Switched on Pop
- Episodes
- 558
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Oct 20, 2026
About the podcast
Listen closer to pop music, and hear how it moves us. Hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes 558
The rise of surrealist pop: KATSEYE and ADÉLA
The music of global girl group KATSEYE might be confusing on first listen. A less-generous read might consider their songs to be rudimentary: the lyrics are mostly nonsense, the instrumentals evoke lesser 2010s …
Show notes
The music of global girl group KATSEYE might be confusing on first listen. A less-generous read might consider their songs to be rudimentary: the lyrics are mostly nonsense, the instrumentals evoke lesser 2010s pop songs, and the aesthetic can’t decide whether it’s targeted to children or adults. However, maybe the nonsensical nature of KATSEYE is also… the point? And maybe that point is tethered to early surrealist movements of the early twentieth century?
On this episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna makes the case to Nate that KATSEYE and ADÉLA are indicative of a larger shift in pop music, one that tethers itself to Marcel Duchamp and the dada movement.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Link to Charlie and Nate’s live event with Jensen McRae at USC!
Songs discussed:
- The Lonely Island, Emma Stone – Turn Up The Beef
- KATSEYE – Gnarly
- KATSEYE – Animal
- KATSEYE – Hootie Frutti
- KATSEYE – PINKY UP
- Fifth Harmony – I’m In Love With a Monster
- Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
- Britney Spears – Toxic
- Britney Spears – Circus
- Da Hool – Meet Her at the Loveparade
- Little Richard – Tutti Frutti
- ADÉLA – Ain’t In La
- Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
- ADÉLA – Nicole Kidman
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Why we need bad music
For the 500th(!) episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate try to answer the question that has stumped critics and philosophers since the dawn of sound: does bad music exist? Their quest to answer something …
Show notes
For the 500th(!) episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate try to answer the question that has stumped critics and philosophers since the dawn of sound: does bad music exist? Their quest to answer something so nebulous leads them through the annals of taste, and in the process, they recruit several other critics and journalists to give their two cents on the topic. Can things actually be bad, and if so, how do we define them?
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Kristin Chenoweth, “Taylor the Latte Boy”
- Komar and Melamid & Dave Soldier, “The Most Unwanted Song"
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35: III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo"
- Johann Strauss II, The Blue Danube"
- Johann Sebastian Bach, "The Well-Tempered Clavier No. 2: Prelude and Fugue in C minor"
- Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"
- Lil Yachty, "1 Night"
- Sam Laxton, Lonskii, “Adagio For Strings”
- Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, “Get Lucky”
- Florence Foster Jenkins, "Queen of the Night’s Aria"
- BB King, Eric Clapton, “Riding With the King”
- Paul McCartney, "Temporary Secretary"
- The Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun"
- Paul McCartney, "Wonderful Christmastime"
- Lou Reed, "Who Am I? (Tripitena’s Song)"
- Insane Clown Posse, "Miracles"
- Primus, "DMV"
- Iggy Azalea ft. Charli xcx, "Fancy"
- The Killers, "Human"
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Has Taylor Swift jumped the shark?
One year after the release of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift is back with an encore. Specifically, The Encore, four tracks that have polarized critics and Swifties alike, from the …
Show notes
One year after the release of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift is back with an encore. Specifically, The Encore, four tracks that have polarized critics and Swifties alike, from the country-esque number one hit “Patient Zero” to her ode to married Ohioan bliss, “Cleveland!” For some, the new songs lean into Swift’s worst writing impulses. But for others, including our hosts (and resident Swiftologists) Charlie and Nate, the tracks call back to earlier eras of Swift’s songwriting, and perhaps evoke more nuanced discussion about what it means to release music as the biggest artist in the world. The question is: are we ready for it?
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Taylor Swift, “Patient Zero”
- Taylor Swift, “Cleveland!”
- Taylor Swift, “Pink Clouding”
- Taylor Swift, “Babylon”
- Taylor Swift, “Red”
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Carly Rae Jepsen’s pop pedagogy
Five years after her first appearance on Switched on Pop, Carly Rae Jepsen returns to the podcast to talk all things Day and Night, her latest album. Born out of Swedish disco, big emotion, and substantive life …
Show notes
Five years after her first appearance on Switched on Pop, Carly Rae Jepsen returns to the podcast to talk all things Day and Night, her latest album. Born out of Swedish disco, big emotion, and substantive life change – including becoming a wife and a mother – the double album is a tour through the organic and the synthetic, both in equal measure. For Charlie and Nate, this is a full circle moment, and along with discussing the record, the two talk to Jepsen about the origins of the show, her songwriting process, and what it means to be such an important champion of pop music.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Carly Rae Jepsen, “After All”
- Carly Rae Jepsen, “Versailles”
- Carly Rae Jepsen, “Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor”
- Carly Rae Jepsen, “Near or Far”
- Carly Rae Jepsen, “Motivation”
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Tove Lo wants her music to sound out of control (ft. Tove Lo)
Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo’s new album ESTRUS can be summarized in the opening lyrics of the album’s closing track, “source of life”: “Feral, fragile, numb, ecstatic / sad, euphoric, catatonic / Horny …
Show notes
Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo’s new album ESTRUS can be summarized in the opening lyrics of the album’s closing track, “source of life”: “Feral, fragile, numb, ecstatic / sad, euphoric, catatonic / Horny, repulsed, proud and shameful / Good, demonic, contradictions.”
