Popcast The New York Times

Man, come on. I love this podcast and have been a dedicated listener up to this point, but to disappear for a month and then come back with…this? ANOTHER Taylor Swift episode, and a really boring one at that?

I listen because I love all kinds of pop music, and I love hearing people talk about pop music even if I vehemently disagree (like, I couldn’t believe my ears when it was theorized here that Addison Rae, who once very earnestly referred to Fleetwood Mac as “underground,” is playing a particularly clever joke on the music industry, but I had a lot of fun listening all the same).

I do NOT listen to hear about Taylor Swift ad hominem, especially when there are so many other things happening in the world of pop. What about everything surrounding Katy Perry’s “Woman’s World” flop? Chappell Roan is blowing up in a way not seen in ages - does that not merit a dedicated episode by now? Why not delve into all the cool things happening in alternative pop this year, like Remi Wolf’s new album? And if you must talk Taylor, why not talk about how she manipulated her latest album into dominating the charts at the expense of less established artists?…kind of how she (through the hosts) dominates this podcast at the expense of more interesting and varied subjects?

I would love to rate this higher because I genuinely love music and love listening to people talk about music and the process of music criticism, but by “music” I do not mean a single artist with occasional sidebars thrown in. This show is stale.

It’s so frustrating to listen to lectures without a thesis statement! Please finish a thought and fill us in on exactly what you’re talking about. It’s so inside joke-y it’s painful.

John is unlikeable at best.