - The Most Beautiful Thing
Bruno Major - To Let A Good Thing Die
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Aug 11, 2020 |
Black Is King (ICYMI Beyoncé's Gift To Africa ft. Ivie Ani)
2340
Beyoncé' has released "Black Is King," a visual album based off of music that she released last year. We're rerunning that piece so that you can place the visual component of "Black Is King" in context to the music. For the live action remake of the Lion King, Beyoncé, (who voices Nala in the film), recorded and curated a companion soundtrack called The Gift. She worked with leading Afropop stars to expose the music of the continent to a global audience. In her piece, “Diversity Is in the Details: What Beyoncé’s ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ Gets Right and Wrong,” Okayplayer music editor Ivie Ani argues that the album highlights music while unintentionally treating the continent as a monolith. Ani joins Switched On Pop to break down this album and what it means for Afropop.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Oumou Sangaré – MOOD 4 EVA
Oumou Sangaré – Diaraby Nen
Burna Boy – JA ARA
Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy
Fena, MDQ, Mayonde, Kagwe, Blinky Bill – PARTY NATION
BONUS
Listen to Blinky and Ivie’s East African playlist recommendations
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Aug 04, 2020 |
folklore: taylor swift's quarantine dream
2448
Taylor Swift has released folklore, her unexpected eighth studio album. It is an understated work that firmly puts celebrity gossip behind her (there are no who's-dating-who easter eggs to be found). Instead we're gifted Swift's greatest strength: songwriting. The lyrics blur "fantasy and reality." There are imagined teenage love trysts, recreated dynasties and intimate reflections on modern love. We break down the sounds and lyrics that make up Swift's strongest album yet.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Taylor Swift - the 1, illicit affairs, my tears ricochet, august, epiphany, cruel summer, this is my trying, hoax, peace, you belong with me, mirrorball, epiphany, our song, cardigan, the last great american dynasty, betty
The National - Light Years
Bon Iver - 666
BONUS
The correct term for the piano line is a "turn"
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Jul 28, 2020 |
The Women Reclaiming Nu-Metal ft. Rina Sawayama
2523
Nu-Metal, the mid 90s creation that blended metal, rap and pop, is one of the most critically derided pop genres. So it is strange that this genre is having a comeback. But whereas its first incarnation was dominated by men, now women are leading the way. Artists like Poppy, Grimes and Rina Sawayama have recast the heavy guitars, sung-rap lyrics and gaudy aesthetic to fight back the patriarchy.
CORRECTION: Charlie does not play pinch harmonics, but rather natural harmonics
SONGS DISCUSSED
Korn - Freak On A Leash
Rina Sawayama - STFU!
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff
Poppy - I Disagree
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole
Grimes, Hana - We Appreciate Power
Rina Sawayama - XS
Britney Spears - Gimme More
Britney Spears - Toxic
MORE
Check out Finn McKenty's YouTube channel The Punk Rock MBA starting with his video on what killed Nu-Metal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATllyNXF3Kg&t
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Jul 21, 2020 |
Rosie: Investigating a Crime at the Heart of the Music Industry
1684
Listen closely to the start of the 2015 hit "Hey Mama" by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Afrojack, and Bebe Rexha and you'll hear voices intoning a chant: "Be my woman, girl, I'll be your man." It's sample from a 1948 recording called "Rosie," and it's the propulsive hook of "Hey Mama," driving the song to over a billion views on YouTube. The voices in the sample belong to CB Cook and ten other unidentified prisoners at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, aka Parchman Farm. These men never got credit for their work, even though it's been reused by everyone from Guetta to the Animals to Nina Simone. We investigate the story of "Rosie" to understand an inequity that lies at the heart of the music business and our national consciousness.
Songs Discussed
David Guetta ft Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack - Hey Mama
CB Cook and Axe Gang - Rosie
The Animals - Inside Looking Out
Grand Funk Railroad - Inside Looking OUt
KRS-One - Sound of Da Police
Jay Z - Takeover
Nina Simone - Be My Husband
Check out Kembrew McLeod's and Peter DiCola's book Creative License to learn more about the law and culture of digital sampling.
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Jul 14, 2020 |
Song of Summer 2020: TikTok Jams, Protest Anthems, Breezy Bops & Bummer Bangers
2508
The 2020 song of summer competition is underway. We asked you for your favorite songs and put them in a head-to-head tournament. Find out which is the song for this very unusual summer.
ROUND 1 - TikTok Jams
SAINt JHN - "Roses" Imanbek Remix
Megan Thee Stallion - Savage Remix (Feat. Beyoncé)
The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
ROUND 2 - Protest Anthems
Beyoncé - Black Parade
Anderson .Paak - Lockdown
YG - FTP
ROUND 3 - Breezy Bops
Dua Lipa - Physical
Chloe x Halle - Do It
Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar
ROUND 4 - Bummer Bangers
Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer
Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
HAIM - Up From A Dream
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Jul 07, 2020 |
The Many Colors of Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’
2132
Lady Gaga’s 6th album is a conceptual release about a future that is neither utopian nor dystopian. Despite its sci-fi visuals, the album looks more to the past and present than the future. Chromatica gives us a world that sounds like 90s house music made for this summer’s cancelled Pride parties. It is lyrically somber, but musically upbeat, a productive tension that inspires hope. Gaga shared that she made this album to help her and her ‘little monsters’ dance through the pain. So we called on our listeners to dig up the most meaningful moments on the album and help us tour the world of Chromatica.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Lady Gaga - Chromatica I, 1000 Doves, Alice, Bad Romance, Stupid Love, Fun Tonight, Paparazzi, The Fame, Rain On Me, Since From Above, Babylon
Gwen McCray - All This Love
Cassius - Feeling For You
Avicci & Sebastien Drums - My Feelings For You
MORE
"Welcome To Chromatica" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nIb85jPqtjhjuOB3DUI49?si=Vy9LLNWcSAeih_V2Amq6Aw
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Jun 30, 2020 |
I Am America (w Shea Diamond and Justin Tranter)
1342
Shea Diamond has experienced so many facets of America as a black trans woman, and with songwriter Justin Tranter, she's woven those experiences into "I Am America," a blistering, funky anthem about community and belonging. Her track is also the theme song for the new HBO show "We're Here," which follows a team of a drag queens bringing drag shows to small towns across the country, challenging our assumptions about who makes up the "real America."
We sit down with Diamond and Tranter to discuss singing as preaching, what it means to release this track during Pride month, why the flat seventh hits so good, and how the horns on the song feature producer Eren Cannata's dad Richie on sax, making this bop a true family affair.
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Jun 30, 2020 |
Baz Luhrmann’s “Sunscreen Song” — The 90s’ Most Unlikely Hit (with Avery Trufelman)
3174
In 1999 filmmaker Baz Luhrmann released the song “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen,” a 7-minute-long graduation speech set to downtempo electronic music. It was a highly unlikely hit that made its way across continents and eventually into the ears of a young Avery Trufelman via the album NOW That’s What I Call Music Volume 2. For over 20 years, Trufelman has applied the song’s advice to her daily life: “wear sunscreen… be nice to your siblings… do one thing every day that scares you.” This unusual song has left a lasting impression, and yet for Trufelman, it makes no sense that “The Sunscreen Song” was commercially successful. We investigate the song’s many architects — novelist Kurt Vonnegut, Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich and Baz Luhrmann himself — to unpack one of the internet’s first conspiracy theories that turned into Billboard’s greatest outlier.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Baz Luhrmann - Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Think - Once You Understand
MORE
The BBC documentary on “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszvtr
Another speech set to music, Byron MacGregor/Gordon Sinclair’s “Americans,” peaked at #4 in 1974
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Jun 23, 2020 |
Jacob Collier on staying creative and his 646 track song “All I Need”
2148
Quarantined in his family’s music room, musician Jacob Collier has been remarkably productive. Known for his polymathic musical talents, Collier has used this time to reflect on, and release new music. His latest song “All I Need,” was created with new technology that let him record remotely with his collaborators Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign. The song is uplifting. It modulates into arcane keys that evoke the euphoria of newfound love. Collier’s also been convening live streams with artists like Tori Kelly and Chris Martin where Collier seemingly defies the laws of physics to collaborate, in time, over long-distance video chat. Collier is a hopeful voice, demonstrating how music can boost our spirits in dark times.
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Jun 19, 2020 |
What it means to make music in 2020
2133
The pandemic has upended the art and business of making music. Producing, performing and releasing — every aspect is new and uncharted. The need for social distancing means that it’s unsafe to collaborate in small studios or perform for large crowds — not to mention finding the right thing to sing about in such a charged moment. We’re telling three stories about how artists are working within these constraints: Ricky Reed and John-Robert have found a way to generate a creative spark remotely, Jacob Collier has defied the laws of physics to master live performance over the internet, and Dua Saleh has released a powerful new track that helps support the protests in Minneapolis. Everything is radically different than it was a few months ago, but these stories shine a light on why making music matters more than ever in 2020.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Lizzo - Juice
John-Robert, Ricky Reed, Zach Sekof - Favorite Boy
Bill Withers - Lean On Me performed by Ty Dolla Sign & Jacob Collier
Jacob Collier - All I Need
D’Angelo - Feel Like Making Love
Stevie Wonder - You And I performed by Tori Kelly and Jacob Collier
Dua Saleh - Body Cast
Dua Saleh - Sugar Mama
Dua Saleh - Moth
Dua Saleh - Smut
Sister Rosetta Tharp - This Little Light Of Mine
MORE
Watch Nice Live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24tNtu1NuD9yZ9t2YUATIQ
Dua Saleh's "Body Cast" BandCamp campaign: https://duasaleh.bandcamp.com/track/body-cast
Listen to Dua Saleh's new album Rosetta: https://duasaleh.bandcamp.com/album/rosetta
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Jun 16, 2020 |
Big Floyd And The Influence Of Houston Chopped N Screwed Music
1927
In a Rolling Stone article titled “He Shook The World: George Floyd’s Legendary Houston Legacy”, writer Charles Holmes reveals the musical past of the man who has become an international symbol for justice since his murder. Known as “Big Floyd” in his Houston community, he was part of the city’s Screwed Up Click, a hip-hop collective centered around the now-legendary producer DJ Screw. This underground scene created a style of slowed-down “chopped and screwed” hip-hop that seeped into mainstream hip-hop, and has even been appropriated by bubblegum Top 40. In this episode we unpack how this chopped and screwed sound took over pop and shine a light on George Floyd’s involvement with the Screwed Up Click.
MORE
Read Charles Holmes’ Rolling Stone article: '”He Shook the World': George Floyd's Legendary Houston Legacy”
SONGS DISCUSSED
DJ Screw - Sittin On Top Of The World ft. Big Floyd
Mike Jones - Still Tippin’
Mikes Jones - Back Then
Chamillionaire - Ridin
Chamillionaire - Roll Call
Paul Wall - Sittin Sidewayz
Nelly - Grillz ft Paul Wall
Kanye West, Paul Wall - Drive Slow
Drake - November 18th
A$AP Rocky - Purple Swag
The Weeknd - Initiation
Beyoncé - Bow Down
THE SCOTTS - THE SCOTTS
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Travis Scott - R.I.P. Screw
DJ Screw - In The Air Tonight
E.S.G. DJ Screw - Swangin and Bangin
DJ Screw - Screwed Up Click - Red pt 2
DJ Screw - 3 In The Morning
DJ Screw - June 27th Freestyle
DJ Screw and Lil’ Keke - Pimpin Tha Pen
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Jun 09, 2020 |
Carly Rae Jepsen: Meeting The Muse
2534
They say you should never meet your idols, that you’ll only be disappointed. We had this possibility in mind going into our first interview with Carly Rae Jepsen, the pop star who inspired us to start our podcast Switched on Pop when Nate taught “Call Me Maybe” as a case study in music theory. Six years later and hundreds of pleading emails later, the time had come to meet the muse and unpack her latest offering, Dedicated Side B. In the course of composing her last two albums, E•MO•TION and Dedicated, Jepsen wrote over 200 songs. Many of her favorite works didn’t make it on either final album, so she’s started a tradition of releasing “Side B” records on the one-year anniversary of her last release. Her newest collection of unreleased music fluidly crosses decades of musical history and spans a vast emotional range. We spoke with Jepsen over Zoom about how she curated her latest B-Side release from a massive body of work. Would this beatific figure, once described by poet Hanif Abdurraqib and the “most honest pop musician working,” live up to her reputation? Listen to find out.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe, Julien, Party For One, Now That I’ve Found You, No Drug Like Me, Want You In My Room, Cut To The Feeling, Run Away With Me, Window, This Love Isn’t Crazy, Solo
Squeeze - Tempted By The Fruit
Irving Berlin - God Bless America performed by Kate Smith
Vulfpeck - Back Pocket
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May 26, 2020 |
Why lo-fi is the perfect background music
2262
Lo-Fi hip-hop has emerged as a hugely popular genre and internet subculture. Its millions of loyal fans rely on curated lo-fi playlists and live-streams to write to, study to and even fall asleep to. Heck, we even wrote a good chunk of our book to Spotify’s lo-fi beats playlists. There’s just something about those ambient, spacey, plodding beats that place us in a state of determined zen. But what of its musical roots? Who are its stars? And why, despite its mass following on YouTube, Spotify and elsewhere, is it nearly impossible to spot on the Billboard? We trace lo-fi from its godfathers to its moments in the sun, to the complex creative ecosystem playing out on streaming platforms today.
MORE
You can find music from this episode on this week’s Spotify playlist
Sign up for Cherie Hu’s newsletter Water & Music that sent us down the lo-fi hip hop rabbit hole
Check out Seneca B on Spotify:
Check out weird inside on Spotify
Check out eevee on Spotify
SONGS DISCUSSED
Brenky - Bye
Brenky - People
J Dilla ft. Common, D’Angelo - So Far To Go
Isley Brothers - Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time For Love), Pts. 1&2
Charlatan - Wasted Jazz
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May 19, 2020 |
Eurovision Lives! (with Netta)
2540
Like many events, the international song competition Eurovision 2020 has been canceled. Sadly, there will be no champion crowned this year... or will there?! Charlie and Nate comb through the emotional, the catchy, and the downright bizarre entries, then—with some help from our audience and 2018 Eurovision winner Netta—pick the best song in all the land. Come for the Lithuanian moose dance, stay for the unshakeable power of pop glory in a world gone mad.
Songs discussed
Netta - Toy
Netta - Ricki Lake
Senhit - FREAKY!
Tornike Kipiani - Take Me as I am
Go-A - Solovey
Efendi - Cleopatra
Gjon’s Tears - Repondez-moi
The Roop - On Fire
Dadi Freyr - Think About Things
Roxen - Alcohol You
Little Big - Uno
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May 12, 2020 |
How To Soundtrack A Villain: Killing Eve
2376
When BBC America reached out to do a piece about the music of Killing Eve, we jumped at the opportunity. The series antagonist, Villanelle, is an unpredictable assassin. On a dime she shifts from cold and calculating to child-like and jocular. Her personality swings are accompanied by a captivating psychedelic pop soundtrack. Whether you are familiar with the series or not, this no spoilers episode breaks down music from the 1960s that has earned its place on primetime.
SPONSORED BY BBC AMERICA
Songs Discussed
Unloved - We Are Unloved
Psychotic Beats - Killer Shangri-:ah
The Ronettes - Walking In The rain
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields
Brigitte Bardot - Contact
Betty Hutton - It’s Oh So Quiet
Björk - It’s Oh So Quiet
Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening
Duke Ellington - Skin Deep
Roxette - Listen To Your Heart
Jacqueline Taieb - La Plus Belle Chanson
The Beatles - Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!
Support explainer journalism — all things pop included — by making a contribution to Vox today: Visit bit.ly/givepodcasts.
