Switched on Pop

Latest Episodes:

Nicki Minaj's Roman Empire Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Nicki Minaj is one of the most unique rappers of all time. She’s given us numerous iconic guest verses from “Monster” to “Flawless (Remix),” everlasting hits like “Super Bass” and “Starships,” and legions of loyal fans in the Barbz. She’s also given us over twenty alter-egos in the course of her career. However, no alter-ego of hers has been more impactful than Roman. The voice at the center of Nicki’s most unhinged music, the “Roman” persona serves a conduit for Nicki to put forward a high level of theatricality and character work in her music, from beats to bars. And to understand Nicki, you need to understand Roman.

This episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz takes us on a journey through the history of Roman, on the heels of Nicki Minaj’s latest record, Pink Friday 2.

Songs Discussed:

Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li
Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze
Nicki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy
Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver – Monster
Nicki Minaj – Roman In Moscow
Nicki Minaj – Pound the Alarm
Nicki Minaj – Starships
Ludacris, Nicki Minaj – My Chick Bad
Nicki Minaj, PTAF – Boss A** B**** (with PTAF) – Remix
Nicki Minaj, Eminem – Roman's Revenge
Nicki Minaj – Come On A Cone
Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap
Nicki Minaj – Roman Holiday
Eminem – The Way I Am
Eminem – My Name Is
Lil' Kim – Queen B****
Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne – Truffle Butter
Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl – Roman Remix
Nicki Minaj – My Life

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Hear the Year: The music we loved in 2023 Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

When you make a weekly podcast about pop music, there’s some things that, naturally, slip through the cracks. On this episode of Switched On Pop, our hosts – alongside our editor, Jolie Myers, our engineer, Brandon McFarland, and our producer, Reanna Cruz – try to course correct that by discussing our team’s (and a listener’s) favorite picks of 2023. Whether it’s something we got to in the later months or something we felt still deserved its flowers, this episode hops around genres to show the musical versatility of the Switched On Pop team. We even got some of our selections, specifically Laufey and Chappell Roan, on the show to talk about the music that made our year. Who knows: maybe you’ll find the song to top your personal best-of list!

Songs Discussed:

Troye Sivan ft. Guitarricadelafuente - In My Room
Troye Sivan - Rush
Troye Sivan - One Of Your Girls
Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas - Instant Crush
Victoria Monet - On My Mama
Chalie Boi - I Look Good
Victoria Monét ft. Earth, Wind & Fire + Hazel Monét - Hollywood
Laufey - Bewitched
Laufey - Questions For The Universe
Laufey - Dreamer
Laufey - From The Start
Laufey - Misty
Stray Kids - S-Class
Sampha - Spirit 2.0
Little Dragon - Twice
James Blake - There’s A Limit To Your Love
Chappell Roan - Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
Chappell Roan - Casual
Chappell Roan - Femininomenon
Village People - Y.M.C.A.
Chappell Roan - HOT TO GO!

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Behind the Scenes of Switched on Pop on Harman Audio Talks Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Nate and Charlie were recently featured on Harman Audio Talks. While our team takes the week off, we wanted to share that conversation with you as we pull back the curtain on how we make the show and select songs for the podcast.

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Noah Kahan’s Folk Pop Revival Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Noah Kahan is having a banner year. Between his Best New Artist nomination at the Grammys, his debut SNL performance, and collaborations with everyone from Post Malone to Hozier, the Vermont singer-songwriter has transcended the confines of New England to become one of the harbingers of the 2023 stomp-clap revival. This episode of Switched on Pop, host Charlie Harding sits down in person with Kahan to find some secret magic chords, opine on car commercial music, and talk about all things Stick Season.

Songs Discussed

Noah Kahan - Stick Season
Noah Kahan - You’re A Mess
Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Cat Stevens - Father & Son
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
Lumineers - Hey Ho
Olivia Rodrigo - Stick Season
Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license
Noah Kahan, Hozier - Northern Attitude
Noah Kahan - Homesick
Sam Fender - 17 Going Under
Phoebe Bridgers - Moon Song
Simpler Times - Roll in my Sweet Baby’s Arms
Noah Kahan, Post Malone - Dial Drunk
Taylor Swift - Mean
Olivia Rodrigo - Logical
Noah Kahan - Young Blood
Noah Kahan - Catastrophize

