In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Billie Eilish released her third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, last Friday. The LA Times' Mikael Wood joins DJ Louie to chronicle the latest evolution in Billie and Finneas' ongoing collaboration and how it fits into the broader glut of Main Pop Girl releases in 2024. To hear the rest of …

Yale University’s Dr. Daphne Brooks returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack one of the foundational blueprints for pop stardom as we know it, Tina Turner. Dr. Brooks and Louie trace Tina’s roots in Tennessee, her debut as a nightclub act in St. Louis and her early work with Ike Turner, from their hit single “A Fool in Love” to their string of R&B hits, f…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brazilian pop sensation Anitta's most recent recored, Funk Generation, dropped a few weeks ago. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd joins Louie and Russ to break down her rise to global stardom, this record's celebration of Brazilian Baile Funk and put us all on to a couple more rising Brazilian …

After recent episodes on Mariah and Nirvana, two artists who had massive career-defining moments on MTV's iconic live showcase Unplugged, Louie invited authors of the book I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum to chronicle the history of the series: how it started, why it was important, an…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Dua Lipa returned with her much anticipated third album Radical Optimism on Friday. Music writer Owen Myers joins Louie and Russ to parse out the messy rollout and framing, underperforming singles and, after so much hype, how this music actually sounds and who exactly Dua Lipa is on it. …

Legends Only co-host T. Kyle makes his Pop Pantheon debut to discuss Hilary Duff’s brief ascension from Disney starlet to massive pop diva. Louie and T. Kyle discuss Hilary’s origins via the Disney assembly line with the early 2000s juggernaut The Lizzie McGuire Show and how it helped launch her pop career, from her debut album of holiday songs to …

In the past few years, we've seen a serious decline in the centrality of and views for music videos across the board, even for the biggest pop stars. Journalist Michael Cragg recently chronicled this phenomenon in his piece for The Guardian, "'This is an Art Form— and We're Losing it': Is the Music Video Dying?" and today, he joins DJ Louie to disc…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night in front of a live audience at The Bell House in Brooklyn, Pop Pantheon gathered Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, Every Single Album's Nora Princiotti and Hung Up's Hunter Harris to discuss Taylor Swift's 11th studio album(s?) The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. Loui…

Bandsplain’s Yasi Salek joins DJ Louie to trace Nirvana's brief, iconoclastic trail through pop's mainstream in the early 1990s. Louie and Yasi unpack the group's origins in Aberdeen, Washington, their time on famed indie label Sub Pop, known for popularizing the "grunge" sound, and their bleak, sparse debut in 1989, Bleach, which garnered them a c…

It's listener mailbag time! Louie and Russ are answering all your questions about their expectations for Taylor's The Tortured Poets Department, their personal pop pet peeves, the formula for following up a blockbuster album, why there are no more male pop stars and so much more. Plus, stay tuned until the end of the episode for a very special surp…

Critic and writer Naomi Zeichner joins Pop Pantheon to explore the career of the “vocal bible,” Brandy. Louie and Naomi unpacked Brandy’s self-titled 1994 debut, released when she was just 15, her landmark acting roles as Moesha and Cinderella, and 1998’s Darkchild-assisted Never Say Never, which reimagined her at the vanguard of R&B futurism and b…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Beyoncé eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, dropped last Friday. Once perceived as a foray into country music, this sprawling 80 (!!) minute epic turned out to be so much more than that and, as with any Bey project, begs for some serious unpacking. DJ Louie, Russ and Oxford American's Da…

Tonight, Beyoncé will drop her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, her first explicit full-length foray into country music. As with every Bey project, there's a ton of meaning and history to unpack. DePaul University professor and author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, Dr. Francesca Royster, and writer and editor Taylor Crumpton,…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, music critic Jewly Hight joins DJ Louie for a wide-ranging discussion about Kacey Musgraves' fifth studio album, Deeper Well, which dropped last week. Louie and Jewly discuss how this record fits in the broader narrative arc of Kacey's music and career trajectory, her influences from acr…

Culture writer and author Lina Abascal returns to Pop Pantheon to revisit the fleeting early 2010s moment when EDM DJs utterly consumed American popular music via two of the genre’s most emblematic figures, David Guetta and Calvin Harris. Louie and Lina trace David’s roots in the Paris club scene through to his breakthrough in the U.S. with hits li…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Justin Timberlake put out his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, last Friday. But is it possible to hear this music— or appreciate Justin's talents— outside of the narrative nosedive his career has taken in the last decade? Vox's Kyndall Cunningham joins Louie and Russ to d…

