Synopsis
New York Times music critics Jon Pareles, Ben Ratliff, Jon Caramanica and Nate Chinen talk each week about the latest pop music news, the top songs, the best albums, the biggest stars — and the up and coming stars you haven't heard of yet.
Episodes
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The Emotional and Financial Business of Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well’
17/11/2021 Duration: 36minWhat does the rerecorded song from “Red” say about how power and the past have shaped her career? Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Caryn Ganz and Lindsay Zoladz.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Remembering the Velvet Underground Through the Mirror of Film
16/11/2021 Duration: 39minA conversation about how the band was experienced in its time, and how Todd Haynes’s new documentary explores the world that birthed it. Guests: Jon Pareles and A.O. Scott.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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How the Mosh Pit and ‘Raging’ Came to Hip-Hop
09/11/2021 Duration: 41minThe tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld turned attention to how rap festival performances are increasingly oriented toward the rowdy. Guest: Masked Gorilla and Masked Records' Roger Gengo.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Popcast Mailbag! Halsey, Nicki, TikTok and, of Course, Taylor
03/11/2021 Duration: 01h15minAnswering your questions about pop’s big names, the state of the music video and more. Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Caryn Ganz.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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glaive and Hyperpop’s Breakthrough Moment
19/10/2021 Duration: 48minA conversation about one teen’s rapid ascent, and what the future might hold for a singer and sound evolving in real time. Guest: The Fader's Alex Robert Ross.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The Music Lost to Coronavirus, Part 3
12/10/2021 Duration: 56minRemembering Jacob Desvarieux, John Davis and Chucky Thompson. Guests: The New Yorker's Doreen St. Felix; Billboard's Gil Kaufman; Jeff Mao.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The Reporters Who Covered R. Kelly on His Trial and Conviction
05/10/2021 Duration: 44minA conversation about the testimony, the meaning of the verdict and the long quest for proper recompense for the singer’s victims. Guests: Troy Closson and Jim DeRogatis.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Bringing Aaliyah Into the Streaming Era
28/09/2021 Duration: 58minA conversation about the tug of war over her musical legacy, and how her songs — even without a digital presence — impacted the evolution of contemporary R&B. Guests: Naima Cochrane; Billboard's Gail Mitchell and Dan Rys.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Kacey Musgraves, Country Music Chameleon
21/09/2021 Duration: 55minThe singer and songwriter’s “Star-Crossed” documents the end of her marriage. But reports of her divorce from Nashville have been greatly exaggerated. Guests: Amanda Hess and The Guardian's Laura Snapes.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Is Drake Tired of Drake?
14/09/2021 Duration: 01h53s“Certified Lover Boy” dominated the charts, but something seems to have shifted in the most influential pop star of the past decade. Guests: The Ringer's Charles Holmes and Rolling Stone's Jeff Ihaza.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Miss the Old Kanye? Try the New Kanye.
07/09/2021 Duration: 01h01minWest has always been dreaming big, speaking loudly, courting controversy and channeling all of that into music. But one thing has changed. Guests: Vibe's Datwon Thomas and The Ringer's Justin Charity.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Lorde Steals Her Sunshine Back
30/08/2021 Duration: 54minHow successful is a sunny new phase of her career, and what does it mean to choose to move away from the expectations of superstardom? Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Lindsay Zoladz.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The Style of Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ Era
24/08/2021 Duration: 47minHow West has used fashion to signify musical evolution, how he’s been regarded by the fashion industry and how other musicians are following in his footsteps. Guests: GQ's Rachel Tashjian and Vogue's Steff Yotka.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The Lox, Triumphant at Verzuz
16/08/2021 Duration: 56minA conversation about New York hip-hop in the 1990s and early 2000s, and a night that brought the spirit of battle back to the pandemic-era staple. Guests: Jayson Rodriguez and Jayson Buford.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Billie Eilish’s New Pop Perspective
09/08/2021 Duration: 58minHow has the teenage phenomenon’s songwriting, and her relationship to the larger music machine, evolved between albums? Guests: Joe Coscarelli and Lindsay Zoladz.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Lil Nas X in the Pop Stratosphere
23/07/2021 Duration: 39minA conversation about his unconventional path to success, his unconventional methods of maintaining it and his possible futures beyond it. Guest: Jazmine Hughes.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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When Pop Music Trolls Grow Up
19/07/2021 Duration: 50minNew albums from Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator place their makers — children of the internet with a taste for friction — in a new light. Guest: The Ringer's Justin Charity.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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The (Not So?) Tentative Return of Live Music
12/07/2021 Duration: 30minA look at the challenges touring musicians faced over the last year, and how the industry is adjusting to the new normal. Guest: Ben Sisario.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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Britney Spears Takes On Her Conservatorship
01/07/2021 Duration: 48minAn exploration of how the arrangement has intersected with her work, the latest legal updates and what might come next. Guests: Joe Coscarelli, Liz Day and Samantha Stark.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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In the Weeds of ‘In the Heights’
18/06/2021 Duration: 52minA conversation about bringing musicals to the big screen, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s artistic choices and the critical blowback to the film’s casting. Guests: Sandra Garcia, Isabelia Herrera and Lena Wilson.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.