Switched on Pop

Vulture

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.

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546 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes546

Newest first

Sep 22, 2016 · 1 hr 2 min
Lady Gaga Is A Perfect Illusion
How Lady Gaga's "Perfect Illusion" is the apotheosis of her artistic statement.
Sep 9, 2016 · 37 min
How Beyoncé to The Beatles Modulate Your Emotions
Certain pop songs have that moment, when everything seems to change , when the drama gets ratcheted up, when the tension increases and our emotions take an elevator ride to the heavens. But what is this mysterious musical trick, and how does it work?
Aug 25, 2016 · 40 min
Pop Drops and Chipmunk Soul
A strange syndrome is wreaking havoc on the voices of our biggest pop stars. From Rihanna to Justin Bieber, no one is safe from having their beautiful vocals chopped up, screwed down, repitched and repurposed. As dance music takes over the charts and new software grants vocal manipulation at the click of a button, this uncanny production technique has become nearly ubiquitous. But is this ultramodern sound really that new? We dig deep into the roots of the sound of the moment. Featuring: • Kiaara - Gold • Coldplay - Hymn for the Weekend (Seeb remix) • Hailee Steinfeld ft. Grey & Zedd - Starving • Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna - This is What You Came For • Mike Posner -I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb remix) • DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You • Cold Crush Brothers - MC Battle (Live) • Cerrone - Rocket in the Pocket • Wu Tang Clan - Tearz • Wendy Rene - After Laughter • Kanye West - School Spirit • Whistle - Just Buggin • Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 15, 2016 · 26 min
The Gideon and Hubcap Show
Hit the road with Gideon and Hubcap on a home-show tour through the Scottish Highlands
Aug 1, 2016 · 39 min
Breaking Down The House
Has the ubiquity of house music detracted from its cultural origins?
Jul 14, 2016 · 42 min
Around The World With Drake
Is "One Dance" an appropriation or celebration of Afro-Caribbean music?
Jun 30, 2016 · 38 min
When Good Music Happens To Bad People
How ought we listen to our favorite pop stars when the skeletons in their closet turn out to be actual skeletons?
Jun 16, 2016 · 35 min
Justin Timberlake Goes Medieval
The art of the summer hit draws from techniques developed 1,000 years ago
Jun 6, 2016 · 33 min
All About Those Baseline Assumptions About Femini$m in Pop
With Meghan Trainor's new singles "No" and "Me Too" ubiquitous on the radio dial, a larger discussion about the uneasy relationship between social movements and selling records takes a feminist bent. Memories of the polarizing 2014 hit "All About that ...
May 19, 2016 · 35 min
Jonas vs. Jonas: Or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love a Boy Band
A battle between brothers is playing out on the pop charts, a sibling rivalry the likes of which the music industry hasn't seen since 1987, when Michael and Janet Jackson's 1987 "Bad" and "Let's Wait Awhile" jockeyed for peak position on the Hot 100. T...
May 5, 2016 · 44 min
Purple Lemonade: Prince & Beyoncé
It has been a period of musical loss and celebration. On the same week we lost Prince, the world was gifted Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Both artists contain multitudes of musical traditions, collaborators and themes that weave throughout their song. In the fir...
Apr 22, 2016 · 36 min
Pablo And The Wolves
The Life Of Pablo is Kanye West's latest album, but it may not resemble one. From its gradual online release to its changing track lists, this shape shifting album is difficult to grasp. To understand this shapeshifting album, we recruited Andrew Maran...
Apr 6, 2016 · 32 min
The Populist Pop of Twenty One Pilots
Out of nowhere, Twenty One Pilots has rocketed to the top of the charts with their surprise hit "Stressed Out." Charlie and Nate pull this millennial anthem apart to discover a deep political resonance, the kind that rarely hits the Hot 100. Tracing th...
Mar 23, 2016 · 25 min
American Oxygen
American Oxygen as performed by Rihanna and X Ambassadors
Mar 10, 2016 · 43 min
Say Hey
Listen carefully to almost any hit song these days and you’ll hear musicians screaming “Hey!” What’s the matter with them? Do they really need our attention? We uncover the reason and history behind this phenomenon with guest host Alex Kapleman, produc...
Feb 26, 2016 · 38 min
Now I Sia, Now I Don't
One of the biggest voices in pop music has no face: Sia. She started her career as a ghostwriter for stars like Rihanna and Beyoncé. Recently she found pop star success with her hit "Chandelier." So with her new album, "This Is Acting," you'd expect to...
Feb 18, 2016 · 7 min
B Side: Singing With Mama Jan
What do Usher, Drake and Bieber have in common? They all sing with Mama Jan, one of the best vocal coaches and producers in the music business. On this mini episode, Mama Jan talks about what happens backstage before the biggest performance of a lifeti...
Feb 12, 2016 · 38 min
Call Your Girlfriend
Is it a love song or is it a breakup song? Charlie joins the women of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast to break down their namesake song by Robyn. Also, advice on how to build the perfect wedding playlist. And we check back in with Nate to listen to Ca...
Jan 29, 2016 · 59 min
Click With Dick And Other Campaign Anthems
What do presidential candidates, professional wrestlers and improv comics have in common? Walk on theme music. As the primary season heats up we dig into the history, meaning and controversies of campaign anthems. Also, comedian and guest co-host Chris...
Jan 17, 2016 · 31 min
The Life Changing Magic of Music in 2015
Charlie and Nate reveal the life changing magic of how to tidy up the music you missed from last year. Annually, hundreds of publications release best of lists. These lists are supposed to make it easier to discover and celebrate the year in music. But...

Switched on Pop

Lady Gaga Is A Perfect Illusion

How Beyoncé to The Beatles Modulate Your Emotions

Pop Drops and Chipmunk Soul

The Gideon and Hubcap Show

Breaking Down The House

Around The World With Drake

When Good Music Happens To Bad People

Justin Timberlake Goes Medieval

All About Those Baseline Assumptions About Femini$m in Pop

Jonas vs. Jonas: Or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love a Boy Band

Purple Lemonade: Prince & Beyoncé

Pablo And The Wolves

The Populist Pop of Twenty One Pilots

American Oxygen

Say Hey

Now I Sia, Now I Don't

B Side: Singing With Mama Jan

Call Your Girlfriend

Click With Dick And Other Campaign Anthems

The Life Changing Magic of Music in 2015