A songwriter with a string of multi-platinum hits in the 2010s, Tove Lo has crafted a career founded on musical contradiction, with songs that straddle the line between messy and controlled. Her lyrics tend to skew both horny and sensitive, and her latest record features both of those vibes in equal measure. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate sit down with her to talk all things ESTRUS.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Tove Lo, “a lot of feelings, no solutions”
- Tove Lo, “I’m your girl right?”
- Stromae, “Alors on danse”
- Tove Lo, “des fleurs x Stromae”
- Tove Lo, “DNH”
- Tove Lo, “F.A.M.T”
- Tove Lo, “are we on a break”
- Tove Lo, “idiot”
- Tove Lo, “source of life”
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Lizzy McAlpine summons Nick Drake & Joni Mitchell
Lizzy McAlpine opens up about her 4th album Angel alongside collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall. Recorded live at Power Station at Berklee NYC. Songs Discussed Lizzy McAlpine "Anybody's Fool" Lizzy …
Show notes
Lizzy McAlpine opens up about her 4th album Angel alongside collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall. Recorded live at Power Station at Berklee NYC.
Songs Discussed
Lizzy McAlpine "Anybody's Fool"
Lizzy McAlpine "A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants"
Nick Drake "One of These Things First"
Lizzy McAlpine "Two Elevens"
Adam Guettel "Through the Mountain"
Lizzy McAlpine "Our Strange Ways"
Joni Mitchell "Hejira"
Lizzy McAlpine "Soldier of the Road"
Lizzy McAlpine "Peach"
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The power of singing together (ft. Tiny Habits)
Throughout pop history, groups from The Ink Spots to the Beach Boys to Fleetwood Mac all forged their sound in the alchemy of vocal harmonies, harnessing the magic that happens when different voices join as …
Show notes
Throughout pop history, groups from The Ink Spots to the Beach Boys to Fleetwood Mac all forged their sound in the alchemy of vocal harmonies, harnessing the magic that happens when different voices join as one. Then suddenly, right around the 1980s, vocal harmonies started to wane in pop. Whether it was Michael Jackson creating a new model of the solo star, music technology making the voice more like an instrument, or simply audiences wanting a new sound, today the art of vocal harmony is hard to find on the charts. But bands like Tiny Habits, whose originals and covers showcase intricate and delicate harmonies, are bringing the sound back to the people, with a message that everyone needs to sing more, and to sing together.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
- The Roches – Hammond Song
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
- Pérotin, The Hilliard Ensemble – Viderunt omnes
- Mbuti men – Elephant Hunting Song
- Bulgarian State Television Female Choir – Pilentze Pee
- The Golden Gate Quartet – Stormy Weather
- The Jackson 5 – Who’s Lovin’ You
- Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – C’mon Marianne
- The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann
- Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough
- Tiny Habits – Right In Front Of Me
- Tiny Habits – Anything He Was
- Tiny Habits – one more (live acoustic)
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Questionably Country
For the first time in history, five country songs were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Stella Lefty all have songs that range from two-stepping hits to …
Show notes
For the first time in history, five country songs were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Stella Lefty all have songs that range from two-stepping hits to borderline Americana: what do these songs say about the state of country music?
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Dolly Parton, “9 to 5”
- Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, “Islands In the Stream”
- Dolly Parton, “Rockstar”
- Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas”
- Ronnie Milsap, “Smoky Mountain Rain”
- George Strait, “Amarillo By Morning”
- Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”
- Brad Paisley, “Cluster Pluck (feat. James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner)”
- Buddy Holly, “That’ll Be The Day”
- Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Texas Flood”
- George Strait, “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”
- The Pointer Sisters, “Slow Hand”
- Conway Twitty, “Slow Hand”
- Morgan Wallen, “Been By Now”
- Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen, “I Can’t Love You Anymore”
- Taylor Swift, “I Knew It, I Knew You (From ‘Toy Story 5’)”
- Squeeze, “Tempted”
- The Velvet Underground, “Sweet Jane”
- Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
- Taylor Swift, “cardigan”
- Stella Lefty, “Boston”
- Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”
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Phoebe Bridgers opens her Moleskine
Many of us keep a journal, but few of us are able to turn our unvarnished thoughts into cultural moments touching on love, death, and guitars quite like Phoebe Bridgers. Her new album Lost Weekend isn’t just …
Show notes
Many of us keep a journal, but few of us are able to turn our unvarnished thoughts into cultural moments touching on love, death, and guitars quite like Phoebe Bridgers. Her new album Lost Weekend isn’t just throwing the pages of her personal life into song, it’s much more than that: A beguiling, hyper-compositional meditation on the last six years of her life.
