Switched on Pop Vox Media Podcast Network

It’s that time of year again when the entirety of Europe (and a few other countries) come together to celebrate kitschy, bombastic songwriting through the Eurovision Song Contest! This year’s competition, held in Malmo, Sweden, features everything from rave-pop on behalf of the Netherlands, to folk-rapping hybrids courtesy of Ukraine – and Charlie and Nate are here to musicologically unpack the craziest tracks that have the potential to win it all. 

For more on the controversy surrounding this year’s contest, check out Charlie’s appearance on Vox’s podcast Today, Explained.

Songs discussed:

Joost – Europapa

Angelina Mango – La noia

alyona alyona, Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria

Nemo – The Code

Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim

Windows95Man – No Rules!

Kaleen – We Will Rave

Olly Alexander – Dizzy

Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue

Ladaniva – Jako


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Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay of the French electronic duo Justice speak with cohost Charlie Harding about their new album Hyperdrama.

Song Discussed

Justice - Phantom Pt II, D.A.N.C.E., Neveender, New Jack, Genesis, Horsepower, Civilization, One Night-All Night, Dear Alan, Incognito, Moonlight Rendez-vous, Audio Video Disco, Afterimage, The End, Generator, Pleasure

The Who - My Generation

The White Stripes - Black Math

The Human League - Human

John Carpenter - Night

Serge Gainsourg & Jane Birkin - Je T’aime… moi non plus

Michel Berger - Le Paradis Blanc

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

Chaka Khan - Fate


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The beginning of 2024 has brought new music aplenty. Some big releases are in the form of big-ticket albums by the world’s biggest superstars (shoutout Taylor and Beyoncé); some are in the form of soon-to-be radio-friendly staples (we love you, "Espresso"); and some are in the form of personal earworms (Justice! Rosie Tucker! Dua!).
This episode of Switched on Pop, we take a look at the records that we can’t stop listening to from the past few months, from Metro Boomin to Kacey Musgraves to Willow Smith. 

Songs discussed: 

Metro Boomin, Future, Kendrick Lamar – Like That

J Cole – 7 Minute Drill

Drake – Push Ups

Rick Ross – Champagne Moments

WILLOW – Big Feelings

Hozier – Too Sweet

Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso

Justice, Tame Impala – One Night/All Night

Justice – Generator

Rosie Tucker – All My Exes Live In Vortexes

Lizzy McAlpine – I Guess

Kacey Musgraves – Too Good To Be True

Maggie Rogers – The Kill

Dua Lipa – Illusion

Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well


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The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, finds the songwriter in the world of literature. She interweaves personal romance with mythical creation and quotations from high and low culture: Genesis, Peter Pan and even Playstation. Despite calling herself a "modern idiot," less-than-subtle nods to Sylvia Plath, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Dylan Thomas, and Patti Smith reveal the artist’s literary aspirations and “legendary” status. The full length Anthology version contains a bookshelf of many genres: pulp fiction, diary entries, period pieces, epic poems, and her very own genre, Taylor Swift.
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Lost Notes by KCRW explores how Fela Kuti’s time in LA in 1969 was instrumental in the creation of his legendary Afrobeat sound. Hosted by Michael Barnes and Novena Carmel. Find a full transcript of Lost Notes at KCRW. And subscribe to the show.
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There are few artists pushing the boundaries of their respective genres like Maryland rapper Rico Nasty and German-Iraqi electronic producer Boys Noize. The two have run in the same circles for over half a decade, but their joint collaboration has reached an apex with their three song EP, HARDC0RE DR3AMZ, a dance-floor ready project that owes as much to Berlin techno as it does to Dutch gabber music. Rico and Boys Noize – a.k.a. Alexander Ridha – are also incredible friends with a lot of love for one another, and for producer Reanna Cruz, all of these reasons make the duo’s EP one of the best projects of the year.

On the heels of Berlin techno being added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage for Germany, Reanna sat down with Rico and Alex for this episode of Switched on Pop.
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