Switched on Pop

Afleveringen

1. The rise of surrealist pop: KATSEYE and ADÉLA

   20 oktober 2026 · 49 min

   Afspelen
   The music of global girl group KATSEYE might be confusing on first listen. A less-generous read might consider their songs to be rudimentary: the lyrics are mostly nonsense, the instrumentals evoke lesser 2010s pop songs, and the aesthetic can’t decide whether it’s targeted to children or adults. However, maybe the nonsensical nature of KATSEYE is also… the point? And maybe that point is tethered to early surrealist movements of the early twentieth century? Lees meer

   On this episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna makes the case to Nate that KATSEYE and ADÉLA are indicative of a larger shift in pop music, one that tethers itself to Marcel Duchamp and the dada movement.

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Link to Charlie and Nate’s live event with Jensen McRae at USC!

   Songs discussed:

   The Lonely Island, Emma Stone – Turn Up The Beef

   KATSEYE – Gnarly

   KATSEYE – Animal

   KATSEYE – Hootie Frutti

   KATSEYE – PINKY UP

   Fifth Harmony – I’m In Love With a Monster

   Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still

   Britney Spears – Toxic

   Britney Spears – Circus

   Da Hool – Meet Her at the Loveparade

   Little Richard – Tutti Frutti

   ADÉLA – Ain’t In La

   Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop

   ADÉLA – Nicole Kidman

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2. Why we need bad music

   14 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 2 min

   Afspelen
   For the 500th(!) episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate try to answer the question that has stumped critics and philosophers since the dawn of sound: does bad music exist? Their quest to answer something so nebulous leads them through the annals of taste, and in the process, they recruit several other critics and journalists to give their two cents on the topic. Can things actually be bad, and if so, how do we define them? Lees meer

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Kristin Chenoweth, “Taylor the Latte Boy”

   Komar and Melamid & Dave Soldier, “The Most Unwanted Song"

   Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35: III. Finale. Allegro vivacissimo"

   Johann Strauss II, The Blue Danube"

   Johann Sebastian Bach, "The Well-Tempered Clavier No. 2: Prelude and Fugue in C minor"

   Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"

   Lil Yachty, "1 Night"

   Sam Laxton, Lonskii, “Adagio For Strings”

   Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, “Get Lucky”

   Florence Foster Jenkins, "Queen of the Night’s Aria"

   BB King, Eric Clapton, “Riding With the King”

   Paul McCartney, "Temporary Secretary"

   The Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun"

   Paul McCartney, "Wonderful Christmastime"

   Lou Reed, "Who Am I? (Tripitena’s Song)"

   Insane Clown Posse, "Miracles"

   Primus, "DMV"

   Iggy Azalea ft. Charli xcx, "Fancy"

   The Killers, "Human"

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3. Has Taylor Swift jumped the shark?

   6 oktober 2026 · 48 min

   Afspelen
   One year after the release of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift is back with an encore. Specifically, The Encore, four tracks that have polarized critics and Swifties alike, from the country-esque number one hit “Patient Zero” to her ode to married Ohioan bliss, “Cleveland!” For some, the new songs lean into Swift’s worst writing impulses. But for others, including our hosts (and resident Swiftologists) Charlie and Nate, the tracks call back to earlier eras of Swift’s songwriting, and perhaps evoke more nuanced discussion about what it means to release music as the biggest artist in the world. The question is: are we ready for it? Lees meer

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Taylor Swift, “Patient Zero”

   Taylor Swift, “Cleveland!”

