Switched on Pop

Latest Episodes:

Olivia Rodrigo has The Cure for sadness Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Olivia Rodrigo is back with her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl in love. As the title might suggest, it’s a deeply personal affair, with moody soundscapes supporting hyper-detailed lyrics of soul-wrenching depth. This album is a meditation on desire, and intriguingly, the letdown that can occur when desire is fulfilled. Each track is haunted by a band that basically invented the idea of unfulfilled longing, The Cure, who receive multiple direct shout-outs and numerous subtle references. But the album isn’t a tribute, or a rip-off. It’s a continuation of the voice Rodrigo has been developing ever since she debuted “drivers license” in 2021. It’s a sound distinctly her own, with signature techniques to match. The “re-verse” in “Drop Dead,” which we discussed in a prior episode, and a spiraling structure that keeps listeners waiting and waiting for the final word. Tune in to hear how Olivia channels her gothic predilections and fastidious lyrical craft into a powerful emotional payoff.

Songs discussed:

Olivia Rodrigo - drop dead, stupid song, u + me = <3, purple, the cure, begged, what’s wrong with me, less, expectations, cigarette smoke, drivers license, vampire

The Cure - Just Like Heaven, Friday I’m in Love

David Byrne - drivers license

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Paul McCartney went back to Liverpool for something new to say Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Boys of Dungeon Lane, McCartney's collaboration with producer Andrew Watt, arrived when McCartney was 83 and and he came out swinging: the opening track greets listeners with a dissonant, unresolved guitar chord that sets the album's tone. Harmonic instability runs through the entire record: chromatic mediants, deceptive cadences, and persistent pedal tones prevent even the most nostalgic songs from settling into comfort.

The album's lyrics focus on McCartney's pre-Beatles Liverpool youth, territory unfamiliar even to long-time fans. The songs pay deliberate sonic tribute to specific Beatles recordings: Mellotron strings echoing "Strawberry Fields Forever," a backwards laugh tape loop answering "Tomorrow Never Knows," a first-ever McCartney/Starr vocal duet so close in timbre the two voices are nearly indistinguishable.

Songs discussed:
Paul McCartney – "Mull of Kintyre"
Paul McCartney – "As You Lie There"
The Beatles – "Blackbird"
The Beatles – "Helter Skelter"
The Beatles – "You Never Give Me Your Money"
Paul McCartney – "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey"
Paul McCartney – "Band on the Run"
Paul McCartney – "Live and Let Die"
Paul McCartney – "Mountaintop"
The Beatles – "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!"
The Beatles – "For No One"
The Beatles – "Because"
The Beatles – "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
The Beatles – "Octopus's Garden"
Paul McCartney – "Down South"
The Beatles – "Two of Us"
Paul McCartney – "We Two"
The Beatles – "Strawberry Fields Forever"
Paul McCartney – "Never Know Those"
The Beatles – "Tomorrow Never Knows"
Paul McCartney – "Salesman Saint"
John Lennon – "Working Class Hero"
John Cougar Mellencamp – "Small Town"
Paul McCartney – “Home to Us” (with Ringo Starr)
Paul McCartney – "The Days We Left Behind"
The Beatles – "When I'm Sixty Four"

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How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris) Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

A sci-fi ballet imagined a 2080 where AI strips people of purpose, and the day before its New York premiere, an actual dystopia arrived.

Arc Iris, the trio of Jocie Adams, Zach Tenorio and Ray Belli, built iTMRW as a concept record set in a future ruled by a mega-corporation that shares its name. In its world, AI has taken most jobs and even the thinking left inside them, so the corporation offers pods where anyone can live any dream in virtual reality. The piece premiered in Cambridge in January 2020, then its New York show collapsed the day before the lockdown.

What follows is the story of a project that outlasted its own premise. When venues closed, they left Providence for Los Angeles, rebuilt a dilapidated house, spent eight months in a 120-square-foot shed, and constructed their own studio and stage. The dystopia they wrote became, in their telling, a personal utopia.