The genres range from bluegrass to electronic, and collaborators pepper the record – from her boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, to Americana outfit Nickel Creek, to a mysterious presence who may or may not be Geese singer Cameron Winter. The end result is one of the most immersive and heartbreaking albums of the year thus far, transforming the specificity of one person’s story and observations into a universal reflection on life’s fragility.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Phoebe Bridgers – The Outside
- Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Boys
- Phoebe Bridgers – Kill Me
- Phoebe Bridgers – The Governor’s Waltz
- Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend
- Phoebe Bridgers – Haunted
- Phoebe Bridgers – Still Standing
- Phoebe Bridgers – Never Going Back!
- Phoebe Bridgers – I Can’t Wait
- Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend (Reprise)
- Paul Lansky and Hannah MacKay – Notjustmoreidlechatter
- Phoebe Bridgers – I Know The End
- Phoebe Bridgers – Motion Sickness
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We have Confessions to make...
Madonna has returned this summer with Confessions II: an album full of huge hooks, pounding bass, and sincere emotion. It’s the queen of pop's first record in seven years, and serves as a sequel to her 2005 …
Show notes
Madonna has returned this summer with Confessions II: an album full of huge hooks, pounding bass, and sincere emotion. It’s the queen of pop's first record in seven years, and serves as a sequel to her 2005 smash hit, Confessions on a Dance Floor. The record ties together threads that have existed throughout Madonna’s entire discography, but it also serves a greater purpose. Confessions II is Madonna’s biopic, allowing her to tell her story on her own terms. On this episode of Switched on Pop, producer (and Madonna superfan) Reanna Cruz walks Charlie and Nate through the record, and makes the case for it being the best Madonna record of the last twenty years.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
- Madonna – Express Yourself
- Madonna – Hung Up
- Madonna – Danceteria
- Madonna – Vogue
- Lou Reed – Walk On the Wild Side
- Madonna – Get Together
- Madonna – I Feel So Free
- Donna Summer – I Feel Love
- Madonna – One Step Away
- Madonna – Nothing Fails
- Madonna – Everything
- Madonna – Fragile
- Madonna – Frozen
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A piano lesson that will change how you listen (ft. Lang Lang)
For many people – including Charlie and Nate – studying classical piano as a child always felt like a chore. Now, as adults, there’s a newfound appreciation for classical music, but the art form isn’t always …
Show notes
For many people – including Charlie and Nate – studying classical piano as a child always felt like a chore. Now, as adults, there’s a newfound appreciation for classical music, but the art form isn’t always accessible. One of the people trying to change that is the world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, classical piano’s greatest interpreter. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie sits down with Lang Lang at the Steinway showroom in New York City to see how taste changes over time, the different ways a master pianist can interpret a work, and ultimately, why classical music is still important.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
IV. Take It to the Bridge (ft. Tayla Parx)
Bridges open up the world of a song: they're a breath of fresh air and a point of contrast, typically delivered right before the final chorus. But sometimes they accomplish even more, changing the whole meaning …
Show notes
Bridges open up the world of a song: they're a breath of fresh air and a point of contrast, typically delivered right before the final chorus. But sometimes they accomplish even more, changing the whole meaning of a song by introducing a note of doubt, or even defiance. This is what the best artists do, from Beyoncé to the Beatles to Taylor Swift, but some critics are concerned that the bridge is in danger of being demolished. On this episode, Charlie and Nate speak to songwriter and artist Tayla Parx, who's worked with everyone from Ariana Grande to Panic! At the Disco, to learn why the bridge matters more than ever — and why an artist might still want to skip it altogether.
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- James Brown, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine"
- Led Zeppelin, "The Crunge"
- Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
- Judy Garland, "Over the Rainbow"
- "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
- The Beatles, "No Reply"
- The Beatles, “We Can Work It Out"
- The Beatles, "Something"
- Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
- Chappell Roan, "Good Luck, Babe!"
- Maisie Peters, "I'm Trying (Not Friends)"
- OutKast, "Hey Ya!"
- Taylor Swift, "Cruel Summer"
- Taylor Swift, "Getaway Car"
- Ariana Grande, "7 rings"
- Ariana Grande, "pov"
- JENNIE, "like JENNIE"
- Ravyn Lenae, "Saturday Night"
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III. Preaching to the Chorus (ft. Cypress Hill and Trevor Horn)
The chorus was once the part of the song that brought us together, the place we gathered to sing. Now it's the most engineered thirty seconds in music. Legendary producer Trevor Horn and hip-hop icon B-Real of …
Show notes
The chorus was once the part of the song that brought us together, the place we gathered to sing. Now it's the most engineered thirty seconds in music. Legendary producer Trevor Horn and hip-hop icon B-Real of Cypress Hill help Charlie and Nate answer the question on their minds: when everything's a hook, is anything a chorus?