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May 05, 2020 |
Did Fiona Apple Just Release a Perfect Album?
2124
Since 1996, Fiona Apple has only ever had one hit, “Criminal.” Nonetheless, every album she’s released has been nominated for a Grammy. Her newest work, Fetch The Bolt Cutters, has received near universal acclaim. Apple’s songs are simultaneously idiosyncratic and relatable, tackling unusual themes for pop songs: middle school bullies, uncomfortable dinner conversation, toxic masculinity and female friendship. Apple accompanies her idiosyncratic lyrics with homemade percussion and only minimal piano. The final product is on the borderline between crafted composition and impromptu improvisation. It is this duality which makes the work relatable and timeless. Her two song suite “I Want You To Love Me” and “Shameika” have connections to Beethoven, Yeats, and Patti Smith, which we break down in the first half. And listeners call in during the second half to share what moved them about the album.
Songs Discussed
Fiona Apple - Fast As You Can, Criminal, Under The Table, I Want You To Want Me, Shameika, Fetch The Bolt Cutters, Ladies, Heavy Balloon
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Patti Smith - Gloria: In Excelsis Deo
Van Morrison - Gloria
Support explainer journalism — all things pop included — by making a contribution to Vox today: Visit bit.ly/givepodcasts.
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Apr 28, 2020 |
Doja Cat’s “Say So” is a Masterclass in Good Times
1846
Doja Cat has gatecrashed the Top 40 with her effervescent hit “Say So.” How did this Internet personality best known for a song whose chorus is “B***h, I’m a cow!” join the ranks of Dua Lipa, Drake, and The Weeknd? The answer involves a voice that careens from gentle soul to fierce rapping, a catchy chorus that grabs you from the first measure, and most importantly, interpolating the guitar patterns of Nile Rodgers, the secret sauce behind four decades of smash hits.
Songs featured:
Doja Cat - Say So, Juicy, Fancy, Moo
Chic - Good Times
Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight
Diana Ross - I’m Coming Out
David Bowie - Let’s Dance
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
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Apr 21, 2020 |
Were We Wrong About Kanye West?
2870
A lot of people miss the old Kanye. The last time we reviewed his music was back in 2016 when he released the work-in-progress album “The Life Of Pablo.” Since then, Kanye has put out four albums: Ye, Kids See Ghost (with Kid Cudi), Jesus Is King, and Jesus Is Born (with the Sunday Service Choir). In the same period he’s also caused a media ruckus with his union to the Kardashian family and his foray into political punditry. His public persona has largely overshadowed his musical offerings. But what does the music communicate when we separate it from its messenger? We take the opportunity to listen with an open mind, especially to his most recent two albums. In the first half we examine his recent innovations as one of hip-hop’s best produced with the help of RapAnalysis.com’s Martin Connor. In the second half we speak with music industry veteran and gospel expert Naima Cochrane in order to place Kanye’s spiritual turn in a larger arch of gospel history.
Songs Discussed
Kanye West - Follow God, Closed On Sunday, Father Stretch My Hands, Freestyle 4, Every Hour, Golddigger, Famous, Jesus Is Lord, I Thought About Killing You
Fat’s Domino - The Fat Man
Run DMC - Walk This Way (ft. Aerosmith)
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Apr 14, 2020 |
Aussie2Aussie: 5SOS on Tame Impala (with Luke Hemmings & Calum Hood)
2236
The band 5 Seconds Of Summer have just released their fourth studio album, Calm. Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings and bassist Calum Hood join us to talk about some of Australia’s biggest hits. In the first half of our conversation we discuss the catchy rhythms and vocals in Tame Impala’s song “Borderline,” a song driven more by vibe than conventional structures. Then on side B, 5SOS break down their new single single “Wildflower” and its countless 80s references. One sound in particular, the “stab” or “orchestral hit” in "Wildflower's" chorus, truly evokes the 80s. The song’s producer, Rami Yacoub, had used the sound before on Britney Spears “Lucky,” as had 100s of other artists who first got their hands on this sample from an Australian inventor who forever changed the sound of music.
Songs Discussed
5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
5 Seconds Of Summer - Who Do You Love
5 Seconds Of Summer - Lie To Me (ft. Julia Michaels)
AC/DC - Highway To Hell
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
Tame Impala - Same Ol Mistakes
Tame Impala - Borderline
Post Malone - Circles
Slipknot - Before I Forget
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Tom Petty - Wildflowers
5 Seconds Of Summer - Wildflower
Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood
Cindy Lauper - Time After Time
Oasis - Wonderwall
INXS - Need You Tonight
Talk Talk - It’s My Life
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Enya - Orinoco Flow
Stravinsky - Firebird Suite
Afrika Bambaataa- Planet Rock
Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
Britney Spears - Lucky
5 Seconds Of Summer - Red Desert
More
Estelle Caswell’s Earworm Video on Peter Vogel’s Fairlight CMI and her playlist of Orchestral Hits
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Apr 07, 2020 |
The (murder) Ballad of Joe Exotic “Tiger King” (with Robert Moor)
2231
Scandal and intrigue surround Joe Exotic, the central character of the new Netflix documentary Tiger King. Among the many bizarre traits of this zoo keeper, Exotic tries his hand at country music. Interspersed throughout the series, Joe sings about his love of big cats as well as his hatred for his nemesis in a gruesome murder ballad. But it turns out that amongst his many lies, Exotic’s country career may be yet another fabrication. Charlie speaks with journalist Robert Moor, host of the podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King about who’s really behind the music.
Songs Discussed
Joe Exotic - I Saw A Tiger
Vince Johnson Band - He’s Loving You
Jake Owen - Down To The Honkytonk
Lonestar - My Front Porch Looking In
Joe Exotic - Here Kitty Kitty
Spindrift - Speak To The Wind
Johnny Cash - Long Black Veil
Joe Exotic - This Is My Life
George Straight - Living For The Night
Sean Watkins - I Saw A Tiger
More
Robert Moor’s Twitter Thread on what Tiger King left out
NY Mag: Tiger King Joe Exotic and His American Animals
Podcast: Joe Exotic: Tiger King
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Apr 05, 2020 |
D’Angelo and the Legacy of Voodoo (with Faith Pennick)
2684
In the year 2000, D'Angelo released Voodoo—with some help from Questlove, Angie Stone, Raphael Saadiq, and a band of jazz veterans—an album that has cast a long shadow with its unique sound of stripped-down soul, Faith Pennick, who literally wrote the book on the record, joins to break how D'Angelo broke the "shiny suit" regime of R&B, explore how he conjured the spirits of J Dilla, Prince, and Roberta Flack, and consider how one video almost derailed his career.
Check out D'Angelo's Voodoo by Faith Pennick, from Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 Series
Songs discussed:
D'Angelo - The Line, The Root, Spanish Joint, Chicken Grease, Untitled (How Does it Feel)
Rev JC Burnett - Amazing Grace
Prince - Kiss
Justin Timberlake - Damn Girl
Thundercat - Them Changes
Slum Village - CB4
Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola - There Used to be a Nightclub There
Roy Hargrove - Strasbourg / St. Denis
Solange - Cranes in the Sky
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Mar 31, 2020 |
"Happy Birthday" is the Worst (with Anne-Marie)
2064
With Nate’s birthday around the corner, it’s time to admit that our go-to birthday song is actually the worst to sing to someone. There are reasons both musicological and cultural why this wooden celebratory number needs to go, ranging from funereal rhythms to Wagnerian opera to the Wizard of Oz. Tune in to uncover the horror of “Happy Birthday” and consider some of the alternatives on offer, including a recent Anne-Marie hit that takes birthday wishes and turns them around 180º.
Songs Discussed
Frédéric Chopin - Piano Sonata No 2 in B-Flat Minor, III
John Williams - The Imperial March
Judy Garland - Over the Rainbow
Richard Wagner - Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
The Beatles - Birthday
Anne-Marie - Birthday
Fetty Wap ft. Monty - Birthday
Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday
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Mar 24, 2020 |
Bad Bunny Has A Message For Your Mom
2150
Latin Trap megastar Bad Bunny may be best known to American audiences for his feature on Cardi B’s #1 “I Like It’, but the Puerto Rican native is known to music-lovers worldwide for more than just those few bars. Bunny started off as a student in Universidad de Puerto Rico studying audio visual communications. He was bagging groceries at a supermarket in PR when he posted his song ‘Diles’ on SoundCloud. That moody, 808-fueled track turned into a record deal, as well as huge feature opportunities with bigger acts like Becky G, and of course--Cardi. His newest project, YHLQMDLG (an acronym that stands for the Spanish translation of “I do what I want”) is currently smothering the Hot Latin Billboard Chart. The albums opening track, "Si Veo a Tu Mamá" had us listening to the origins of Bossa nova, and investigate how elevator music-sounding samples and overused chord progressions add up to latin trap magic for El Conejito Malo.
Special thanks to Bad Bunny super fan and listener Maita, for never giving up hope :)
Songs discussed:
Bad Bunny - Diles
Becky G ft. Bad Bunny - Mayores
Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny, J Balvin - I Like It
Bad Bunny ft. Drake - MIA
Bad Bunny - Si Veo a tu Mamá
Antônio Carlos Jobim - The Girl From Ipanema
Bad Bunny - Soliá
Bad Bunny ft. Kendo Kaponi, Arcangel - P FKN R
Bad Bunny ft. Jowell & Randy, Nengo Flow - Safeara
Missy Elliot - Get Ur Freak On
Bad Bunny - <3
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Mar 17, 2020 |
The Fire & Fury Of Overcoats
2313
Gone are the days of a clear dividing line between “mainstream pop” and “conscious” music. Many of the world’s highest-grossing pop stars are climbing the charts with lyrics that seem to get right at the very weight of human existence. They’re tackling climate change, and drug addiction, crippling anxiety, inequality, sexism and racism. It’s a fascinating shift to witness.
That’s why this week, we’re especially thrilled to be chatting with folk-pop duo Overcoats. JJ Mitchell and Hana Elion are known for otherworldly harmonies that sound more like a single voice diverging in two rather than the other way around. We discuss two singles off their new album “The Fight” (out now), and reflect on how seemingly small decisions about a song’s arrangement can make things like anxiety and microaggressions feel a bit easier to carry. Here’s a teaser quote from the episode that we’ll be thinking about for a while:
“We often use repetition as a way of saying something until you believe it...that’s very true for this song as well. We’re singing ‘There’s a fire / There’s a fury’...it feels apocalyptic. But the more you say ‘We’ll get through it’ and the more voices join in, it starts to feel true, and starts to feel hopeful.”
SONGS DISCUSSED
Overcoats - The Fool
Overcoats - Fire & Fury
The Supremes - Stop In The Name Of Love
LCD Soundsystem - Watch The Tapes
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Mar 10, 2020 |
Can't Help Falling in Lauv (the interview)
2036
This week, Charlie talks to Lauv, the singer, songwriter and producer behind unfailingly catchy tracks such as “Mean It” and “I Like Me Better.” Lauv’s a master at making the sad feel fun—masking themes of anxiety and betrayal with upbeat, percussive production. He even does a bit of the opposite, too, by infusing his joyful songs with vulnerability and emotional complexity. You’ll soon be able to hear all of that and more on his debut studio album, ~how I’m feeling~, out later this week. Our conversation explores Lauv’s song-making process and touches on everything from T Swift (Lauv counts himself a fan), “mind” rhymes, and the particular nuances of loneliness in the internet age. Today’s episode also features the voices of some of our wonderful listeners--special thanks to Katy, Sadie, Robert, Genevieve, Keen and everyone else who wrote in with questions for Lauv.
Songs Discussed:
Lauv with Anne-Marie - fuck, i'm lonely
Lauv & LANY - Mean It
Lauv - I Like Me Better
Lauv & Troye Sivan - i’m so tired...
Lauv - Changes
Lauv - Modern Loneliness
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Mar 03, 2020 |
What Happens When Justin Bieber Samples Your Music
2106
When Bristol-based producer Laxcity logged onto Twitter to find out that Justin Bieber sampled his music, he was at first unphased. The sampled material came from a royalty-free sample pack on Splice.com, free for Splice users to add to their track. Then accusations of theft started rolling in. Another artist, Asher Monroe, had used the same sample just a few weeks earlier and he accused Bieber of copying the idea. Laxcity inserted himself into the argument to show that the so-called offending sound, was in fact his, but not limited to anyone’s use. This mixup led to Bieber shouting out Laxcity, giving the nascent producer a career boost. On his episode we speak with Laxcity, Splice CEO Steve Martocci, PEX COO Amadea Choplin and Verge reporter Dani Deahl (who first reported the story) to unpack how sampling works in today’s music. Then we hear how Beiber’s new album, “Changes,” interprets the sample to convey Bieber’s personal evolution in the public eye.
Songs Discussed
Laxcity - Good Morning (Splice Sample)
Asher Monroe - Synergy
Justin Bieber - Running Over, Sorry, Available, Yummy, Intentions
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Feb 25, 2020 |
Return Of The Guitar: Halsey, 5 Seconds of Summer, Joji
1664
In 2019 guitar made a comeback in the top 10. According to analysis from Hit Songs Deconstructed, about a third of all songs featured the electric guitar, a nearly 10% jump from the year before. In 2020 this trend isn’t stopping. Recent releases by Halsey, 5 Seconds of Summer and Joji all prominently feature electric guitars tones. They reference 90s nu-metal, grunge and metal genres. More than a nostalgic nod, these songs draw from an era that was self-consciously “alternative” to convey disaffection, frustration and longing.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Khalid, Normani - Love Lies
Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams
Halsey - Without Me
Joji - Slow Dancing In The Dark
Joji - Run
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Santo & Jonny - Sleep Walk
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode
Buddy Holly - That’ll Be The Day
LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
5 Seconds Of Summer - No Shame
Nirvana - Come As You Are
Halsey - Experiment On Me
Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff
MORE
Listen to our conversation about MIA’s “Paper Planes” and Drake’s “God’s Plan” with Sam Sanders on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute
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Feb 18, 2020 |
Look At Selena Gomez Now with Justin Tranter & Ian Kirkpatrick
2276
Selena Gomez has her first #1 song on the Hot 100. “Lose You To Love Me” is a confessional look at her past five years of heartbreak and health challenges. By contrast, her single “Look At Her Now” is a testament to moving on and moving up. Each of these songs inhabits a different musical and lyrical world and we were lucky to get to speak with her collaborators on the songs to take us behind the scenes of how they came to be. Justin Tranter and Ian Kirkpatrick are two of today’s most in-demand writers. They walk us through how Selena takes her personal emotions and translates them into public catharsis on her album “Rare.”
Songs Discussed
Selena Gomez - Vulnerable, Lose You To Love Me, Look At Her Now
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmmm
Dua Lipa - New Rules
More
Watch Selena Gomez interviewed by Zane Lowe on Beats One.
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Feb 11, 2020 |
Five Directions: How do the solo efforts of One Direction stack up?
2200
The boy band One Direction has been on hiatus for nearly five years, yet only now have all of the members of the group released a solo album. But how do these efforts from Niall, Liam, Harry, Louis and Zayn stack up? Vox Writer (and One Direction fan) Alexa Lee compares albums as a challenge for each member to rise to their greatest artistic potential.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Zayn - Let Me
Zayn - Entertainer
Niall Horan - Nice To Meet You
Niall Horan - Put A Little Love On Me
Liam Payne - Strip That Down
Liam Payne - Hips Don't Lie
Louis Tomlinson - Walls
Louis Tomlinson - Kill My Mind
Harry Styles - Adore You
Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar
Harry Styles - Cherry
MORE
Read Alexa’s piece “2 winners and 3 losers from One Direction’s solo albums”
Listen to Nate convince Charlie to love One Direction in an early episode of Switched On Pop
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Feb 04, 2020 |
Post Malone has us Running in Circles
2414
Post Malone has confounded your hosts since he emerged on the scene, so this week we sit down to try and get to the bottom of our cycles of attraction and repulsion through deep analysis of his current hit, "Circles." Along the way, we discuss trenchant questions such as: How is the minor IV always the saddest of all chords? Why does Posty tend to sound like a certain ruminant mammal? And, what happens when you plug Tchaikovsky into a Wu Tang name generator?
