Switched on Pop Vox

Power ballads used to top the charts regularly, from 80s rock to 90s R&B. But then in the 2000s, the formula of constant escalation gradually fell off the Billboard. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Olivia Rodrigo’s single “Drivers License” is breaking streaming records as listeners yearn for the emotional catharsis from this contemporary power ballad. With the help of David Metzer, professor of music history at the University of British Columbia, we break down how “Drivers License” sticks to an age-old formula, and how it deviates from a well worn musical path.  
SONGS DISCUSSED

Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License

Barry Manilow - Mandy

Roy Orbison - It’s Over

Clyde McPhatter - Without Love There Is Nothing 

Etta James - I’d Rather Go Blind 

Journey - Open Arms 

Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day 

Seal - Kiss From A Rose

Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be with You 

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven 


MORE
Professor David Metzer’s The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to Beyoncé
Aiyana Ishmael for Teen Vogue “Olivia Rodrigo Song "Drivers License" Sparks Fan-Made TikTok POV Covers”
Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram demo
Richard S. He Twitter thread 
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Listen to Top 40 pop over the last decade and you’ll notice something weird is happening. The chorus—the emotional apotheosis of a pop song, its dizzying high, its cathartic sing-along center—is disappearing. In its place, artists from Bad Bunny to Taylor Swift are toying with new, chorus-lite song forms that introduce a new musical grammar to the sound of contemporary pop. We may not think much about pop structure when listening to our favorite songs, but this is a big deal—the last time pop experienced such a seismic shift was when the chorus first came into fashion, back in the 1960s. What does this mean for modern musicians and listeners? Emily Warren, songwriter for new-guard stars like Dua Lipa and Khalid, joins to break down why the sea change in pop form represents a new horizon of creative possibility.

Songs Discussed
Bad Bunny - Si Veo a Tu Mamá
Future & Drake - Life Is Good
Billie Holiday - Blue Moon
Beyonce - Formation
Travis Scott - Sicko Mode
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Drake - Laugh Now Cry Later (ft. Lil Durk)
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Is it true that all pop music sounds the same today? For the past year the “pop-drop” has dominated the airwaves. This new form of EDM infused pop came out of DJ culture and has infused its sound with every mainstream act like Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Tiring of this sound, some artists are finding creative ways to parody this pop trope. The rock outfit Fall Out Boy’s “Young And Menace” demonstrates equal parts mastery and mockery of the pop-drop. And PC Music, a rising art-music label out of London, skewers the whole of pop cliché on their mixtape collaboration with Charli XCX. After this episode, we promise you’ll be ready to move on to new sounds. Luckily, listeners have collaborated to create a new favorites playlist to help you cleanse your palette.
This episode was originally published May 2017.
SONGS DISCUSSED
The Chainsmokers – Closer
Kygo & Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me
Lady Gaga – The Cure
Fall Out Boy – Sugar We’re Going Down
Fall Out Boy – Young And Menace
Jay Z – D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
Ariana Grande – Into You
Katy Perry feat. Skip Marley – Chained To The Rhythm
Drake – Passionfruit
Postmodern Jukebox – Sugar We’re Going Down Swinging
Britney Spears – Oops! I Did It Again
Skrillex – Bangarang
DJ Snake – Middle
Beyoncé – Love On Top
Icona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charlie XCX)
Iggy Azalea – Fancy ft. Charli XCX
Selena Gomez – Same Old Love
Charli XCX – 3AM (Pull Up) (feat. MØ)
Hannah Diamond – Every Night
Bronze – Thy Slaughter
Danny L Harle – Super Natural (ft. Carly Rae Jepsen)
SOPHIE – JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE
A.G. Cook – Superstar
Ariana Grande – Side To Side
Coon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra – I’m Gonna Charleston Back To Charleston
Spotify Playlist
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Auto-Tune may be the most divisive effect in music. Artists have protested it publicly at the Grammys, and critics have derided the effects for its inauthentic reproduction of the voice. And yet, nearly a decade since Jay-Z prophesied the death of Auto-Tune, the sound is alive and thriving in contemporary pop and hip-hop. Journalist Simon Reynolds has written a definitive history of Auto-Tune for Pitchfork that fundamentally changed how we hear this sound. This deep dive criss crosses geology, technology, and the evolution of pop as we know it.
Songs Discussed:

Cher - Believe

Katy Perry - Firework

Rihanna - Diamonds

Future - F*ck Up Some Commas

Emma Robinson - Stay (Cover) 

Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek 

Zapp & Roger - Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing) 

T. Pain - Chopped N Screwed ft. Ludacris 

Lil Wayne - “How To Love”

Kanye - “Heartless”

The Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”

Jay-Z - Death Of Auto-Tune

Elvis - Mystery Train

The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows

Whispering Jack Smith - Baby Face

Kesha - Tik Tok Bon Iver - Woods

Future & Juice WRLD - Jet Lag ft. Young Scooter 

Shek Wes - Mo Bamba

The Carters - Apeshit


Further Reading: Simon Reynolds - “How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music" Simon Reynolds -Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture 
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Wham’s 1984 contribution to the holiday cannon, “Last Christmas,” has surprising staying power. When Grammy-winning pianist Chilly Gonzales set out to record a holiday album, “A Very Chilly Christmas,” most of the selections were over a half century old. That’s because most of our favorite seasonal songs come from the 1960s and earlier. But in addition to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” Wham’s “Last Christmas” reliably returns each winter. Despite the cheesy 80s synths and drum machines, the song’s harmonies are remarkable resilient, a testament to George Michael’s auteur songwriting method. Celebrated artist known for his solo piano works, collaborations with Feist and Daft Punk, and his musical masterclasses series, Chilly Gonzales—musical genius—AKA “Gonzo,” sits down at the piano to share in the beauty of this nu-classical Christmas love song, as well as a few selections from his new album “A Very Chilly Christmas.”

MORE
Get tickets for A Very Chilly Christmas Special airing Dec 23rd at www.chillygonzales.com
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Just five months after releasing her Grammy-nominated album “folklore,” Taylor Swift surprised fans with a continuation of sorts — her ninth studio album “evermore.” Working with many of her “folklore” collaborators, Swift says that the team “couldn’t stop writing songs.” Like its sister album, “evermore” shies away from over-the-top pop production, and leans into Swift’s craft. Stripped of the highly produced synth layers from her “Lover” and “Reputation” era, Swift’s lyrics and vocal performance shine in their unvarnished restraint. On this hour-long album, Swift shows her ingenuity with the building blocks of songwriting, giving us more of her signature Swiftian strengths: Lyrics, melody and story. 

More
Read "Figure It Out: The Linguistic Turn in Country Music" by Jimmie N. Rogers and Miller Williams in Country Music Annual 2000
Listen to Jenny Owen Youngs album Night Shift for more rubber bridge guitar and great songs
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