CREDITS
- Reanna Cruz: Producer
- Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
- Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
- Dion Lee: Art Director
- Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
- Nick Ripps: Video Editor
- Nate Sloan: Host
- Lissa Soep: Editor
- Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Whitney Houston, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"
- Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A."
- Handel, "Hallelujah Chorus" (from Messiah)
- Pete Seeger, "Oh! Susanna"
- Odetta, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
- Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, “Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
- Handel, "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" (from Messiah)
- Joan Morris & William Bolcom, "After the Ball"
- Judy Garland, "Over the Rainbow"
- Chuck Berry, "Johnny B. Goode"
- The Beatles, “Yesterday"
- The Beatles, "Getting Better"
- Otis Redding, "Respect"
- Aretha Franklin, "Respect"
- Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You"
- Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You"
- The Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star"
- Prince, "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
- Katy Perry, "Roar"
- Calvin Harris, “I Need Your Love" (ft. Ellie Goulding)
- Britney Spears, "(You Drive Me) Crazy"
- Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"
- Maroon 5, "Payphone" (ft. Wiz Khalifa)
- Bad Bunny, “Si Veo a Tu Mamá"
- Drake, "Janice STFU"
- Lykke Li, "I Follow Rivers"
- Charli xcx, "Rock Music"
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II. Justice for the verse (ft. Audrey Hobert)
Everybody sings the chorus, but superfans quote the verse. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate trace the verse from Shakespeare through opera to TikTok, and songwriter Audrey Hobert shares her …
Show notes
Everybody sings the chorus, but superfans quote the verse. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate trace the verse from Shakespeare through opera to TikTok, and songwriter Audrey Hobert shares her philosophy of specific verses and anthemic choruses: you can't have the payoff without the setup.
CREDITS
Reanna Cruz: Producer
Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
Dion Lee: Art Director
Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
Nick Ripps: Video Editor
Nate Sloan: Host
Lissa Soep: Editor
Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.
Links: Newsletter
Songs discussed:
- Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
- Edward Meeker, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"
- Third Eye Blind, "Semi-Charmed Life"
- Zara Larsson, "Lush Life"
- John Denver, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
- Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up"
- William Smith, Choir of New College, Oxford, Edward Higginbottom, "Opening Versicles and Responses"
- Georges Bizet, Michel Plasson, Angela Gheorghiu, Les Éléments, Orchestre National Du Capitole De Toulouse, "Bizet: Carmen, WD 31, Act 1: Habanera. "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Carmen, Chœur)"
- Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
- Built to Spill, "Joyride"
- The Killers, "Mr. Brightside"
- Gracie Abrams, "That's So True"
- Audrey Hobert, "Sue me"
- Lizzo, "About Damn Time"
- Audrey Hobert, "Drive"
- Audrey Hobert, "Bowling alley"
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I. Let's get it started (ft. Aaron Dessner)
Research says you judge a song in under half a second. So why write an intro at all? On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate kick off their Netflix launch and probe what an intro means in today's …
Show notes
Research says you judge a song in under half a second. So why write an intro at all? On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate kick off their Netflix launch and probe what an intro means in today's musical landscape, alongside special guests like Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, The National, Gracie Adams), who helps build the case for intros and reveals the surprising sources that form the opening sounds of Taylor Swift's “cardigan.”
CREDITS
Reanna Cruz: Producer
Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator
Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer
Dion Lee: Art Director
Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer
Nick Ripps: Video Editor
Nate Sloan: Host
Lissa Soep: Editor
Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers
Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.Links: Newsletter
- Black Eyed Peas, "Let's Get It Started"
- Shawn Colvin, “Sonny Came Home”
- Smashing Pumpkins, “Tonight Tonight”
- The Cranberries, "Zombie"
- The Cranberries, "Linger"
- Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe"
- Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On"
- Britney Spears, "Toxic"
- Miles Davis, "Freddie Freeloader"
- Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend"
- The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love"
- Led Zeppelin, "Over the Hills and Far Away"
- Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable"
- Deee-Lite, "Groove Is in the Heart"
- Missy Elliott, "Get Ur Freak On"
- Missy Elliott, "Work It"
- Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee, "Despacito"
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA, "Luther"
- Mariah Carey, "Fantasy"
- The Who, "Won't Get Fooled Again"
- Stevie Wonder, "Superstition"
- The Temptations, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
- Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up"
- Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black"
- The Supremes, "Baby Love"
- The Kinks, "Sweet Lady Genevieve"
- The Beach Boys, "God Only Knows"
- Erik Satie, "Je te veux"
- D'Angelo and the Vanguard, "Back to the Future (Part I)"
- The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, "Closer"
- Sabrina Carpenter, "Taste"
- Benson Boone, "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else"
- Stella Lefty, "Boston"
- Taylor Swift, "Cardigan"
- The National, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness"
- Taylor Swift, "So Long, London"
- Gracie Abrams, "Hit the Wall"
- Noah Kahan, "End of August"
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Switched On Pop on Netflix July 14th
We're coming to the big screen with a four part mini series starting July 14th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Music only the World Cup could make
The quadrennial soccer (or fútbol, depending who you talk to) competition is upon us again: it's the FIFA World Cup! And while the World Cup is a sporting event, it's still relevant to the folks at Switched On …
Show notes
The quadrennial soccer (or fútbol, depending who you talk to) competition is upon us again: it's the FIFA World Cup! And while the World Cup is a sporting event, it's still relevant to the folks at Switched On Pop, because every four years a new crop of songs gets commissioned to drum up excitement for the games.