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Why bands give us purpose (ft. MUNA) Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

A culture that rewards easily consumable individual identities produces plenty of pop stars and almost no bands. A significant exception: MUNA, the trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. MUNA treats the band as a structure that grounds identity beyond the ego and makes any success feel shared among the three. Their new album, Dancing on the Wall, wraps that conviction in blaring, unapologetic '80s production: slap bass, brightness pushed to the front, and everything connected in one time and place.
Links: ⁠Newsletter⁠, ⁠YouTube

MUNA, "It Gets So Hot"
MUNA, "Dancing on the Wall"
Lionel Richie, "Dancing on the Ceiling"
MUNA, "Eastside Girls"
Yello, "Oh Yeah"
Dead or Alive, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"
Pet Shop Boys, "West End Girls"
Billy Joel, "We Didn't Start the Fire"
Charli XCX, "365"
MUNA, "Wannabeher"
Bikini Kill, "Rebel Girl"
Peaches, "Boys Wanna Be Her"
Le Tigre, "Deceptacon"
MUNA, "Big Stick"
MUNA, "Anything But Me"
Flobots, "Handlebars"
MUNA, "I Know a Place"

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Drake's Slop Era May 26, 2026

Show notes

Canada’s favorite export Drake is back! This month, the Toronto singer-rapper extraordinaire released three albums simultaneously: the long-anticipated return to form Iceman, the sultry, R&B Habibti and the pop-focused, clubby Maid of Honour. All three albums have much different vibes, and are Drake’s first official solo efforts since his seismic beef with Kendrick Lamar back in 2024.

There’s a lot of music to talk about. As a result, Reanna argues that we are living in an era of “Drake Slop” – low-effort, mass-produced dumps of music, often with confused intentions. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Reanna, Charlie, and Nate explore all that these three albums have to offer, and try to figure out exactly what is going on in the twisted mind of Aubrey Graham.

Links: ⁠Newsletter⁠, ⁠YouTube

Songs discussed:

Drake – Shabang
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Drake – Circadian Rhythm
Drake, Central Cee – Which One
Drake – NOKIA
Drake – Make Them Cry
Drake – Janice STFU
Drake – Make Them Pay
Drake, Future, Molly Santana – Ran To Atlanta
Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar – Like That
Drake – 2 Hard 4 The Radio
YG, Slim 400 – Word Is Bond
Mac Dre – 2 Hard 4 the Fuckin' Radio
Drake – Rusty Intro
Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney – FourFiveSeconds
Drake – High Fives
Drake – Tuscan Leather
Drake – Classic
Drake – Teenage Fever
Drake, Sexyy Red – Cheetah Print
Drake, Sexyy Red, SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
Afrika Bambaataa, The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock
Drake – BBW
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
Drake – Princess
A$AP Rocky – PUNK ROCKY
Drake – Find Your Love

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Kacey Musgraves walks country’s borderlands May 19, 2026

Show notes

Kacey Musgraves' album Middle of Nowhere finds the country outlaw taking a break from exploring her inner life to look outward, back to her roots: the regional stylings of Texas. She says the album was inspired by a sign in her hometown that read “Golden, TX: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” The album’s sounds probe this same borderland mentality, encapsulating desert noir, Norteño, tejano, and soft rock. Plus, Willie Nelson.

The result is a collection of songs that are funny, moving, and reaching back to the sound Musgraves established in her debut record 13 years ago. But the world of country has changed since then – artists like Ella Langley have taken over the charts, cribbing Musgraves' sound while courting a more conservative audience. Can the genre encompass all these multitudes? Nate and Charlie explore this debate through Middle of Nowhere.

Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠

Songs discussed:

Kacey Musgraves – I Miss You
Kacey Musgraves – Merry Go 'Round
Kacey Musgraves – High Horse
Kacey Musgraves – justified
Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well
Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
Kacey Musgraves, Billy Strings – Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy
Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson – Uncertain, TX
Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere
Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert – Horses and Divorces
Miranda Lambert – Mama's Broken Heart
Ella Langley – Choosin' Texas
Dolly Parton, David Hidalgo – Before The Next Teardrop Falls
Ella Langley – Be Her
Kacey Musgraves – Rhinestoned
Neil Young – Harvest Moon

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Rostam reimagines American music May 15, 2026

Show notes

The pedal steel and the saz both live in the spaces between equal-tempered notes, and that gap is where Rostam built American Stories.

Rostam joined Vampire Weekend at Columbia in 2006, produced the band's first three albums, and after leaving in 2016 made records with Clairo and Haim you can identify as his within a few bars.

His solo album, American Stories, reflects his experience as an American whose family is from Iran. He came into the studio this past March, just after the United States launched military operations there. It's a record that asks us to listen between two cultures.