Songs Discussed:
Post Malone - Circles, Rockstar, Stay, Congratulations, Candy Paint,
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No 6, Finale
And don't forget to enter the Wu Tang Name Generator
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Jan 28, 2020 |
Hopes and Fears of Mac Miller, Future, Drake, and Billie Eilish
2647
Mac Miller, Future and Billie Eilish all have good and bad news to share. On Miller’s posthumous album, Circles, he exposes personal struggles with fame, addiction, and mental illness — sobering topics given his unintentional drug overdose last year. Yet at the same time we hear him searching for “good news,” practicing self care and accepting that “there's a whole lot more” waiting. Future & Drake’s celebration of material excess also finds them “working on the weekend” just to keep up appearances. Similarly, Billie Eilish has achieved “everything [she] wanted,” but dreams of death and darkness overwhelm her. But she’s buoyed by the support of her brother FINNEAS. Many pop songs are about a single emotion: love, heartbreak or exuberant joy. But these great songs evoke more complex emotions, existing somewhere in a liminal space between our hopes and fears.
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Jan 21, 2020 |
Dua Lipa’s Disco Fever
2334
Dua Lipa remembers the disco era in her hit “Don’t Start Now.” What may sound like just another dance floor track, upon deeper listening unfolds as a celebration of the genre. References to Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Giorgio Moroder and The Bee Gees are all waiting here for the curious listener to uncover. But so are the Italian and Daft Punk inspired bass lines. Yet the song is more than just one big disco ball cliché. It is brilliantly written too. We asked our listeners to help us highlight the best moments of the song as this is a song that continues to sound anew upon each playback. In 2020, the influence of Disco is still very much alive and Dua Lip’s “Don’t Start Now,” written with Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren and Ian Kirkpatrick, is a shining example of a great contemporary disco track.
Songs Discussed
Dua Lipa - Don’t Start Now
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
Chic - Good Times
Giorgio Mordoer - Baby Blue
The Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing
The Michael Zager Band - Let’s All Chant
MFSP - TSOP
Todd Terje - Strandbar Piano
Fred Falke and Alan Brav - Intro
Daft Punk - Voyager
Ryan Paris - Dolce Vita
Madison Avenue - Don’t Call Me Baby
Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up
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Jan 14, 2020 |
ICYMI: Chance The Rapper, Kehlani, & The Shifting Sound of R&B — with Oak Felder
3353
The sound of R&B is difficult to pin down. Since the 1950s, the label has been used both as a genre and as a catch-all for the entirety of black popular music. Soul, funk, disco and even hip-hop have at times been covered by this "R&B" umbrella. On Chance The Rapper's new album, The Big Day, all of these influences come through—and he's not alone. On recent Kehlani records, 90s R&B and 2000s trap both play a role. But both these artists are a far cry from the 50s R&B sounds of Sam Cooke. To understand how R&B has changed over time, we consult with Trevor Anderson, manager of Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop chart. Then we speak with R&B super-producer Oak Felder to understand how R&B is progressing and what it might become.
Songs Discussed
Chance The Rapper – Hot Shower
Chance The Rapper – I Got You
Sam Cooke – You Send Me
Elvis Presley – Crying In the Chapel
The Temptations – I Can’t Get Next To You
Mtume – Juicy Fruit
Biggie – Juicy
Toni Braxton – Breath Again
Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes
Boys II Men – I’ll Make Love To You
Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)
Diddy – I’ll Be Missing You (feat. Faith Evans & 112)
Nelly – Dilemma
Kehlani – Distraction
SWV – Weak
Aaron Hall – I Miss You
Usher – You Make Me Wanna
Brandy – Sit-in Up In My Room
Dru Hill – In My Bed
Silk – Freak Me
Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
Jodeci – Cry For you
Mariah Carey – Vision of Love
Kehlani Everything Is Yours
Chance The Rapper – All Day Long
Queen – Fat Bottom Girls
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
For an in depth history of R&B on Billboard, read Chris Molanphy's feature on Pitchfork.
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Jan 07, 2020 |
ICYMI: Billie Eilish is a Different Kind of Pop Star (ft. FINNEAS)
2809
On a trajectory to be one of the biggest pop stars for this generation, seventeen year old Billie Eilish is not, however, your typical pop star. Her music speaks to the real anxieties of young people without any veneer. She sings from the perspective of monsters and villains. Her hushed voice, baggy style, and direct demeanor subvert the norms of the pop princess. And her music is dark, but still catchy. Billie co-writes and produces her sound with her older brother Finneas O’Connell. Together this family duo have crafted the second biggest selling album of 2019, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” On this episode, we examine how Billie and Finneas crafted a cultural phenomenon, why their message speaks to this generation, and we speak with Finneas about the creation of their hit song “Bad Guy.”
MORE
Watch Billie and Finneas break down “Bury A Friend” on The New York TimesBillie Eilish – Ocean Eyes
Billie Eilish – Bored
Billie Eilish – You Should See Me In A Crown
Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend
Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
The Doors – People Are Strange
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
Billie Eilish – ilomilo
Billie Eilish – All Good Girls Go To Hell
Billie Eilish – Xanny
Frank Sinatra – Dream A Dream
Billie Eilish – I love you
John Carpenter – Halloween Theme
Billie Eilish – Bellyache
MORE
Billie Eilish explained on Vox.com
Watch Billie and Finneas break down “Bury A Friend” on The New York Times
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Dec 31, 2019 |
Dolly Parton's America (with Jad Abumrad)
2450
There are icons, and then there’s Dolly Parton. The country singer-turned-actress-turned-cultural phenomenon has produced a nearly unparalleled body of work, in both quantity (Parton is the sole or co-author of more than three thousand songs) and in legacy. Despite releasing her first album over 60 years ago, Parton’s songs are still covered and performed live by today’s pop artists. Presidential candidates are still selecting her songs as official walk-on music. So what is it exactly that makes her music so enduring? Today, we select four essential Dolly songs for dissection and try to answer that big question with the help of composer, longtime radio-maker and host of the new hit podcast, Dolly Parton’s America--Jad Abumrad. Whether or not you identify as a Dolly Parton fan, or even a country music fan, we think you’ll love this one.
Songs discussed
Dolly Parton - Dumb Blonde
Dolly Parton - Down from Dover
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Dolly Parton - Light of a Clear Blue Morning
Kesha - Praying
Mariah Carey - Hero
Andra Day - Rise Up
Dolly Parton - 9 to 5
Stevie Wonder - I Wish
Dolly Parton - Mule Skinner Blues
Thanks to Jad, producer Shima Oliaee and the rest of the Dolly Parton’s America team. You can check out the eight episodes they’ve released so far, and keep an eye out for the final one at www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america.
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Dec 24, 2019 |
Who's Afraid of the Sound of TikTok? (w Cat Zhang)
2168
Bass distorted to the edge of audibility; voices croaking out dark and violent lyrics; a hacked-together DIY aesthetic. This isn't a fringe musical movement, this is the sound of TikTok, the video app used by millions in Generation Z. And soon enough it might also be the sound of pop as we know it. Cat Zhang from Pitchfork stops by to clue us into the sonic reality of music's newest platform, from Gordon Ramsay to pumpkins screaming in the dead of night.
Songs Discussed
Savage Ga$p, 93FEETOFSMOKE - Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
haroinfather, Savage Ga$sp - Tunnel of Love
Arizona Zervas - ROXANNE
HL Wave, Jhonny Flames - Gordon Ramsay
Hooligan Chase - Asshole
Comethazine - Walk
Peter Kuli, Jed Will - ok boomer
Young Spool, Jakob - WTF
Check out Cat's article The Anatomy of a TikTok Hit on Pitchfork
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Dec 17, 2019 |
Paper Planes, Chandelier & What the #@%! is Timbre? (with Constance Grady)
2383
We hand over the hosting duties to Constance Grady, book reviewer for Vox.com, to discuss our new book/baby - Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why it Matters, and go deep on two specific concepts we haven’t touched nearly enough on the show: timbre (with the help of Sia’s “Chandelier) and sampling (via M.I.A.’s iconic “Paper Planes). The book of course goes further, devoting a full chapter each to sixteen different concepts we’ve explored on the show (think harmony, modulation, syncopation, genre), and pairing those concepts with the pop tracks that really bring them to life.
There are so many people who helped us get this thing from concept to bound stack of papers that you can hold in your hands, but right now, right here, we want to shout out: our listeners. You all shape the show every week by suggesting incredible episode ideas and recommending songs for us to break down. You also inspired this book, when you asked us year in and year out for a definitive guide to the essential musical knowledge necessary to understand contemporary pop. We hope you like it, and know that your emails, tweets and analysis continue to delight and inspire us to no end.
SONGS DISCUSSED
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
Sia - Chandelier
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
MORE
Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why it Matters is available now! Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound or buy directly from Oxford University Press.
Book illustrations by the indomitable Iris Gottlieb: https://www.irisgottlieb.com/
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Dec 10, 2019 |
Prelude & Feud on a 'G' Thang: Biggie vs Tupac
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The East Coast / West Coast hip hop feud between Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls is full of tragedy and conspiracy, but what did it really sound like? For the third season of of the hit podcast Slow Burn, host Joel Anderson and producer Christopher Johnson dig up untold stories about this infamous rivalry, and they join Nate and Charlie to break down boom bap, G Funk, and the surprising points of overlap between two titans of rap.
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Dec 03, 2019 |
Pop is the Sound We Need Right Now (with Electric Guest)
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Electric Guest (Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton) take a left turn towards pop on “Dollar" — a song about making more out of less, something too many people find themselves to do right now. The music follows the same principle, turning cheap synths and canned horns into a symphony of sound. We chat with Asa about how the track — equally inspired by Stevie Wonder and Bertolt Brecht —came to be and why pop can be a balm in dark times.
Songs Featured
Electric Guest - Dollar
Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright)
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Nov 26, 2019 |
The Past, Present, and Future of EMO (with Allegra Frank)
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Nate doesn’t know much about the musical style known as emo. Sadly, he was too busy nerding out on jazz during his youthful years to catch the moment. That’s a shame, because emo is experiencing a revival right now - most surprisingly within the world of hip hop. All of which leaves Nate in the awkward position of not really having any idea what’s going on, so thank goodness for some schooling by Vox culture reporter Allegra Frank, who spent her teenage years the right way: getting emotional to the soundtrack of emo. Her first lesson about this endlessly fascinating subculture? It’s way more than just a sound.
Songs discussed:
Sunny Day Real Estate - Seven
Jawbreaker - Do You Still Hate Me?!
My Chemical Romance - I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We’re Goin Down
Panic! At the Disco - I Write Sins not Tragedies
Jimmy Eat World - Lucky Denver Mint
Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
American Football - Never Meant
Foxing - Lich My Prince
The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Heartbeat in the Brain
Check out more of Allegra’s work here: https://www.vox.com/authors/allegra-frank
And learn more about Tom Mullen and Washed Out Emo here: http://www.washedupemo.com/about
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Nov 19, 2019 |
When Pop and Classical Collide (with James Bennett II)
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Once upon a time, classical music was pop, so today it's worth stepping back and asking: where does one genre stop and the other begin? Can classical ever be popular again? And why do only some classical tracks makes for good samples? Luckily James Bennett II of classical station WQXR is on hand to break down these and other musical conundrums, including but not limited to: killer opera clowns, Bach hip hop hybrids, and the namesake album of this very podcast.
Songs discussed:
Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra - Chaconne
Enrico Caruso - Vesti la Giubbia
Mario Lanza - Because You’re Mine
Wendy Carlos - Prelude and Fugue in C Minor
Jackie Evancho - Nessun Dorma
Jackie Evancho - Burn
Lindsay Stirling - Underground
Vitamin String Quartet - Shallow
Florence Price - Symphony 1
Nas - I Can
Black Eyed Peas - Back 2 Hip Hop
Victoria - Impropreia
Kanye West - Gone
Check out more of James's writing here: https://www.wqxr.org/people/james-bennett-ii/
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Nov 12, 2019 |
Unlocking the Rhythms of Rosalía
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Back in the fall of 2017, our producer Megan Lubin went for a stroll near her house, popped in earbuds, and heard a song that’s stuck with her ever since: “Si Tú Supieras Compañero” (“If you only knew, my friend”), by the Spanish pop star Rosalía. Since then, Rosalía’s star has continued, especially after the 2018 release of “El Mal Querer,” Rosalía’s genre-blending album of R&B and flamenco.
On this episode, we dig into Rosalía’s sound to try and figure out what stopped Megan in her tracks back then, and what keeps us coming back. With the help of New York Times Magazine writer Marcela Valdes, we break down key elements of the flamenco tradition, like the hard-to-define magic of duende, and count out some of the diabolical rhythms that keep us dancing.
Songs Discussed
Rosalía - Si Tú Supieras Compañero
Rosalía - BAGDAD (Cap.7: Liturgia)
Rosalía - PIENSO EN TU MIRÁ (Cap.3: Celos)
Episode Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zRce31m3RhCjVwmSSMz2Q
Read “Rosalía’s Incredible Journey from Flamenco to Megastardom” by Marcela Valdes: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/08/magazine/rosalia-flamenco.html
Watch Rosalía performing “Me quedo contigo”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32d1bq-kG5c
More coverage of Rosalía from The FADER magazine: https://www.thefader.com/artist/rosalia
**A previous version of this episode claimed that Alicia Key's "Fallin'", Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man", "Marvin Gaye's "Here, My Dear" and Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" were all written in 3/4 time. That was in error, and we've edited the episode to reflect that.
CORRECTION
After airing this episode, listeners informed us that many Romani people consider the term “gypsy” to be antiquated, discriminatory and derogatory. We apologize for airing this this word in the episode, and will avoid its usage in all forgoing work. See the NOW foundation’s explanation for further detail: The “G” Word Isn’t for You: How “Gypsy” Erases Romani Women
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Nov 05, 2019 |
Rihanna Party! (with Gina Delvac)
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Last year, NPR Music ran an audacious headline: "Rihanna Is The 21st Century's Most Influential Musician." Millions and millions of fans the world over agree, and while we try to avoid overt expressions of pop favoritism, we think they’ve got a strong case. It’s for that reason and a dozen others that we were thrilled to welcome Gina Delvac of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend back to the show to discuss the legendary career of one Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty. As we all await her ninth studio album (R9), join us for a virtual* blunt-smoke-laced tour through the hit songs that defined her early sound, and a delectable deep dive into her most recent album, ANTI.
*Zero blunts were enjoyed at the time of recording.
Songs Discussed
Rihanna - Pon de Replay
Rihanna ft. Jay-Z - Umbrella
Rihanna - What’s My Name
Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris - We Found Love
Rihanna - Cheers (Drink to That)
Rihanna - You Da One
Rihanna - B*tch Better Have My Money
Rihanna ft. Drake - Work
Rihanna ft. SZA - Consideration
Rihanna - Needed Me
Check out Jenny Gathright's NPR article “Rihanna Is The 21st Century's Most Influential Musician” here: https://www.npr.org/2018/08/15/638551793/rihanna-is-the-21st-centurys-most-influential-musician
And find even more work from our wonderful contributors this week down below:
Gina: http://ginadelvac.com/
Ivie: https://ivieani.contently.com/
Zoe: https://zoehaylock.com/
Cate: https://www.cate-young.com/
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Oct 29, 2019 |
Why U Love 2 Listen 2 Prince (with Anil Dash)
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Anil Dash is obsessed with Prince. Since he’s the host of the tech podcast Function, he has a unique perspective on the Purple One’s complicated relationship with technology. Anil joins the show to break down the many ways that Prince predicted the sound and science of modern pop, from drum machines to online distribution to internet culture. We’ll discuss how Michael Jackson jacked Prince’s electronic experimentation for Thriller, why Prince liked to lurk in fan chat rooms, and how he found ways to change his sound without ever sacrificing his integrity. We’re only beginning to understand Prince’s legacy, but Anil takes us one step closer to fully appreciating the ahead-of-their-time talents of a once-in-a-century artist.
