Pop Pantheon

Louie and Russ discuss recent career developments for Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, Zara Larsson, BTS, and Robyn and whether they're currently trending upward or downward in the Pop Pantheon. Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 4/2 Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, From Sabrina and Justin to Addison, Pink Pantheress, Slayyyter, & Katseye, Louie and Russ talk some of the buzziest performances from Coachella weekend. They also dig into Lady Gaga and Doechii's "Runway" and Russ' experience seeing Lily Allen perform West End Girl live. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie is joined by Vulture's Jason P. Frank, Pitchfork's Walden Green, and critic Lauren Michele Jackson to draft the 20 best Lana Del Rey songs of all time. Check out a playlist of our best Lana songs of all time Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 4/2 Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are joined by The Fader's Steffanee Wang to break down new albums from Raye and Slayyyter. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mic The Snare returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the career of one of the most successful bands of the century, Maroon 5. Louie and Nick dig into the M5's beginnings as a high school band called Kara’s Flowers, their pivot to funky pop rock on their 2002 blockbuster debut Songs About Jane, and the softer reception to their second and third records— as well as the start of lead singer Adam Levine’s tenure on NBC's The Voice— that lead to a commercial rebirth for the ages with the pop banger “Moves Like Jagger." Finally, Louie and Nick break down Maroon 5’s descent into the dregs of the pop machine that produced some truly unfortunate music but kept them, sometimes bafflingly, at the top of the charts through most of the 2010s and finally, rank the group in The Official Pop Pantheon. Check out our Maroon 5 Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk about their experiences seeing Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun Tour before breaking down new albums from Charlie Puth and Robyn To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie is joined by Shaad D'Souza and Reanna Cruz to count down their favorite pop albums of the century so far. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist and editor Crystal Bell joins Russ from Seoul, South Korea to break down BTS' big comeback. Last week, the K-pop boy band released their first studio album in six years, Arirang, following each member of the group completing South Korea's mandatory military service. Crystal and Russ break down the album, BTS' live performance comeback and their new Netflix documentary BTS: The Return. Then they discuss BLACKPINK's recent EP, Deadline, and discuss how K-Pop has changed since both groups rose to prominence and helped to popularize K-Pop around the world. Read Crystal's cover story profile of Jung Kook in Rolling Stone Read Crystal's review of BTS: The Return in Mashable Follow Crystal on Instagram Sign up for updates about Louie's book, Queen! Icon! Legend! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friend of the Pod Sam Murphy recently posted a TikTok positing an interesting question about whether Hot 100 #1s have the same salience as they used to have. To parse this question out further, Louie is joined by Sam and Chris to talk about the state of the #1 single, the Billboard charts, and what it all says about the music listen functions in 2026. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Happy Oscars! To celebrate the big day and our fav prolific Oscars also-ran, we're dropping All Access early and drafting the 20 best Diane Warren songs of all time with our pals Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber of Who? Weekly. Tell us your Diane favs in the comments and enjoy this wild ride through one of the best songwriting discographies in pop history.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the conclusion of our Whitney Houston Series, Louie and Russ play clips from all three guests— Emily Lordi, Jason King, & Gerrick Kennedy— plus take listener calls to finally determine if Whitney Houston is in Tier 1 of the Pop Pantheon. Whitney Houston Essentials Playlist Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/20 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Two of the biggest male pop stars of the day, Harry Styles and Bruno Mars, just returned with new albums after relatively long absences. What's new with these two and what do they have to say after years out of the spotlight? On this episode, Louie and Russ unpack Bruno Mars' The Romantic and Harry Styles' Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerrick Kennedy, author of Didn't We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston, joins Pop Pantheon for the third in our four-part series on the pop supernova Whitney Houston. Louie and Gerrick discuss Whitney’s most consistent and idiosyncratic album, 1998’s My Love Is Your Love, and its follow-up, the defensive flop, 2002’s Just Whitney, her only without Clive Davis at the helm. They unpack Whitney’s devolving public image through the late '90s and aughts, her appearances in the 2005 reality series Being Bobby Brown, unpack her final album, 2009's I Look to You, her final days and untimely death in 2012, and her enduring legacy. Join us next week, in which we’ll rank Whitney Houston in The Official Pop Pantheon. Whitney Houston Essentials Playlist Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/20 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga's 7th studio album, Mayhem, turns one year old this week. To celebrate, Louie and Russ look back on the Grammy winner, going track-by-track on the record that had Gaga proclaiming, "my nachos are mine, I invented them, and I’m proud of them!" To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music Jason King returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our four-part series on the late, great pop Whitney Houston. Louie and Jason dissect Whitney’s unprecedented run of cultural dominance through the '90s, from her iconic Super Bowl 1991 performance to 1992's The Bodyguard, the best-selling soundtrack of all time. They then discuss Whitney’s troubled marriage to Bobby Brown, her continued run of film and soundtrack success with 1995’s Waiting to Exhale and 1996's The Preacher’s Wife, and how her pristine public image, blockbuster commercial success, and messy personal life began to conflict as the '90s wore on. Join us next week, in which we’ll discuss Whitney’s creative peak in 1998 with My Love Is Your Love, her later era work, her untimely passing, and legacy. Whitney Houston Essentials Playlist Buy tickets for Main Pop Girls on 2/27 in NYC Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Rihanna's 8th (and last?????) studio album Anti dropped a decade (!!) ago. To celebrate ten years, Louie and Russ look back on the record, going track-by-track on RiRi's loosest, most internal, and adventurous album, both a crowning achievement and frustrating cornucopia of unfulfilled potential. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of the forthcoming book Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston Emily Lordi returns to Pop Pantheon to kick off our special four-part on a pop star known as “The Voice” – perhaps the single greatest singer to ever grace the charts— Whitney Houston. Louie and Emily dig into Whitney’s origins in New Jersey, her musical family and first taste of the industry as a teenage model and session singer. Then they discuss her providential link-up with record man Clive Davis, her 1985 self-titled debut album, and first string of blockbuster singles. Next they unpack 1987’s Whitney, her infamous appearance at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, and finally, her musical pivot towards R&B on 1990’s I’m Your Baby Tonight. Join us next week, in which we’ll discuss Whitney's 1991 Super Bowl National Anthem, The Bodyguard, and her run of smash movies and soundtracks. Whitney Houston Essentials Playlist Buy tickets for Main Pop Girls on 2/27 in NYC Pre-order Emily's book, Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ take more listener questions on Grimes, the best solo singles from former boy banders and girl groupers, who's on their Niche Legend Mount Rushmore, and more! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ crack open the mailbag and answer listener questions about everything from the lack of buzz for Lorde post Virgin to what videos we like to put on at Gay Guy Music Video Night, our Letterboxd Top 4 and more. Buy tickets for Main Pop Girls on 2/27 in NYC Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 2/13 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Friend of the Pod Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Bad Bunny's historic Super Bowl halftime show performance and Charli XCX's.... less historic new film, The Moment. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Sunday, Bad Bunny will make history as the first Puerto Rican born and the first Latin male artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Ahead of the big game, Russ is joined by Hearing Things co-founder Julianne Escobedo Shepherd and Alana Casanova-Burgess, co-creator + host of La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience, to dig into the history of Latin performers at the Halftime Show and discuss what it means for Bad Bunny to take center stage in this moment. Buy tickets for Main Pop Girls on 2/27 in NYC Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 2/13 Listen to season three of La Brega Read music criticism and features at HearingThings.co Follow Julianne, Alana + Russ on Instagram. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ dissect last night's Grammy Awards, from the very right (Bad Bunny takes Album of the Year :-)) to the very wrong (Billie Eilish wins Record of the Year!?!?! :-(). To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Beyoncé to Sophie, Jai Paul, Kelly Clarkson, Aaliyah, Nelly, Carly Rae Jepsen, and more, Brittany Spanos and Jason P. Frank join DJ Louie to countdown each of their Top 20 pop songs of the last quarter century . Listen to a playlist of our picks here (Apple Music link here!) Get tickets to Main Pop Girls on 2/27 at Parkside Lounge Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 1/31 Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 2/13 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ make their final predictions about who will take home hardware on Sunday night at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly episodes of Pop Pantheon: All Access, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Bad Bunny takes the stage at the Super Bowl, Pop Pantheon is exploring the career and work of another trailblazing Puerto Rican superstar, Ricky Martin. Nuria Net joins Louie to dig into Ricky’s origins as a boy bander turned soap star. The two discuss the music Ricky made with Menudo, his solo debut, and his global breakthrough with 1995's “Maria.” From there, they break down how an explosive performance of “La Copa de la Vida” broke Ricky to English-speaking audiences, unpack the global phenomenon of “Livin’ la Vida Loca," and explore how Ricky's 1999 self-titled album and 2000's Sound Loaded launched the so-called "latin explosion" of the turn of the century. Finally, Louie and Nuria highlight Ricky's later period output including his continued Spanish language music, his coming out, and finally, rank Ricky Martin in the official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Ricky Martin Essentials PlaylistGet tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 1/31 Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 2/13 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Superstar Harry Styles just announced that his fourth studio album, Kiss Me All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, will drop on March 6. To prep, Louie and Russ returned to his last record, 2022's Harry's House, to parse out their feelings on that Grammy Winner for Album of the Year, track by track. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Madonna Singles Draft! Louie and Russ are joined by Paper's Joan Summer and music journalist Annie Zaleski to join forces and pick the Top 20 Madonna Singles of All Time, draft style. Listen to a Spotify playlist of our Top 20 Madonna Singles of All Time Get tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 1/31 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk about the lead single for Bruno Mars' forthcoming fourth studio album, "I Just Might," then break down the latest pairing from Robyn, "Talk to Me" and "Sexistential," and finally take on more of your unpopular opinions about Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ are joined by actress, comedian and Pop Pantheon listener (!) Ivy Wolk to react to all of your most unhinged unpopular opinions about Addison Rae, Janet Jackson, Sabrina Carpenter, & More! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, for the first episode of 2026, Louie and Russ took on Taylor Swift's venerated "Track 5s," the fifth song on each of her album track lists that many fans view as the records' respective emotional cores. The boys go track by track chronologically through each Taylor album, then each share their Taylor Track 5 rankings.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! We'll be back next week with brand new episodes of Pop Pantheon. In the meantime, enjoy this rerun from April 2022, our Abba A-Side with Abba scholar Carl Magnus Palm. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ shares their picks for the worst pop of the year, discuss what's in the pipeline for 2026 then make predictions for the next year in pop music. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merry Christmas! We're off for the next couple weeks but as a little treat, we're re-running our episode reviewing Addison Rae's debut album, Addison, from June of this year. If you enjoy this episode and want to receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. For a limited time, enter the code 'BOXINGDAY' at checkout to receive 50% off your first month!! You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, friend of the Pod Omri Rolan returns for the 3rd annual Top of the Flops – a celebration of all the best and biggest flops in pop music this year. Louie, Russ + Omri share their picks for the best pop music that flopped this year, announce the listener-voted award for Bellyflop of the Year and, finally, give away the Sabrina Carpenter Award For Stopping Flopping to a very surprising recipient. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Tuesday night in New York City, DJ Louie gathered an all-star panel— Who Weekly's Lindsey Weber, Lemme Say This' Peyton Dix, and Billboard's Jason Lipshutz— live on stage to break down of their favorite pop songs of 2025. Hear a playlist of this year's picks Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ break down the first two episodes of Taylor Swift's new docuseries, The End of an Era, Russ shares his top albums and songs of the year, and finally, the two announce all of YOUR favorites from the past year in pop music and culture. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: This full episode will be available for free on our main feed on Thursday. In a preview from Pop Pantheon: All Access, As a special treat for our paid subscribers, we're giving you next week's main feed drop, our Best Pop Songs of 2025 live show, almost a week in advance!  On Tuesday, DJ Louie gathered an all star panel — Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber, Lemme Say This' Peyton Dix, and Billboard's Jason Lipshutz— to count down their favorite pop songs of the year. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday night in New York City, DJ Louie gathered an all-star panel— critic and best-selling author Ira Madison III, writer and critic Doreen St. Félix, and New York Times Pop Music Editor Caryn Ganz— live on stage to break down of their favorite pop albums of 2025. Tune in next week for The Best Pop Songs of 2025! Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, From Gaga to Addison, Lorde, Beyoncé, Scissors Sisters, Mary Blige, Katy Perry, and SO many more, Louie and Russ gather to rank their favorite (and least favorite) live shows of the past year. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ take listener calls about Pop Pantheon rankings they may have gotten wrong this year and throughout the podcast's run. Fill out Pop Pantheon's 2025 Listener Survey Grab tickets to our Best Pop of 2025 Live Show LATE SHOW in NYC on 12/9 Grab tickets to the final Gorgeous Gorgeous of 2025 in LA on 12/5 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, with a new Olivia Rodrigo album seemingly on the horizon, Louie and Russ return to her sophomore effort, 2023's Guts, to parse their differing vibes on Olivia, reflect on the album's middling commercial performance, and... uh... gut-check on how the record's held up by going track-by-track. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're off for Thanksgiving so as a little treat, we're publishing a Patreon episode from earlier this year where Russ and Louie go track by track on Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, skipping the singles to decide whether the album is a classic— or even any good— without them. This is a little taste of what you’ll get if you subscribe to our Patreon show, where we publish weekly bonus episodes. We’ve got a Black Friday discount code that’s good for ONE WEEK ONLY, so snag it before the discount is gone. Use the code “CHARLI” for 20% off an annual subscription or use the code “TINASHE” for 15% off your first month. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ take listener calls on Robyn's forthcoming album, how Taylor will navigate motherhood in her music, Tate McRae's 2025 up-level and more.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: This episode was updated shortly after release to correct a missing audio clip. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts and hear a gap or missing section, please delete the episode and re-download to access the updated version. Omri Rolan joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the ups and many, many, many downs of girl grouper turned solo pop flop, Nicole Scherzinger. Louie and Omri dig into Nicole’s origins on the reality show Popstars, her first hit with Eden’s Crush, “Get Over Yourself,” and her road to The Pussycat Dolls. From there, they discuss the string of unsuccessful singles that led to her first solo album being shelved permanently, her eventual Red One-assisted 2011 album Killer Love, 2014’s tepidly received Big Fat Lie and Nicole’s unlikely comeback as a prestige stage star. Finally, they rank Nicole Scherzinger in The Official Pop Pantheon. Nicole Scherzinger Essentials Playlist on Spotify Grab tickets to our Best Pop of 2025 Live Show LATE SHOW in NYC on 12/9 Grab tickets to the final Gorgeous Gorgeous of 2025 in LA on 12/5 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are joined by the LA Times' Suzy Exposito to break down Rosalia's ambitious, orchestral, multilingual fourth album, Lux. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Troy McEady of Beyond The Blinds returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the defining prefab American girl group of the 2000s, The Pussycat Dolls. Louie and Troy dig into PCD’s beginnings as a burlesque troupe, early dalliances with pop stars like Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani, and brand extension into a ready-made musical girl gang. They discuss the group’s breakthrough, “Don’t Cha,” 2005’s PCD, the near-immediate member tensions and subsequent sophomore slump, 2008’s Doll Domination. From there, they tackle the the Pussycats' breakup(s) and abandoned 2020 reunion, then rank the Pussycat Dolls into The Official Pop Pantheon.  Grab tickets to our Best Pop of 2025 Live Show LATE SHOW in NYC on 12/9 The Pussycat Dolls Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ react to the 2025 Grammy nominations plus dissect new songs from Katy Perry and Hilary Duff. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Martin is the biggest pop producer of all time, having crafted hits across three decades for everyone from Britney and Backstreet Boys to Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and so many more. He recently re-teamed with Taylor for her 12th album, The Life of Showgirl, a record that many believe didn't reflect his best work but also made us wonder: What is?   Pop Pantheon favs Aisha Harris, Molly Mary O'Brien, and Sam Murphy return for a roundtable with DJ Louie to break down the secret sauce to Max's 30 years of in the biz, before each sharing their top 5 Max songs of all time. Grab tickets to our Best Pop of 2025 Live Show in NYC on 12/9 Check out a playlist of our Max Martin picks Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, in anticipation of the 2026 Grammy nominations which will be unveiled this Friday, Louie and Russ share their predictions for the nominees in the big four and pop categories. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ answer your questions about Taylor Swift and interpolation credits, Katy and Miley's recent flops, their favorite lead Britney singles, how they first met one another and more.... Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss new albums from Lily Allen and Demi Lovato and also dive into recent changes to the way Billboard tracks the Hot 100. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time's Taylor Crumpton returns to Pop Pantheon to explore the deeply personal and trenchantly political R&B of neo-soul earth mother Erykah Badu. Taylor and Louie discuss Erykah’s upbringing in Dallas, her early work as part of a rap duo, and her early collaborations with the Roots and D'Angelo. From there they break down her legendary 1997 album Baduizm, her follow up Live, which included her improv'ed hit "Tyrone," and 2000's socially-conscious Mama's Gun. Along the way, they touch on her legendary love life and innovative later era work, like her 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone. Finally, they rank Erykah Badu in The Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Erykah Badu Essentials Playlist on Spotify Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss buzzy new albums from three very different pop girlies: Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun, Audrey Hobert's Who's The Clown?, and Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie & Russ play a game of Step Up, Step Down where they look at recent career moves by Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Cardi B, and Lorde and decide if they are currently on an upward or downward slope in the Pop Pantheon. Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie is joined by friend of the pod, Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak, to break down Mariah Carey's 16th studio album, Here For It All, which dropped a few weeks ago. The two dig into the record's mix of '70s soul and contemporary R&B, how Mimi deploys her more limited vocal range, and how Here attempts to solve for the problems of the late-career pop diva album. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ are answering all of your questions about Season One of our Taylor Swift series which covered her early era and first three albums, 2006's debut, 2008's Fearless, and 2010's Speak Now.  Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, what else could it be? Louie and Russ go extra long on Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, consider each track, and ask the big questions about what it all means in the career trajectory of the biggest pop star of them all.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guardian's deputy music editor Laura Snapes makes her Pop Pantheon debut for the conclusion of season one of our epic Taylor Swift super-series. Louie and Laura revisit the marquee music event of autumn 2010, the release of Taylor’s third album, Speak Now. They discuss the album's six platinum hits, how it revitalized the record industry in a moment of peril and the way Taylor used Speak Now to respond to public narratives about her. Join us next week for a bonus B-Side Mailbag episode covering YOUR questions about Taylor’s early years and initial run of country albums. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk the announcement of Bad Bunny as next year's Super Bowl halftime show performer, Russ' experience at Lorde's Ultrasound World Tour, and take bets on the first week sales for Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl before digging into Doja Cat's '80s pastiche on her new album, Vie, released last week.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stereogum senior editor Tom Breihan returns to Pop Pantheon for the second episode of season one of Pop Pantheon’s epic Taylor Swift super-series. Louie and Tom touch down on Taylor as she lands her first big pop hit, the pop-rock anthem “Love Story.” From there, they tackle Taylor’s graduation from country ingenue to global superstardom with her number one Grammy-winning sophomore album, 2008’s Fearless, and discuss modern pop music history's big bang with Taylor and Kanye West's infamous meeting at the 2009 MTV VMAs. Join us next week for the conclusion of season one, in which we’ll discuss Taylor’s 2010 album Speak Now. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk their predictions for who will be next year's Super Bowl halftime performer and talk there experiences seeing Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour before digging into Cardi B's long-awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, which dropped on Friday. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield returns to Pop Pantheon to kick off the first season of our sprawling, multi-year super series about the biggest pop star phenomenon of the 21st century, Taylor Swift. Louie and Rob, author of Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music, dig into Taylor’s origins in suburban Philadelphia, the famed Christmas tree farm she grew up on and her bootstrapped teenage years in Nashville. Then they discuss her 2006 self-titled album, which transformed Taylor into country music’s newest ingénue.  