This year, the official song is by Shakira and Burna Boy, but offerings from IShowSpeed and a madcap collaboration between Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, EJAE, and Megan Thee Stallion also play the field. On this episode, Charlie and Nate explore them all – including the Shakira and Ricky Martin songs of World Cups past.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Shakira, Burna Boy – Dai Dai
- K'NAAN – Wavin' Flag
- Tears For Fears, Lil Baby – The World Is Yours To Take
- Jelly Roll, Carin León – Lighter
- LISA, Anitta, Rema – Goals
- Jung Kook, BTS – Dreamers
- Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, EJAE, Megan Thee Stallion – DNA (More Than A Game)
- IShowSpeed – Champions (WC 26)
- Ed Sheeran – Shape of You
- Shakira, Carlinhos Brown – La La La (Brasil 2014)
- Shakira, Freshlyground – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
- Zangalewa – Zangalewa
- Ricky Martin, Pablo Flores – The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)
- Ricky Martin – Livin' La Vida Loca
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Why we can't resist Swedish pop (ft. Zara Larsson) ICYMI
In case you missed it: How does a country of 10 million people dominate the global pop charts? From ABBA's Eurovision breakthrough to Max Martin's methodical hit-making, Sweden has quietly engineered a kind of …
Show notes
In case you missed it:
How does a country of 10 million people dominate the global pop charts? From ABBA's Eurovision breakthrough to Max Martin's methodical hit-making, Sweden has quietly engineered a kind of musical Stockholm Syndrome: we've all become captives to their sound without realizing it. Listen to the crystalline vocal production and deceptively simple chord progressions in tracks by Lisa, Childish Gambino, and Addison Rae, and you're hearing Sweden's sonic fingerprint so embedded in pop's DNA that it now defines the genre itself. We sit down with pop star Zara Larsson to explore her love letter to home, "Midnight Sun." As she puts it, "I can't really leave Sweden; it's just something that's like a part of who I am," a sentiment that captures how Swedish pop's unique blend of melancholy and euphoria, mirroring the country's extreme seasons, has made us all willing prisoners of Stockholm's musical empire.
Songs DiscussedLisa ft. Rosalia: "New Woman"
Childish Gambino: "Lithonia"
Addison Rae: "Fame Is a Gun"
Bleachers: "Tiny Moves"
Zara Larsson: "Midnight Sun"
Robyn: "Show Me Love"
Robyn: "Dancing on My Own"
Nirvana: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Brad Mehldau: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
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2hollis is the underground’s genre-hopping vampire
In the last episode of our feral pop miniseries, we take a look at the 22 year old rapper primed to take over the world: 2hollis. Splitting the difference between hardstyle and hip-hop while emanating an aura …
Show notes
In the last episode of our feral pop miniseries, we take a look at the 22 year old rapper primed to take over the world: 2hollis. Splitting the difference between hardstyle and hip-hop while emanating an aura best described as “vampiric,” he’s been one of the most hyped musicians coming out of the underground. His music is distorted, chaotic, and over the top – literally – but he reflects a larger sentiment from younger audiences: the more sonic chaos the better.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Ninajirachi – Fuck My Computer
- underscores – Music
- 2hollis – poster boy
- SUICIDAL-IDOL – ecstacy
- 2hollis – flash
- 2hollis – beginning
- 2hollis – sidekick
- underscores, 8485 – your favorite sidekick
- 2hollis – crush
- 2hollis – 3
- Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
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Pop music for an internet-pilled generation
This week on Switched On Pop, we’re looking at all things feral pop, the microgenre that takes pop music to its most wild extremes. And no feral pop artist is more tapped into that ethos than underscores. Her …
Show notes
This week on Switched On Pop, we’re looking at all things feral pop, the microgenre that takes pop music to its most wild extremes. And no feral pop artist is more tapped into that ethos than underscores. Her music synthesizes dubstep, trance, and Timbaland with ease, and her latest album ‘U’ is filled with boundless energy. She’s already opened up for 100 gecs, PinkPantheress, and Porter Robinson; this fall, she’ll open up for Charli XCX on her upcoming Music, Fashion, Film tour. She said it best on her debut album, Fishmonger: “it’s the new wave of the future!”