Songs featured:
Prince - 1999
Kraftwerk - The Robots
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
The Human League - Don’t You Want Me Baby
Prince - Little Red Corvette
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Santana ft. Rob Thomas - Smooth
Prince ft. Eve - Hot Wit U
Prince ft. Ani Difranco - Eye Love U, But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore
Prince - How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore
Prince - Black Sweat
Prince - THIS COULD BE US
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Oct 22, 2019 |
A Brief History of Men Singing Really High
2816
Men singing high is so ubiquitous in modern pop that we might take it granted, never pausing to ask: has it always been this way? Estelle Caswell, who makes the Emmy-winning Earworm series for Vox, decided to find out, and she stops by to share results from her painstaking study of male falsetto in pop music from 1958 to today. Some of her findings may surprise, like 1996 was the peak year for falsetto, Justin Timberlake doesn't sing as you high at might think, and falsetto has been around as long as pop itself.
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Oct 15, 2019 |
Total Request Live! Taylor, Lana, Kim, and More (with Sam Sanders)
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NPR's Sam Sanders stops by to break down the tracks that Switched On listeners have been loving. Swedish dancefloor confessionals, songs that stop time, the specificity of Lana Del Rey, and the awkwardness of descending fourths: it's all on the table in this freewheeling conversation of deep musical nerdiness.
Songs DiscussedTove Lo ft Kylie Minogue - Really don’t like uCamila Cabello - LiarAce of Base - All That She WantsTyler the Creator - EARFQUAKETaylor Swift - Cruel SummerLana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus - Don’t Call Me AngelLana Del Rey - Happiness is a butterflyKing Princess - ProphetKim Petras - Hillside BoysIDK - PornoJai Paul - Str8 Outta MumbaiJai Paul - Genevieve (Unfinished)Many thanks to everyone who called in for this one: Amanda, Jackie, Melanie, Alec, Madeleine, John B, Steve, Courtney, Julia, Zach, Lee, Tara, Habbi, and of course - John from Baltimore.
For more of Sam's great takes on culture, check out It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders.
CORRECTION: A version of this episode incorrectly stated that Jack Antonoff was a writer on the song "Lover." Taylor Swift was the sole credited songwriter on that song, while Jack Antonoff has a production credit on the piece.
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Oct 07, 2019 |
Mastering Music (with Dallas Taylor of Twenty Thousand Hertz)
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Dallas Taylor, host of the stellar sound design series Twenty Thousand Hertz, stops by to fill Nate in on the science and style of mastering: the subtle art that explains why Metallica had to re-release a controversial album, Kanye sounds so crisp, and why the best pop really pops.
Songs Discussed
Lizzo - Juice
Kanye West - Heartless
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to heaven
Pink Floyd - Money
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
Metallica - The Day That Never Comes
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Intrigued by mastering? Get your fix with the Twenty Thousand Hertz episode The [Compressed] History of Mastering.
We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ewVXHPZIsQNlxCR?Source=note
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Oct 01, 2019 |
Jazz 1959
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Charlie's out on parental leave, which means no one is here to stop Nate from going off the rails. And you know what means... JAZZ! As soon as dad left the room, Nate enlisted his favorite journalist, jazz and sports writer Natalie Weiner, to come on the show and discuss her incredible 1959 Project — a day-by-day chronicle of jazz during one of its most pivotal years. We listen to classic 1959 albums Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and Dave Brubeck's Take Out, discuss the complex legacy of Billie Holiday, and dig into some of the year's forgotten gems.
Sixty years later, jazz is no longer the cultural juggernaut is once was — but it still has much to teach us about pop culture of the present.
Playlist:
•Miles Davis - So What
•Dave Brubeck - Take Five
•Billie Holiday - Blue Moon
•Billie Holiday - Billie's Blues
•Erykah Badu - On & On
•Amy Winehouse - There Is No Greater Love
•Muriel Roberts - Sleigh Ride
•Terry Pollard - Laura
•Willene Barton and her Trio - Rice Pudding
Check out the 1959 and 2019 jazz cuts we're listening to.
We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ewVXHPZIsQNlxCR?Source=note
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Sep 24, 2019 |
BONUS: Charli XCX and The Future of Music (with Dani Deahl)
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The pace of new music releases these days is dizzying. Sometimes it’s like watching someone do a magic trick--we *swear* those songs weren’t there a second ago! But then, there they are, popping up in batches right out of thin air. Of course, behind each individual release sits months of decision-making by the artist: who to collaborate with and when, how to structure the musical product of that collaboration, what to call it, how to release it, when, and on what platform. The list is long, and each of those choices has a big impact on how we hear the song.
The Verge’s Dani Deahl recently sat down with reigning Princess of Pop, Charli XCX, to discuss how she approaches those decisions, and how that approach is bucking long-established norms in popular music. In this special bonus episode of Switched on Pop, Dani rings up Charlie (not XCX) to recap that conversation and put Charli (XCX)’s artistry in context. Via Dani, we learn that for Charli collaboration is more than just an artistic choice; and release strategy is much more than a major label playbook. There’s a total freedom in the way Charli releases music, and we love it. Huge thanks to Dani for bringing us this peek into her world.
Songs discussed:Charli XCX - Boom ClapCharli XCX, Christine and the Queens - GoneCharli XCX ft. Lizzo - Blame It On Your LoveLizzo - Truth HurtsCatch the rest of Dani’s conversation with both Charli/es in the newest episode of The Verge’s ‘Future of Music’ video series,
We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: https://voxmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ewVXHPZIsQNlxCR?Source=note
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Sep 22, 2019 |
The “Baby Shark” Phenomenon (with Andrea Silenzi)
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For most parents, “Baby Shark” is the nightmare that will not end. Ever since the South Korean educational company Pinkfong released the song earlier this year, it’s almost impossible to avoid.
The infectious children’s tune has more than 2.3 billion views on YouTube and made it onto the Billboard Top 40 list. So what makes this song so catchy and irresistible to children? And how do the rest of us cope with the unavoidable hit while keeping our sanity?
Andrea Silenz, host of the parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time, and Charlie explore the phenomenon that is “Baby Shark.
Songs DiscussedPinkfong - Baby SharkFrank Zappa - Baby SnakesStevie Wonder - Isn’t She Lovely Suzanne Vega - Tom’s DinerBaby Shark/ Tom’s Diner mashup “Baby Diner”The Weeknd - I Can’t Feel My FaceRadioheadPinkfong - The Penguin DancePinkfong - Lions in LoveDrake - God’s PlanMicheal Jackson - Billie JeanWhitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With SomebodyBruno Mars - Uptown FunkBeastie Boys - Brass MonkeyVanilla Ice - Ice Ice BabyJosh Groban - River The Beatles - All You Need Is LoveHarry Potter theme Raffi - Baby Beluga
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Sep 17, 2019 |
BONUS: Who are the Picassos of pop? (with Ross Golan)
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Ross Golan is no stranger to Switched on Pop. This week, the songwriter and host of the hit podcast And The Writer Is… joins Charlie for a BONUS episode (cue siren) about the surprising lessons learned from a collective seven years behind the interview mic. Tune in as Ross and Charlie discuss the infinite shelf-life of classic songwriting techniques, the happy accidents behind some of your favorite hit songs, and the essential qualities of a good listener.
Find more Ross on Switched on Pop in Episode 58, ‘What’s to Love About Ed Sheeran?’, and catch more of And The Writer Is… when Season 5 premiers this Monday, September 9th — anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Episodes discussed:#80 How to ‘Make Me Feel’ with Lizzo#123 What BTS’s “Boy With Love” ft. Halsey Can Teach Us About K-pop#99 Entering Beard Phase (with Mike Posner)#107 How Streaming Changed the Sound of PopSongs Discussed:Lizzo - Truth HurtsSister Nancy - Bam BamPaul Anka - Put Your Hand on My ShoulderBTS ft. Halsey - Boy with LuvAriana Grande - Break Free
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Sep 13, 2019 |
Switched Off Book the Improvised Musical (with Jess McKenna and Zach Reino)
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On this very special episode, we join forces with the hilarious podcast OFF BOOK. When our powers combine, Zach and Jess of Off Book, plus their killer backing band of Scott, Dana and Brett create an improvised musical, while Nate and Charlie break down the sound and structure of a Broadway show. Stay tuned for deep thoughts about what separates pop music from musicals, wild speculation about the origin of the word “vamp,” and an ENTIRE FREAKING MUSICAL COMPOSED FROM SCRATCH that will make you laugh your face off. This is not one to miss.
Find more episodes of Off Book on their website h.earwolf.com/off, or anywhere you find podcasts.
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Sep 10, 2019 |
ICYMI: How to 'Make Me Feel' with Lizzo
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"Make Me Feel," is the first hit from Janelle Monáe's 2018 album Dirty Computer, and a sensual song about the fluidity of desire. In the pre-chorus, the singer proudly expresses that she is a "sexual bender." Fans have embraced the song for breaking free of normative sexual expectations. But these non-binary statements aren't limited to the lyrics. The message is reinforced with musical concepts drawn from the blues, Prince and Michael Jackson. To help break down this track, Nate and Charlie are joined by singer/rapper Lizzo. She and Monáe both collaborated with Prince, making Lizzo uniquely qualified to unwind his influence on the song. We also discuss Lizzo's song "Truth Hurts" and her podcast "Good As Hell" where she talks to the queens of hip hop. Hands down, Lizzo is one of the most talented, knowledgable and fun guests. You don't want to miss this episode.
Songs DiscussedJanelle Monáe - Make Me FeelMichael Jackson - The Way You Make Me FeelMichael Jackson - Beat ItFats Domino - Blueberry HillPrince - KissYing Yang Twins - Wait (The Whisper Song)Lizzo - Truth HurtsSister Nancy - Bam
Don't miss Lizzo's podcast "Good As Hell" on Spotify
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Sep 03, 2019 |
ICYMI: Why is 90s Pop so Bizarre?
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Today we're revisiting an episode inspired by a pair of classic VH1 shows: “Behind the Music” and “Where Are They Now?”
Our subjects are two songs representing the lunatic fringe of 90s culture, “Cotton Eyed Joe” and “How Bizarre.”
In the course of our musicological investigation, we uncover dark truths about these seemingly anodyne hits that will make you question everything you know about pop music.
And in the end, we reach a definitive answer to a perennially vexing question: “WTF was 90s music so weird?”
Songs Discussed
Rednex:
Cotton Eye Joe
Pop in an Oak
The Way I Mate
Cotton Eyed Joe:
Fiddlin John Carson
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
Karen Dalton
Chieftains
Nina Simone
OMC:
How Bizarre
Right On
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Aug 27, 2019 |
Songs of Summer Call-in Special
3239
Every year, critics and media outlets the world over put out definitive song-of-summer guides based on... well, we’re not always entirely sure. Certainly popularity, as measured by streams and radio play; not to mention that bewildering feeling that creeps up some time mid-July, prompting whispered exclamations of: “man, this song is everywhere.” But the most ubiquitous track isn’t necessarily the one you’ll have on repeat on those steamy summer commutes to work, nor is it the song you’ll want soundtracking this year’s vacations, graduations, summer flings and backyard cookouts.
In this episode, we abandon the pursuit of a single song of summer, and ask the question we’re more interested in: What does summer sound like? To answer that question, we asked you, our listeners, and got some downright awesome suggestions in return. Your voicemails covered everything from Hot Girl Summer anthems and nostalgia-inducing dance jams, to globally infused collaborations and just-released future-feeling indie rock cuts. Today, we travel across the full spectrum of summer feels, and the music that comes through when we need it the most.
Songs DiscussedMUNA - Number One FanAmber Mark - Put You OnJonas Brothers - Only HumanShawn Mendes, Camila Cabello - SeñoritaCharlie XCX, Christine and the Queens - GoneBTS, Zara Larsson - Brand New DayKaty Perry - Teenage DreamPost Malone - SunflowerLil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town RoadPinkfong - Baby Shark Khalid - BetterMegan Thee Stallion - Big ol’ FreakMegan Thee Stallion, Juicy J - Simon SaysSaweetie - My TypePetey Pablo - Freak-A-LeakCity Girls - Act UpMegan Thee Stallion, DaBaby - Cash ShitClairo - Sofia HAIM - Summer GirlLou Reed - Walk on the Wild SideMother’s Daughter - Miley CyrusRosalía - Aute CutureAriana Grande - NASABANKS - GimmeGrimes, Hana - We appreciate powerLizzo - Truth HurtsPaul McCartney - JetDon Henley - The Boys of SummerSantana, Rob Thomas - SmoothBritney Spears - ToxicThe Slits - I Heard it Through the Grapevine Missy Elliott - SlideFreddie Gibbs, Madlib - CataractsVampire Weekend - 2021
Misc extras
Listen to all of these songs and more on the Switched on Pop Songs of Summer 2019 Playlist.
Note
In this episode we made light of PTSD by using the term irreverently - thanks to listener feedback we're better aware of how destructive such diminishing comments can be to people dealing with trauma. We apologize for the misuse and will strive to avoid it in the future.
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Aug 20, 2019 |
Chance The Rapper, Kehlani, & The Shifting Sound of R&B — with Oak Felder
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The sound of R&B is difficult to pin down. Since the 1950s, the label has been used both as a genre and as a catch-all for the entirety of black popular music. Soul, funk, disco and even hip-hop have at times been covered by this "R&B" umbrella. On Chance The Rapper's new album, The Big Day, all of these influences come through—and he's not alone. On recent Kehlani records, 90s R&B and 2000s trap both play a role. But both these artists are a far cry from the 50s R&B sounds of Sam Cooke. To understand how R&B has changed over time, we consult with Trevor Anderson, manager of Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop chart. Then we speak with R&B super-producer Oak Felder to understand how R&B is progressing and what it might become.
Songs Discussed
Chance The Rapper – Hot Shower
Chance The Rapper – I Got You
Sam Cooke – You Send Me
Elvis Presley – Crying In the Chapel
The Temptations – I Can’t Get Next To You
Mtume – Juicy Fruit
Biggie – Juicy
Toni Braxton – Breath Again
Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes
Boys II Men – I’ll Make Love To You
Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)
Diddy – I’ll Be Missing You (feat. Faith Evans & 112)
Nelly – Dilemma
Kehlani – Distraction
SWV – Weak
Aaron Hall – I Miss You
Usher – You Make Me Wanna
Brandy – Sit-in Up In My Room
Dru Hill – In My Bed
Silk – Freak Me
Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
Jodeci – Cry For you
Mariah Carey – Vision of Love
Kehlani Everything Is Yours
Chance The Rapper – All Day Long
Queen – Fat Bottom Girls
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
For an in depth history of R&B on Billboard, read Chris Molanphy's feature on Pitchfork.
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Aug 13, 2019 |
Beyoncé's Gift To Africa (with Ivie Ani)
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For the live action remake of the Lion King, Beyoncé, (who voices Nala in the film), recorded and curated a companion soundtrack called The Gift. She worked with leading Afropop stars to expose the music of the continent to a global audience. In her piece, “Diversity Is in the Details: What Beyoncé’s 'The Lion King: The Gift' Gets Right and Wrong,” Okayplayer music editor Ivie Ani argues that the album highlights music while unintentionally treating the continent as a monolith. Ani joins Switched On Pop to break down this album and what it means for Afropop.
