Switched on Pop

Latest Episodes:

Auto-Tune always and forever Dec 24, 2024

Show notes

Popular music changes all the time, but there’s been one consistent element in practically everything released in the last two decades: Auto-Tune is everywhere. What started as a simple audio processing tool in the 1990s has become the dominant force in music. Artists are training to sing with Auto-Tune; songs sound like Auto-Tune. Like it or hate it, Auto-Tune is everywhere. And to be clear, most people like it.

On this episode of The Vergecast music journalist and Switched on Popco-host Charlie Harding tells us the story of Auto-Tune. (Disclosure: Switched on Pop is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network, as is The Vergecast.) It starts, of all places, in the oil and gas industry. It involves artists like Cher and T-Pain, spreads like wildfire throughout the music business, and quickly becomes so utterly ubiquitous that you probably notice when Auto-Tune isn’t used more than when it is.

As we barrel toward whatever the “AI era” of music will be, we also look for clues in Auto-Tune’s story that point to what’s coming next. We talk about the distinct sound that comes from tools like Suno and Udio, how artists will use and abuse AI, and whether we should be worried about what it all means. We haven’t yet found the “Believe” of the AI music era, but it’s probably coming.

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Santa Claus is coming to town and stalking America Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

The first time you hear "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," it probably registers as just another cheery holiday standard. But hiding within this seemingly simple song is a remarkable story of American transformation - musical, technological, and social. Each time artists reimagine the song over its 90-year history, they leave an imprint not just of their own style, but of their entire cultural moment.

Correction: Last week, we mistakenly credited Jermaine Jackson with playing bass on The Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” The bass on the studio recording was performed by Wilton Felder, a renowned session musician from The Crusaders. Jermaine played bass in live performances.

Artists Discussed:

Eddie Cantor
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The Crystals
Ella Fitzgerald
Fred Astaire
The Jackson Five
Bruce Springsteen
Justin Bieber

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Breaking Through: Doechii, Mk.gee, Rosé Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

Three artists quietly reshaped pop music in 2024, though you might not know it from your Spotify Wrapped. As listeners question the accuracy of their year-end streaming stats, we explore the innovative sounds bubbling up just below the algorithmic radar. Tampa's "Swamp Princess" Doechii brings narrative depth back to hip-hop through her chameleonic vocal approach. Bedroom producer Mk.gee discovers entirely new possibilities for the electric guitar by deliberately recording "wrong." And BLACKPINK's ROSÉ challenges K-pop industry constraints while building bridges to Western pop on her revolutionary solo album. These artists point toward an exciting future where pop continues to evolve in unexpected ways, even as streaming platforms try to predict and package our musical tastes. Plus: Our producer Reanna Cruz presents evidence that their Spotify Wrapped might be fibbing, and Nate reveals his most-played track of 2024 was... Jeremy Irons singing "Be Prepared" from The Lion King? The algorithm works in mysterious ways.

Songs Discussed

Doechii: "Girls," "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake," "NISSAN ALTIMA," "Denial Is A River," "Boom Bap"
Mk.gee: "I Know How You Got," "Big Mics," "Are You Looking Up," "Alesis"
BLACKPINK"Boombayah," "Kill This Love," "How You Like That," "Pink Venom,"
ROSÉ: "On The Ground," "APT." (featuring Bruno Mars), "Toxic Till The End"
Taylor Swift: "Shake It Off"
Avril Lavigne: "Girlfriend"
Toni Basil: "Mickey"
Tom Petty: "American Girl"
Bo Diddley: "Bo Diddley Beat"

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The best (and worst) of holiday music in 2024 Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

It's an annual tradition: Every December, artists release their bids to join the hallowed halls of holiday music history. The gold standard remains Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which reportedly earns the pop star $2.5 million annually in royalties. This year's crop of seasonal offerings spans from ambitious originals to reimagined classics, with artists trying everything from AI-generated lyrics to funk renditions of Hanukah hymns. To evaluate this year's entries, we're introducing our definitive sleigh bell ranking system: five sleigh bells marks a future holiday classic destined to join Mariah in the pantheon, while one sleigh bell promises pop obscurity.

