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Switched On Pop

A Vulture podcast about the making and meaning of popular music hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding.

switched on pop

Which Artist Brought Us Christmas-Music Coal?

 Reviewing new holiday songs, from Kelly Clarkson to Conan Gray. By Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan

More From Switched On Pop

  1. Porter Robinson Is Addicted to FameThe producer and DJ’s new pop-oriented album grapples with the perils of stardom.
  2. Don’t Even Think of Making Jhayco Write in a Studio“It’s too square. It’s like going to school.â€
  3. The Secret ABBA Influence on Magdalena Bay’s New Album“I think, hopefully, there’s a little bit that makes its way into it.â€
  4. The Chappell Roan Formula for Dizzying SuccessBreaking down four — of the seven(!) — songs the singer has on the “Hot 100†to appreciate what’s fueling her surge in popularity.
  5. Glastonbury Festival 2024 - Day Four
    Making Sense of Camila Cabello’s ‘Wabi-Sabi’On “Chanel No. 5,†the pop singer finally reveals something about herself.
  6. Empress Of Is Making ‘Sad Songs You Can Shake Ass To’“I feel like it’s been my gift as an artist.â€
  7. Should Charlie Puth Be a Bigger Artist? We Asked Charlie Puth.He says yes (but he promises it’s not to inflate his ego).
  8. Billie Eilish’s New GrooveOn Hit Me Hard and Soft, the singer graduates from her signature anti-pop persona into the mainstream sounds of her pop-star contemporaries.
  9. Noah Kahan Has Homesickness to Thank for His Transition to Folk-PopThe singer-songwriter joined Switched on Pop to discuss the influences behind “Stick Season†and his kindred connection to Olivia Rodrigo.
  10. Giving Britney’s Music Its DueThe miniseries Listening 2 Britney stripped away the layers of baggage and bad-faith narratives that have plagued Spears’s career.
  11. What We Owe Lil Jon, King of CrunkA close look at the origins of the genre and its wide-ranging influence.
  12. Feeling Fine With Faye WebsterThe genre-defying singer-songwriter discusses the anomalous sound behind her two latest singles, “Lifetime†and “But Not Kiss.â€
  13. Business Is Booming for Metro BoominA deep look into the extended production catalogue of Atlanta’s modern trap savant.
  14. The Art of Flow With DJ Jazzy Jeff“Flow is something that not a lot of people understand,†says the veteran DJ, “but you feel it.â€
  15. Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’ Doesn’t Make SenseThere’s seemingly no discernible trend happening at the top of the Billboard chart. Is it actually measuring the most popular music right now?
  16. Olivia the Alchemist Does It AgainOn “vampire†and “bad idea right?,†Olivia Rodrigo cleverly refashions her influences into something unique.
  17. How Peso Pluma is Leading a Mexican Regional Moment on the ChartsThe 23-year-old face of a new trend has nine songs on the Hot 100. Also in this Chartbreakers: TikTok hits, remix strategies, and … bullying works?
  18. The Jonas Brothers Went Full Dad Rock on The Album“We’re a band, and it’s band music.â€
  19. Let’s Give a Close Listen to Eurovision 2023’s Six Front-runnersAll of the song contest’s odds-on favorites are over-the-top, but only one of them is way, way over.
  20. More Drake AI Songs Are ComingThey’re easier to make than you think.
  21. For 100 Gecs, This Is What Sincerity Sounds Like“We’re not gonna make music that we think is bad.â€
  22. ‘Kiss From a Rose’ Wasn’t Made to Be a Classic“It shouldn’t really work, if you start to get analytical about it. But somehow it does,†says Seal. “It’s kind of against all odds.â€
  23. The L.A. Guitar Shop Reinventing Indie FolkEveryone from Taylor Swift to Phoebe Bridgers is on an Old Style kick.
  24. Cuddle Up to the Sweet, Soft Sounds of Sapphic PopTegan and Sara, King Princess, and even Hozier soundtrack a feeling of femme4femme yearning.
  25. You Haven’t Heard ‘Stayin’ Alive’ Like This BeforeScary Pockets and Lizzy McAlpine show how they put a distinct spin on the Bee Gees classic.