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Why Country Music Dominated 2023's Charts Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Country music's had a massive year. Seriously, not since 1958 have we seen so many country tunes topping the Hot 100 in a single year – and it's not been without its share of controversy. Leading this country music revival? Morgan Wallen, for starters. He bounced back from being shunned for dropping a racial slur with his number one single “Last Night.” Then there's Jason Aldean with “Try That in a Small Town,” a song and music video that which unsubtly lynching references. Next up, newcomer Oliver Anthony Music dropped “Richmond North of Richmond,” weaving in QAnon references and welfare shaming into a track largely about government distrust. On a lighter but still contentious note, Luke Combs covered the mega 90s hit “Fast Car,” turning Tracy Chapman into the first black woman with a number one country hit. And let's not forget Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves' beautiful duet “I Remember Everything” about a past romance, which also climbed to the top. Many of these songs have just been nominated for Grammys, including “Last Night,” “Fast Car,” and “I Remember Everything.”

When all this started happening, we were scratching our heads. Country songs topping the Hot 100? Sure, but not this many in quick succession. Something felt different. And we think we've finally figured it out after diving into Chris Molanphy's new book: Old Town Road. Chris, a music and charts critic, author of Slate’s Why Is This Song No. 1 column, and host of the excellent music podcast Hit Parade, explores country music's chart history in his latest book “Old Town Road,” part of Duke's Single Series. He zeroes in on Lil Nas X's 2018 “Old Town Road” and its 2019 Billy Ray Cyrus-amped remix as a case study. So, to get the lowdown on 2023's country chart toppers, we've got to rewind to 2018 and re-examine “Old Town Road” with Chris Molanphy's insights.

SONGS DISCUSSED

Lil Nas X - Old Town Road
Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town Road remix
Morgan Waller - Last Night
Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town
Oliver Anthony Music - Rich Men North of Richmond
Luke Combs - Fast Car
Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything
Lil Nas X - Sonic Shit
Nine Inch Nails - 34 Ghosts IV
Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
Luke Bryan - Light It Up
Morgan Wallen - Thinking’ Bout Me
Jason Aldean - Burnin’ It Down
DeFord Bailey - Fox Chase
Carter Family - Can The Circle Be Unbroken
Bill Monroe - Mule Skinner Blues
Hank Williams - Wealth Won’t Save Your Soul
Ray Charles - You Are My Sunshine
Pine Ridge Boys - You Are My Sunshine
Patsy Cline - Crazy
Lionel Richie - Stuck On You
Blano Brown - The Git Up

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The Beatles: "Now and Then" and Forever Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

When Paul McCartney announced that he and Ringo Starr had produced a new Beatles song with the aid of AI, many music pundits were skeptical. Was this new song be another gimmick like the fake Drake hit "Heart on My Sleeve"? No. Instead, the Beatles simply used AI voice separation technology to repair a well-worn John Lennon demo tape.

Back in the '90s, Yoko Ono gave shared a collection of unfinished John Lennon demos with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison (who died in 2001) as part of a final recording session that resulted in the singles "Free As a Bird" and "Real Love." However, the third song, “Now And Then" was marred by hissing and humming, and the piano was overly loud. Harrison called it rubbish, and after a few hours of tracking a rough song they left it on the cutting room floor.

But now in 2023, using film maker Peter Jackson’s latest restoration technology created for his "Get Back" documentary, the Beatles were able to create one last song together, though in three different eras. Lennon tracked his vocals in the '70s, Harrison's parts were lifted from the '90s sessions, and McCartney and Starr added their parts in 2022. The band is filled out by a string arrangement by Giles Martin (Beatles cataloger and son of the late Beatles producer George Martin) and Ben Foster, in addition to reused backing vocals from earlier Beatles tracks.

So, did the Beatles successfully bring this worn-out recording back to life? Does this AI song sound like Beatles, let alone human? Find out on Switched On Pop.

SONGS DISCUSSED

The Beatles - Now And Then
The Beatles - Free As A Bird
The Beatles - Real Love
The Beatles - Taxman
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
The Beatles - Two Of Us
The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
The Beatles - Because
The Beatles - Here, There And Everywhere
The Beatles - The End
The Beatles - Penny Lane
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
The Beatles - In My Life
The Beatles - You Won't See Me
The Beatles - When I'm Sixty Four
The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
The Beatles - Blackbird
The Beatles - I Want You (She's So Heavy)

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Rerecording Taylor Swift's 1989, Dark Side of the Moon, and Demi Lovato Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

Three big artists have rerecorded their most hallowed musical material. Taylor Swift, Roger Water and Demi Lovato each have different intentions in painstakingly putting their old songs onto new proverbial tape. On 1989 (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift seeks control of her master recordings. On Dark Side of the Moon Redux Roger Waters explores his most vaunted work from his youth now with from perspective of an octogenarian. And Demi Lovato Revamped pivots their old pop hits into a hard rock aesthetic. Switched On Pop listens back to all three albums to see how they hold up to the original and to uncover new musical discoveries.