SONGS DISCUSSED
Rostam "Like a Spark"
Wilco "What Light"
HAIM "Summer Girl"
Rostam "Back of a Truck"
Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone"
Bob Dylan "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
The Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Lou Reed "Perfect Day"
Rostam "Forgive Is to Know"
Rostam "Hardy" (ft. Clairo)
Clairo “Sophia”
Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam “A 1000 Times”
David Bowie "I Can't Give Everything Away"
Rostam "The Road to Death"
Rostam "Come Apart"
Rostam "Campus (Original Version)"
Rostam "The Weight"

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Eurovision is back – but not without controversy May 12, 2026

Show notes

The flowers are blooming and the calendar says May. That can only mean one thing: the Eurovision Song Contest is upon us once again. This year, thirty-five countries face off to determine the best song that Europe and adjacent continents have to offer. However, the competition comes with a big asterisk: while Eurovision prides themselves on being “apolitical,” the inclusion of Israel in the competition has led to a massive boycott, and the nations of Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands all withdrawing their participation.

These are very real concerns impacting the general tenor of the competition this year, and are worth deeply considering. Since Eurovision is music news, and proves fundamental in discovering new sounds in global pop, as reporters, Nate, Charlie, and Reanna run down the top contenders according to bookmakers as of this recording. If you’re not watching this year, you’ll still know what’s going on.

But if Eurovision isn’t of interest, it’s all good. At the end of the episode, Nate, Charlie, and Reanna also take some time to run down the current state of Switched On Pop bingo.

Get your own bingo card here.

Links: ⁠Newsletter⁠, ⁠YouTube

Songs discussed:

Céline Dion – Ne partez pas sans moi
ABBA – Waterloo
Joost – Europapa
JJ – Wasted Love
Delta Goodrem – Eclipse
Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem
Ariana Grande – One Last Time
Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Akylas – Ferto
Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
Windows95man – No Rules
Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME
DARA – Bangaranga
Alexandra Cǎpitǎnescu – Choke Me
Satoshi – Viva, Moldova!
PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson – Stateside

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Samara Cyn is rap's best new writer May 08, 2026

Show notes

How do you write a rap verse that's clever without saying so? Samara Cyn, one of the sharpest young writers in hip-hop, joins us to talk about Detour, her new EP about going analog. We get into wordplay versus narrative, the Missy Elliott blueprint behind "oooshxt!", and why she takes a knee in the vocal booth when a line won't come out.

Songs Discussed

Samara Cyn — "Sinner"
Samara Cyn "BUSHWICK"
Samara Cyn — "FREE"
Samara Cyn — "Highest"
Samara Cyn — "oooshxt!"
Samara Cyn — "summer's turning"
Samara Cyn — "over influence"
Samara Cyn — "Nomad"
Samara Cyn — "Bad Brain"

Newsletter: https://switchedonpop.substack.com/

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Olivia Rodrigo and the second verse massacre May 05, 2026

Show notes

Olivia Rodrigo's chart-topping new single "drop dead," the lead single from her forthcoming third album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, breaks one of pop's oldest rules by abandoning the traditional second verse and replacing it with something entirely new. From Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" to Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild" and Chappell Roan's "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl," a growing wave of today's biggest pop stars are ditching the verse-chorus formula listeners have been trained to expect for decades. Rodrigo didn't invent the second-verse switch-up, but on "drop dead" she may have just killed off the predictable second verse for good.

Songs Discussed

Frank Zappa "Charlene"
Olivia Rodrigo "drop dead"
The Cure "Just Like Heaven"
Jean-Baptiste Lully "The Tragey of Armide" Ryan Brown conducting Opera Lafayette
Olivia Rodrigo "drivers license"
Olivia Rodrigo "good 4 u"
Olivia Rodrigo "vampire"
Olivia Rodrigo "ballad of a homeschooled girl"
Arnold Schoenberg Pierrot Lunaire — Patricia Kopatchinskaja
Mariah Carey "Fantasy" (ft. Ol' Dirty Bastard)
Blackstreet "No Diggity" (ft. Dr. Dre, Queen Pen)
Peter Gabriel "Don't Give Up" (ft. Kate Bush)
Kendrick Lamar, SZA "luther"
Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars "Die With a Smile"
Post Malone, Swae Lee "Sunflower"
HUNTR/X "Golden"
Joshua Bassett, Olivia Rodrigo "Start of Something New"
Matt Cornett, Olivia Rodrigo "What I've Been Looking For"
Olivia Rodrigo "All I Want"
The Avett Brothers "I and Love and You"
Sheryl Crow "Strong Enough"
Sabrina Carpenter "Please Please Please"
Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild"
Chappell Roan "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl"
Chappell Roan "HOT TO GO!"
Chappell Roan "Red Wine Supernova"

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