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- underscores – Music
- SOPHIE – Ponyboy
- underscores, 8485 – your favorite sidekick
- Nelly – Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
- Madonna – Music
- Madonna – American Life
- underscores – Do It
- Britney Spears – Piece of Me
- PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – Stateside
- Justin Timberlake – SexyBack
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The new wave of pop is here, and it’s feral
What would it sound like if pop music was reverted to its most wild state of being? It would sound hyper-digital, influenced by the electronic vanguard of the 2010s, and speak to a post-genre audience. And …
Show notes
What would it sound like if pop music was reverted to its most wild state of being? It would sound hyper-digital, influenced by the electronic vanguard of the 2010s, and speak to a post-genre audience. And while the charts have been stagnant, Gen-Z has been crafting this exact sound: one that is exciting, unpredictable, and above all else, feral.
After bubbling underground for the past few years, the subgenre we’ve coined “feral pop” is finally poised to have a breakout, best exemplified by the popularity of the computer-loving Ninajirachi, pop star underscores, and rave-rapper 2hollis. This week on Switched On Pop, Reanna, Charlie, and Nate are going to tap into all that this dubstep-influenced sound has to offer, starting with the Australian DJ Ninajirachi, and explore why everyone in pop music is finally getting feral.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Ninajirachi – CSIRAC
- underscores – Music
- 2hollis – girl
- Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
- Imogen Heap – Headlock
- SOPHIE – BIPP
- Ninajirachi – iPod touch
- Ninajirachi, Izzy Camina – Ninacamina
- Skrillex – Rock ’n’ Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)
- Skrillex, Sirah – Bangarang
- Ninajirachi – Fuck My Computer
- Ninajirachi – London Song
- LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
- Justice – Genesis
- Justice – Civilization
- Justice – Stress
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Olivia Rodrigo has The Cure for sadness
Olivia Rodrigo is back with her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl in love. As the title might suggest, it’s a deeply personal affair, with moody soundscapes supporting hyper-detailed lyrics of …
Show notes
Olivia Rodrigo is back with her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl in love. As the title might suggest, it’s a deeply personal affair, with moody soundscapes supporting hyper-detailed lyrics of soul-wrenching depth. This album is a meditation on desire, and intriguingly, the letdown that can occur when desire is fulfilled. Each track is haunted by a band that basically invented the idea of unfulfilled longing, The Cure, who receive multiple direct shout-outs and numerous subtle references. But the album isn’t a tribute, or a rip-off. It’s a continuation of the voice Rodrigo has been developing ever since she debuted “drivers license” in 2021. It’s a sound distinctly her own, with signature techniques to match. The “re-verse” in “Drop Dead,” which we discussed in a prior episode, and a spiraling structure that keeps listeners waiting and waiting for the final word. Tune in to hear how Olivia channels her gothic predilections and fastidious lyrical craft into a powerful emotional payoff.
Songs discussed:
Olivia Rodrigo - drop dead, stupid song, u + me = <3, purple, the cure, begged, what’s wrong with me, less, expectations, cigarette smoke, drivers license, vampire
The Cure - Just Like Heaven, Friday I’m in Love
David Byrne - drivers license
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Paul McCartney went back to Liverpool for something new to say
Boys of Dungeon Lane, McCartney's collaboration with producer Andrew Watt, arrived when McCartney was 83 and and he came out swinging: the opening track greets listeners with a dissonant, unresolved guitar …
Show notes
Boys of Dungeon Lane, McCartney's collaboration with producer Andrew Watt, arrived when McCartney was 83 and and he came out swinging: the opening track greets listeners with a dissonant, unresolved guitar chord that sets the album's tone. Harmonic instability runs through the entire record: chromatic mediants, deceptive cadences, and persistent pedal tones prevent even the most nostalgic songs from settling into comfort.
The album's lyrics focus on McCartney's pre-Beatles Liverpool youth, territory unfamiliar even to long-time fans. The songs pay deliberate sonic tribute to specific Beatles recordings: Mellotron strings echoing "Strawberry Fields Forever," a backwards laugh tape loop answering "Tomorrow Never Knows," a first-ever McCartney/Starr vocal duet so close in timbre the two voices are nearly indistinguishable.
Songs discussed:
Paul McCartney – "Mull of Kintyre"
Paul McCartney – "As You Lie There"
The Beatles – "Blackbird"
The Beatles – "Helter Skelter"
The Beatles – "You Never Give Me Your Money"
Paul McCartney – "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"
Paul McCartney – "Band on the Run"
Paul McCartney – "Live and Let Die"
Paul McCartney – "Mountaintop"
The Beatles – "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"
The Beatles – "For No One"
The Beatles – "Because"
The Beatles – "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
The Beatles – "Octopus's Garden"
Paul McCartney – "Down South"
The Beatles – "Two of Us"
Paul McCartney – "We Two"
The Beatles – "Strawberry Fields Forever"
Paul McCartney – "Never Know Those"
The Beatles – "Tomorrow Never Knows"
Paul McCartney – "Salesman Saint"
John Lennon – "Working Class Hero"
John Cougar Mellencamp – "Small Town"
Paul McCartney – “Home to Us” (with Ringo Starr)
Paul McCartney – "The Days We Left Behind"
The Beatles – "When I'm Sixty Four"Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris)
A sci-fi ballet imagined a 2080 where AI strips people of purpose, and the day before its New York premiere, an actual dystopia arrived. Arc Iris, the trio of Jocie Adams, Zach Tenorio and Ray Belli, built …
Show notes
A sci-fi ballet imagined a 2080 where AI strips people of purpose, and the day before its New York premiere, an actual dystopia arrived.