Host and culture writer for Dazed, Vogue and more, Kemi Olivia Alemoru, and writer on race, culture and politics and author of the upcoming book Black Genius, Tre Johnson, join the show to discuss how we as critics and the public interface with the work of famous pop stars who have done awful things. Kemi, Tre and Louie dig into the complex legacie…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode and as a capstone to our latest series on Ariana Grande, Bustle's Nolan Feeney joins DJ Louie to discuss Ari's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which dropped on Friday. Louie and Nolan dig into all the record's themes, aesthetics, how it toys with her public narrative, the impact o…

For part two of our Ariana Grande series, Pitchfork senior editor Anna Gaca is here to discuss the aesthetic pivot of 2018’s Sweetener, the superstar's first album following the horrific bombing of her Manchester concert and which found her reaching for light amidst unthinkable darkness. From there, Louie and Anna tackle the tabloid frenzy of Ari's…

Pop music critic at the LA Times, Mikael Wood, joins Pop Pantheon for our first ever full re-examination of the first ever artist we ever ranked in the official Pop Pantheon: Ariana Grande. In Part 1, Louie and Mikael trace Ariana’s roots as a performer, from her start on Broadway as a teenager to her Nickelodeon years and her bubblegum debut singl…

When was the last time a single pop star dominated culture like Taylor Swift? From her blockbuster re-recordings, which brought a new generation of fans into the Swiftie fold, to her world-conquering Eras Tour, record-breaking 4th Album of the Year Grammy for 2022’s Midnights and the endless fascination with her personal life and new relationship w…

Jennifer Lopez might not have stopped the world when she released her new self-financed visual album, This is Me... Now: A Love Story, last week. But she certainly drummed up a lot of conversation, much of which most certainly would not have been happening had she simply dropped a new record. After watching the film, DJ Louie got together with writ…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, as we gear up for Justin Timberlake's sixth studio album Everything I Thought I Was, due in March, DJ Louie and writer Rachel Brodsky gather to reflect on his debut, 2002's Justified. The two parse out how Justin's public profile nosedive has impacted the public's experience of this musi…

Writer Natalie Weiner joins Pop Pantheon to unpack Sheryl Crow’s “winding road” to pop superstardom. Natalie and Louie trace back Sheryl’s early days in the music business, from her gig singing backup on Michael Jackson's blockbuster Bad Tour to writing songs for Celine Dion and Tina Turner, then discuss the roots rock infused pop of 1993's Tuesday…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Beyoncé dropped two singles plus announced her new album! Usher performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show! Variety's Steven J. Horowitz joins Louie and Russ to discuss it all, plus a new music speed round featuring Justin Timberlake, Kacey Musgraves & Ice Spice. To hear the rest of the t…

In anticipation of Usher's Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday, we're re-sharing our episode on him from September 2022. Music writer and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, Rawiya Kameir, is back on the show to discuss the career and confessions of the great Usher. DJ Louie and Rawiya break down Usher’s musical origins singing in the…

The long-simmering beef between Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion recently exploded from our streaming services with the release of their respective diss tracks "Big Foot" and "Hiss" and onto social media, where Nicki vented her ire for her rival for days, then, thanks to the rapper's most ardent fans, onto some people's front doorsteps and even …

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, it’s been 25 years since a Black woman won Album of the Year. If neither Beyonce or SZA can do it, who can? Louie + Russ ponder that question with Variety’s Chris Willman as they walk through the good, the bad + the infuriating from the 2024 Grammys. To hear the rest of the this episode …

For part two of our Black Eyed Peas series, writer and critic Julianne Escobedo Shepherd returns to Pop Pantheon to dissect the brief but remarkable reign of the Duchess of Pop, Fergie. Louie and Julianne break down Fergie’s brushes with child stardom via Peanuts and Kids Incorporated and her failed 90s girl group, Wild Orchid. Then they explore th…

Ringer music critic and host of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s Rob Harvilla returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss one of the most derided – and successful – pop acts of the 21st Century, The Black Eyed Peas. Louie and Rob trace the group’s roots as an optimistic, politically progressive “conscious rap” crew, starting with their first two pre-Fergie re…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, when it came out in 2020 at the height of Covid19 lockdown, Dua Lipa's sophomore album Future Nostalgia made her a superstar. Now, nearly four years later and on the eve of a new Dua era, Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca, who reviewed the album when it dropped, is here to talk about …

Olivia Rodrigo's Guts, Harry Styles' Harry's House, Lizzo's Special, Adele's 30, Miley Cyrus' Endless Summer Vacation. What's one thing all of these albums have in common? They're each major releases by pop superstars in the last few years that churned out one massive hit single and then struggled to find a second to match it. They also serve as sl…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, the year is major pop star releases kicked off late last week with three singles from three stars of three different pop generations: Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?", Lil Nas X's "J. Christ" & Jennifer Lopez' "Can't Get Enough". Louie and Russ gather to break each of them down, share their t…