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Chartbreakers: Mitski tops the TikTok chart Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

It’s time for another edition of our series Chartbreakers, where we take a look at the trends and shakeups happening on the Billboard Hot 100. This week, however, the chart has been dominated by Drake and his album For All the Dogs, which takes up a grand total of 23 spots on the Hot 100. So, rather than do a story on that, Charlie and Nate take a look at the brand new TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, established only last month.

This chart – which measures the most popular songs on the platform through each song’s number of videos, views, and user engagement – perhaps best shows the things that are popular and pervasive among a contingent of younger music listeners. Here, there’s room for everybody from Mitski to Sexyy Red to J. Dash, highlighting that the music that’s popular isn’t necessarily what hits the radio.

SONGS DISCUSSED

Drake - First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole)
Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine
Elvis Presley - Blue Moon
SUICIDAL-IDOL - ecstacy (slowed)
SUICIDAL-IDOL - ecstacy
SUICIDAL-IDOL - ecstacy (super slowed)
J. Dash - Wop (Official Version)
CeeLo Green - I'll Be Around (feat. Timbaland) - Club Mix
Paul Russell - Lil Boo Thang
The Emotions - Best of My Love
Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
Sister Sledge - He's the Greatest Dancer - 1995 Remaster
Will Smith - Miami
The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
Will Smith - Wild Wild West (feat. Dru Hill & Kool Mo Dee) - Album Version With Intro
Stevie Wonder - I Wish
Will Smith - Men In Black - From "Men In Black" Soundtrack
Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots - Remastered
Sexyy Red - SkeeYee
BabyTron - Crocs & Wock'
Ice Spice - In Ha Mood
Tyla - Water

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How Talking Heads reinvented the concert film (with Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz) Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Talking Head's concert film Stop Making Sense first came out forty years ago, and it’s just been rereleased in theaters in a 4k remaster by A24. The film finds the band — Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, David Byrne and Jerry Harrison — at the height of their powers over three successive nights at the the Hollywood Pantages Theater. As Chris and Tina remembered it when they spoke to producer Reanna Cruz, "We'd reached a state in our career and our lives when we felt, 'we've gotten pretty good at this now. We can show the world.'"

Director Jonathan Demme spliced the band's performances into an eighty-eight minute odyssey beginning with Byrne solo on the stage and gradually bringing in the rest of the band and a cast of stellar guest musicians: vocalists Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, percussionist Steve Scales, and guitarist Alex Weir. The film introduced landmark moments like Byrne’s big suit, Demme’s cinematic approach to concert cinematography, Chris's and Tina’s Tom Tom Club performing the perennial sample flip "Genius of Love," and a theater-rocking version of "Burning Down the House." Stop Making Sense broke the mold of concert films and created a new paradigm for artists to follow ever since.

Nate, Charlie, and Reanna take insights from Reanna's conversation with Tina and Chris on the legacy of Stop Making Sense as a guide to think through our own favorite concert movies — the Band's The Last Waltz, Madonna's Truth or Dare, and Beyonce's Homecoming — to identify the musical and visual choices that make them so indelible.

Songs Discussed

Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) - Live

Talking Heads - Burning Down the House - Live

Beyoncé - Diva - Homecoming Live

Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) - Homecoming Live

Madonna - Express Yourself

Madonna - Live to Tell

The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Live

The Band - I Shall Be Released (Finale) - Live

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Feeling Fine with Faye Webster Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

The past two episodes of the show have been in Atlanta, and this week, we’re staying there with a look at singer-songwriter Faye Webster. Her music defies genre and convention: over the course of four albums, her sound has come to contain both pedal steel and indie rock as well as soft vocals and R&B sensibilities, all the while embodying the city of Atlanta. On this episode of Switched on Pop, we take a look at the work of Webster and how she builds her anomalous sound – even talking to the artist herself.

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