Songs Discussed:

•Kelly Clarkson - You For Christmas

•Orville Peck - Happy Trails

•Conan Gray - Holidays

•Dan and Shay - Take Me Home for Christmas

•Amy Grant - Tennessee Christmas

•Kesha - Holiday Road

•Ben Folds - Xmas Aye Eye

•Jennifer Hudson - Santa for Someone

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Kendrick Lamar: from Pulitzer to pop Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

In 2024, Kendrick Lamar pulled off what seemed impossible: winning hip-hop's biggest rap battle in recent history, securing the Super Bowl halftime show, and dropping GNX, a surprise album that might be the year's defining pop record. But this triumphant return wasn't guaranteed. Two decades into his career — well past the average life expectancy of a rap career — Kendrick faced a critical challenge: how to balance his legendary artistic complexity with mainstream accessibility.

Songs discussed:

Kendrick Lamar – squabble up
Kendrick Lamar – luther (feat. SZA)
Kendrick Lamar – tv off (feat. Lefty Gunplay)

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We're off to see the "Wicked" Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

The year's hottest movie is, against all odds, a musical. Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, just hit theaters, and tells the tale of how a green-skinned girl named Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West. And with any musical, the songs are just as important as the narrative. On this episode of Switched On Pop, Charlie, Nate, and Reanna hop on their broomsticks to break down the music powering this cultural phenomenon.

Songs Discussed

The Wizard And I - Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh
The Wizard And I - Carole Shelley, Idina Menzel
Popular - Ariana Grande
Popular Song - MIKA, Ariana Grande
Defying Gravity - Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
What Is This Feeling? - Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo
Defying Gravity - Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel
You'll Be Back - Jonathan Groff, Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton

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Listening 2 Madonna: Ray of Light Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

TIME Magazine once said, “there are few figures more closely associated with religion in pop culture than Madonna.” And looking at her catalog, it’s hard to disagree. From cheeky double entendres on “Like A Prayer,” to explorations of alternative philosophies on Ray of Light, spiritual practice has always been a core aspect of Madonna’s work. And as she dips her toes in different ideologies, she eventually comes to mold her own specialreligion in the process.

On our final episode of our week-long Listening 2 Madonna series, we take a look at the third essential part of Madonna’s holy trinity: spirituality.

Songs discussed:

Madonna – "Like A Prayer"
Madonna – "American Life"
Sister Cristina – "Like A Virgin"
Ray Charles – "What I'd Say"
Madonna – "Live to Tell"
Madonna – "Oh Father"
Madonna – "X-Static Process"
Madonna – "Bedtime Story"
Björk – "Hyperballad"
Madonna – "Ray of Light"
Madonna – "Nothing Really Matters"
Madonna – "The Power of Good-bye"
Madonna – "Sky Fits Heaven"
Madonna – "Shanti / Ashtangi"
Addison Rae – "Aquamarine"
Madonna – "Vogue"
Madonna – "Music"
Madonna – "Isaac"
Madonna – "Like It Or Not"
Madonna – "Get Together"

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Listening 2 Madonna: Spanish Eyes Nov 27, 2024

Show notes

Throughout her forty-year career, Madonna has managed to travel the globe, both literally and musically. Despite being a white woman from the midwest (Michigan, to be exact), her discography has been influenced by countless different cultures and sounds.

Even from her very first single, Madonna has frequently paid homage to those she has encountered, reflecting (and sometimes appropriating) the cultures that surrounded her. But because she's the world's biggest pop star, this globalist approach created space in the mainstream for artists from different cultures to follow in her footsteps. This episode of Switched On Pop, we're Listening 2 Madonna and exploring the second aspect of her Holy Trinity: multiculturalism.

