Popcast
The Popcast is hosted by Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic for The New York Times. It covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news.
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Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ Breakthrough
Few artists making pop music have risen to the top in the past several years. What made this Disney star click with listeners? Guests: Olivia Horn and Lindsay Zoladz.
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J. Cole, Triumphant (at His Own Pace)
The rapper’s sixth No. 1 album is here. Listen to a conversation about his career, and the long exchange between hip-hop and basketball. Guests: The New York Times's Elena Bergeron and Rap Portraits' Yoh Phillips.
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The Beatific Re-emergence of Beverly Glenn-Copeland
A conversation about his winding path to a receptive, ready audience — and how music can be a bulwark against cynicism and trauma. Guests: Taja Cheek and Mina Tavakoli.
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Where Is Country Music Making Room for Women?
Nashville remains challenging for women artists. But some rising performers are breaking through on radio — and TikTok. Guests: Marissa Moss and Natalie Weiner of the Don’t Rock the Inbox newsletter.
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The Sing-Rap Generation Branches Out
How melody has continued to reshape hip-hop via the work of Polo G, Rod Wave, Lil Tjay and more rising artists. Guest: Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre.
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When a TikTok Influencer Dances, Who Gets Credit?
Addison Rae’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show sparked conversations about appropriation and how dance has been central to the platform. Guest: Taylor Lorenz.
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The Telling of DMX’s Life Story
A conversation about the intense potency of the rapper’s music and religious fervor, and what it was like to interview him. Guest: Smokey Fontaine, the co-author of the 2002 book “E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.”
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Taylor, Billie, Demi, Blackpink: The Pop Star Documentary Boom
A conversation about the influx of films made about (and by) current stars and its implications for the format. Guests: The Observer's Simran Hans; and Caryn Ganz.
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The Grammys, Improbably, Made It Work
The show navigated a year of crisis, minted a new generation of stars and didn’t fixate on boomers. Guests: Jon Pareles, Joe Coscarelli, Ben Sisario, Lindsay Zoladz and Caryn Ganz.
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TikTok and the Pop Music Rough Draft
The wildly popular platform has reshaped pop during the coronavirus pandemic, and changed how record labels grapple with unpredictable virality. Guest: Caryn Ganz.
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New Jazz That Agitates for Change
A conversation about strong recent debuts, and how canon and community can be in tension. Guests: Giovanni Russonello and Marcus J. Moore.
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Remembering Sophie, Architect of Future Pop
Exploring the legacy of a producer and performer who imagined an approach to music without borders. Guests: Sasha Geffen and Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne.
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The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 2
Remembering Fred the Godson, Adam Schlesinger and Cristina. Guests: Kurt B. Reighley; Complex's Shawn Setaro; and Ben Sisario.
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Olivia Rodrigo and ‘Drivers License’ Aren’t Going Anywhere
A conversation about the year’s first genuine pop phenomenon, and the long arc of the Disney machine. Guests: Joe Coscarelli; Vulture's Justin Curto; and Larisha Paul.
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Inside the Bull Market for Songwriting Rights
The emergence of Hipgnosis has helped turn the battle for catalogs into an arms race that shows no signs of slowing down. Guest: Ben Sisario.
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How Zev Love X Became MF Doom
Conversations about the legacy of the beloved rap figure’s early career, which set the table for the artist he would become. Guests: Stretch Armstrong, Bobbito Garcia and Dante Ross.
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2020 Popcast Listener Mailbag: Taylor, Dua, MGK and More
Answering your questions about the year’s biggest stars, and also some of its curious flops. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
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Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’: Let’s Discuss
A second album written and recorded during pandemic lockdown carries the singer and songwriter further from conventional pop. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz and Jon Pareles.
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The Best Albums of 2020? Let’s Discuss.
An absence of live music refocused attention on records, and work by Fiona Apple, Taylor Swift and Run the Jewels spoke loudly.
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Saweetie, City Girls and the Female Rapper Renaissance
Streaming, social media and the tireless work of trailblazers have helped change the hip-hop landscape.
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Who Will Control Britney Spears’s Future?
While her father remains the head of her estate for now, the pop star has signaled she’s ready for change. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Vanessa Grigoriadis.
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Ariana Grande, a Pop Star for the Post-Pop Star Age
A conversation about her unique route to the top of the charts — and what’s next. Guests: Lindsay Zoladz and Shaad D’Souza.
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The Many Mariah Careys
A conversation about her memoir, her range of contributions to pop music and her secret alt-rock album. Guests: New York's Allison P. Davis; Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.
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Luke Combs’s Country Stardom and the Remaking of the Bro
The Nashville star learned from the genre’s past and carved his own path. Guest: Grady Smith.
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Will Pop Music of the Future Rely on Actual Musicians, or Avatars?
The pandemic has sped up how digital look-alikes are reshaping stardom. Guest: The Ringer's Alyssa Bereznak.