   Taylor Swift, “Pink Clouding”

   Taylor Swift, “Babylon”

   Taylor Swift, “Red”

   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4. Carly Rae Jepsen’s pop pedagogy

   29 september 2026 · 49 min

   Afspelen
   Five years after her first appearance on Switched on Pop, Carly Rae Jepsen returns to the podcast to talk all things Day and Night, her latest album. Born out of Swedish disco, big emotion, and substantive life change – including becoming a wife and a mother – the double album is a tour through the organic and the synthetic, both in equal measure. For Charlie and Nate, this is a full circle moment, and along with discussing the record, the two talk to Jepsen about the origins of the show, her songwriting process, and what it means to be such an important champion of pop music. Lees meer

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Carly Rae Jepsen, “After All”

   Carly Rae Jepsen, “Versailles”

   Carly Rae Jepsen, “Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor”

   Carly Rae Jepsen, “Near or Far”

   Carly Rae Jepsen, “Motivation”

   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5. Tove Lo wants her music to sound out of control (ft. Tove Lo)

   22 september 2026 · 38 min

   Afspelen
   Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo’s new album ESTRUS can be summarized in the opening lyrics of the album’s closing track, “source of life”: “Feral, fragile, numb, ecstatic / sad, euphoric, catatonic / Horny, repulsed, proud and shameful / Good, demonic, contradictions.” Lees meer

   A songwriter with a string of multi-platinum hits in the 2010s, Tove Lo has crafted a career founded on musical contradiction, with songs that straddle the line between messy and controlled. Her lyrics tend to skew both horny and sensitive, and her latest record features both of those vibes in equal measure. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate sit down with her to talk all things ESTRUS.

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Tove Lo, “a lot of feelings, no solutions”

   Tove Lo, “I’m your girl right?”

   Stromae, “Alors on danse”

   Tove Lo, “des fleurs x Stromae”

   Tove Lo, “DNH”

   Tove Lo, “F.A.M.T”

   Tove Lo, “are we on a break”

   Tove Lo, “idiot”

   Tove Lo, “source of life”

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6. Lizzy McAlpine summons Nick Drake & Joni Mitchell

   18 september 2026 · 58 min

   Afspelen
   Lizzy McAlpine opens up about her 4th album Angel alongside collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall. Recorded live at Power Station at Berklee NYC. Lees meer

   Songs Discussed

   Lizzy McAlpine "Anybody's Fool"

   Lizzy McAlpine "A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants"

   Nick Drake "One of These Things First"

   Lizzy McAlpine "Two Elevens"

   Adam Guettel "Through the Mountain"

   Lizzy McAlpine "Our Strange Ways"

   Joni Mitchell "Hejira"

   Lizzy McAlpine "Soldier of the Road"

   Lizzy McAlpine "Peach"
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7. The power of singing together (ft. Tiny Habits)

   15 september 2026 · 41 min

   Afspelen
   Throughout pop history, groups from The Ink Spots to the Beach Boys to Fleetwood Mac all forged their sound in the alchemy of vocal harmonies, harnessing the magic that happens when different voices join as one. Then suddenly, right around the 1980s, vocal harmonies started to wane in pop. Whether it was Michael Jackson creating a new model of the solo star, music technology making the voice more like an instrument, or simply audiences wanting a new sound, today the art of vocal harmony is hard to find on the charts. But bands like Tiny Habits, whose originals and covers showcase intricate and delicate harmonies, are bringing the sound back to the people, with a message that everyone needs to sing more, and to sing together. Lees meer

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

   The Roches – Hammond Song

   Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes

   Pérotin, The Hilliard Ensemble – Viderunt omnes

   Mbuti men – Elephant Hunting Song

   Bulgarian State Television Female Choir – Pilentze Pee

   The Golden Gate Quartet – Stormy Weather

   The Jackson 5 – Who’s Lovin’ You

   Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – C’mon Marianne

   The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann

   Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough

   Tiny Habits – Right In Front Of Me

   Tiny Habits – Anything He Was

   Tiny Habits – one more (live acoustic)

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8. Questionably Country

   1 september 2026 · 35 min

   Afspelen
   For the first time in history, five country songs were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Stella Lefty all have songs that range from two-stepping hits to borderline Americana: what do these songs say about the state of country music? Lees meer

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Dolly Parton, “9 to 5”

   Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, “Islands In the Stream”

   Dolly Parton, “Rockstar”

   Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas”