Host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the often harrowing and sometimes triumphant life and career of Demi Lovato. Molly and Louie unpack Demi’s squeaky clean debut on Barney at 10 and her induction into the Disney machine, from her starring role in Camp Rock to her Hollywood Records efforts, incl…

Before we launch all our exciting new content for 2024, Louie and Russ look back on every single Pop Pantheon ranking from 2023 and discuss whether we got it right or wrong, take calls and emails from listeners with their ranking disputes and adjust some of our decisions. Does Shakira move from Tier 2 to Tier 1? Does Jessica Simpson really deserve …

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and guest Miles Marshall Lewis look back Madonna's 11th studio album, 2008's Hard Candy, an album where the Queen of Pop uncharacteristically played catch-up with her pop star progeny, enlisting Timabland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell to help get her music back in American radio'…

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! In a rerun of an episode from Pop Pantheon: All Access published back in May, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua & host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien join DJ Louie to look back on three years of Chromatica: How they absorbed it when it dropped in the context of May 2020, how it sounds to them now, what…

Louie and a series guest look back on the career, work and legacies of some pop greats we lost in 2023: Sinéad O'Connor, Tony Bennett & Tina Turner. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Annie Zaleski on Twitter Follow Brian Newman on Twitter Follow Melissa Vince…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tate McRae has, to some, been on the rise for the past few years. To many, she became the pop starlet of the moment overnight with her viral hit "Greedy". On the occasion of her sophomore album, Think Later, released a couple weeks ago, Louie and Russ came together to talk everything Tat…

For the conclusion of our three-part series on Mariah Carey, Pot Psychology’s Rich Juzwiak returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss Mariah’s later period work, starting with one of the greatest comebacks in the history of pop: 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi. Louie and Rich unpack Emancipation’s smash hits and how it helped rewrite Mariah's legacy, then …

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Nicki Minaj dropped her long-awaited fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, last Friday. But is it a worthy follow-up to her legendary debut, 2010's Pink Friday? Hung Up's Hunter Harris joins DJ Louie to break it all down: what's good on this record, what's not and whether albums—this one or…

For the second in our three-part series on Mariah Carey, NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris joins the show to unpack some of the most fascinating, liberated and enduring music Mariah has made, as well as a professional nadir from which it once seemed she'd never recover. Louie and Aisha pick up with Mariah's self-described magnum opus, 1997’…

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Wall Street Journal's John Jurgensen, who has chronicled Mariah's ascent to the Queen of Christmas over the last 30 years, joins DJ Louie to discuss just how she's come to claim that title. Louie and John are talking Merry Christmas and "All I Want For Christmas Is You", the historic…

In the first of three new episodes on pop icon Mariah Carey, DJ Louie is joined by The New School's Dr. Brittnay L. Proctor to discuss Mariah's origin story and early career. They begin with her upbringing on Long Island as the product of a biracial marriage, her first forays into the music industry as a demo singer and background vocalist and her …

Music writer Shaad D'Souza joins DJ Louie to discuss pop music in 2023. They each share and discuss their three favorite albums, three favorite songs, greatest disappointments, major trends in the genre and more. Check out a Spotify Playlist of Louie and Shaad's 2023 Favs Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and…

Bonnie McKee is the songwriter behind many of the most enduring pop hits of the last 15 years including Taio Cruz' "Dynamite", Britney Spears' "Hold it Against Me" and no fewer than 5 (!) of Katy Perry's #1s. She's also a pop star in her own right, having run the gamut from singer-songwriter-aspirant in the early 2000s through numerous major label …

Author of the book Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah Kathy Iandoli returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the far too short career of one of the most exciting pop recording artists of her generation, Aaliyah. Kathy and Louie discuss Aaliyah’s upbringing in Detroit, her connection to soul legend Gladys Knight and how she came to create 1994’s Age Ain’t …

Pop Pantheon had it's first live show ever last night at the Crawford Auditorium in Pasadena, courtesy of LAist! In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, USC's Jason King, Beyond the Blinds' Troy McEady and Gloss Angeles' Kirbie Johnson were all on stage with DJ Louie to discuss all things Britney: her new memoir, The Woman in …

Back in August, Lizzo was sued by a number of her former dancers for creating a hostile work environment, with allegations including racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination and assault, and more. This flew directly in the face of her brand, which champions positivity, inclusivity and authenticity abo…

There sure is a lot of Taylor Swift happening right now but when is there not these days? In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ got together to talk about it all: 1989 (Taylor's Version), which dropped Friday, its attendant "from the vault" tracks, The Eras Tour film which was released a few weeks ago, her new…