Arc Iris, the trio of Jocie Adams, Zach Tenorio and Ray Belli, built iTMRW as a concept record set in a future ruled by a mega-corporation that shares its name. In its world, AI has taken most jobs and even the thinking left inside them, so the corporation offers pods where anyone can live any dream in virtual reality. The piece premiered in Cambridge in January 2020, then its New York show collapsed the day before the lockdown.
What follows is the story of a project that outlasted its own premise. When venues closed, they left Providence for Los Angeles, rebuilt a dilapidated house, spent eight months in a 120-square-foot shed, and constructed their own studio and stage. The dystopia they wrote became, in their telling, a personal utopia.
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Why bands give us purpose (ft. MUNA)
A culture that rewards easily consumable individual identities produces plenty of pop stars and almost no bands. A significant exception: MUNA, the trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. MUNA …
Show notes
A culture that rewards easily consumable individual identities produces plenty of pop stars and almost no bands. A significant exception: MUNA, the trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. MUNA treats the band as a structure that grounds identity beyond the ego and makes any success feel shared among the three. Their new album, Dancing on the Wall, wraps that conviction in blaring, unapologetic '80s production: slap bass, brightness pushed to the front, and everything connected in one time and place.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube- MUNA, "It Gets So Hot"
- MUNA, "Dancing on the Wall"
- Lionel Richie, "Dancing on the Ceiling"
- MUNA, "Eastside Girls"
- Yello, "Oh Yeah"
- Dead or Alive, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"
- Pet Shop Boys, "West End Girls"
- Billy Joel, "We Didn't Start the Fire"
- Charli XCX, "365"
- MUNA, "Wannabeher"
- Bikini Kill, "Rebel Girl"
- Peaches, "Boys Wanna Be Her"
- Le Tigre, "Deceptacon"
- MUNA, "Big Stick"
- MUNA, "Anything But Me"
- Flobots, "Handlebars"
- MUNA, "I Know a Place"
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Drake's Slop Era
Canada’s favorite export Drake is back! This month, the Toronto singer-rapper extraordinaire released three albums simultaneously: the long-anticipated return to form Iceman, the sultry, R&B Habibti and the …
Show notes
Canada’s favorite export Drake is back! This month, the Toronto singer-rapper extraordinaire released three albums simultaneously: the long-anticipated return to form Iceman, the sultry, R&B Habibti and the pop-focused, clubby Maid of Honour. All three albums have much different vibes, and are Drake’s first official solo efforts since his seismic beef with Kendrick Lamar back in 2024.
There’s a lot of music to talk about. As a result, Reanna argues that we are living in an era of “Drake Slop” – low-effort, mass-produced dumps of music, often with confused intentions. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Reanna, Charlie, and Nate explore all that these three albums have to offer, and try to figure out exactly what is going on in the twisted mind of Aubrey Graham.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Drake – Shabang
- Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
- Drake – Circadian Rhythm
- Drake, Central Cee – Which One
- Drake – NOKIA
- Drake – Make Them Cry
- Drake – Janice STFU
- Drake – Make Them Pay
- Drake, Future, Molly Santana – Ran To Atlanta
- Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar – Like That
- Drake – 2 Hard 4 The Radio
- YG, Slim 400 – Word Is Bond
- Mac Dre – 2 Hard 4 the Fuckin' Radio
- Drake – Rusty Intro
- Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney – FourFiveSeconds
- Drake – High Fives
- Drake – Tuscan Leather
- Drake – Classic
- Drake – Teenage Fever
- Drake, Sexyy Red – Cheetah Print
- Drake, Sexyy Red, SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
- Afrika Bambaataa, The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock
- Drake – BBW
- Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
- Drake – Princess
- A$AP Rocky – PUNK ROCKY
- Drake – Find Your Love
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Kacey Musgraves walks country’s borderlands
Kacey Musgraves' album Middle of Nowhere finds the country outlaw taking a break from exploring her inner life to look outward, back to her roots: the regional stylings of Texas. She says the album was inspired …
Show notes
Kacey Musgraves' album Middle of Nowhere finds the country outlaw taking a break from exploring her inner life to look outward, back to her roots: the regional stylings of Texas. She says the album was inspired by a sign in her hometown that read “Golden, TX: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” The album’s sounds probe this same borderland mentality, encapsulating desert noir, Norteño, tejano, and soft rock. Plus, Willie Nelson.
