Switched on Pop

4.6 (2.6K)
MUSIC COMMENTARY
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

5D AGO

Music's New Success Model

Specialized platforms and social media have empowered musicians to tap into niche audiences, igniting a quiet revolution in the music industry. Despite the dominance of viral hits, a new wave of artists, labels and businesses are redefining success by building dedicated fanbases with focused, niche strategies. This conversation, live from SXSW, features Charlie leading a conversation with: LP Giobbi, a producer, jazz-trained pianist, and activist who spends 300 days a year touring between festival stages, club floors, and studios. Nabil Ayers, president of Beggar's Group, home to multiple indie labels including 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade, and XL Recordings. Dani Deahl, a DJ, producer, and head of communications and creator insights at BandLab, the most popular digital audio workstation worldwide. MORE Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

47 min
APR 8

Miley Cyrus goes avant-garde

Miley Cyrus just released three singles from her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful. Inspired by Pink Floyd's The Wall—specifically the 1982 feature film based on the album—Cyrus is not just sharing new music but a whole visual album, each song accompanied by a music video shot by director Panos Cosmatos. We last heard from Cyrus in 2023 with her massive smash "Flowers," which found the industry veteran finding some kind of inner peace. With her new songs, Cyrus is turning from healing herself to healing the world. She described the project as "a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music." What does such an endeavor sound like? For one, a lot of surprising textures and collaborators: Shoegaze guitarists, jazz saxophonists, indie rock producers. At least, sounds that are surprising to those who only know Cyrus from "Flowers," "Wrecking Ball," and "Party in the USA." The true Miley stans expect the unexpected from an artist who, it turns out, has always been weird. Songs Discussed Miley Cyrus - Flowers, Prelude, Something Beautiful, End of the World, Dooo It!, Malibu, Cattitude (feat. RuPaul), Plastic Hearts Blank Banshee - Eco Zones Caroline Polachek, Oneohtrix Point Never - Long Road Home D'Angelo - Send It On Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders - Journey In Satchidananda Whitney - Forever Turned Around ABBA - Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen Alvvays - Easy On Your Own? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

38 min
APR 1

Chappell Roan is giving country... and hair metal?

Why was Chappell Roan's band dressed like an 80s hair metal act during her Grammy performance? The answer unlocks the surprising secret behind her #1 country hit "The Giver." This musical detective story connects glam rock aesthetics to modern country through an unexpected lineage involving AC/DC's producer, Shania Twain's revolution, and men who inadvertently dressed in drag. Between fiddle licks and gated reverb drums lies a brilliant subversion of country traditions that proves the genre has always been about musical drag while revealing what "rhinestone cowgirl" really means. MORE Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! Songs Discussed: Chappell Roan – "The Giver" Chappell Roan – "Pink Pony Club" Big & Rich – "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" Bon Jovi – "Living on a Prayer" Guns N' Roses – "Sweet Child of Mine" AC/DC – "Back in Black" Def Leppard – "Pour Some Sugar on Me" Nirvana – "About a Girl" Bryan Adams – "Everything I Do (I Do It for You)" Shania Twain – "Any Man of Mine" Shania Twain – "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" Toby Keith feat. Willie Nelson – "Beer for My Horses" Carrie Underwood – "Before He Cheats" Trace Adkins – "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" Glen Campbell – "Rhinestone Cowboy" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

32 min
MAR 25

Writing The Who’s ‘My Generation' With Pete Townshend

The Who's "My Generation" wasn't born from inspiration—it was commissioned. In a rare interview, Pete Townshend reveals how six fans at London's Goldhawk Club in 1965 directly asked him to write an anthem for their post-war generation. This conversation uncovers how a simple request transformed into rock's definitive youth statement, complete with its rebellious stutter and blues foundations. As Townshend releases his solo anthology during our own era of generational flux, the story behind rock's most famous declaration of youth proves more relevant than ever. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! Songs Referenced "My Generation" by The Who "Can't Explain" by The Who "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" by The Who "Smokestack Lightning" by Howlin' Wolf "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds "Pinball Wizard" by The Who "I'm a Boy" by The Who "Pictures of Lily" by The Who "I Can See for Miles" by The Who "Stuttering Blues" by John Lee Hooker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