Songs discussed:

Madonna – "Everybody"
La India – "Dancing on the Fire"
Miami Sound Machine – "Dr. Beat"
Madonna – "Holiday"
Shannon – "Let the Music Play"
Madonna – "Music"
Madonna – "Vogue"
Madonna – "La Isla Bonita"
Madonna – "Spanish Eyes"
Madonna – "Who's That Girl?"
Ricky Martin – "Livin' La Vida Loca"
Los Lobos – "La Bamba"
Lady Gaga – "Alejandro"
Malcolm McLaren – "Deep In Vogue – Introducing Lourdes & Willie Ninja"
Madonna – "Deeper and Deeper"
Derrick May – "Strings of Life"
Ariana Grande – "yes and?"
Beyoncé – "Break My Soul – The Queens Remix"
Madonna – "Faz Gostoso"
Blaya – "Faz Gostoso"
Anitta – "Funk Rave"
Madonna – "Batuka"
Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B – "Bongos"

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Listening 2 Madonna: Who's That Girl? Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

Madonna is the world's biggest female pop star. She's influenced everyone from Beyoncé to Britney Spears; is the most successful solo artist in Hot 100 chart history; and is the best-selling female recording artist of all time. Her career – which has spanned over forty years – has seen her continually reinventing herself and her sound over fourteen studio albums, from her early years in the New York City underground dance scene, to collaborating with artists like Maluma, Sam Smith, and the Weeknd.

Throughout all this, though, she has also managed to remain an enigma. Much has been said about Madonna, but through her work, a holy trinity of themes has emerged. And through these themes – gender exploration, multiculturalism, and spirituality – we can unpack one of the most iconic catalogs in pop music.

This week on Switched On Pop, we're Listening 2 Madonna, and releasing three special episodes focused on the Material Girl, going Deeper and Deeper to understand the Queen of Pop. On this episode, we take a look at how Madonna conveys gender in her work, from "Like A Virgin" to "What It Feels Like For A Girl."

Songs discussed:

Madonna – "Vogue"
Madonna – "Borderline"
Madonna – "Like A Virgin"
Madonna – "Material Girl"
Deniece Williams – "Let's Hear It For The Boy"
Madonna – "True Blue"
Madonna – "Live to Tell"
Madonna – "Papa Don't Preach"
Madonna – "Express Yourself"
Madonna – "Justify My Love"
Madonna – "Deeper and Deeper"
Madonna – "Waiting"
Madonna – "Bad Girl"
Madonna – "What It Feels Like For A Girl"

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Fleetwood Mac perfected turning drama into hits Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

In 1973, before their ascent to rock superstardom with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were just two young lovers making music in Los Angeles. Their debut album, Buckingham Nicks, though commercially unsuccessful at the time, would prove to be the catalyst that changed their lives. When Mick Fleetwood happened to walk into Sound City Studios and overheard Buckingham's masterful guitar work, he knew he'd found what his band desperately needed given the departure of their guitarist Peter Green. Fleetwood invited Buckingham to join the group, and Buckingham agreed on one condition: his musical and romantic partner, Stevie Nicks, would come too. This fateful meeting would birth the legendary lineup that created Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, albums that would define a generation.

Yet all this time, the band's origin story, captured in Buckingham Nicks, has remained locked away in aging vinyl archives – until now. Grammy-winning guitarist Madison Cunningham and virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird have breathed new life into this historic recording with their interpretation, Cunningham Bird. Cunningham, celebrated for her sophisticated fingerpicking and intricate compositions, joins forces with Bird, whose distinctive violin work and plaintive vocals have earned him critical acclaim.

Their reimagining of this pivotal album offers fresh insight into both Fleetwood Mac's enduring influence and the rocky romance that sparked their success. I sat down with the duo to discuss their approach to this legendary material and what drew them to resurrect these long-lost songs. Switched On Pop spoke with Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird about how they adapted Buckingham Nicks into Cunningham Bird

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