Songs DiscussedBeyoncé, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Oumou Sangaré – MOOD 4 EVAOumou Sangaré – Diaraby NenBurna Boy – JA ARAFela Kuti – Water No Get EnemyFena, MDQ, Mayonde, Kagwe, Blinky Bill – PARTY NATIONListen to Blinky and Ivie’s East African playlist recommendations
Leave us a voicemail about your favorite songs of summer: 385-626-6179
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Aug 06, 2019 |
LCD Soundsystem and the Unbearable Sameness of Restaurant Playlists
2154
Why is it that every hip restaurant plays the same music? When Eater restaurant editor Hillary Dixler Canavan kept hearing similar songs while dining for work assignments, she compiled a playlist of what she heard. It included songs by LCD Soundsystem, M83, Grimes, Biggie, Beck and the like. Her subsequent article about this music, “This Is Every Generically Cool Restaurant’s Playlist,” went viral.
She’d captured the elusive sound of small plate dining. But what left her guessing was why this sound? And how did it reach so many restaurants in cities across the U.S.? She brought this question to Switched On Pop to understand why this 00s mostly indie sound was the ideal background for post-industrial chic establishments.
Investigating the issue, she discovered a small bubble of music selectors who curate these lists for businesses. She spoke with Yvette Bailhache, a D.C. based music selector for restaurants and bars about how these lists are made. And she asked Jonathan Shecter, founder of the Las Vegas based background music service Playback Prodigy, about what makes an ideal background sound. What she discovered is surprising. The sounds in the background may dictate more of our foreground than you’d expect.
Music DiscussedLCD Soundsystem - I Can ChangeM83 - Midnight City Grimes - GenesisIce Cube - It Was A Good DayWu-Tang Clean - CREAMThis Will Destroy You - KitchenListen to Hillary’s Every Restaurant Playlist and for more stories and news on food, subscribe to Eater's podcast Upsell
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Jul 30, 2019 |
The $50M Beat Marketplace That Broke the Billboard
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Lil Nas X licensed the beat for “Old Town Road” from an e-commerce platform. He originally bought a non-exclusive copy of the backing track for just $29.99 from a 19 year old Dutch record producer called YoungKio. And he’s not the first hitmaker to do so. Desiigner, Bryson Tiller and Queen Naija have all made hit songs from internet beats. These beats are big business. The arguable market leader, BeatStars, has paid its producers over $50M since its inception in 2008. The platform allows producers to market their beats to MCs and singers, boasting 340,000 active sellers and 1.5M tracks. BeatStars CEO Abe Batshon originally created the company to connect artists who may not live in the music industry hubs in L.A., N.Y., Nashville and Atlanta. His global ambitions were realized—producers on the platform come from all over the world. They release a steady stream of new music, marketing their original and sound-a-like beats to aspiring and emerging artists everywhere turning into ad music, Instagram stories and even Billboard Hot 100 hits. While BeatStars increases access to music, could this commoditization of music devalue the creative process? We speak with Abe as well as producers on the platform—songwriter Breana Marin and producer Dansonn—to understand how online beat selling is effecting the sound of pop music.
Music Discussed:Lil Nas X - Old Town RoadBryson Tiller - Don’tYBN Nahmir - Rubbin off the PaintDesiigner - Panda’Queen Naija - MedicineCERTIBEATS - MojoBEATDEMONS - NohoBrytiago ft Bad Bunny - NETFLIXXXBreana Marin’s BeatStars pageDansonn’s BeatStars pageListen to “Bouncing On The Band Stand” by Marian Hill’s Jeremy Loyd (Clear Eyes) and Charlie (Charlatan). You can even license it for $29.99 for your own production.
Vote for Switched On Pop in this year's People's Choice Podcast Awards!
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Jul 23, 2019 |
Shawn Mendes and the Rhythm of Rhyme
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Shawn Mendes’ hit song “If I Can’t Have You” is so ridiculously catchy that Charlie had it stuck in his head after the first chorus. How is that possible?! Declamation, or the way that text is set to music, is a big part of the song’s appeal—every word that Mendes sings is perfectly in rhythm. In this episode we use Mendes’ latest track to explore creative declamation throughout history. How do artists from Whitney Houston to Queen to Taylor Swift keep finding new ways to sing the word “somebody”? Why did the composer Georg Friedrich Handel get in trouble for a bit of awkward text setting in one of the most famous pieces of Baroque music? And, does Beyoncé even know how to pronounce “sandcastles”? Finally, Mendes’ hit leads us to ask: is “incorrect” declamation is something to celebrate, or criticize?
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Jul 16, 2019 |
Space, The Final Frontier: Madonna, Stephen Puth and Street Studios
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Find out how music creates a feeling of space in this three part episode. First, we may not realize it when we listen to Madonna's new record, but the location of her music is essential. In exploring her catalogue we hear the sound of different eras by just the space evoked in a song. Second, the same is true for Stephen Puth who uses spacial effects for brilliant creative purposes on his song "Look Away." When music is recorded in a studio with perfect acoustics, engineers manipulate that audio to place it in a 3D virtual space using reverb, delay, volume, panning and filters. Each of those effects changes our relationship to the music, and in Steven's case, the lyric. Finally, when we get outside the studio, like with Found Sound Nation and Make Music Day's “Street Studios”, music can echo the geography it is made in. Take this wild journey with us and truly expand your listening.
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Jul 09, 2019 |
What BTS's "Boy With Love" ft. Halsey Can Teach Us About K-pop
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How should we listen to K-pop? This music has become a global phenomenon, charting on the Billboard Hot 100, taking over social media feeds, and touring the world. In particular, the group BTS has captured the ears of millions, building an Army of fans along the way. As uninitiated listeners, the language and culture barrier left us uncertain about how to approach listening to, let alone breaking down their music. So we sought out the support of Dr, Suk-Young Kim, Professor of Critical Studies and the Director of the Center for Performance Studies at UCLA, and KCON's Vanessa Augsbach. Dr. Kim's research on K-pop helps to expand our ears and understand the genre's history and aesthetics, while Augsbach helps us better appreciate the fandom. Applying their insights, we listen to "Boy With Luv" as a first foray into the wonders of K-pop.
Read Dr. Kim's book K-pop Live: Fans Idols, and Multimedia Performance,
Watch Vox's Netflix series Explained on the history of K-pop
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Jul 02, 2019 |
"Prince Ali" and Why We're All Music Theorists
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Fans are not happy with Will Smith's update of the classic Disney song "Prince Ali" in the live-action Aladdin. Their complaint? The new "Prince Ali" is slow, sluggish, and dull. Indeed, the Smith version is 8 BPM (beats per minute) slower than Robin Williams's 1992 original—a subtle musical detail. We dig into the properties of tempo and key to understand why people have such a visceral reaction to a relatively small change and consider whether it suggests that we—meaning all of us humans, from musicians to amateurs—are more musically literate than we think.
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Jun 25, 2019 |
Why Does Every Intro Sound Like It's Underwater? (Live)
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Ever notice that wobbly, drunken and underwater sound common in so many contemporary pop songs? In an era of pristine recording quality, music producers are referencing old and impure technologies to add character to their recordings. Digital cassette hiss, tape wobble, and vinyl crackle are intentionally added to productions as a facsimile of "authentic" recording technology. Why the sudden nostalgia? Where does this underwater sound come from? What does it mean? How is it made? Find out on a live episode of Switched On Pop, recorded at Recode's annual Code conference with guest host Estelle Caswell, creator of Vox's Earworm video series.
Listen to Estelle's Spotify playlist of underwater intros.
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Jun 18, 2019 |
The Man Behind the Rocketman with Giles Martin
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Rocketman is a spectacle the size of Elton John, four films in one. It contains a biopic, jukebox musical, addiction recovery story and a romance between friends. The soundtrack ties the story together by taking historical liberties to tell a fantastical story about one of the best living songwriters. Charlie is joined by Vox’s film critic, Alissa Wilkinson to breakdown the film and deconstruct how its melodic themes create an emotional arc. He also speaks with Giles Martin (son of 5th Beatle George Martin) who music directed the film and soundtrack about how he assembled an entire life’s work into a singular narrative.
Songs Discussed
Taron Egerton - RocketmanQueen - Bohemian RhapsodyTaron Egerton, Jamie Bell - Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadKit Connor & Gemma Jones & Bryce Dallas Howard & Steven Mackintosh - I Want LoveTaron Egerton - Crocodile RockTaron Egerton - Your SongTaron Egerton - Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest WordMozart - Requiem
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Jun 11, 2019 |
The Greatest Pop Stories Never Told (with Jessica Hopper)
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On the KRCW series Lost Notes, Jessica Hopper plumbs pop music history for the most important stories never told. She brings us a bevy of lost gems, from Fanny, an all-female quartet of rockers that was one of David Bowie's favorite bands, to the Freeze a late-70s punk outfit now coming to terms with the offensive lyrics of their youth. Tune in to discover another side of pop, one that's rarely been heard.
Songs Discussed:Fanny - Charity Ball (Live Version)Fanny - Ain't that PeculiarThe Freeze - I Hate TouristsCat Power - The Greatest
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Jun 04, 2019 |
Should You Care About Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber?
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A pop star collaboration is a foolproof way to grab the attention of two audiences at once. But do more collaborators actually make a better song? Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber put this question to the test in their new song "I Don't Care." The track takes us inside the head of an antisocial party hopper, who'd rather be back home with his lover. Nate and Charlie investigate how the songwriters works that message into their music and speak with Ross Golan about Ed Sheeran's songwriting brilliance.
Songs Discussed
• Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don't Care
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
• Justin Bieber – Love Yourself
• Kygo ft. Ella Henderson – Here For You
• Maroon 5 – Don’t Wanna Know
Check out And The Writer Is… With Ross Golan: https://www.andthewriteris.com/
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May 28, 2019 |
The Smooth Sound of NPR Morning News
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What do Bach and smooth jazz have in common? Both score the unmistakable theme song for NPR's flagship show Morning Edition, listened to by millions across the country every day since 1979. This is undeniably pop music, a daily soundtrack to the lives of many. So why does it sound the way it does? And why, after forty years, why does NPR want to change it?
Featuring:
BJ Leiderman - Morning Edition
Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon
George Benson - Breezin'
Kenny G - Songbird
Don Voegeli/Wycliffe Gordon - All Things Considered
Take 6 - All Things Considered
Phish - All Things Reconsidered
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May 21, 2019 |
Is There An Indie Rock Conspiracy? (Featuring Joywave)
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Many people write us with musical maladies and conspiracies. A recent one caught our attention. Daniel Armbruster, lead vocalist of indie band Joywave, has been hearing the same melody in tracks across the Alternative Songs charts. He believes that this hook could be the secret to securing a spot on the Billboard 100. Nate and Charlie investigate this issue, traveling from the contemporary charts all the way back to a fundamental musical scale. The stakes are high: is it possible to hack your way into a hit alt-rock song?
Songs Discussed Young The Giant - SuperpositionCold War Kids - FirstSir Sly - &RunJoywave, KOPPS - TonguesMaroon 5 - Moves Like JaggerLady Gaga - Bad Romance AJR - Burn the House DownTwenty One Pilots - ChlorineThe Black Keys - Lo/HiBillie Eilish - Bury A FriendCatfish and the Bottlemen - LongshotCage The Elephant - Ready To Let GoPanic! At The Disco - High HopesSHAED - TrampolineOliver Tree - HurtThe Lumineers - Ho Hey
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May 15, 2019 |
Lizzo And The End of Genre (with Sam Harris of X Ambassadors)
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On her new album, Cuz I Love You, Lizzo shows off her genre bending musicality. We speak with X Ambassadors lead singer, Sam Harris, who helped co-write three songs on the album, including its eponymous track. We discuss how Lizzo's songs glide across sixties soul, seventies rock rock, eighties new wave, and nineties hip-hop. But we find that her music is much more than a history lesson in genre. Lizzo's writes vulnerable and courageous lyrics about self love, body positivity, female empowerment, and black identity. Rather than craft a singular sound for her album, Lizzo utilizes the genre that best fits the message of any given song. Her subversion of genre to the mood of her lyric matches changes in music consumption. According to Chartmetric, more people than ever are listening across genres to context based playlists. Does this mean genre no longer matters? Nate and Charlie try to find out with the help of Lizzo's genre busting music.
Songs DiscussedLizzo - Better In ColorLizzo - Cuz I Love YouLizzo - JuiceLizzo - TempoMissy Elliott - Get Ur Freak OnLizzo - JeromeRadiohead - CreepLed Zeppelin - Royal OrleansPrince - When Doves CryLizzo - Exactly How I Feel (ft. Gucci Mane)Aretha Franklin - RespectAretha Franklin - Say A Little PrayerAretha Franklin - Chain Of FoolsAretha Franklin - I Knew You Were WaitingEurythmics ft. Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For ThemselvesListen to our Lizzo playlist that pairs each song on her new album with a song from the past.
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May 07, 2019 |
Taylor Swift Causes a PANIC!
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When a listener asked us about the "sorcery" behind Taylor Swift's new song "ME!" we knew we had to investigate. And because the track features Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco, we couldn't resist digging into their concurrent hit "High Hopes." Along the way we cover baby talk, dreamy augmented chords, drumlines, and songs with exclamation points in their titles — all to explain why you can't get these two out of your head.
Featuring:
Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie - ME!
Swift - Shake it Off
Swift - The Way I Loved You
Gustav Mahler - Blicke mir nicht in die Lieder!
Shania Twain - Up!
Panic! At the Disco - High Hopes
Western Carolina University Drumline - High Hopes
Check out two great pieces on "High Hopes," one by Top 40 Theory and the other by Rolling Stone article citing Flypaper's Dean Olivet.
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Apr 30, 2019 |
Sounds Like Teen Spirit (with Elle Fanning)
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Pop is inseparable from reality TV singing competitions. From Eurovision to American Idol, scores of stars got their start in singing competitions. We’ve long overlooked this influence on pop, but were inspired to look into the phenomenon by the release of Teen Spirit, a pop-musical film about a fictional singing competition .
What is the history of these shows? Who got their big break on one? Is there a singing show musical aesthetic? We hit the books and records to find out, and the answers might surprise. Finally we speak with Elle Fanning, who plays contestant Violet in the film, about what it takes to train to be a singer primed for national fame.
Songs DiscussedElle Fanning - Dancing On My OwnFrank Sinatra with The Hoboken Four on the Major Bowes Amateur HourGladys Knight on the Original Amateur HourAbba - WaterlooCeline Dion - Ne Partez Pas Moi Alanis Morisette on Star Search Girls Tyme with Beyoncé on Star SearchKelly Clarkson - A Moment Like ThisWhitney Houston - I Have NothingNina Simone - Feeling GoodJanis Joplin - Piece of My HeartSusan Boyle - I Dreamed A DreamElle Fanning - Don't Kill My Vibe (originally by Sigrid)Recommended listeningMavis Staples - AnytimeAnderson Paak - VenturaThe Beths - Future Me Hates MeMax, Quinn XCII - Love Me LessKhalid, John Mayer - Outta My Head* Correction: Though non-European countries do compete in Eurovision, Canada has not competed in the contest. Celine Dion represented Switzerland in her performance of "Ne Partez Pas Moi Celine" in 1988.
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Apr 23, 2019 |
Lil Nas X: Country at the Crossroads
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Lil Nas X currently holds the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his surprise hit “Old Town Road.” But though the song is dripping with country twang, you won’t find it anywhere on the country charts. That’s because Billboard removed it, on the grounds of not having enough “musical elements” of country—a move that in turn left many wondering if the vanishing had something to do with Lil Nas X, a black artist, venturing into a field dominated by white musicians. We dig deep into the history and musical matter of “Old Town Road,” then pit it against other country hits to test its deep fried bonafides.