Join us next week for Part 2, in which we’ll discuss Taylor’s sophomore album, 2008’s Fearless.  Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ get together to share their experiences of seeing Lady Gaga's epic Mayhem Ball World Tour, before diving into their thoughts on new albums from Justin Bieber and Jade.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie, Russ, and returning champ Reanna Cruz discuss the year in main pop girls before each sharing their personal top five Main Pop Girl Power Ranking for 2025 and putting their heads together for a collective top ten. Gaga? Addison? Doechii? Sabrina? PinkPantheress? Who will win?!?! Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous on Sept. 12 at The Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, With performances from everyone from Doja Cat to Mariah Carey, and Lady Gaga and major awards for Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, Louie and Russ reflect on the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, the first to air on CBS. It was a show loaded with a lot of stuff but very little that felt essential. The two try to parse apart the purpose and future of the VMAs is an era where both MTV and music videos feel less relevant than ever.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ look back on 2025's wonky summer of pop music, discuss whether there was any true song of summer this year, and look at Billboard's definitive rankings before sifting back through their bets from this spring to see who got the most right about Song of Summer 2025. Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous on Sept. 12 at The Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk briefly about the engagement news of the century before digging into Sabrina Carpenter's 7th (!!)— although for all intents and purposes, sophomore— studio album, Man's Best Friend, which dropped on Friday. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop Pantheon will return with new episodes next week! In the meantime, enjoy a taste of our Patreon channel, Pop Pantheon: All Access, with this live show about Taylor Swfit's The Tortured Poets Department from back in April of '24. If you enjoy this and want to receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Wall Street Journal's Myles Tanzer returns to Pop Pantheon ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Justin Bieber's fourth studio album, Purpose, to unpack the blockbuster record. Louie and Myles touch down on Justin's recent album Swag, discuss Purpose's trio of number one hits, "Love Yourself," "Sorry" and "What Do You Mean?," and talk about Justin's approach to pop stardom over the years. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pop Pantheon is off until September but we didn't want to leave you high and dry! This episode on Cyndi Lauper from back in January 2022 is one of Louie's favorites. If you missed it or are new to the pod, this is great gem from the back catalog. If you've heard it before, we hope you enjoy revisiting the career, work, and legacy of this early MTV era icon.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ revisit Miley Cyrus' divisive 2013 blockbuster Bangerz, her most successful pop star era but one loaded to the brim with controversy and worse. To do so, they go track-by-track on the album but skip it's three enduring hits— "We Can't Stop," "Wrecking Ball," and "Adore You"— to decide if this explosive, chaotic record many deem some kind of "classic" stands on it's own two feet without them.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, it's a true Pop Emergency! Earlier this week, Taylor Swift announced her forthcoming 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, due out October 3rd, so Louie and Russ had to gather for a little bonus pod to discuss everything we know about the album so far and what to expect from a whole new Taylor era. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To conclude our epic four-parter, the time has come to rank Kylie Minogue in the official Pop Pantheon! Louie and Russ convene an international gay summit with friends of the pod Owen Myers and Sam Murphy to break down one of the toughest tier rankings in Pop Pantheon history. Do we rank Kylie differently in different territories? Try to come up with a global ranking? How do we make sense of such an enigmatic career that played out so differently across different regions of the world? Panelists from the series Michael Cragg, Joan Summers, and Katherine St. Asaph all weigh in as well before Louie makes the final call! Listen to our Kylie Minogue Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, writer and producer Lakin Imani Starling joins Pop Pantheon ahead of the first anniversary of Doechii's mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal to talk about how the project turned Doechii into a breakout star. Lakin and Russ dig into Doechii's origins in Florida, her early years as a rapper and musician and early hits like "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" and "What It Is" that helped set the stage for her massive mainstream breakthrough. From there, they discuss how Doechii uses Alligator Bites to challenges notions of genre and, ultimately, to tell her own story. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have recently received a number of takedown notices from Spotify on behalf of an organization representing songwriters and publishers and indications that Spotify could, at some point, remove Pop Pantheon from their platform. In light of that and while our current plan is to continue publishing on Spotify for the the time being, we're highly suggesting that our Spotify listeners subscribe to PP on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or any other podcast app so that you never miss an episode of the show regardless of what the future holds for the show on Spotify.  Lastly, even if you don't subscribe at the paid tier, click here to sign up for Pop Pantheon's Patreon channel at the free tier so that we have a way to keep in touch outside of the reach of these major tech platforms. We'll also be throwing you some free goodies on there as well!  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine St. Asaph makes her Pop Pantheon debut for the third in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue. Louie and Katherine discuss Kylie's life-changing cancer diagnosis and the celebratory record that followed her public battle with the disease 2007's X. Then they tackle Kylie’s later era run of records, from 2010’s Aphrodite through to 2020's Disco, when led into her third moment in the American zeitgeist with "Padam Padam" nearly 40 years into her career. Join us next week for part 4, in which we’ll debate Kylie’s ranking in The Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to our Kylie Minogue Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on August 8 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the second installment in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue, Paper’s Joan Summers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Kylie’s commercial crash out in the '90s and glorious rebirth in the early 2000s. Joan and Louie dig into Kylie's commercial nadir with 1997’s Impossible Princess, then unpack one of pop’s greatest rebounds, her 2000 maximalist camp fantasia Light Years. From there, they discuss her robotic pop masterpiece “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head,” Kylie’s second brush with U.S. success, her commercial peak with 2001’s Fever, and 2003’s sensual and scaled back Body Language. Join us next week for Part 3, in which we’ll discuss later era Kylie, from 2007's X through to her recent resurgence with “Padam Padam.” Listen to our Kylie Minogue Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 1  Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on August 8 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nashville Public Radio's senior music writer Jewly Hight joins Russ to help break down country music's continued boom. Russ and Jewly chat about the aftermath of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, try to make sense of Morgan Wallen's behemoth success with I'm the Problem and discuss new songs from Tanner Adell, Megan Moroney & more! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue, Michael Cragg returns to Pop Pantheon to help unpack the origins of a zenith superstar of global pop, Kylie Minogue. Michael and Louie explore Kylie’s breakout moment, first with the Australian soap Neighbours, then “The Loco-Motion.” From there, they unpack her early work with eighties hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman and her first brush at success in America. Then they tackle her coming of age on 1990’s Rhythm of Love, her final outing under the SAW banner, 1991’s Let’s Get To It, and her first post-SAW reinvention with 1994’s Kylie Minogue. Join us next week for Part 2, in which we’ll discuss 1997's Impossible Princess, 2000's Light Years, 2001's Fever and 2003's Body Language. Listen to our Kylie Minogue Essentials Playlist BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 1  Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on August 8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ go track-by-track on Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, 2016's Joanne. A departure from the slamming dance beats and extravagance of her earlier eras, the record posited a more "stripped back" version of the camp queen, featuring a campaign laden with country signifiers including her signature pink cowboy hat, and a backstory about Gaga's aunt, the titular Joanne, who died before the pop star was born. But does it deliver on any of that? After underperforming commercially in its time, how have the songs held up? And in retrospect, what did Joanne portend for the next decade of Lady Gaga's career? To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and editor Carly Lewis joins Russ to rank their respective top 10 Canadian pop stars of all time. Carly and Russ discuss why Canada has produced so many successful pop stars, then talk about some of the biggest names in Canadian pop from Celine Dion to Drake and Shania Twain – and a few Canadian greats who never found fame outside the Great White North.  BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Playlist! Listen to songs from Russ + Carly's lists Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friend of the pod Troy McEady returns to Pop Pantheon All Access for a super sized New Music Speed Round. Troy and Russ give their first impressions of Justin Bieber's surprise album Swag, Cardi B's lead single for her sophomore record, "Outside," Katseye's EP Beautiful Chaos, Lizzo's rap mixtape My Face Hurts from Smiling & more! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hit Girls author Nora Princiotti returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss two infamous celebrities turned fleeting pop divas of the early 2000s, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Nora and Louie discuss Lindsay’s Radio Disney hits, like “Ultimate You” and her TRL moment with “Rumors” and 2004’s pop rock Speak. Then, they work through Paris’ 2006 light reggae bop “Stars Are Blind” and her album from that same year, Paris. Finally, they unpack Lindsay’s commercial decline on her final album, 2005's A Little More Personal (Raw), Paris’ DJ career and both starlets’ recent attempts at re-establishing themselves as pop stars, before ranking both Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Paris Hilton & Lindsay Lohan Essentials Playlist BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Buy Nora Princiotti's book, Hit Girls: Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kesha released her sixth studio album on Friday – notably, her first as an independent artist. Friend of the pod Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone joins Russ to break down Period's highs and lows, what it means for Kesha to make unapologetic party music again and where she sits in the pop firmament as she heads out on a roaring summer tour with The Scissor Sisters. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We put out another call for our audience's most unpopular pop opinions and boy did you deliver. Switched on Pop producer Reanna Cruz joins Russ to field unpopular pop opinions about Lady Gaga’s vocal abilities, Taylor Swift’s videography AND discography, Charli XCX’s refusal to let the brat moment die and, of course, Benson Boone. Plus Reanna and Russ reveal some of their OWN unpopular opinions in the process… BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Reanna Cruz on Twitter Follow Reanna Cruz on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lorde's long-awaited fourth studio album, Virgin, dropped this past Friday and finds the New Zealand savant both looking backwards at past sounds and versions of herself while exploring new writing modalities. Louie and Russ dig into the new music, its candid, grimy explorations of gender, sexuality, the body, and being in your late 20s and how Lorde's new dedication to reveling in mess affects her status as a generational pop prophet.