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Is TikTok a Music Industry Friend or Troll?
“Old Town Road” showed the app’s potential as a hit generator. But its relationship to the business is far more complex. Guest: Taylor Lorenz.
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Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, Preserving Pop’s Old Guard
Six albums into major-label careers with “Chromatica” and “Smile,” where do these two stars fit in? Guest host: Caryn Ganz. Guest: Lindsay Zoladz.
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Remembering Riley Gale of Power Trip, a Thrash Titan
The band’s 34-year-old frontman helped break down barriers between scenes, and was known for singularly wild live shows. Guests: Dan Franklin; James Khubiar; and Andy O’Connor.
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How Merchandise Bundles Undid the Album Chart
For today’s biggest artists, an album release isn’t just about the music. Guest: Ben Sisario.
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The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 1
Remembering Joe Diffie, Mona Foot and DJ Black N Mild. Guests: Hits' Holly Gleason; Jacob Bernstein; and Elena Bergeron.
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The Welcome Return of the Chicks
How would Nashville be different if it hadn’t pushed the trio away? A conversation about “Gaslighter” and beyond. Guests: Jewly Hight and Slate's Carl Wilson.
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Answering Your Questions About Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’
Readers asked about Bon Iver, country music, Jack Antonoff and more. Guests: Northwestern University's Lauren Michele Jackson and Lindsay Zoladz.
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Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’: Let’s Discuss
On an album made entirely in quarantine, the singer and songwriter embarks in a fresh direction. Guests: Jon Pareles, Caryn Ganz and Joe Coscarelli.
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Remembering Ennio Morricone, the Film Score Maestro
His music was dynamic, bold and idiosyncratic, setting a high bar for composers connecting sound and vision. Guests: Jon Pareles and Joshua Rothkopf.
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The Timely Agitation of Run the Jewels
Killer Mike and El-P’s anti-government and pro-justice hip-hop feels like it anticipated the current moment. Guest: Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce.
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Pop Superfans Are Getting Politically Active. What Happens Next?
A subset of passionate listeners are asking for more of their heroes than simply music. Guest: Denisha Kuhlor.
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Lil Baby Is Warming Up to the Spotlight
His protest song “The Bigger Picture” marks a high point in his evolution from reluctant up-and-comer to one of hip-hop’s reliable superstars. Guest: Joe Coscarelli.
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The Long, Complicated History of ‘Urban’ Music
As the music industry reckons with racial inequality, one of the first old structures to fall has been a term that dates back to the 1970s. Guest: Nelson George.
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How Did The Source Cover the 1992 Los Angeles Uprisings?
Two former editors look back at the magazine’s on-the-ground reporting following the Rodney King verdict. Guests: James Bernard and Reginald Dennis.
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After Missteps, Pop Stars Apologize … and Sometimes Push Back
Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and how some in the limelight bristle at social media condemnation. Guest: The Ringer's Justin Charity.
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The Many Lives of Doja Cat
The pop star took an extremely nonlinear path to No. 1, and continues to push the boundaries of online behavior. Guest: Lakin Starling.
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Remembering Tony Allen and Florian Schneider, Two Pillars of Rhythm
Thousands of miles apart, and with radically different tools, both musicians were innovating. Guests: The New York Times's Jon Pareles; and Joseph Patel.
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The Triumphant Return of Fiona Apple, Pop Music Renegade
A conversation about everything “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” and beyond. Guests: Jenn Pelly and Lindsay Zoladz.
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Beyond ‘Trolls’ and ‘Frozen’: What Are Our Kids Listening To?
Children’s films lean heavily on pop, but the elementary school set has access to a whole universe of music now. Guests: The New York Times's Gilbert Cruz, Jeremy Egner, Dave Itzkoff and Dave Renard.
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Dua Lipa, Dance-Pop Crusader
The English pop star has given fans an upbeat album at a very dark time. Guest: Caryn Ganz.
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Sam Hunt and Kenny Rogers, Country Music Rule-Benders
Both artists pulled Nashville in fresh directions, and gave the genre growing pains. Guests: Bill Friskics-Warren and Natalie Weiner.
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What Is the Role of Criticism in a Crisis?
The coronavirus pandemic has upended the world, and the arts are reeling. Pop music critics are asking (and facing) hard questions. Guests: The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, New York's Craig Jenkins and Lindsay Zoladz.
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What Music Should I Listen to in a Crisis?
Pop critics from around the country recommend pick-me-ups: Pharrell, the Pointer Sisters, Helado Negro and more.
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How Will Pop Music Respond to the Coronavirus?
The ways the pandemic has already reshaped the year, and what might happen in pop next. Guests: The New York Times's Ben Sisario and Jon Pareles.
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The Unrelenting Space Jams of Tame Impala
How has Kevin Parker built and sustained his successful psych-rock project — and where will he head next? Guests: The New York Times's Jon Pareles and Pitchfork's Jillian Mapes.
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