Songs DiscussedLil Nas X - Old Town RoadNine Inch Nails - 34 Ghosts IVBeba Rexa - Mean to Be (feat. Florida Georgia Line)Kelsea Ballerini - Miss You MoreSam Hunt - Speakers / Ghetto Cowboy - Bone Thugz N' HarmonyFilmore - Love That About You Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) Mason Ramsey - Walmart Yodeling KidHank Williams - Love Sick BluesEmmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers - Lock Sick Blues
Other LinksTanya Texas Tucker's list of Black artists and their collaborations with country starsJezebel interview with Bri Malandro, originator of the "Yee Haw Agenda"
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Apr 16, 2019 |
Billie Eilish is a Different Kind of Pop Star (ft. FINNEAS)
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On a trajectory to be one of the biggest pop stars for this generation, seventeen year old Billie Eilish is not, however, your typical pop star. Her music speaks to the real anxieties of young people without any veneer. She sings from the perspective of monsters and villains. Her hushed voice, baggy style, and direct demeanor subvert the norms of the pop princess. And her music is dark, but still catchy. Billie co-writes and produces her sound with her older brother Finneas O’Connell. Together this family duo have crafted the second biggest selling album of 2019, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” On this episode, we examine how Billie and Finneas crafted a cultural phenomenon, why their message speaks to this generation, and we speak with Finneas about the creation of their hit song “Bad Guy.”
Songs Featured: Billie Eilish - Ocean EyesBillie Eilish - BoredBillie Eilish - You Should See Me In A CrownBillie Eilish - Bad GuyBillie Eilish - Bury A FriendMarilyn Manson - The Beautiful PeopleThe Doors - People Are StrangeNine Inch Nails - CloserBillie Eilish - ilomiloBillie Eilish - All Good Girls Go To HellBillie Eilish - XannyFrank Sinatra - Dream A DreamBillie Eilish - I love youJohn Carpenter - Halloween ThemeBillie Eilish - Bellyache Watch Billie Eilish and Finneas break down “Bury A Friend” on The New York Times
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Apr 09, 2019 |
BONUS: Bhi Bhiman's 'Peace of Mind' Episode 1
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Switched on Pop is pleased to present Episode 1 of Peace of Mind --
the new album (released as a podcast) by singer/songwriter Bhi Bhiman.
In this episode Bhi digs into the fear and madness that characterizes
so much of this crazy time in America. Guests include author Dave
Eggers, Snap Judgement's Glynn Washington and renowned social
psychologist, Lee Ross. The song for this episode is “Brother Can You
Spare Some Peace of Mind?” Subscribe to Peace of Mind here:
https://fanlink.to/PeaceofMind
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Apr 08, 2019 |
Bhi Bhiman Puts the Music Before the Message
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Bhi Bhiman joins to explain the "nerd punk rock" behind releasing his new album Peace of Mind with an accompanying podcast. Since Bhiman explores issues like deportation on the track "Beyond the Border," there's a lot to say about each song. Even though he tackles tough topics, Bhiman make sure he puts music before the message. "Beyond the Border" summons a vast range of funky influences, from Van Halen to the Allman Brothers, to ask what America really means.
Featuring
•Bhi Bhiman:
Beyond the Border,
Moving to Brussels,
Bread and Butter,
There Goes the Neighborhood,
Guttersnipe
•Van Halen - Jump
•Allman Brothers - Ramblin' Man
Listen to our Spotify playlist of contemporary politically motivated music.
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Apr 02, 2019 |
Comeback Kids: The Jonas Brothers are Back
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After a six year hiatus, Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas are back with a new single and the stakes couldn't be higher. With each brother attaining a higher plane of celebrity during their time off, the three must achieve pop success or face public humiliation.
How do they do it? With three ingredients that ensure a hit song in 2019: 1) whistle while you work, 2) Homer the funky drummer, and 3) tune in, turn in, drop out.
Songs Featured: Jonas Brothers – SuckerEdward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – HomeFlo Rida – WhistleDaya – Sit Still Look PrettySharon Jones – How Long do I Have to Wait for you?Bruno Mars – 24k MagicEmily King – Remind MeJason Derulo – Want to Want MeRina Sawayama – CherryPost Malone and Swae Lee – SunflowerSurvey
We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than three minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3X6WMNF
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Mar 25, 2019 |
Lost & Found: The Drama of Pop Form with Emily King
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Live from SXSW: Grammy nominee songwriter Emily King didn’t set out to write a perfect pop song with “Remind Me.” Instead, she bent the rules of song structure to fit her message: the magical feeling when you find something you’ve been long missing. Mirroring this theme, the chorus doesn’t come when you expect it. The climax arrives late, after an “aha” moment that fills in the forgotten details. Each instrument fits perfectly together like a lost memory coming into focus. Even after she finds what she’s been missing in her life, she deceived us once again with a diminutive ‘down chorus.’ At every turn, King shows how songwriting mastery opens up immense creative freedom, even within the constraints of a prototypical pop song.
Featured Songs:Emily King - Remind MeZedd, Maren Morris, Grey - The MiddleSam Smith, Normani - Dancing With A StrangerTaylor Swift - DelicateSurvey
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Mar 19, 2019 |
How Streaming Changed the Sound of Pop
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Streaming hasn't just changed the way we listen to music, it's changed the way that pop music sounds. After years of losses due to the death of the CD and the rise of file sharing, the music industry has finally found a profitable business in streaming services. Streaming has overtaken all other music sales. Digital music platforms are the new Virgin megastore. But these services are more than just a distribution mechanism, they have created a whole new music economy. Album sales have been replaced by "album equivalent units," a business fiction that equates 1,500 streams to one physical sale. Artists are now effectively paid by the song. With ad-supported and subscription based business models, these platforms have upended incentives so significantly that it can be heard in the songwriting. Songs are getting shorter, albums are getting longer, and there is an entirely new section of the song that draws from the classical past: the "pop overture." In this episode, Nate and Charlie are joined by Aisha Hassan and Dan Kopf to unpack the sound of pop in the streaming era. Be sure to check out their article on Quartz: "The Reason Why Your Favorite Pop Songs Are Getting Shorter."
Songs FeaturedLil Pump - I Love ItBenny Blanco - Eastside ft. Khalid & HalseyKodak Black - Calling My SpiritPost Malone - Better NowLeonard Bernstein - West Side Story OvertureDua Lipa - One KissDrake - God’s PlanPost Malone - I Fall ApartAriana Grande - NasaTommy Dorsey - All The Things You Are
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Mar 12, 2019 |
Top 40 Activism with Justin Tranter
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Can political protest exist within the confines of commercial popular music? Songwriter Justin Tranter is equal parts songwriter and activist. You've likely heard his contributions to songs by Britney Spears, Julia Michaels, Selena Gomez, Janelle Monae and Ariana Grande, but unless you were paying close attention, you may have missed the essential subtext in his work. As an LGBTQ activist and board member of GLAAD, Justin brings his activism into Top 40 pop music lyrically and otherwise. On this episode, he breaks down his newest hit "Swan Song" which was co-written with Dua Lipa. This song is a triple threat serving as the end credits for the film Alita: Battle Angel, a Billboard hit, and a protest against the silencing of marginalized people. Justin shows us how representation in songwriting is inseparable from politics. And he's creating an open mic for new voices and stories that have been historically ignored by the pop industry.
Songs Discussed:
Dua Lipa - "Swan Song"Charlie Puth - "Attention"Selena Gomez - "Good For You"Imagine Dragons - "Believer"Taylor Swift - "Love Story"Halsey - "Bad At Love"Haydn - "Farewell" Symphony No. 45Shea Diamond - "Seen It All"
Listen to D. Orxata's Queering Pop Music playlist.
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Mar 05, 2019 |
What Makes An Award Winning Song?
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What if music awards were given out for only musical qualities? It may seem like celebrity and spectacle are more important than ever at the 61st Grammy Awards, but we believe many of this years winners earned their accolades with noteworthy music. Still, we thought the winners should be heralded by new, more musical categories. Find out how
And The Awards Go To:
Best Chord Progression: H.E.R. - "Hard Place" & "Focus"
Best Throwback: Silk City & Dua Lipa ft. Diplo & Mark Ronson - "Electricity"
Worst Metaphor: Lady Gaga ft. Bradley Cooper "Shallow"
Best Conceptual Song: Childish Gambino - "This Is America"
Best Bridge: Kacey Musgraves - "Rainbow"
Also Featured
The Weeknd - "Often"
Khalid - "Location"
Alison Limerick - "Where Love Lives"
Cher - "Strong Enough"
Elton John - "Mellow"
Bonus
Listen to Ezra Klein's discussion with Jill Lepore on America's two revolutions
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Feb 20, 2019 |
What Makes a Song Sexy?
2084
Author Courtney Smith joins to offer her expertise on an urgent topic in advance of Valentine's Day: Can we abstract the sexiest songs of all time into a universal list of arousing musical qualities? We try our best by examining five decades of pop sexiness, discovering lyrical lingerie, and consider the most (and least) seductive instruments.
Featuring:
Nina Simone - I Want Some Sugar in My Bowl
Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby
INXS - Need You Tonight
Portishead - Glory Box
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
The Weeknd - Often
Check out Courtney's article Let's Talk About Sex, Baby: Every Trick You Need to Seduce Someone with a Playlist on Refinery29
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Feb 05, 2019 |
The Deep History of '7 Rings'
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"7 Rings" is Ariana Grande's latest smash, a glittering banger that owes much to Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1959 classic "My Favorite Things." 60 years later, Grande updates the track for a modern audience, making her the latest artist to repurpose this anthem from the "Sound of Music." When it comes to Ari's flow, however, questions of appropriation arise. Author Lauren Michele Jackson joins to break down who has the right to repurpose sonic history.
Featuring:
• Ariana Grande - 7 Rings
• Julie Andrews - My Favorite Things
• John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
• The Doors - Light My Fire
• Lauryn Hill - Black Rage
• Migos - Bad and Boujee
• Princess Nokia - Mine
• Two Chainz - Spend It
• Soulja Boy - Pretty Boy Swag
Check out Lauren Michele Jackson's article, "To Whom Does '7 Rings' Owe its Sound?," hear more connections between Coltrane and the Doors in this NPR story, and discover the triplet Migos flow on Vox's Earworm.
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Jan 29, 2019 |
Do You Believe in Life After Autotune?
2930
Auto-Tune may be the most divisive effect in music. Artists have protested it publicly at the Grammys, and critics have derided the effects for its inauthentic reproduction of the voice. And yet, nearly a decade since Jay-Z prophesied the death of Auto-Tune, the sound is alive and thriving in contemporary pop and hip-hop. Journalist Simon Reynolds has written a definitive history of Auto-Tune for Pitchfork that fundamentally changed how we hear this sound. This deep dive criss crosses geology, technology, and the evolution of pop as we know it.
Songs Discussed:Cher - BelieveKaty Perry - FireworkRihanna - DiamondsFuture - F*ck Up Some CommasEmma Robinson - Stay (Cover) Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek Zapp & Roger - Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing) T. Pain - Chopped N Screwed ft. Ludacris Lil Wayne - “How To Love”Kanye - “Heartless”The Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”Jay-Z - Death Of Auto-TuneElvis - Mystery TrainThe Beatles - Tomorrow Never KnowsWhispering Jack Smith - Baby FaceKesha - Tik Tok Bon Iver - WoodsFuture & Juice WRLD - Jet Lag ft. Young Scooter Shek Wes - Mo BambaThe Carters - Apeshit
Further Reading:Simon Reynolds - “How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music" Simon Reynolds -Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture
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Jan 23, 2019 |
Slay Bells, All Year Long
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This winter season unwrap a deep dive through a pop subgenre of monumental importance: non-holiday songs that feature sleigh bells, from Bonnie Tyler to Nas, On Side B, we rebroadcast our episode on Mariah Carey's classic "All I Want for Christmas Is You"...and more sleigh bells.
Featuring:
•The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
•Gustav Mahler - 4th Symphony, I
•Michael Jackson - Jam
•Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart
•Miles Davis - On the Corner
•Nas - Halftime
•Kygo ft. Conrad Sewell - Firestone
•Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas Is You
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Dec 26, 2018 |
Look What You Made Us Do
3457
Four years into Switched On Pop, Charlie and Nate finally reveal what was behind the entire series. We may have not been totally honest with you from the beginning. Back in 2014 we were more pop skeptics than fanatics. The genre was, to some degree, the sugar that made the musical analysis medicine go down. And then something happened. Just as people started to listen to the show, we too began to open our ears. Now, in our 100th episode, Charlie interviews Nate about how transforming the way you listen to pop can truly make life better. And we get raw about the constraints of pop and where we plan to go in our next 100 episodes.
Songs discussed:
Beethoven's 7 & 9Santana - "Smooth" Martha and the Vandellas - "Heat Wave" Zedd - "Stay" Pink Floyd - "The Great Gig in the Sky" Adelle - "Hello"
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Dec 11, 2018 |
Entering Beard Phase with Mike Posner
3179
Mike Posner has written hits for himself like "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," and for stars from Justin Bieber ("Boyfriend") to Maroon 5 ("Sugar"), so he has insights for days on what makes a pop song work.
We dig into Mike's excellent new track "Song About You," which leads to an exploration of songs that reuse the same melody for verse and chorus—from Prince to The Boss to Post Malone. Last, we consider "beard phase": a moment of artistic reinvention that every artist has in their career, whether you're Mike Posner, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Taylor Swift.
Featuring:
Mike Posner - Song About You
Jean Ritchie - Barbary Allen
Original Sacred Harp Singers - New Britain (Amazing Grace)
Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince - Let's Go Crazy
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
Post Malone - Rockstar
Beethoven - String Quartet No 1 Op. 18/1
Beethoven - String Quartet No 10 Op. 74/III
Beethoven - String Quartet "Grosse Fuge"
Taylor Swift - Teardrops on My Guitar
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?
Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
Dennis Wilson - River Song
Peaches ft. Iggy Pop - Kick It
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Nov 27, 2018 |
How Dirty Projectors Make You Feel Energy (with David Longstreth)
3322
Dirty Projectors are known for their kaleidoscopic soundscapes. They make strange bedfellows of music techniques like 14th vocal harmonies and African guitar rhythms. But in the backdrop of their obscure orchestrations you will hear the indelible marks of pop music. Longstreth has recently collaborated on songs with Solange, Rihanna, Kanye and Paul McCartney. On his new track "I Feel Energy" we can hear that pop influence shine through. Together we break down his unpredictable 808s to see what gives you energy. We also build connections between Dirty Projectors and other artists in the top 100 including Marshmello, Ella Mai and Khalid.
Songs Featured:Dirty Projectors - I Feel EnergyDirty Projectors - Up In HudsonMarshmello ft. Bastille - HappierElla Mai - TripKhalid - Better
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Nov 13, 2018 |
Stairway To Hell: Greta Van Fleet’s Scorching Album Review That Went Viral
3562
Classic rock climaxed a half century ago, yet it still survives in two places: FM radio & Greta Van Fleet. The later are an upstart of four boys from Michigan who have found stardom by dusting off the mantle of guitar driven rock. Their latest album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, bares an uncanny sonic resemblance to Led Zeppelin. Jeremy D. Larson, senior editor of Pitchfork, gave the album a 1.6 out of 10 calling it "stiff, hackneyed, overly precious retro-fetishism." His vicious and hilarious takedown went viral and caused a rift amongst music fans on the internet. We ask Jeremy to join us to reveal what it means to earn such a bad review. After, we do something we've never done before: a track-by-track album breakdown. In a game of musical Pictionary, Charlie challenges Nate to find every Led Zeppelin reference on the album to answer the question: is it a copy or an homage? We have a feeling this will be a divisive episode...