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ gather for an installment of "Step Up, Step Down," where they discuss recent career developments for Miley Cyrus, Drake, The Weeknd, Megan Thee Stallion, & Ed Sheeran and whether they are currently trending up or down in the Pop Pantheon. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Sister auteurs Haim returned on Friday with their 4th studio album, I Quit. Writer and editor Alex Frank joins Louie to talk about the new record, how Haim fairs on their first songs without long-time collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid but— due to Danielle's and his' recent breakup— his specter hanging all over this music, the notion of "quitting," and how this album campaign is attempting, perhaps in vein, to launch Haim to a new echelon of fame. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield returns to Pop Pantheon for the second and final part in our Elton John series. Rob and Louie pick up on Elton’s career after his initial run of hits in the 1970s at the tail end of his imperial phase. They then discuss his prolific career from 1975’s autobiographical Captain Fantastic to his poorly received disco record in 79, Victim of Love, and his comeback via 1983's Too Low for Zero. Next, they tackle later era Elton, from his Disney hits to his work on Broadway, 1997's re-recording of "Candle in the Wind" and his collabs with pop ingénues like Dua Lipa. Finally, they rank Elton John in The Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Elton John Essentials Playlist BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield makes his Pop Pantheon debut for our special two-part Pride series on one of the most iconic queer figures in pop history, Elton John. Louie and Rob dig into Elton’s musical roots, his band Bluesology and his early work with lyricist and creative partner Bernie Taupin. From there, they discuss his 1970 breakthrough with “Your Song” and his seminal run of mid-1970s “classic period” albums and hits, including records like 1971’s Tumbleweed Connection, 1972’s Honky Château, 1973’s Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player and Elton’s audacious double-album blockbuster Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973).  Tune in next week for part two, covering the many peaks and valleys of Elton’s post-imperial run career, his legacy as a queer pop star and his ranking in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Elton John Essentials Playlist Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tik Tok Influencer turned gay pop fan cause célèbre Addison Rae dropped her debut album, Addison, last Friday following a series of surprisingly great singles. Does the record meet the hype? How does Addison translate in album form? And how unlikely is it for this former social media star to suddenly emerge as the vanguard pop diva du jour? Louie and Russ discuss it all. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rolling Stone staff writer Larisha Paul returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the best pop songs you might have missed so far in 2025. Larisha and Russ talk about what it takes to break through in today's over-saturated pop market and what's happening on the outskirts of the mainstream pop world, then they each share some of their favorite bubbling under and over-looked songs from the first half of 2025. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Listen to a playlist of Russ + Larisha's selections Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Read Larisha's column on why every song sounds like an audition for The Voice now Follow Larisha on Twitter, Instagram + TikTok Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ get together to talk Louie's night at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter show in New Jersey, Taylor Swift buying back her masters and how it impacts the legacy of the re-recording project, and Miley Cyrus' latest opus, Something Beautiful, which dropped on Friday. Plus, Louie tries Selena Gomez's Oreos live on air! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host of the Legends Only podcast Bradley Stern returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the best pop songs of 2025 so far. First, Louie and Bradley discuss the broader trends— or perhaps the broader lack of trends— happening in pop music so far this year, before each sharing their list of favorites from the first half of 2025. Listen to Louie and Bradley's Favorite Pop Songs of 2025 So Far BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ dive deep into the trenches of the Hot 100 to figure out what the hell is going on with mainstream pop music these days, parsing the songs of alleged popular artists such as "Alex Warren," "BigXThaPlug," "Myles Smith," "Benson Boone," and so many more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ answer listener questions about the current 2026 Grammy Album of the Year Frontrunners, why Chappell Roan's "The Giver" underperformed, Max Martin's trajectory as a collaborator, whether Gaga directly ripped Taylor off on "How Bad Do U Want Me," and more! BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, on the cusp of Lorde's forthcoming fourth studio album Virgin, due next month, Louie and Russ revisit her last album, 2021's divisive paean to the natural world, Solar Power. Neither loved this record on impact but how has it aged? Does it land differently out of the context of its moment? And what do it's successes and failures portend for the next round of Lorde music? To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and editor Ilana Kaplan joins Pop Pantheon to discuss one of pop’s criminally under-appreciated secrets, Haim. Louie and Ilana unpack the sister trio’s origins in Southern California, including their family band Rockinhaim and Este and Danielle’s short-lived teen pop band The Valli Girls. From there, they dig into 2013’s Days are Gone, a record that paid virtuosic homage to pop radio of yore, Haim’s friendship with Taylor Swift and 2017’s Something to Tell You. Finally, they discuss Haim’s most recent album, 2020’s personal and more organic sounding Women in Music Pt. III and rank Haim in The Official Pop Pantheon.  Listen to Pop Pantheon's Haim EssentialsBUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan Room Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After debating the current chart fortunes of everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and a bevy of current-charting Tik Tok stars they've never heard of, Louie and Russ throw down cash in a high stakes betting game in which they attempt to figure out what will be the official Song of Summer 2025! Come back this fall to find out who won. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department— a sprawling, 31 song, two disc, two+ hour melange of music from the superstar— arrived last April amidst peak Taylor cultural overload: her landmark Eras Tour had been globe-trotting for a year, she'd just recently dominated the Grammys winning her record-breaking fourth Album of the Year trophy for previous album Midnights, her non-stop fountain of re-releases of previous works seemed ceaseless, and her new relationship with football star Travis Kelce was plastered all over our TVs and social media feeds constantly.  All of that made the album a lot to stomach for many outside of the artist's (massive) core fan base and Poets, though hugely commercially successful, was broadly seen as one of the pop icon's weaker efforts, including by the makers of the podcast.  But with the power of hindsight, how does Tortured Poets hold up removed from all of that context?  Louie, Russ, and friend of the pod Shaad D'Souza gather to discuss just that, plus each share their... um.. "tailored" versions which help prune the massive tracklist into something more manageable, and maybe good? To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of our epic Britney series, critic and writer of the Substack In the Zine Alim Kheraj joins Louie and Russ to answer all your burning follow up questions: What are our favorite Britney deep cuts? What do we make of the anti-Britneys like Avril? Who would we cast in a proper remake of the Britney, Beyoncé, and Pink Pepsi commercial? And so much more! BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, late last week, Lorde ushered in her much-anticipated new era by dropping her latest single, "What Was That," amidst a surprise live pop-up show in New York City's Washington Square Park, before releasing the song's music video soon after. So how is it? And what does it tell us about the possibility of an impending Lorde-aissance? Louie and Russ discuss that, along with the recently announced Lena Dunham and Carly Rae Jepsen-helmed 10 Things I Hate About You Musical and the viral mess of Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour, before playing a game that tests Louie's Spotify numbers knowledge. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reanna Cruz joins Pop Pantheon to break down the rise of Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull. Reanna and Louie explore Pitbull's genesis in the cultural hub of Miami and his breakthrough with 2004's dancehall-cum-reggaeton banger “Culo.” They then tackle his early work in both Spanish and English and his pivot towards big dance anthems and cross-cultural superstardom, resulting in albums like 2009’s Pitbull Starring in Rebelution and 2011’s Planet Pit, his massive run of hit guest verses and clever branding, catchphrases, and signature swaggering, fun-loving on-record presence, all of which made him one of the key voices of the EDM era. Finally, they discuss his later era work and rank Pitbull in the official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Pitbull Essentials on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento joins Russ to discuss the expansive world of latin pop, including Bad Bunny's latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, plus new songs from Nathy Peluso, Bb trickz & more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Queer men are the backbone of modern pop fandom. And yet so few, even in 2025, get to the top of the mainstream pop star heap. Why is that? And how have queer male artists existed in the pop music firmament over the last hundred years? Dean of USC's Thornton School of Music Jason King is here to help unpack all these questions and more. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti joins Russ to talk about Lady Gaga’s extraordinary Coachella performance. They also play a New Music Speed Round with new songs from Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran & more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Pre-order Nora’s new book, Hit Girls: Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade HERE, listen to Every Single Album HERE & sign up for updates about Louie’s upcoming book HERE. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a game of "Step Up, Step Down," Louie and Russ discuss recent career developments from Lady Gaga, Drake, Selena Gomez, Tate McRae, & Bruno Mars and whether they are currently trending up or down in the official Pop Pantheon. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are answering your burning questions regarding Mayhem, the tour, and so much more on Lady Gaga. They're also talking about seeing Kylie Minogue's North American arena tour and Louie's recently announced book! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a sequel to a recent episode recapping The Best Albums of the 2020s So Far, critic Shaad D'Souza, The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, and writer and editor Puja Patel are here to count down each of our top five pop songs of the 2020s so far. Check out a playlist of our top pop songs of the 2020s so far on Spotify Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, this past Friday, just over a year after the release of her 7th studio album, Eternal Sunshine, Ariana Grande released a deluxe version, Brighter Days Ahead. Louie and Russ reflect on how their feelings about the original record have evolved since it first dropped and how the new songs— and the short film she put out alongside them— add to the Eternal Sunshine Universe and era.