   Ronnie Milsap, “Smoky Mountain Rain”

   George Strait, “Amarillo By Morning”

   Johnny Cash, “Folsom Prison Blues”

   Brad Paisley, “Cluster Pluck (feat. James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner)”

   Buddy Holly, “That’ll Be The Day”

   Stevie Ray Vaughan, “Texas Flood”

   George Strait, “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”

   The Pointer Sisters, “Slow Hand”

   Conway Twitty, “Slow Hand”

   Morgan Wallen, “Been By Now”

   Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen, “I Can’t Love You Anymore”

   Taylor Swift, “I Knew It, I Knew You (From ‘Toy Story 5’)”

   Squeeze, “Tempted”

   The Velvet Underground, “Sweet Jane”

   Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

   Taylor Swift, “cardigan”

   Stella Lefty, “Boston”

   Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”

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9. Phoebe Bridgers opens her Moleskine

   25 augustus 2026 · 36 min

   Afspelen
   Many of us keep a journal, but few of us are able to turn our unvarnished thoughts into cultural moments touching on love, death, and guitars quite like Phoebe Bridgers. Her new album Lost Weekend isn’t just throwing the pages of her personal life into song, it’s much more than that: A beguiling, hyper-compositional meditation on the last six years of her life. Lees meer

   The genres range from bluegrass to electronic, and collaborators pepper the record – from her boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, to Americana outfit Nickel Creek, to a mysterious presence who may or may not be Geese singer Cameron Winter. The end result is one of the most immersive and heartbreaking albums of the year thus far, transforming the specificity of one person’s story and observations into a universal reflection on life’s fragility.

   CREDITS

   Reanna Cruz: Producer

   Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

   Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

   Dion Lee: Art Director

   Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

   Nick Ripps: Video Editor

   Nate Sloan: Host

   Lissa Soep: Editor

   Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

   Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

   Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

   Songs discussed:

   Phoebe Bridgers – The Outside

   Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Boys

   Phoebe Bridgers – Kill Me

   Phoebe Bridgers – The Governor’s Waltz

   Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend

   Phoebe Bridgers – Haunted

   Phoebe Bridgers – Still Standing

   Phoebe Bridgers – Never Going Back!

   Phoebe Bridgers – I Can’t Wait

   Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend (Reprise)

   Paul Lansky and Hannah MacKay – Notjustmoreidlechatter

   Phoebe Bridgers – I Know The End

   Phoebe Bridgers – Motion Sickness

   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10. We have Confessions to make...

    18 augustus 2026 · 39 min

    Afspelen
    Madonna has returned this summer with Confessions II: an album full of huge hooks, pounding bass, and sincere emotion. It’s the queen of pop's first record in seven years, and serves as a sequel to her 2005 smash hit, Confessions on a Dance Floor. The record ties together threads that have existed throughout Madonna’s entire discography, but it also serves a greater purpose. Confessions II is Madonna’s biopic, allowing her to tell her story on her own terms. On this episode of Switched on Pop, producer (and Madonna superfan) Reanna Cruz walks Charlie and Nate through the record, and makes the case for it being the best Madonna record of the last twenty years. Lees meer

    CREDITS

    Reanna Cruz: Producer

    Iris Gottlieb: Illustrator

    Charlie Harding: Host, Executive Producer

    Dion Lee: Art Director

    Brandon McFarland: Audio Engineer

    Nick Ripps: Video Editor

    Nate Sloan: Host

    Lissa Soep: Editor

    Zach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme Composers

    Switched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions.

    Links: ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

    Songs discussed:

    Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love

    Madonna – Express Yourself

    Madonna – Hung Up

    Madonna – Danceteria

    Madonna – Vogue

    Lou Reed – Walk On the Wild Side

    Madonna – Get Together

    Madonna – I Feel So Free

    Donna Summer – I Feel Love

    Madonna – One Step Away

    Madonna – Nothing Fails

    Madonna – Everything

    Madonna – Fragile

    Madonna – Frozen

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