A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain... more
Tate McRae's billions of streams and perfectly crafted hits can feel almost algorithmic, like an AI trained on 20 years... more
In last month's episode predicting the coming year in pop, one of the team's predictions was that trance music – the... more
Behind Spotify's promise of infinite music lies a carefully engineered system that shapes not just what we hear, but how... more
2024 was an unpredictable year, and 2025 seems to be cut from the same cloth. So for this episode of... more
The first great release of 2025 is already here: Bad Bunny's newest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Over the course... more
What happens when your podcast’s theme song—cobbled together from GarageBand loops—gets called “game show music” and likened to a cereal... more
Critics are not feeling the love tonight when it comes to Disney's latest sequels, Mufasa and Moana 2. They've called... more
On this very special episode, we join forces with the hilarious podcast OFF BOOK. When our powers combine, Zach and Jess... more
Popular music changes all the time, but there’s been one consistent element in practically everything released in the last two... more
The first time you hear "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," it probably registers as just another cheery holiday standard.... more
Three artists quietly reshaped pop music in 2024, though you might not know it from your Spotify Wrapped. As listeners... more
It's an annual tradition: Every December, artists release their bids to join the hallowed halls of holiday music history. The... more
In 2024, Kendrick Lamar pulled off what seemed impossible: winning hip-hop's biggest rap battle in recent history, securing the Super... more
The year's hottest movie is, against all odds, a musical. Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, just hit theaters,... more
TIME Magazine once said, “there are few figures more closely associated with religion in pop culture than Madonna.” And looking... more
Throughout her forty-year career, Madonna has managed to travel the globe, both literally and musically. Despite being a white woman... more
Madonna is the world's biggest female pop star. She's influenced everyone from Beyoncé to Britney Spears; is the most successful... more
In 1973, before their ascent to rock superstardom with Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were just two young... more
A musical "freak," to us here at Switched On Pop, is an artist who is unique, non-conforming, and always manages... more
Over the summer, the culture was shaken by the biggest rap beef this decade, between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. From... more
It’s the spookiest time of the year; Halloween is right around the corner. But unlike the winter holidays like Christmas... more
Stevie Wonder may be our modern day Mozart. A child prodigy, he joined Motown as a preadolescent where he was... more
We celebrate Switched On Pop's 10th anniversary by taking a deep dive into the last decade of pop music. From... more
Coldplay is one of the biggest musical acts in the world, ranking #6 on Spotify and boasting one of the... more
Marianne Eloise has had the same Fall Out Boy song stuck in her head for over three years. "It’s Hard... more
Last month, our producer Reanna Cruz had the opportunity to attend Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Mexico, a three-day Latin... more
"Mamushi," the fourth single from Megan the Stallion’s album Megan, was not supposed to be a huge hit. But thanks... more
Oasis, the Manchester band led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, conquered the charts in the 1990s with rock anthems... more
Porter Robinson has a unique relationship with being famous. With his new record SMILE! :D, the 32 year old producer... more
On her sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter moves seamlessly between pop, country, folk and R&B. For Carpenter,... more
Jhayco, the artist formerly known as Jhay Cortez, feels different from the rest of the Latin music machine. He considers... more
It seemingly a terrible time to launch an over-the-top sentimental duet. This style of production peaked in the 80s and... more
Few pop groups are making music as imaginative as Magdalena Bay. The Los Angeles-based duo of singer Mica Tenenbaum and... more
If you've spent any time on the internet this summer, you may have encountered a certain refrain accompanying particularly fierce... more
On June 17 the pop world was rocked by three letters: LOL. Kesha tweeted the acronym immediately after Katy Perry... more
If you like how Switched On Pop breaks down songs, you’re going to love the show One Song hosted by... more
CharliXCX's latest album, brat, has created an internet fever dream. This club record celebrating messiness, partying, and brutal honesty has... more
For months, listeners have been peppering us with the same question: “When are you going to cover Chappell Roan?” We... more
For decades, hip hop has been the most successful genre on the charts. Then, in 2023, a shift occurred. For... more
The Verge's Nilay Patel and David Pierce chat with Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding about the RIAA lawsuit against Al... more
The synthesizer was invented in the 1890s. But for people to really start using it, it took half a century,... more
Long live the song of the summer with Today Explained. But wait! Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding disagrees. And Rolling... more
In today’s volatile music industry, many artists struggle to navigate the pitfalls of touring, the whims of social media, and... more
The first half of 2024 has been for the “pop girlie.” It seems like every major artist who’s dominated the... more
There’s many things to love about Los Angeles: low-rider cars, roadside taco stands, and, come awards season, the omnipresent “For... more
Bootsy Collins is, perhaps, the funkiest man of all time. Over the course of his nearly six decade career, Collins... more
There is no contemporary pop music without Nile Rodgers. Born in 1952, Rodgers grew up playing classical music on flute and... more
There's no music writer like the essayist and poet Hanif Abdurraqib: whether he's narrating the beautiful awkwardness of a Carly... more
On her latest album, Taylor Swift “declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.” No one was more surprised by... more
On Billie Eilish’s third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, Eilish finally graduates from her signature anti-pop persona into full... more
When you go out for a meal, it’s not just what's on your plate that matters, it's what's in your... more
Where were you when you learned that the McDonald's jingle "I'm lovin' it" was originally part of a full-fledged pop... more
Tongue twisters that mock techno-optimism and cite critical theory don’t usually make for catchy song lyrics. But indie rocker Rosie... more
It’s that time of year again when the entirety of Europe (and a few other countries) come together to celebrate... more
Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay of the French electronic duo Justice speak with cohost Charlie Harding about their new... more
The beginning of 2024 has brought new music aplenty. Some big releases are in the form of big-ticket albums by... more
The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, finds the songwriter in the world of literature. She interweaves personal... more
Lost Notes by KCRW explores how Fela Kuti’s time in LA in 1969 was instrumental in the creation of his legendary Afrobeat... more
There are few artists pushing the boundaries of their respective genres like Maryland rapper Rico Nasty and German-Iraqi electronic producer... more
Joe Keery is best known for his acting roles, such as the reformed jock Steve Harrington in "Stranger Things" and... more
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter is her foray into country music, but this isn't just dirt roads, blue jeans and whiskey. Her... more
Hip-hop is in a weird place right now. Research says that the genre, in both streaming and chart performance, has... more
What do Duke Ellington, United Airlines, and the K Pop group Red Velvet share in common? They've all covered George... more
Sidestep the gossip and focus on the music in Ariana Grande’s latest album Eternal Sunshine. The music is an exercise... more
In a landscape where the music industry seems designed to stifle creativity and independence, Amelia Meath stands as a beacon... more
Live from On-Air Fest in Brooklyn, Nate and Charlie investigate listeners’ burning musical mysteries, such as: Is Beyoncé’s reference to... more
One of the most inventive and gifted musicians working today is none other than Jacob Collier. Maybe you know him... more
Renaissance Act II truthers, your time has come: There’s new music from Beyoncé, and boy, is it country. Her two... more
The Canadian Electro-Funk duo CHROMEO have made consistently funky, highly danceable music for twenty years. They’ve released five studios albums,... more
Who is the biggest Diva of them all? The U.S. National Anthem, which borrows its melody from a historic British... more
What do Duke Ellington, United Airlines, and the K Pop group Red Velvet share in common? They've all covered George Gershwin's piano... more