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've finally arrived! After four episodes and nearly ten hours of discussion and dissection, Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Mega Series concludes with the big question: Is Britney Spears in Tier 1 of the Pantheon? To parse that out, Louie and Russ are joined by friend of the pod Molly Mary O'Brien to pull at this debate from every possible angle. Throughout the nearly two-hour (!!!) debate, they also hear from Dean of USC's Thornton School of Music's Jason King regarding his thoughts on Britney, her legacy, her ranking, and the Pantheon in general, along with ranking opinions from every past guest of the series including The New Yorker's Doreen St. Félix, NPR's Ann Powers, The New York Times' Caryn Ganz and Beyond the Blinds' Troy McEady. Finally, Louie ranks Britney Spears in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the fourth episode in our five-part series on Britney Spears, Beyond The Blinds’ Troy McEady returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss late period Britney, an unnerving decade+ period where Britney's pop stardom often felt forced upon her and yet produced some of her most beloved and successful music. Troy and Louie start with her EDM reimagining on 2011’s chart-topping Femme Fatale, her first and only album to produce three top ten singles. From there, they unpack Britney’s brief, odd The X Factor tenure, 2013’s derided nadir Britney Jean, her massively lucrative but sometimes bizarre Vegas residency, Piece of Me, and Britney’s final album to date, 2016’s fan-favorite Glory. Finally, they discuss the #FreeBritney movement, the end of conservatorship, Britney’s life beyond the music business, whether this story has any semblance of a happy ending, and her enduring impact on pop.  Join us next week for Part 5, in which we’ll rank Britney Spears in the Official Pop Pantheon. Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Main Pop Girls: BRITNEY VS. GAGA on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, on Friday, Chappell Roan finally dropped her long-awaited country single "The Giver," first teased on SNL back in November, plus Lil Nas released his Neptunes-nodding "Hot Box," Haim shared their treatise on "Relationships," and Lizzo gave it another whirl. Louie and Russ discuss all these songs, plus take a question about their British pop canon.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the third episode in our five-part series on Britney Spears, The New York Times pop music editor Caryn Ganz makes her Pop Pantheon debut to parse through a period in which tabloids covered Britney’s every move like a national news story. Caryn and Louie discuss how a turbulent time in Britney’s personal life led to what’s now considered a pop classic and one of the most prescient and influential albums of the period, 2007’s Blackout. From there, they tackle the start of Britney’s conservatorship and the album that brought her back to number one under perhaps dubious behind-the-scenes circumstances, 2008’s Circus. Join us next week for Part 4, in which we’ll discuss Femme Fatale (2011), Britney Jean (2013), Glory (2016), #FreeBritney, the end of the conservatorship, The Woman in Me, as well as Britney's enduring legacy in pop. Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Main Pop Girls: BRITNEY VS. GAGA on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga just dropped her hotly anticipated 7th studio album, Mayhem, this past Friday. Monster braintrust Louie, Russ and Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber got together to queen on the new record, which indexes past Gaga styles through a decidedly distilled, adult framework and is perhaps her best solo album in over a decade. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the second in our five-part series on Britney Spears, NPR’s Ann Powers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Britney’s first attempts to transition from teen queen to grown-up pop star. Ann and Louie tackle Britney's iconic “I’m a Slave 4 U” VMA performance, work with The Neptunes and play at maturity on 2001’s Britney, relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and her one and only starring film role in the teen road comedy Crossroads. Finally, they dive into Britney and Madonna’s VMA kiss, the duo's generational pop baton passing on the single “Me Against The Music” and Britney’s most adventurous record up to that point, 2003’s In the Zone. Join us next week for Part 3, in which we’ll discuss and Britney's infamous mid-aughts along with 2007's Blackout and 2008's Circus Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Main Pop Girls: BRITNEY VS. GAGA on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first in our five-part series on Britney Spears, The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Felix returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the birth of a pop princess. Doreen and Louie dig into Britney’s origin story, from Star Search and The New Mickey Mouse Club to her Jive deal and development in Sweden with Max Martin. Then, they tackle her legendary breakout smash and music video, “...Baby One More Time," and her 1999 album of the same name, which shot her to the front of the teen pop pack. Next, they parse 2000’s hit-packed Oops!... I Did It Again, which solidified Britney’s spot as the most important pop star of the new Millennium. Join us next week for Part 2, in which we’ll discuss 2001’s Britney and 2003’s In The Zone. Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Main Pop Girls on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, is pop music stuck in a nostalgia loop? Pop starlet Tate McRae's new album is highly referential to the last twenty years of pop from Britney to the Pussycat Dolls to Halsey and beyond. But on her new album So Close to What, which dropped last week, does she form her own identity? Or do she and her murderer's row of collaborators just do good karaoke? Louie, Russ, and Variety's Steven J. Horowitz discuss. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lady Gaga's seventh studio album Mayhem drops on March 7 and in anticipation of the big day, Carey O'Donnell, Kristen S. Hé, and Naomi Zeichner join DJ Louie to break down their thoughts, hope and dreams on the upcoming record before each sharing their ranking of Gaga's albums to this point. Come to Main Pop Girls on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Katy Perry's second studio album Teenage Dream  is deemed a classic "pop bible" by many pop fans. The album produced five number one singles and spun off a deluxe version with another couple top tens. But what about the other seven tracks from the TD era? If you listen to this record without its classic hits, does it hold together as a complete body of work? Louie and Russ dive into every one of Teenage Dream's non-singles to get answers and decide if the album is a bonafide classic, or just a great collection of smashes paired with some less great filler.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ are answering your questions about whether pop stars like Cher can still exist, what Olivia Rodrigo should do next, how they listen to music for the show, why gay men have trouble embracing gay male pop stars, and so much more. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ break down Kendrick Lamar's explosive Super Bowl halftime performance before getting into new songs from Tate McRae, Sexxy Redd & Bruno Mars, Rose Gray & Doechii. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critic Stephen Kearse joins Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our two-part series on Kendrick Lamar ahead of his Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. Stephen and Louie tackle Kendrick’s string of hit-making guest appearances in the mid-2010s, his first solo number one, “Humble,” and 2017’s critically adored Damn. Then they discuss Black Panther and Kendrick’s final album with Top Dawg, 2022’s sprawling Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Finally, they unpack the Kendrick/Drake beef, his recent hot streak and 2024’s GNX, before ranking Kendrick Lamar in the Official Pop Pantheon. Check out our Kendrick Lamar Essentials Playlist on Spotify Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night's Grammys featured show-stopping performances from Doechii, Chappell Roan and others, plus wins from Roan, Kendrick Lamar and, finally, a long-awaited crowning for Beyoncé in Album of the Year. Louie and Russ share their reactions before going deep on Lady Gaga's newest single, "Abracadabra", the third from her forthcoming album Mayhem and the video for which dropped during the awards ceremony. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rolling Stone’s Mankaprr Conteh returns to Pop Pantheon for part one of our two-part series on Kendrick Lamar ahead of his Super Bowl performance. Louie and Mankaprr dig into Kendrick’s origins in Compton, his teenaged mixtapes under the alias K. Dot and his independently released studio debut, 2011’s Section.80. From there, they tackle 2012's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, a mainstream pop breakthrough immediately hailed as a masterpiece. Finally, they walk through how Kendrick weaved together musical traditions from across the Black diaspora on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Tune in next week for Part 2, covering Damn, Kendrick’s beef with Drake and Kendrick’s induction into the Official Pop Pantheon. Check out our Kendrick Lamar Essentials Playlist on Spotify Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Ultimate Friend of the Pod Rich Juzwiak returns to the show to make predictions in the top 4 categories for this Sunday's Grammys with Louie and Russ, before the three break down FKA Twigs' latest album, Eusexua, which Rich reviewed in Pitchfork. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Somehow, we're halfway through the 2020s, which makes it the perfect time to take stock: what have been the best pop albums of this decade so far and what do they tell us about the state of both the album and music more broadly in 2025? The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli, NPR's Aisha Harris and YouTuber Mic The Snare join DJ Louie to discuss all of that, before each sharing their top 5 albums of the 2020s so far. Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Madonna's thirteenth studio album, 2015's Rebel Heart, was released ten years ago in a flurry of leaks and unprecedented chaos for the famously controlled diva. On impact, it became her least successful album to date, producing no hit songs in the US. A decade later, removed from the harsh glare of its' moment, how has this very long collection of latter period Madonna music aged? To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Molanphy returns to Pop Pantheon for the second and final part in our Cher series. Chris and Louie pick up on Cher’s career just as she scored a hit in 1979 with “Take Me Home” during the disco craze. Then they track her string of failures through the early eighties before her massively successful pivot to acting, including her Best Actress Oscar win for 1987’s Moonstruck. Next they dig into her best-selling album to date, 1989’s Heart of Stone, her infomercial era in the nineties and Sonny Bono's tragic death in 1998 which paved the way for yet another comeback with 1998’s Believe. Finally, they discuss contemporary Cher, her formidable staying power and lasting legacy and rank Cher in the Official Pop Pantheon. Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Cher Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Molanphy returns to Pop Pantheon for part one of our special two-part series on the Goddess of Pop herself, Cher. Chris and Louie dig into the origins of Cher’s mythology, her early work with Sonny Bonno and Phil Spector and Sonny and Cher’s breakout hit, “I Got You Babe.” From there, they dive into Cher’s iconic looks, her first solo hits and Sonny and Cher’s reinvention as television variety stars. Then they tackle the couple’s split, Cher’s second run of hits, including “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves” and “Dark Lady,” and the commercial slump she found herself at the end of the seventies.  Tune in next week for part two, covering Cher’s disco reinvention, Hollywood success, late career hits like "If I Could Turn Back Time" and “Believe” and her ranking in the Official Pop Pantheon. Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Cher Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, pop music stops for no man, even Santa Claus. Louie and Russ got together with Dazed contributor Conor Garel to get into it about two of the most talked about pop events that happened over this holiday season: Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Christmas extravaganza from a football game on Netflix and the long-awaited release of the deluxe version of Sza's 2022 masterpiece SOS. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! Before we get back to new episodes and our regularly scheduled programming next, we're unlocking one of our favorite All Access episodes from this past year in which Russ and Louie dig into Sabrina Carpenter's surprisingly awesome 6th studio album, Short 'n Sweet, released last summer. To hear more episodes like this every single week, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, we hope everyone is having a lovely holiday! For our last All Access episode of 2024, Russ and Louie got together to react to more of your unpopular opinions about Ava Max, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Mariah Carey, live pop shows & more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In anticipation of Beyoncé's much anticipated return to the stage at tomorrow's halftime show for some football game, we're republishing an episode from our Beyoncé series which originally aired back in August of 2022 in the ramp up to that year's Renaissance. This episode features Yale University's Dr. Daphne Brooks, discusses Queen B's work from her 2013 self-titled visual album through just before Renny dropped and is one of the most moving in PP's history. If you haven't listened to the whole series, check out Parts One, Two and Four. If you have, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. Happy Beyoncmas! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in BrooklynJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More GIFT a Pop Pantheon: All Access subscription to your friends and fam!!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clover Hope, journalist and author of The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop, joins Pop Pantheon All Access to discuss the state of the female rap game in 2024. Clover and Russ revisit Meg Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj’s beef, discuss Doechii’s recent string of breakthrough performances, and dig into Alligator Bites Never Heal, Megan, GloRilla’s Glorious and more. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our final main episode of 2024, Louie and Russ look back at all the artists ranked in the Pop Pantheon this year— from Demi Lovato to Frank Ocean to Adele, Tina Turner, Pink and so many more— and, with the help of calls from our dedicated and very passionate listeners, assess whether any tier adjustments need to be made. Did Brat Summer make us overzealous on Charli XCX? Was it cruel to put Hillary Duff in Tier 5? With the blockbuster success of Wicked, has Ari finally made it to Tier 2? All that and more! We'll be publishing a couple little treats on 12/24 and 1/2 and will be back to our regularly scheduled programming on 1/9 with new weekly episodes! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in BrooklynJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More GIFT a Pop Pantheon: All Access subscription to your friends and fam!!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Russ saw over 20 (!!!) live concerts in 2024. Louie saw a few too. Today, they're getting together to rank them all— from Charli & Troye to Missy Elliott to Tate McRae to Usher to Madonna— from worst to best. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Louie, Nora Princiotti, Jason P. Frank & Julianne Escobedo Shepherd counted down their favorite pop songs of 2024 before duking it out to settle on Pop Pantheon's definitive pop songs of the year. This week, Louie is joined by Nora once again along with Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul and Sam Murphy to discuss their favorite albums of the last twelve months and land on Pop Pantheon's Top 5 Albums of 2024. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in BrooklynJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More GIFT a Pop Pantheon: All Access subscription to your friends and fam!!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, over on the main feed, we're rolling out our best songs and albums of 2024 by some of the premier pop acts in the world. But what about some of the pop girlies who got.... less attention from mainstream audiences and critics? For our 2nd Annual Top of the Flops, Friend of the Pod Omri Rolan is back to count down the biggest and best flops of 2024 with Russ and Louie.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live from Parkside Lounge in New York City, DJ Louie is joined by Hearing Things' Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Vulture's Jason P. Frank and The Ringer's Nora Princiotti to countdown each of their favorite top ten pop songs of the year, before hashing out the definitive Pop Pantheon Top Ten Pop Songs of 2024. Check out a Spotify Playlist of Louie, Julianne, Jason & Nora's Favorite Pop Songs of 2024Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in Brooklyn Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on Dec. 7 at Los Globos Check out Pop Pantheon's Adele Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tom Breihan is here to talk about Kendrick Lamar's surprise 6th album, GNX, which surprise dropped last week in the wake of his triumph over Drake in their highly publicized battle from this summer. But Tom and Louie also get caught in the broader GNX Nexus, going off on tangents about Drake's future, Taylor and Jack Antonoff's creative collaboration and more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Thanksgiving! We're off this week but we wanted to highlight an older episode, a personal fav of Louie's that many of you might have missed. This is our Robyn episode from way back in May 2021— the sixth of Pop Pantheon ever— with the brilliant Jia Tolentino. Not only is it wonderful conversation about one of the greatest pop artists of the modern era. It's where the Niche Legend Pantheon tier was created. A seminal moment in the podcast's history! Enjoy. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in Brooklyn Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on Dec. 7 at Los GlobosJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked is a smash hit, raking in $114 million dollars during its first weekend and earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike. One of its two leads, pop diva Ariana Grande, is also earning plaudits in her first headlining film role, even including some serious Oscar buzz.  But while many pop stars have attempted a Hollywood crossover, very few— even those with a successful film or two under their belts— have been able to turn that into a long-term successful film career. Why is that? And will things be different for Ariana?  Chief Film Critic at Vanity Fair and host of the podcast Little Gold Men Richard Lawson joins Louie and Russ to break down Ariana's performance in Wicked and what it portends for her future on the silver screen. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Cragg returns to Pop Pantheon for the second installment in our two-part series on the grande dame of contemporary pop, Adele. Michael and Louie discuss Adele’s sabbatical following her breakout blockbuster success with 21, during which she crafted her comeback album, 2015’s 25. They dissect the album, from the booming piano ballad “Hello” to Adele’s collaboration with big pop producers like Max Martin, and her continued mega success. Finally, they tackle her most recent album, 30, her most experimental yet, and her forthcoming hiatus before ranking Adele in the Official Pop Pantheon. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in Brooklyn Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on Dec. 7 at Los Globos Check out Pop Pantheon's Adele Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York Times Senior Staff Editor Leah Greenblatt joins Pop Pantheon for the first in a two-part series on the mega diva of her generation, Adele. Leah and Louie explore Adele’s origin story, from her brief MySpace era to her official debut single which she wrote at just 16, “Hometown Glory.” From there they discuss her first album, 2008’s 19, which made her a star in the U.K., and “Rolling in the Deep,” which set the stage for her global takeover. Next, they tackle 21, a breakup album so successful, it was seen as single-handedly saving a struggling music industry struggling to adapt to the digital era. Tune in next week for part two, covering 25, 30 and Adele’s place in the Official Pop Pantheon. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in Brooklyn Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on Dec. 7 at Los Globos Check out Pop Pantheon's Adele Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ react to Friday's Grammy Nominations and score their predictions from last week's episode. Then, they play a game of "Step Up, Step Down" about post-Sweat Tour Troye Sivan, Lady Gaga's "Disease", The Weeknd's new era and more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katy Perry's latest album 143 lit the internet ablaze for all the wrong reasons when it dropped earlier this year, mostly because of how wrong it got nearly everything and how hard it underperformed as a result. 143 was a capital-F flop in the classic sense of the term. But what exactly does the moniker "flop" mean when it comes to pop music? What constitutes a true flop? How do pop fans use it? Where did it originate and how has it morphed over time into a term of endearment for diehards, especially queer ones? All that and more in this fascinating conversation. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, America is making it's most critical decision this week: who will be nominated for Grammys! Louie and Russ each share their predictions for which of your favs (and less favs) will get nominated in the Big Four categories ahead of the official announcement this Friday Nov. 8. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Variety’s Steven J. Horowitz returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the maddeningly underrated Kelis, who spent most of her career ahead of the curve and helped to carve out a new lane for alt-pop stardom in the 2000s. Louie and Steven dig into Kelis' origin story, from meeting The Neptunes as a teenager to her debut, 1999’s futuristic pop fantasia Kaleidoscope. From there, they unpack her success across the pond with 2001’s Wanderland and 2003’s ultra eclectic and masterful Tasty, which produced her biggest US hit and signature song, “Milkshake.” Next, they cover Kelis’s first foray away from The Neptunes with 2006's Kelis Was Here, her dance pop cult classic, 2010's Flesh Tone, and her final album, 2014’s soul-influenced Food. Lastly, Louie and Steven break down Kelis' niche pop legacy and rank her in the Official Pop Pantheon. Buy tickets to Pop Pantheon: Best Pop Of 2024 LIVE IN NYC on Dec. 2 AND Dec. 3 Listen to Pop Pantheon's Kelis Essentials on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are here to fight about Lady Gaga's new single, "Disease", the first offering from her forthcoming album, "LG7". They then dive into Addison Rae's new single "Aquamarine" and ponder Halsey's latest record, The Great Impersonator, which dropped last Friday. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Grab Tickets to Pop Pantheon's Live Show in NYC where we'll be counting down the best pop music of 2024 with Nora Princiotti, Larisha Paul & Sam Murphy.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We put out a call for our audience's most unpopular pop opinions: hot takes you have that no one else seems to agree with but you know in your heart to be true. And boy, did we get some! Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul joins Louie and Russ to field unpopular pop opinions about I Am... Sasha Fierce, Charli XCX, Glee Cast Versions, Speak Now, Britney's talents, Ed Sheeran and so much more. And in the process, they each reveal some fairly unpopular pop opinions of their own...  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shaad D’Souza returns to Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our three-part series on Charli XCX. Shaad and Louie unpack Charli’s 2020 lockdown album, the DIY How I'm Feeling Now, and 2022’s Crash, which ditched the outré experimentation of her PC Music era in favor of open gestures at the pop charts. From there, they discuss Charli’s return to the Hot 100 with “Speed Drive” and her most recent record, brat, which fuelled her unexpected rise from Niche Legend to the most talked about pop star in the world. Finally, they reassess Charli XCX’s place in the Official Pop Pantheon. Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brat Summer becomes Brat Autumn as Charli XCX drops a completely reimagined version of her blockbuster album from earlier this year, Brat and it's Completely Different but Also Still Brat. Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Charli's latest addition to the Bratoverse and how it transcends the pitfalls of the cliche modern pop superstar remix, providing new twists, depth and dimension to the OG material with an all-star lineup from across the music world including Ariana Grande, Lorde, Addison Rae, Bladee, ShyGirl, Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish & more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our three-part series on Charli XCX. Anna and Louie look back on Charli’s early link-ups with "hyperpop" innovator Sophie, starting with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, which began Charli's pivot from an also-ran on the pop charts into the genre’s savviest alternative auteur. From there, they chart her adventurous new creative direction, her work with frequent creative partner A.G. Cook on her 2017 mixtapes, the sugar-rush Number 1 Angel and the critically-beloved Pop 2. Finally, they discuss Charli's scrapped third studio album, XCX World, her failure to launch commercial singles in the U.S. and her 2019 self-titled album Charli.  Join us next week for our third and final part in the series, which will cover Charli’s output from 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now through brat. Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first in our new three-part series on Charli XCX, i-D’s Owen Myers returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the start of Charli’s iconoclastic and unlikely trail through pop. Owen and Louie trace Charli’s roots in England, starting when she was a teenage songwriter posting demos to MySpace and performing at raves in London. Then they discuss her charmingly DIY unreleased debut album, 14, her first brush with success with the surprise hit “I Love It,” her 2012 mixtapes, Heartbreaks and Earthquakes and Super Ultra, and her 2013 major label debut True Romance. Next they unpack “Fancy,” her first solo success with “Boom Clap” and the snappy pop punk 2014’s Sucker. Join us next week for Part 2, in which w'ell be talking about Charli’s reinvention as an avant pop futurist beginning with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP and through her self-titled 2019 record, Charli. Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYC Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night live in Los Angeles, DJ Louie gathered with HeidiWorld's Molly Lambert, And Introducing's Molly Mary O'Brien, The Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood & writer Jaelani Tuner-Williams to break down Katy Perry's new record 143, Lady Gaga's new record Harlequin and just how these two superlative millennial divas are navigating the awkward period of their careers between trend-setter and legacy act. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYC Billboard is currently rolling out their list of the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century and we couldn't resist participating in the fun! Rich Juzwiak and Sam Murphy join DJ Louie to share each of their respective top tens before the three duke it out to settle on their collective final list of the the Top Ten Pop Stars of the 21st Century. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1) Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't forget to grab tickets to our live show, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and The Millennial Diva Conundrum this Monday 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA! We'll be talking 143, Harlequin, and so much more! In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ each had the true pleasure of seeing Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's Sweat Tour in New York City and Toronto respectively and they got together to break down the entire surreal and joyous experience. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA (DISCOUNT BEGINS AT 12AM on 9/20!) Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYC In a SUPERSIZED episode of Pop Pantheon, critic, writer and NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast host Aisha Harris returns to unpack the astonishing symmetry of two of the biggest boy bands in history, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Aisha and Louie track their strikingly similar origins, their first brushes with success in Europe and their explosions stateside, which helped solidify the teen pop boom of the turn of the century. They then dig into their self-titled debuts, from Backstreet’s blockbuster 1996 effort to *NSYNC’s launch the next year, their short-lived runs as commercial supernovas with Millennium (1999) and No Strings Attached (2000), their diverging sounds and ambitions, final hits, intertwined legacies and finally, Aisha and Louie rank Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen Pop Pantheon's Backstreet Boys VS. *NSYNC Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYC Sure, we're all listening to a podcast called "Pop Pantheon". But what exactly is the Pop Pantheon? This is a question Louie hasn't addressed in detail since the show's earliest days. So, Russ and he got together to reintroduce the Pantheon, break down all its individual tiers and what constitutes each, and how their ideas about the Pantheon have been altered during the three and half of years of podcast's run.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYC Who Weekly’s Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger return to Pop Pantheon to discuss one of pop’s most perplexing but enduring workhorses, Meghan Trainor. Louie, Lindsey and Bobby chart Meghan’s origins in Nantucket, her early self-produced teenage albums, and her breakthrough with 2014’s sleeper hit turned number one record turned peak thinkpiece fodder, the big booty anthem “All About That Bass.” From there, they discuss Meghan’s 2015 number one debut album, Title, which produced the triple platinum “Dear Future Husband”, the TRL-era R&B homage of 2016’s Thank You and Meghan’s unlikely later-era TikTok hits, including 2022's viral smash “Made You Look.” Finally, they rank Meghan Trainor in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Meghan Trainor Essentials on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Disney-star-turned-"Drivers License"-third-wheel-turned-ascendent-pop-girlie Sabrina Carpenter has been on quite a roll lately. Her most recent two singles have been smashes and her sixth studio album, Short 'n Sweet, arrived last Friday among a swirl of expectations even she probably couldn't have imagined a few months ago. So does it meet the moment? Louis and Russ gather to break down everything about Sabrina's latest batch of songs. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Happy Labor Day Weekend! Louie is still off on vacation so as a treat, we're republishing our Patreon review of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter from back in April. If you like this episode and want to hear more like it, you can subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access for weekly bonus episodes of the show and so much more. You can also subscribe for the audio only direction in the Apple Podcasts App.  Enjoy! Episode Description: 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 Danielle Amir Jackson are here to do just that, breaking down the music, themes, references, history and breadth of the expansive second installment in Beyoncé's unfurling new trilogy. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 8/17 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louie and Russ gather to answer YOUR questions! We're talking all our fantasy Brat remixes and a VH1 Divas Live revival, playing out thought experiments about Beyoncé and Rihanna and Louie gets personal about his career and vocab tics. Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Weekly Bonus Episodes and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 8/17 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, NME's Kyann-Sian Williams joins Russ to discuss Tinashe's brand new seventh studio album Quantum Baby – the second in a trilogy of albums she's rolling out. Can she capitalize on the virality of "Nasty"? Or is that even on her mind? And is Tinashe expanding her artistry or letting us in on this new record? Russ + Kyann-Sian break it all down. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the release of Tinashe’s seventh studio album, Quantum Baby, The Cut’s Cat Zhang joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Tinashe’s rollercoaster career. Cat and DJ Louie dig into Tinashe’s upbringing in Lexington, Kentucky, her work as a child actor on Two and a Half Men and the girl group she was briefly in with fellow pop star Hayley Kiyoko, The Stunners. From there, they unpack her early mixtapes, explosion into the public consciousness with the sultry club banger “2 On,” her moody major label debut in 2014, Aquarius, and her years in label purgatory, during which she managed to release a return-to-roots mixtape, 2016’s Nightride, and 2018’s Joyride. Next they tackle Tinashe’s reinvention back into the bedroom artist she began as and how she blazed a new trail as an independent artist with 2019’s expansive and lush Songs For You and 2021’s critically-lauded 333. Finally, they rank Tinashe in the Official Pop Pantheon. Read Cat's Profile of Tinashe in the Cut Listen Pop Pantheon's Tinashe Essentials Playlist on Spotify Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 8/17 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, When Paris Hilton released her debut album, 2006's Paris, the world largely saw it as a joke. Despite it's lead single "Stars Are Blind" becoming a top 20 hit, the album tanked, was savaged by critics and Paris never released another one. Now, on the eve her long-awaited sophomore effort Infinite Icon, due September 6, Troy McEady joins DJ Louie to look back on Paris. Is it as vapid and meritless and critics thought back in the aughts? Or a misunderstood classic of sorts? Louie and Troy bring fresh ears to album that, love it or hate, was prescient about the future of pop stardom. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We thought 2024 was going to be dominated by a waterfall of new releases from Old Guard Superstars like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa. But while they've each had success, the main story of the last 12 months has been the auspicious establishment of a new generation of pop divas led by Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, but also featuring Ice Spice, Gracie Abrams, Victoria Monet and more. For this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by LA Times Pop Critic Mikael Wood and Vulture's Jason P. Frank to discuss how this new group of girlies has coalesced and taken ahold of the zeitgeist, before ranking ten newly-minted Queens of Pop in the ultimate New Pop Girl Power Ranking. Who's got the juice to turn this hot streak into a career and who will be forgotten by next summer? Louie, Jason and Mikael are here to answer all those questions and place their bets. Read Mikael's Piece "Sabrina, Chappell and Charli are Suddenly Stars: Why Now?" Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 8/17 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE The rollout for Katy Perry’s seventh studio album, 143, has been a disaster. Sixteen years into her pop career, Katy’s facing a textbook struggle for a pop star more than a decade into her career: irrelevance. By contrast, Katy’s pop peer Lady Gaga has charted a very different second act, swerving into acting and rebranding herself as an old school all-around entertainer. On September 30, DJ Louie XIV will be joined by Los Angeles Times pop critic Mikael Wood and And Introducing podcast host Molly Mary O’Brien at Dynasty Typewriter in L.A. to discuss 143, Gaga’s reemergence with Joker: Folie à Deux and the promise of LG7 and how these two superlative millennial pop divas are navigating the awkward period of their careers between trendsetter and legacy act. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor of Ethnomusicology at Julliard Dr. Fredara Hadley joins Pop Pantheon for the culmination of our four-part series on the King of Pop. In the final installment, DJ Louie and Dr. Hadley tackle Michael Jackson’s music post-Thriller, starting with the signature ‘80s blockbuster Bad (1987) and 1991’s successful pivot toward New Jack Swing, Dangerous. From there, Louie and Dr. Hadley unpack Michael’s personal and public decline, including the sexual abuse allegations made against him in 1993. Next they discuss his later period work, 1995's combative HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 and 2001’s underperforming Invincible, and reckon with his unbelievably complicated legacy and enduring and seismic impact on pop music and stardom. Finally, they rank Michael Jackson in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi) Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 2: The King of Pop Rises (With Joseph Vogel) Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 3: Thriller (with Tom Breihan) Listen to Pop Pantheon's Episode "Do You Still Listen to Michael Jackson and Kanye West? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)"Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 8/17 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Ice Spice just dropped her debut record Y2K, an under 25 minute tour through drill beats, Jersey club and Ice's signature puerile humor and nonchalant flow. How does it work as her first official album statement? Who is this music playing to? And does it sound like 2000 at all? Writer Nadirah Simmons is here to break it all down with Louie and Russ. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are albums. And then there’s Thriller. For the third installment of our four-part series on the King of Pop, Stereogum’s Tom Breihan returns for Pop Pantheon’s first ever A-Side devoted to a single album: Michael Jackson’s definitive 1982 pop blockbuster, Thriller. DJ Louie and Tom dig into every aspect of the best-selling album of all time, from iconic performances to choreography, fashion, and MJ’s radical reimagining of the then-nascent music video format. They also tackle all of the album’s genre-obliterating smash hits – seven top 10s and two number ones to be exact – and go deep on Thriller-mania, the album’s long-lasting impact on pop, its enduring legacy and how it made Michael Jackson a the biggest kind of pop legend. Join us next week for our final installment of our Michael Jackson series, in which we discuss Bad, Dangerous, Michael’s later-era work and his complicated legacy. Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi) Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 2: The King of Pop Rises (With Joseph Vogel) Listen to Pop Pantheon's Episode "Do You Still Listen to Michael Jackson and Kanye West? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)"Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Olivia Horn reviewed Chappell Roan's debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in Pitchfork when it dropped last September. Back then, she was a fringy pop upstart with some nice critical notices and a small cult audience. Now, she's one of the biggest new pop superstars of the year in the midst of a zeitgeisty swirl the likes of which we haven't seen for a new pop girlie in years. So how does the actual music hold up? Olivia joins DJ Louie to dig into the record as well as why Chappell's became 2024's "femininomenon". To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Vogel, author of Man in the Music: The Creative Life of Michael Jackson, joins Pop Pantheon for the second in our four-part series on the King of Pop. DJ Louie and Joe dig into MJ’s early solo work, from his 1972 debut Got to Be There to his first solo number one, “Ben,” his changing voice as grew older and his final Motown album, 1975’s Forever Michael – released when Michael was just 16. From there, they discuss Michael’s starring role as Scarecrow in the 1975 cult classic The Wiz and his creative partnership with Quincy Jones, which produced the glorious, effervescent 1979 masterpiece  Off the Wall, the album that single-handedly turned Michael Jackson into a true solo superstar and set his course to the top of the Pop Pantheon.    Join us next week for Part 3, which will focus entirely on Michael’s stratospheric, game-changing blockbuster, 1982’s Thriller. Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi) Listen to Pop Pantheon's Episode "Do You Still Listen to Michael Jackson and Kanye West? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)" Buy Joseph Vogel's Book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Katy Perry's much anticipated new single, the Dr. Luke-produced "Woman's World", finally dropped on Friday along with it's music video and the response has been.... not so great. Louie and Russ talk all things Katy before pivoting to new songs from Kesha, Lana and Tinashe and a Taylor Swift-related game that may drive Louie even more insane than "Woman's World".  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first of our four-part series on the King of Pop, writer, professor and critic Emily Lordi joins Pop Pantheon to help us begin to untangle one of the most knotty legacies in pop history: the story of Michael Jackson. Emily and DJ Louie discuss Michael’s extremely strict upbringing, sadistic abuse at the hands of his father Joe, and the creation of The Jackson 5, from playing the Chitlin' Circuit to landing a Motown deal and kicking off one of the greatest single runs in history, beginning with 1969’s “I Want You Back.” Next they dig into The Jackson 5’s prolific Motown output, the marketing of Michael as a child sensation and how Jacksonmania made the Jacksons into a symbol of post-civil rights promise in America. Finally, they work through the band’s rebrand as The Jacksons, their post-Motown work, late '70s comeback and how the group’s monumental success set Michael up for solo superstardom.  Join us next week for Part 2, in which we will be talking about Michael’s early solo work and his breakthrough as a solo star, 1979’s Off The Wall.  Listen to Pop Pantheon's Michael Jackson Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Megan Thee Stallion's third studio album, Megan, her first as an independent artist and since her infamous beef with Nicki Minaj, dropped last week. Taylor Crumpton is here to help Louie and Russ break down the record's inherent regionality, Megan's new and old poses and themes and what this record might portend for the future of her career.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the pandemic, fans wanted to see their favs (and even their less favs) so much that the concert touring industry boomed, breaking records and culminating in astronomically expensive blockbuster stadium treks from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. But more recently, the live show gambit has gone bust for superstars like Jennifer Lopez, The Black Keys, Justin Timberlake and more. What changed? Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua, writer Zach Schonfeld and Business Insider's Emily Stewart are here to discuss. Read Zach's piece "The Curious Case of the Underselling Arena Tours" Read Emily's piece "The Great Concert Ticket Bust" Take Our Listener Survey! Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los Globos Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Is Camila Cabello's fourth studio album, C, XOXO, a cold-hearted Single White Female-ing of other, cooler pop stars? Or is it an earnest— if chaotic— attempt by the former girl group star to find her authentic voice as a grown up pop diva? Louie, Russ and Friend of the Pod Omri Rolan are here to figure it out.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mic The Snare joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the wild, unbridled genius of pop’s ultimate enigma, Kate Bush. Louie & Mic The Snare dig into Kate’s teenage record deal and her debut single, 1978’s “Wuthering Heights.” From there they discuss her debut album The Kick Inside, her legendary first – and only – full live tour and her early, pre-MTV adoption music videos for singles like “Babooksha.” Then they work through her gloriously sprawling career, from her 1982 debut on the U.S. album charts, The Dreaming to her most indelible record, 1985’s Hounds of Love, and her U.S. breakthrough in 1989, The Sensual World, through to her 2005 comeback Aerial and her final album, 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. Finally, they rank Kate Bush in the Official Pop Pantheon. Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Kate Bush Essentials Playlists Playlists Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los Globos Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems like every single Main Pop Girl has dropped an album this year: Ariana, Kacey, Beyoncé, Taylor, Dua, Billie and Charli. And we're only six months in! It's been a whole lot of new music to process but now that we've had a minute to sit with these records, Keep It's Ira Madison III joins DJ Louie to reflect on all of these records, what they have common, what makes each stand out, and debate which they liked and disliked. Ira and Louie give each of the girlie's albums a "Pitchfork rating" and end the show with a final ranking of all the Main Pop Girl Albums of 2024... so far. Subscribe to Ira's new Substack Frank Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los Globos Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Ira Madison III on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Normani's debut solo album has been over five years in the making. Now that Dopamine is finally here, was it worth the wait? And with the heat having died down on her career, does it matter? Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul joins the show to help break it all down.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tre Johnson returns to Pop Pantheon for a special Pride episode about one of pop's greatest disruptors, Frank Ocean. Louie and Tre discuss Frank’s first foray into the industry, writing for artists like Brandy and Justin Bieber and his rapturous breakthrough mixtape, 2011’s Nostalgia Ultra, which instantly turned Frank into a critical darling and rewrote the aesthetic and commercial rules of pop. Then they tackle his major label debut, 2012’s Channel Orange, which was accompanied by his version of a coming out, his sparse and meandering 2016 visual album, Endless, and his first independent release, the esoteric, beautiful Blonde. Finally, they discuss his output since 2016 and rank Frank Ocean in the official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Frank Ocean Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los Angeles Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Tre Johnson on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Charli XCX's sixth studio album Brat, which dropped Friday, was posited as a dance album. What we actually got was something quite a bit more complicated. On this week's episode, Louie and Russ break the whole thing down. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off Pride Month, Freelance Music Writer Trish Bendix and Senior Editor at Xtra Magazine Mel Woods join Louie to track the conspicuous rise of sapphic-ness in mainstream pop. From BoyGenius to Chappell Roan to Billie Eilish, girls who like girls and make that a huge feature in the music are crossing over onto the top of the Billboard charts. How did we get here? When did this story begin to happen?  And what does it say about our culture that this is finally allowed to happen? Read Trish's Piece "Long cast aside, queer women are starting to get their due from the music industry" in NBC News Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los Angeles Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Trish Bendix on Twitter Follow Mel Woods on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly Mary O’Brien returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the unlikely longevity of Pink. Louie and Molly chart Pink’s emergence in Philadelphia clubs as a teenager through to her brief girl group career and her pop debut as a blue-eyed R&B product at the turn of the millennium with 2000’s Can’t Take Me Home. From there they discuss “Lady Marmalade,” Pink’s rocker image overhaul with 2001’s Linda Perry-assisted juggernaut Missundaztood, 2006’s hit-filled I’m Not Dead and 2008’s Funhouse, which brought her reincarnation as pop’s greatest circus performer. Then they unpack her mid-career hits, from “Raise Your Glass” to 2012’s The Truth About Love and her long-lasting career as a stadium-filling live act. Finally, they rank Pink in the Official Pop Pantheon.   Listen to Pop Pantheon's Pink Essentials Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los Angeles Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Mary Mary O'Brien on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most recent in a long lineage of music biopics, Back to Black, which purports to chronicle the life of the late great Amy Winehouse came out in the US last week. The film received mostly negative reviews and underperformed at the box office. So why are these movies, generally speaking, so unsuccessful and why do we keep making then? Movie Critic Keith Phipps join DJ Louie to discuss Back to Black, the history of music biopics, why the good ones are good and why most of them are so bad. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los Angeles Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Keith Phipps on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, fiery live revue and work with Phil Spector. They recount Tina’s influence on the major white rock acts of the period, Ike and Tina’s 1971 hit “Proud Mary” and her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On. Then they recount her split from Ike and 1984’s blockbuster Private Dancer – one of the greatest comebacks in pop history. Finally, they discuss her continued global success through to her passing, her seismic influence and legacy and rank Tina Turner in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Tina Turner Essentials on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 5/18 at Los Globos Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 superstars we should all be paying attention to. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and which pop stars gave the most indelible performances. Listen to our other MTV-centric episodes on the history of Total Request Live and the VMAs.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 5/10 at Sultan Room Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 5/18 at Los Globos Follow Rob Tannenbaum on Twitter Follow Craig Marks on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 2003’s The Matrix-crafted Metamorphosis, which includes her most indelible hit, “Come Clean.” Then they unpack Hilary’s 2004 self-titled album, her hilariously early career greatest hits record, Most Wanted, and her 2007 dance pop breakup album Dignity. To conclude, they tackle Hilary’s final studio album, 2015’s Breathe In. Breathe Out. and rank Hilary Duff in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Hilary Duff Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 5/10 at Sultan Room Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 5/18 at Los Globos Follow T. Kyle Mac on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.