The result is a collection of songs that are funny, moving, and reaching back to the sound Musgraves established in her debut record 13 years ago. But the world of country has changed since then – artists like Ella Langley have taken over the charts, cribbing Musgraves' sound while courting a more conservative audience. Can the genre encompass all these multitudes? Nate and Charlie explore this debate through Middle of Nowhere.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Kacey Musgraves – I Miss You
- Kacey Musgraves – Merry Go 'Round
- Kacey Musgraves – High Horse
- Kacey Musgraves – justified
- Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
- Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
- Kacey Musgraves, Billy Strings – Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy
- Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson – Uncertain, TX
- Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere
- Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert – Horses and Divorces
- Miranda Lambert – Mama's Broken Heart
- Ella Langley – Choosin' Texas
- Dolly Parton, David Hidalgo – Before The Next Teardrop Falls
- Ella Langley – Be Her
- Kacey Musgraves – Rhinestoned
- Neil Young – Harvest Moon
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Rostam reimagines American music
The pedal steel and the saz both live in the spaces between equal-tempered notes, and that gap is where Rostam built American Stories. Rostam joined Vampire Weekend at Columbia in 2006, produced the band's …
Show notes
The pedal steel and the saz both live in the spaces between equal-tempered notes, and that gap is where Rostam built American Stories.
Rostam joined Vampire Weekend at Columbia in 2006, produced the band's first three albums, and after leaving in 2016 made records with Clairo and Haim you can identify as his within a few bars.
His solo album, American Stories, reflects his experience as an American whose family is from Iran. He came into the studio this past March, just after the United States launched military operations there. It's a record that asks us to listen between two cultures.
- SONGS DISCUSSED
- Rostam "Like a Spark"
- Wilco "What Light"
- HAIM "Summer Girl"
- Rostam "Back of a Truck"
- Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone"
- Bob Dylan "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
- The Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
- Lou Reed "Perfect Day"
- Rostam "Forgive Is to Know"
- Rostam "Hardy" (ft. Clairo)
- Clairo “Sophia”
- Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam “A 1000 Times”
- David Bowie "I Can't Give Everything Away"
- Rostam "The Road to Death"
- Rostam "Come Apart"
- Rostam "Campus (Original Version)"
- Rostam "The Weight"
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Eurovision is back – but not without controversy
The flowers are blooming and the calendar says May. That can only mean one thing: the Eurovision Song Contest is upon us once again. This year, thirty-five countries face off to determine the best song that …
Show notes
The flowers are blooming and the calendar says May. That can only mean one thing: the Eurovision Song Contest is upon us once again. This year, thirty-five countries face off to determine the best song that Europe and adjacent continents have to offer. However, the competition comes with a big asterisk: while Eurovision prides themselves on being “apolitical,” the inclusion of Israel in the competition has led to a massive boycott, and the nations of Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands all withdrawing their participation.
These are very real concerns impacting the general tenor of the competition this year, and are worth deeply considering. Since Eurovision is music news, and proves fundamental in discovering new sounds in global pop, as reporters, Nate, Charlie, and Reanna run down the top contenders according to bookmakers as of this recording. If you’re not watching this year, you’ll still know what’s going on.
But if Eurovision isn’t of interest, it’s all good. At the end of the episode, Nate, Charlie, and Reanna also take some time to run down the current state of Switched On Pop bingo.
Get your own bingo card here.
Links: Newsletter, YouTube
Songs discussed:
- Céline Dion – Ne partez pas sans moi
- ABBA – Waterloo
- Joost – Europapa
- JJ – Wasted Love
- Delta Goodrem – Eclipse
- Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem
- Ariana Grande – One Last Time
- Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper – Shallow
- Akylas – Ferto
- Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
- Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
- Windows95man – No Rules
- Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME
- DARA – Bangaranga
- Alexandra Cǎpitǎnescu – Choke Me
- Satoshi – Viva, Moldova!
- PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – Stateside
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Samara Cyn is rap's best new writer
How do you write a rap verse that's clever without saying so? Samara Cyn, one of the sharpest young writers in hip-hop, joins us to talk about Detour, her new EP about going analog. We get into wordplay versus …
Show notes
How do you write a rap verse that's clever without saying so? Samara Cyn, one of the sharpest young writers in hip-hop, joins us to talk about Detour, her new EP about going analog. We get into wordplay versus narrative, the Missy Elliott blueprint behind "oooshxt!", and why she takes a knee in the vocal booth when a line won't come out.
Songs Discussed
- Samara Cyn — "Sinner"
- Samara Cyn "BUSHWICK"
- Samara Cyn — "FREE"
- Samara Cyn — "Highest"
- Samara Cyn — "oooshxt!"
- Samara Cyn — "summer's turning"
- Samara Cyn — "over influence"
- Samara Cyn — "Nomad"
- Samara Cyn — "Bad Brain"
Newsletter: https://switchedonpop.substack.com/
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