54 min
MAR 18

Lady Gaga's Monster Return

In 2022, Lady Gaga embarked on The Chromatica Ball – a stadium tour featuring a stage that Gaga herself referred to as her "museum of brutality." Three years later, this idea of a brutalist enshrining of all things Monster can come to represent her new studio album MAYHEM. Over the course of fourteen tracks, Gaga is "unafraid to reference or not reference," invoking not just the pop weirdos of a past era like Prince and Bowie, but also her contemporaries, in this gothic and chaotic web of a record. This episode of Switched On Pop, Little Monster-in-residence Reanna takes Charlie and Nate on a tour through the Gaga-seum, showcasing Gaga's ability to pay tribute to her inspirations, her imitators, and her biggest icon: herself. MORE Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! SONGS DISCUSSED Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande – Rain On Me Lady Gaga – Disease Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein – Killah David Bowie – Watch That Man David Bowie – Fame Queen – Killer Queen Prince – Kiss Prince – Sign O' The Times Talking Heads – Psycho Killer Nile Rodgers, CHIC, Lady Gaga – I Want Your Love Lady Gaga – Perfect Celebrity Lady Gaga – Paparazzi Lady Gaga – The Fame Lady Gaga – Applause Nine Inch Nails – Closer Depeche Mode – Mercy in You Lady Gaga – Vanish Into You Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe! The Weeknd – In Your Eyes Lady Gaga – How Bad Do U Want Me Taylor Swift – Style Taylor Swift – Gorgeous Yaz – Only You Lady Gaga – Zombieboy Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl Lady Gaga – Summerboy Lady Gaga – Beautiful, Dirty Rich Lady Gaga – Shadow Of A Man Lady Gaga – Nothing On But the Radio Lady Gaga – Garden of Eden Lady Gaga – Bad Romance Lady Gaga – Abracadabra Lady Gaga – Government Hooker Lady Gaga – Bloody Mary Lady Gaga – Swine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

53 min
MAR 11

How Missy Elliott and Timbaland Freaked the World

When the song “Get Ur Freak On” hit radio in 2001, it set the world of popular music on fire. Missy Elliott and Timbaland’s first crossover hit sounded nothing like the chart-topping bluesy rock of Aerosmith or Lenny Kravitz, or the smooth R&B of Joe or Jagged Edge. It was a song that compelled you to dance - literally, with Missy issuing repeat commands to “get ur freak on” and encouraging crowds to gather ‘round in what we’ve only ever experienced as a hot slick mess of bodies, cheering and vibing as one pretzeling mass. But this song was years in the making. Timbaland and Missy had been hard at work on the sound for nearly a decade before “Get Ur Freak On” was heard by anyone. This week, in yet another segment of our Modern Classics miniseries, our guest host and former producer Megan Lubin shares the story of the sound that made “Get Ur Freak On” a pop music phenomenon, and transformed Timbaland into one of the most ubiquitous producers of the aughts. Songs Discussed Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On Tweet - Oops (Oh My) Jay-Z - Dirt off Your Shoulder Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around 2Pac - Me Against The World TLC - Creep Ginuwine - Pony Aaliyah - One in a Million Jay-Z ft. UGK - Big Pimpin’ Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. - My Love Timbaland ft. One Republic - Apologize Sports Car - Tate McRae Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

36 min
MAR 4

Playing "Hide and Seek" with Imogen Heap

It may be hard to believe it in this technology-driven day and age, but one of the most pervasive sounds in popular music came about when a computer STOPPED working. In 2005, artist and innovator Imogen Heap released "Hide and Seek," a mysterious and emotional song featuring just her voice and a digital harmonizer. In this episode, Nate and Reanna dissect a song that launched a thousand memes and gave the world one of the defining sonic textures of our time. Songs Discussed Imogen Heap - Headlock Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight Daft Punk - Around the World Imogen Heap - Getting Scared Frou Frou - Let Go Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say Bon Iver - Woods Coldplay - Hurts Like Heaven Kacey Musgraves gracias a la vida Frank Ocean - Close To You Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey - The Middle Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

35 min
FEB 25

The Umbrella Effect: How Rihanna’s Breakout Hit Changed Pop Music Forever

In 2007, a 19-year-old Barbadian pop singer released the lead single off her third album. By doing so, she didn't just give us a timeless, undeniable banger -- she changed the way pop music is made, and became the global superstar that we know Rihanna to be today. In this episode we go back in time to unearth the origins of "Umbrella," and how the song blossomed as a result of many shifting currents in the music industry, the democratization recording technology, and the persistence of Rihanna and her team to record the song instead of the artist for whom it was intended. SONGS DISCUSSED James Brown "Funky Drummer" Funkadelic "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" Soft Cell "Tainted Love" N.W.A. "100 Miles and Runnin" Mya "Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do?)" Britney Spears featuring Madonna "Me Against the Music" Nine Inch Nails "The Hand That Feeds" Rihanna "Pon de Replay" Rihanna "S.O.S." Shakira "Hips Don't Lie" Rihanna "Umbrella" Justice "Stress" Usher "Love in This Club" Childish Gambino "Bonfire" A$AP Rocky featuring Skepta "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)" Asher Monroe "Synergy" Justin Bieber & Lil Dicky "Running Over" Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

37 min

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4.6

out of 5

2,551 Ratings

Chat hear me out

Feb 7

😍🥰😘🦄🦊🌮🐺🦙💎🍭🎀🧸

Ok hear me out but i NEED a episode that at least includes a Vocaloid if not our blue queen Hatsune Miku especially because they were predicting J-Pop is gonna hit the charts I would love to see a Vocaloid episode especially because they’re holograms i feel like it would be really cool to see what they think about it :3
Worth a listen but

Mar 24

UnknownAuthor

Not as sharp as before—the analyses feel flat and somewhat superficial.
I have a idea love the pod

Jan 15

CatalinaJaneQuijano

I have a idea for a episode. Mariah Carey VS Ariana Grande on the high notes. Just a idea. Love this podcast
So obsessed with this show!

Jan 9

nielsenwithane

Love love love

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.