Deja Vu: Why Olivia Rodrigo keeps giving up songwriting credits
Copyright lawsuits are on the rise and changing the music business
The Mystery of Montero AKA Lil Nas X (feat. Take A Daytrip)
Lil Nas X has a talent for creating productive controversy.
Silk Sonic's Retro Soul (with Tayla Parx)
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.
How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” used retro sounds and modern bass to break every record
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.
Lil Nas X: Country at the Crossroads
After Billboard removed Lil Nas X’s surprise hit “Old Town Road” from country charts, we decided to dig deep into the song’s musical matter and pit it against other country hits to test its deep fried bonafides.
Billie Eilish is a Different Kind of Pop Star (ft. FINNEAS)
On this episode, we examine how Billie Eilish and her brother 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.”
How to "Make Me Feel" with Lizzo
Lizzo and Janelle Monáe both collaborated with Prince, making Lizzo uniquely qualified to unwind his influence on Monáe’s song “Make Me Feel.” We also discuss Lizzo’s song “Truth Hurts” and her podcast “Good As Hell” where she talks to the queens of hip hop.
808s & Havana Heartbreak
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.
Kendrick Lamar's HUMBLE deconstructed w. guest Amber Mark
With Charlie off the grid, Nate sits down with singer/producer Amber Mark to explore the different levels of Kendrick’s hit HUMBLE.
What's to Love About Ed Sheeran? (guest Ross Golan)
Songwriter Ross Golan comes over to start up a conversation, encouraging us to follow his lead and give Ed Sheeran’s chart-annihilating record “Shape of You” a chance.
The Puzzle of Ariana Grande's "Into You" (with K. Flay)
With 2016’s “Into You” still burning up the charts, we dive deep to uncover the insane puzzles, Trompe-l’oiel tricks and Baroque games that lie under the surface of this morsel of pop perfection.
Hotline Hello: Drake and Adele
Drake and Adele are two megastars who may not seem to share much in common on the surface, but their recent hits exhibit some surprising parallels. Both revisit past relationships over the phone and both conceal inner anguish beneath subtle musical shifts.
Taylor Swift’s Beethovian Blank Space
Taylor Swift’s Blank Space is about emptiness of the heart. This motif of Blank Space is contained through the entire piece: from the drums, to the melody, to the lyrics. We pull away the sonic structures to show how Taylor recreates that empty feeling and explores the predictable devolution of fiery romance