Songs Discussed:
Greta Van Fleet - Age of Man
Led Zeppelin - Rain Song
Led Zeppelin - In The Light
Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be
Led Zeppelin - Your Time Is Gonna Come
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
Greta Van Fleet - The Cold Wind
Led Zeppelin - Custard Pie
Greta Van Fleet - When the Curtain Falls
Led Zeppelin - Wanton Song
Greta Van Fleet - Watching Over
Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
Greta Van Fleet - Lover, Leaver
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
Spirit - Taurus
Muddy Waters - You Need Love
Small Faces - You Need Love
Willie Dixon - I Can't Quit You Babe
Greta Van Fleet - You're the One
Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be
Greta Van Fleet - The New Day
Led Zeppelin - Over The Hills And Far Away
Greta Van Fleet - Mountain of the Sun
Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day
Greta Van Fleet - Brave New World
Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand
Greta Van Fleet - Anthem
Led Zeppelin - Tangerine
Lover Leaver (Taker, Believer)
Read the Pitchfork review of Greta Van Fleet's Anthem Of A Peaceful Army
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Oct 30, 2018 |
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan Love the 90s
2256
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan conjure late 90s nostalgia in their latest banger. "1999" drips with lyrical nostalgia for the last decade of the millennium — but does the music follow suit? We think the pair are missing prime opportunities to bring back some neglected musical tricks from the early oeuvre of Britney Spears.
The 90s bug goes beyond Charli and Troye. Anne-Marie and Lauren Alaina also pine for the Clinton era in their millennial bops. Which makes one ask: is the present so bad that we miss the paranoia of Y2K? As usual, Prince has the answer.
Featuring:
Charli XCX ft Troye Sivan - 1999
DJ Bobo - Somebody Dance with Me
Real McCoy - Another Night
Paradisio - Bailando
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears - Oops! I Did it Again
Anne-Marie - 2002
Lauren Alaina - Ladies in the 90s
Prince - 1999
Check out Megan Lavengood's examples of the complementary chorus.
Marshall Jefferson's "Move Your Body" from 1986 might be the ur-source of the ubiquitous 90s house piano. Jefferson recorded the original in his Chicago prophet on a Prophet 2000, but never got the rights to the song and saw little proceeds from its success.
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Oct 16, 2018 |
Sicko Rap and Drunk Country
2173
Four songs on the Hot 100 pop chart reveal the new directions in which music is headed. Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode" boasts an unprecedented formal structure that points to the future of hip hop. Meanwhile, in the world of country, Jason Aldean, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Dan + Shay are putting a modern spin on one of the style's oldest tropes: drinking bourbon. Together these tracks make up the vanguard of their respective genres, but are fans willing to take the plunge?
Featuring:
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
John Zorn - Cat o Nine Tails
Jason Aldean ft Miranda Lambert - Drowns the Whiskey
Mitchell Tenpenny - Drunk Me
Adele - Hello
Justin Bieber - Sorry
Dan + Shay - Tequila
Recommend Reading: Kathryn Schulz on Chris Janson's "Drunk Girl"
Recommended Viewing: Rich Redmond's studio drumming
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Oct 03, 2018 |
The Side Effects of Pop Music with Emily Warren
2725
Emily Warren is one of the great rising stars of contemporary songwriting. Her song "Side Effects" with The Chainsmokers is currently rising up the charts. You’ve also heard her writing on Dua Lipa’s "New Rules." She’s collaborated with many of the best performers in music earning her a Grammy and multi-platinum success with “Don’t Let Me Down.” She's also recently released her single "Paranoid." Emily is a real songwriters songwriter. Her process is as much therapy as art. Together we break down her latest work and uncover her creative process. Her album "Quiet Your Mind" is out on October 5th.
Songs discussedThe Chainsmokers - Side EffectsBach - Prelude in F# Minor from the Well Tempered ClavierEmily Warren - Paranoidbülow - You & JenniferTeyana Taylor - Gonna Love MeNick Jonas - Touch
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Sep 18, 2018 |
Drake vs Drake
2600
Drake, per usual, has been inescapable this summer. "In My Feelings" and "Nice For What" top the charts, but there's depth to these bangers. We argue for hearing one as a meditation on fragile masculinity, the other as a paean to NOLA Bounce.
Continue the conversation with us on Instagram and Twitter: @SwitchedOnPop
Songs discussed:Drake - In My FeelingsDrake - Nice For WhatLauryn Hill - Ex FactorThe Showboys - Drag Rap (Triggaman)Cameron Paul - Brown BeatCheeky Blakk - Let Me Get That OutchaBeyonce ft. Big Freedia - FormationBig Freedia - Karaoke ft Lizzo
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Sep 06, 2018 |
Summer Heat of the 2000s: Beyoncé and Black Eyed Peas (Pt. II)
1662
The final episode of our Switched on Summer throwback series finds us deconstructing more early aughts bangers.
Under consideration: two of the biggest hits since Y2K, Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" and the Black Eyed Peas' "I Got a Feeling." Tune in to dig how these tracks keeps the temperature rising through harmonic suspension, and to ask if will.i.am cribbed "Chopsticks."
Switched On Summer Winner: Slow Dance
Congrats to Slow Dance for winning our Switched On Summer contest with their song "I'm Your Guy Tonight." Listen to the whole track here: https://soundcloud.com/slowdancemusic/im-your-guy-tonight
You can get all of our song of summer chord loops, song packs and listen to the awesome entires to our Splice Firestarter competition on Splice here: http://splice.com/onpop
Songs Discussed:
• Beyoncé - Crazy in Love
• The Chi-lites - Are You My Woman
• Jay Z - 99 Problems
• Black Eyed Peas - I Got a Feeling
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Aug 23, 2018 |
Summer Heat of the 2000s: Nelly + Katy Perry (Pt. 1)
1525
What made summer jams of the aughties like Nelly's "Hot in Herre" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" so hot? The answer: big, sweaty, doses of harmonic tension. Specifically, each track relies on the Baroque technique of the ground bass. Wait, we mean: the Baroque technique of PEDAL POINT! When the chords in these songs don't match up with their bass notes, the ratcheting tension adds heat—fueling both dance moves, and controversy.
Featuring:
Nelly - Hot in Herre
Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
All summer Switched On Pop & Splice have been diving into the DNA of summer hits, and now we want you to show us what you’ve learned. Get inspired by sound packs and chord progressions created by Switched on Pop and share your best song of summer with us and the world. Hosts Nate & Charlie will be listening and will choose their favorite submission to win a year of Splice Sounds and have their track played on the podcast.
Check out all the details at http://splice.com/onpop-fire
And, read Owen Pallett's excellent article on the use of harmonic tension in Teenage Dream.
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Aug 09, 2018 |
Why is 90s Pop so Bizarre?
2981
The Switched on Pop Summer Throwback Series continues! This time, with a deep dive into the musical detritus of the 1990s.
In true 90s fashion, our episode is inspired by a pair of classic VH1 shows; "Behind the Music" and "Where Are They Now?"
Our subjects are two songs representing the lunatic fringe of 90s culture, "Cotton Eyed Joe" and "How Bizarre."
In the course of our musicological investigation, we uncover dark truths about these seemingly anodyne hits that will make you question everything you know about pop music.
And in the end, we reach a definitive answer to a perennially vexing question: "WTF was 90s music so weird?"
Songs Discussed
Rednex:
Cotton Eye Joe
Pop in an Oak
The Way I Mate
Cotton Eyed Joe:
Fiddlin John Carson
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
Karen Dalton
Chieftains
Nina Simone
OMC:
How Bizarre
Right ON
Start making your summer hit track on Splice and check out our chord pack at splice.com/onpop-chords
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Jul 27, 2018 |
The Resistance is Dancing in the Streets
1833
Our Switched on Summer Throwback Series continues with "Dancing in the Street," the 1964 Motown hit by Martha and the Vandellas that was co-written by none other than Marvin Gaye.
Over 50 years and countless covers later, we explore how this song still manages to get people off their feet and onto the streets—not just to dance, but also to raise their voices in joy, catharsis, and protest.
Also, start making your own summer hits with our Switched On Summer repack on Splice at www.splice.com/onpop-pack and use promo code ONPOP for a 1 month free trial.
Featuring:Martha and the Vandellas - Dancing in the StreetMarvin Gaye - Stubborn Kind of FellowThe Mamas and the Papas - Dancing in the StreetThe Grateful Dead - Dancing in the StreetVan Halen - Dancing in the StreetMick Jagger and David Bowie - Dancing in the StreetKendrick Lamar - AlrightPharrell Williams - Happy
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Jul 12, 2018 |
Switched on Summer: Getting Around with the Beach Boys
1811
Our Switched on Summer throwback mini-series begins in the heart of the 1960s, with the Beach Boys' perennial school's-out jam "I Get Around."
We explore how every aspect of Brian Wilson's two-minute-long masterpiece is perfectly calculated to literally "get around"—harmonically, melodically, and lyrically—creating that unbeatable feeling of cruising all over town with the top down on a hot summer's night.
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Jun 28, 2018 |
The Pure Pop of Charlie Puth + Carly Rae (ft Hanif Abdurraqib)
2799
Part I: The Doctors Are In! We diagnose a listener's musical malady, namely: "why does Charlie Puth's new jam 'BOY' make us feel so weird?!"
Part II: Guest Hanif Adburraqib, author of They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, helps break down Carly Rae Jepsen's epic "Cut to the Feeling" to understand why CRJ is a different kind of pop star.
Featuring:
•Charlie Puth - BOY
•Ismael Miranda - Recordando
•Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Nobody's Baby
•The Beatles - She's a Woman
•The Cars - Since You're Gone
•Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No 5 in C Minor, I
•Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut to the Feeling
Check out more of Hanif's work at his website.
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Jun 14, 2018 |
Afrofuturism in Kali Uchis & Clipping (with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes)
2991
Parliament Funkadelic has had waves of influence on popular music. Their Afrofuturist message and infectious grooves built the backbone of 70s funk, was revived in the 90s with Dr. Dre's G-Funk, and is once again in vogue with in the music of Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis. Bootsy Collins, bass player of Parliament Funkadelic, collaborated with Kali Uchis and Tyler the Creator on the track "After The Storm," which draws on the P-Funk sound. Similarly, Clipping pay homage to the P-Funk lineage through their Hugo nominated song "The Deep," which was produced in collaboration with This American Life. The story explores a mythology created by the band Drexciya. In the story, an underwater civilization birthed from African slaves crossing the Atlantic battles their makers to save their habitat. Listen to hear what makes both infectious tracks so effective.
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May 31, 2018 |
Finding Equanimity In 'No Tears Left To Cry'
2318
Ariana Grande has returned with a track that is jarring yet simultaneously catchy. She uses sophisticated musical techniques to tell a story of healing, resiliency, and hope after the attack at her concert in Manchester. Listeners will learn techniques like tempo rubato, modal interchange and amen breaks, which weave together this equanimous narrative.
Songs featured:Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To CryAriana Grande - Into YouAriana Grande - Break Free ft. ZeddThe Winstons - Amen BrotherThe Prodigy - MinefieldN.W.A. - Straight Outta ComptonOasis - Do You Know What I meanFuturama Theme Song
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May 17, 2018 |
Can AI 'Algorhythms' Write Pop Songs? (With Taryn Southern)
3312
There is a lot of scare about the impending future of artificial intelligence making humans irrelevant. Musician Taryn Southern examines this narrative through her song “Life Support,” written with the aid of AI composition tools. We dispel current myths about AI music and discuss its future opportunities. In the second half of the show we run a musical 'Turing test' to see if you can identify music made by a bot from that composed by the hand of a human.
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May 03, 2018 |
Listening Differently to Lorde | with MARIAN HILL
2742
Samantha Gongol and Jeremy Lloyd are songwriting duo Marian Hill and they are here to share their annoyingly sharp insights on music. They come bearing the wistful pop of Lorde's "Ribs," and we deconstruct its primordial roots in classical composers like Scelsi, Beethoven and Haydn. Then, we turn to Marian Hill's new single "Differently" to uncover the subtle musical shifts that outline a complex dialogue lurking among the track's sparse, funky textures.
Songs Discussed:
Lorde - Ribs
Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit
Giacinto Scelsi - Memories
Ludwig van Beethoven - 9th Symphony
Franz Josef Haydn - Creation
Kid Rock - All Summer Long
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
Marian Hill - Mistaken
Marian Hill - Differently
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Apr 19, 2018 |
Kacey Musgraves Gives Us Butterflies
1758
On her single 'Butterflies,' Kacey Musgraves demonstrates a tour de force of songwriting. This song is a wild success because it incessantly reinforces one core emotional concept: that queasy anxious feeling in your stomach. No we're not talking about your leftover lunch, we're talking about love. But this is not just a simple little love song. It is a masterclass of creativity. Musgraves uses every element of music to reinforce her core idea. The lyrics fold back onto themselves with dual meanings as the harmony, melody, orchestration and rhythm all interweave to literally give the listener butterflies. Caution: this song may induce feeling of tender sorrow and longing for mutual crushes and anxious kisses.
Songs Discussed:Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go RoundKacey Musgraves - Butterflies
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Apr 05, 2018 |
Gucci Gang and the Neural Substrate of Subjective Time Dilation
1643
In which Nate tries to convince Charlie that Lil Pump's SoundCloud Rap hit "Gucci Gang" warps the perceptual present.
Featuring:
Lil Pump - Gucci Gang
Gustav Mahler - Der Abschied / Das Lied von der Erde
Franz Schubert - String Quintet / Adagio
Conlon Nancarrow - Study for Prepared Piano 21
Check out Jonathan Berger's article on musical time in Nautilus.
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Mar 22, 2018 |
How to 'Make Me Feel' with Lizzo
3128
"Make Me Feel," is the first hit from Janelle Monáe's upcoming album Dirty Computer. It is a sensual song about the fluidity of desire. In the pre-chorus, the singer proudly expresses that she is a "sexual bender." Fans have embraced the song for breaking free of normative sexual expectations. But these non-binary statements aren't limited to the lyrics. The message is reinforced with musical concepts drawn from the blues, Prince and Michael Jackson. To help break down this track, Nate and Charlie are joined by singer/rapper Lizzo. She and Monáe both collaborated with Prince, making Lizzo uniquely qualified to unwind his influence on the song (Prince was recently named as a collaborator on the track). We also discuss Lizzo's song "Truth Hurts" and her podcast "Good As Hell" where she talks to the queens of hip hop. Hands down, Lizzo is one of the most talented, knowledgeable and fun guests. You don't want to miss this episode.
Songs DiscussedJanelle Monáe - Make Me FeelMichael Jackson - The Way You Make Me FeelMichael Jackson - Beat ItFats Domino - Blueberry HillPrince - KissYing Yang Twins - Wait (The Whisper Song)Lizzo - Truth HurtsSister Nancy - BamBonus MaterialGet tickets for Lizzo's Sister Sister Sister tour with Haim: www.lizzomusic.comDon't miss Lizzo's podcast "Good As Hell" on SpotifyAlso if you haven't read it, Quincy Jones Vulture interview is utterly mad
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Mar 08, 2018 |
808s & Havana Heartbreak
3461
In Camila Cabello's "Havana" we hear both her Cuban roots and the modern sounds of Atlanta. Though the singer and featured guest Young Thug reference these two geographic identities, the song says so much more through its core musical elements. A Roland TR-808 kick drum evokes an entire repertoire of Atlanta Hip Hop, while the track's supporting piano montuno descends from a Cuban style lamenting the loss of one's traditional home.
Also in this episode, we discuss Camila's unlikely path to number one with writer Hannah Steinkopf-Frank — and the musical glass ceiling that holds so many young women artists back.