  26. How Midnights Sonically Convinces Us That Taylor Swift Actually Broke CurfewHint: With the help of “a very low, almost boiling bass patch that adds an air of discomfort to whatever it accompanies.â€
  27. Something Good Is About to Happen to Steve LacyHis songs “Dark Red†and “Bad Habit†soundtrack hundreds of thousands of TikToks, and his popularity is only building from there.
  28. Is Releasing an Album a Painful Breakup or a Beautiful Link to the World?Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath talks to Maggie Rogers, Jeff Tweedy, Bartees Strange, and Katie Gavin about the emotional difficulty of releasing a record.
  29. Santigold Was Combusting From the Pressures of LifeCreating her new album, Spirituals, was “my way to escape and create some beauty and light to grasp onto and move toward.â€
  30. Lady Gaga Loves Her Pequeños MonstruosA brief timeline of the Latin music touches in Mother Monster’s catalogue.
  31. Pop Music Is Regurgitating Itself Faster Than EverPublishers are pumping up the value of their expansive — and expensive — catalogues by feeding artists old hits to regurgitate as new ones.
  32. If There’s Still Such a Thing as the ‘Song of Summer,’ This Year’s Is …Beyoncé? Lizzo? Harry Styles? Bad Bunny? (Kate Bush?) Or all and none of the above?
  33. Blackpink Knows You Gon’ Like That Song (and That-That-That-That One Too)The group’s new single slides right into the summer’s soundtrack of big samples and reinterpretations.
  34. Demi Lovato Knows All the Highs and ‘Whoas’ of Pop PunkOn “Substance,†she flexes her intimate familiarity with the genre.
  35. What Kelis’s ‘Milkshake’ Was Bringing to Beyoncé’s ‘Energy’A musicological breakdown of Renaissance’s most controversial sample.
  36. Doja Cat’s ‘Vegas’ Is a ‘Hound Dog’ History LessonHer single borrows from Big Mama Thornton, Elvis, and others who have recorded the classic.
  37. How Abortion-Rights Chants Became an AnthemThe moment the singer MILCK heard “We won’t go back†during a protest, she knew she had the makings of a song.
  38. Harry’s House Is Powered by Harry’s HornsHarry Styles’s recent album taps into the 1980s and the percussive, full-bodied horn sections of that era.
  39. The House Music That Beyoncé BuiltHer new single, “Break My Soul,†taps into the genre’s long, vibrant history.
  40. The Point Guard of Winning Time’s Score Sees Jazz in BasketballNicholas Britell brought charts to record the show’s score. Robert Glasper, his co-composer, doesn’t get down like that: “I was like, ‘Hell no.’â€
  41. Kate Bush, Running Up Those ChartsA deal with God, a vortex of nostalgia, and Stranger Things’ needle drop for the ages.
  42. So Your Song Went Viral on TikTok. What’s Next?While stars see the platform as a chore, it’s a lifeline for new acts.
  43. Latto and Mariah Carey’s Big ‘Genius’ EnergyExploring the post-punk origins of a fantasical pop smash.
  44. Mr. Morale & the Big SamplesBreaking down the sonic bread crumbs of Kendrick Lamar’s latest album.
  45. PJ Morton Made Nas’s Dream Come TrueAfter the rapper name-dropped Stevie Wonder on a panel, a fortuitous beat slid his way.
  46. Will Ukraine Win Eurovision This Year?Its entry, written before the Russian invasion, has become a beacon of national pride and is the odds-on favorite to take home the glass microphone.
  47. Belle and Sebastian Fear Accordions But Not Their ReputationBand leader Stuart Murdoch: “We might be deeply uncool and a little bit fey, but we ain’t going anywhere.â€
  48. Batman Isn’t the Only Person Brooding to ’90s AlternativeNirvana’s “Something In The Way†recently hit the Hot 100 alongside songs that are clearly borrowing grunge-era sounds.
  49. 6 Steps to Writing a Buzzy SingleAllison Ponthier gives a tour of her songwriting journal and the process she used to write her new song, “Autopilot.â€
  50. Slow Build, Fast RiseWith a Gospel-tinged sound and collective of contributors, Maverick City Music has released 17 genre-spanning albums in 4 years.
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