RecommendationsSwitched On Pop recommends the podcast about sound: Twenty Thousand Hertz Hannah recommends the book: Girl Groups Girl Culture by Jacqueline WarwickCheck out more music and writing from Kwami Coleman at his websiteYou can listen to you playlist of 808s and Montunos on Spotify
Featured SongsCamila Cabello - HavanaTI - Whatever You Like2NE1 - I Am The BestMarvin Gaye - Sexual HealingMariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri - Always Be My BabyOutkast - So Fresh, So CleanLil Jon - Get LowGucci Mane ft. Migos - I Get The BagCompay Segundo - Guajira GuantanameraCuarteto Caney - Guajira GuantanameraBig Mama Thorton - Hound DogElvis - Hound DogLittle Mix & Missy Elliott- How Ya Doin?The Shangri Las - Leader Of The PackSleater-Kinney - I Wanna Be Your Joey RamoneSpice Girls - WannabeSpice Girls - Spice Up Your LifeThe Ronettes - Be My BabyThe Shirelles - Will You Love Me TomorrowTLC - No Scrubs
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Feb 22, 2018 |
My My My! Troye Sivan + Queer Pop (w Gina Delvac, Darryl Bullock)
3512
Gina Delvac of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast and Darryl W Bullock, author of David Bowie Made Me Gay, join Nate and Charlie to dig into the poetry of Troye Sivan's "My My My!", the history of LGBT pop music, and the songs we love to hate.
And also be sure to check out:
Darryl Bullock's playlist of LGBT pop, from his book David Bowie Made Me Gay
and the brilliant Call Your Girlfriend podcast, produced by Gina.
Featuring:
•Troye Sivan - My My My!
•Taylor Swift - Style
•West Side Story - Cool
•Billy Murray - Pretty Baby
•Ma Rainey - Prove it on Me
•Irving Kaufman - Masculine Women, Feminine Men
•Lesley Gore - You Don't Own Me
•Jackie Shane - Any Other Way
•Lavender Country - Back in the Closet Again
•John Grant - Glacier
•Alex Clare - Too Close
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Feb 08, 2018 |
90s Nostalgia in Bruno Mars and Charlie Puth
2147
The 90s are back. It is as if pop music entered a black hole and came out 25 years in the past. Today's artists are reviving the new jack swing and vocal R&B, creating a wave of 90s nostalgia. Uncover how they trick us into somehow loving those days when we got beat up in the middle school parking lot.
Spotify 90s Nostalgia playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/switchedonpop/playlist/3beUwxOxzbTZ8M3aymZlg5
Featuring:Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B - FinesseCharlie Puth ft. Boyz II Men - If You Leave me NowGuy - Groove MeEternal - StayBell Biv Devoe - PoisonCardi B - Bodack YellowChristopher Williams - I'm DreaminBoyz II Men - MotownphillyBoyz II Men - On Bended KneeHamilton - The Room Where It Happened
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Jan 25, 2018 |
Justin Timberlake's Identity Crisis
2243
What's up with Justin Timberlake? Two years ago he gifted us the ebullient family-friendly jam "Can't Stop the Feeling," now he's on the cusp of a deeply serious new record called "Man of the Woods," whose first single, strangely, is a bit of electro-funk snarl expertly produced by long-time collaborators Timbaland and Danja. What's going on here—who is JT trying to be? We listen deep to his latest, "Filthy," to try and understand its creator's conflicting musical worlds.
Featuring:
Justin Timberlake - Filthy
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
Bernard Hermann - Psycho
Ken Nordine - My Baby
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Jan 11, 2018 |
Dua Lipa's Minor Mantra (w Emily Bootle)
1139
Charlie talks laments, Baroque opera, and gender politics in Dua Lipa's sleeper hit "New Rules" with writer Emily Bootle.
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Dec 28, 2017 |
All I Want for Xmas is a Year in Review Episode
2515
Charlie and Nate breakdown Mariah Carey's classic "All I Want for Christmas is You" and revisit their favorite tracks of 2017. Sleigh bells abound.
Featuring
• Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas
• Laura Marling - Semper Femina
• Lorde - Melodrama
• Khalid - Location
• Dua Lipa - New Rules
• Logic - Everybody / 1-800-273-8255
• Childish Gambino - Redbone
• Sampha - (No One Knows Me) Like the piano in my mothers house
• Father John Misty - Pure Comedy
• Jay-Z: 4:44
• Perfume Genius - No Shape
• Aimee Mann - Mental Illness
And more...
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Dec 14, 2017 |
Björk's Emotional Landscapes
2367
Björk is uniquely both a pop star and avant-garde composer. Though her music often challenges our ears, underneath her records you'll find more in common with today's pop music than you'd expect. Pieced together, you'll hear that she paints emotional landscapes composed of all the complexities of human experience. We give you a way to enjoy listening to her music. Using this hybrid pop/modernist method, we deconstruct her latest album Utopia. Plus Nate & Charlie fall in love all over again.
Featured Clips
Björk - Losss
Björk - Human Behaviour
Björk - It's Oh So Quiet
Björk - Hyperballad
Björk - Joga
Björk - Thunderbolt
Björk - Lionsong
Björk - Arisen My Senses
Björk - Stonemilker
Björk - Quicksand
Björk - Notget
Björk - Utopia
Björk - Blissing Me
Björk - The Gate
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Nov 30, 2017 |
Taylor Constructs A Darker Reputation
2347
Taylor Swift unveils a new, darker identity on her latest album "Reputation," and many have read the lyrics on her latest as not-so-subtle volleys in an ongoing celebrity feud. Still, a question remains: how does Swift cast this dark personality in music? Two songs offer evidence. Melodic drops and temporal gaps in "I Did Something Bad" signal the album's themes of descent and decay. On "Getaway Car," however, some of Swift's old songwriting tricks may betray her new persona.
We also dug into Reputation and other great listener questions in our Reddit AMA.
Featuring:
Taylor Swift:
• I Did Something Bad
• Getaway Car
• Trouble
• Love Story
• You Belong With Me
• Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys - Away Out There
• Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
• The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
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Nov 16, 2017 |
Unlikely Mashups: Taylor + Cardi B | Clean Bandit + Berlioz
2830
At the top of the pop charts, Taylor Swift and Cardi B, two artists with seemingly little in common, exploit the same compositional technique to hook listeners in. Meanwhile, across time and space, electro producers Clean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels, channel the thematic tricks of French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz in his 1830 Symphonie Fantastique.
FeaturingTaylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do Cardi B - Bodak YellowRight Said Fred - I'm Too SexyClean Bandit ft. Julia Michaels - I Miss YouBerlioz - Symphonie Fantastique performed by Berliner PhilharmonikerBerlioz - Symphonie Fantastique performed by DuPage Symphony Orchestra
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Nov 02, 2017 |
Kendrick Lamar's HUMBLE deconstructed w. guest Amber Mark
1918
With Charlie off the grid, Nate sits down with singer/producer Amber Mark to explore the different levels of Kendrick's hit HUMBLE.. Then, they turn to the diverse influences (including house music, Carnatic samples, and autodidactic piano chords) behind Mark's own track "Lose My Cool."
Featuring:
Kendrick Lamar - HUMBLE.
Amber Mark - Lose My Cool
Amber Mark - SPACE
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Oct 19, 2017 |
Demi Lovato is Not Sorry
2278
Demi Lovato's latest, "Sorry Not Sorry" is at once an unapologetic anthem of defiance and a super catchy mashup of multiple genres. As we'll see, every small musical choice is here for a reason, together fostering Lovato's message of ascension—or even, transcendence. And as we pick apart "Sorry Not Sorry," we'll go to some surprising places ourselves including: Klezmer melodies, spiritual pretzels and musical dementors.
Featuring:
•Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry
•Cardi B - Bodak Yellow
•Dave Tarras - Freilach Yidelach
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Oct 06, 2017 |
How to 'Feels' the Groove
1996
How does a song with nonsense lyrics capture our attention, making us want to move? It is called the groove. Enter Calvin Harris' "Feels" (ft. Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams and Big Sean). Known for mainstreaming EDM, Harris throws out the software and picks up hardware instruments on this track. Upon first listen, this might seem like a sleeper hit, but as the loop repeats, you're going to want to move your feet. With intricate rhythmic interplay, the bass, drums, keys and guitar seem to talk to each other. Listen closely to hear how he does it. Also, we'll reveal why Katy Perry is so into going fishing.
FeaturingCalvin Harris - Feels (ft. Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams and Big Sean)James Brown - I Got The FeelingJames Brown - Get Up Offa That ThingDNCE - Cake By The OceanGeorge & Ira Gershwin - Blah Blah Blah (performed by 2012 Original Broadway Cast)
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Sep 22, 2017 |
Anthems of Resilience - Kesha and Imagine Dragons [LIVE]
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This episode of Switched on Pop comes at you live from Block Island, RI, recoded in front of an audience of friends and family following a solar eclipse. Fittingly, the two songs discussed that day formed their own kind of syzygy. Kesha's "Praying" and Imagine Dragon's "Believer" are inverse anthems of resilience. Both tracks seek catharsis - one through prayer, the other through pain.
FeaturingKesha - Tik TokKesha - PrayingMozart - The Queen of the Night AriaWhitney Houston - I Will Always Love YouMariah Carey - EmotionsLalah Hathaway - SomethingImagine Dragons - RadioactiveImagine Dragons - Believer
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Sep 07, 2017 |
The Many Worlds of "Despacito"
1899
What has catapulted Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" to the top spot on the Billboard charts? Sorry, typo—to its status as the biggest song in the world? Your hosts explore the many worlds of "Despacito" in search of an answer.
Featuring:
Lusi Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee - Despacito
Luis Fonsi ft Daddy Yankee y Justin Bieber - Despacito (Remix)
Luis Fonsi y Juan Luis Guerra - Llegaste Tú
Major Lazer ft Justin Bieber - Cold Water
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Daddy Yankee - Gasolina
Avril Lavigne - Complicated
Toto - Africa
Further reading:
Petra River-Rideau Interview in The Atlantic
Remezcla Roundtable on Despacito w Isabel Herrera and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd
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Aug 10, 2017 |
Selena Gomez: Bad Liar, Psycho Songwriter
2649
Selena Gomez's "Bad Liar" stands out on the charts by doing things a little differently: it's a subtle, at times even awkward, summer surprise. Breaking down this pop morsel reveals it has teeth, though—and not just because it borrows a bass line from the Talking Heads' macabre "Psycho Killer." This is a fun one. Come along for the ride.
Featuring:
• Selena Gomez - Bad Liar
• Julia Michaels - Issues
• Selena Gomez - Same Old Love
• Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
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Jul 13, 2017 |
Breaking Down Alanis Morissette (and our own Preconceptions) with guest Andrea Warner
1980
Author, critic and podcaster Andrea Warner joins for a throwback episode exploring politics in Lilith Fair, harmonic anger in Alanis Morissette's iconic "You Oughta Know," and the blind spots in your host's assessment of women in rock.
Featuring:
•Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
Artists mentioned by Andrea Warner:
SZA
Ibeyi
The Overcoats
Lizzo
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Jun 29, 2017 |
Morgan Page Reveals the Rule of 3 in Julia Michaels and Maroon 5
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Your brain can only hear three things at the same time. What you may not know is that musicians use this cognitive limitation to guide your listening all the time. Charlie and Nate are joined by Grammy Nominee music producer Morgan Page to reveal the secrets of this ubiquitous technique. Listening to Julia Michaels' hit "Issues," we unveil how the rule of three is used to draw our attention and keep us free from sonic distraction. And we look at how Maroon 5's "Cold" uses the same technique but creates an exceptionally different sound. Of course, it wouldn't be Switched On Pop if we didn't dig into the classical past to find out if this rule really holds up in the history of music.
Featuring: Morgan Page - Fight My WayJulia Michaels - Issues Julia Michaels - Issues (Acoustic)Maroon 5 - Cold ft. FutureSkrillex - First Of The Year (Equinox)Ed Sheeran - Shape Of YouDJ Khaled - I'm The OneSelena Gomez - Bad LiarThe Beatles - When I'm Sixty FourArnold Schoenberg - Pierrot Lunaire - III - Der MondfleckDead & Company - Live at the Hollywood Bowl 6-1-17The Beatles - A Day In The LifeIke & Tina Turner: Deep River Mountain HighSwedish House Mafia - One
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Jun 16, 2017 |
DJ Khaled - I'm The One... six... four... five
2291
DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Quavo from Migos and Lil Wayne have allied for a new smash hit: "I'm The One." Despite the star power present, the resulting track is less than the sum of its parts—repetitive, derivative, uninventive. And yet, the lackluster "I'm The One" sits comfortably at the top of the charts, which raises the question: why?? Our answer: because Khaled and company understand the bewitching power of tonal harmony, and they've utilized the most surefire chord progression in pop history to ensure their success, a simple sequence of chords that has captivated listeners for almost a century: I - vi - IV - V.
Check out our playlist of songs using this progression — and please send us any others that you identify!
Featuring:
• DJ Khaled - I'm The One
• Dean Martin - Blue Moon
• Ben E. King - Stand By Me
• Hoagy Carmichael - Heart & Soul
• The Police - Every Breath You Take
• Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
• fun. - We Are Young
• Justin Bieber - Baby
• Jean-Philippe Rameau - Les Sauvages
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Jun 01, 2017 |
Musical Architecture in Charlie Puth + HAIM
2494
Two new songs have captured the attention of your hosts—Charlie Puth's "Attention" and HAIM's "Want You Back." On the surface, these two songs appear to have little in common. A closer look, though, reveals the subtle musical architecture undergirding each track, a perfect balance of symmetry and asymmetry that keeps reeling us in for more.
Featuring:
• Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor - Marvin Gaye
• Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth - See You Again
• Charlie Puth ft. Selene Gomez - We Don't Talk Anymore
• Charlie Puth - Attention
• Haim - Want You Back
• Dvorak - Carnival Overture (United States Marine Band)
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May 18, 2017 |
The End Of Pop Music As We Know It: Fall Out Boy & Charli XCX
2911
Is it true that all pop music sounds the same today? For the past year the “pop-drop” has dominated the airwaves. This new form of EDM infused pop came out of DJ culture and has infused its sound with every mainstream act like Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Tiring of this sound, some artists are finding creative ways to parody this pop trope. The rock outfit Fall Out Boy’s “Young And Menace” demonstrates equal parts mastery and mockery of the pop-drop. And PC Music, a rising art-music label out of London, skewers the whole of pop cliché on their mixtape collaboration with Charli XCX. After this episode, we promise you’ll be ready to move on to new sounds. Luckily, listeners have collaborated to create a new favorites playlist to help you cleanse your palette.
Featuring:The Chainsmokers - CloserKygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain’t MeLady Gaga - The CureFall Out Boy - Sugar We’re Going DownFall Out Boy - Young And MenaceJay Z - D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)Ariana Grande - Into YouKaty Perry feat. Skip Marley - Chained To The RhythmDrake - PassionfruitPostmodern Jukebox - Sugar We’re Going Down SwingingBritney Spears - Oops! I Did It AgainSkrillex - BangarangDJ Snake - MiddleBeyoncé - Love On TopIcona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charlie XCX)Iggy Azalea - Fancy ft. Charli XCXSelena Gomez - Same Old LoveCharli XCX - 3AM (Pull Up) (feat. MØ)Hannah Diamond - Every NightBronze - Thy SlaughterDanny L Harle - Super Natural (ft. Carly Rae Jepsen)SOPHIE - JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYEA.G. Cook - SuperstarAriana Grande - Side To SideCoon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra - I'm Gonna Charleston Back To CharlestonSpotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/switchedonpop/playlist/1LeUhwRJfMGdlPkSMR9Uxu
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May 04, 2017 |
Harry Styles, Eschatology and Teen Girl Fandom
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