Pop Pantheon artwork

Pop Pantheon

199 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 415 ratings

The podcast where DJ Louie XIV and guests completely overanalyze all your favorite pop stars, then rank them in the official Pop Pantheon.

Music Commentary Music
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Beyoncé, Black Country & the Long Road to Cowboy Carter (With Dr. Francesca Royster & Taylor Crumpton)

March 28, 2024 07:01 - 1 hour - 61.3 MB

Tonight, Beyoncé will drop her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, her first explicit full-length foray into country music. As with every Bey project, there's a ton of meaning and history to unpack. DePaul University professor and author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions, Dr. Francesca Royster, and writer and editor Taylor Crumpton, author of TIME piece Beyoncé Has Always Been Country, join the show to explain the long and often under-sung history of Black women in...

Finding Bliss in Existentialism on Kacey Musgraves' Deeper Well (with Jewly Hight) (Patreon Preview)

March 26, 2024 14:10 - 10 minutes - 9.7 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, music critic Jewly Hight joins DJ Louie for a wide-ranging discussion about Kacey Musgraves' fifth studio album, Deeper Well, which dropped last week. Louie and Jewly discuss how this record fits in the broader narrative arc of Kacey's music and career trajectory, her influences from across the folk rock spectrum and the themes on this music from break-ups to death to the meaning of life itself, all filtered through Kacey...

CALVIN HARRIS & DAVID GUETTA (with Lina Abascal)

March 21, 2024 07:01 - 2 hours - 121 MB

Culture writer and author Lina Abascal returns to Pop Pantheon to revisit the fleeting early 2010s moment when EDM DJs utterly consumed American popular music via two of the genre’s most emblematic figures, David Guetta and Calvin Harris. Louie and Lina trace David’s roots in the Paris club scene through to his breakthrough in the U.S. with hits like "When Love Takes Over", "Sexy Bitch" & "Memories", "Where Them Girls At?", "Titanium" and "Turn Me On", his big pop collaborations wit...

Britney and Janet Aren’t Justin Timberlake’s Only Problem (with Vox's Kyndall Cunningham) (Patreon Preview)

March 19, 2024 14:51 - 10 minutes - 9.53 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Justin Timberlake put out his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, last Friday. But is it possible to hear this music— or appreciate Justin's talents— outside of the narrative nosedive his career has taken in the last decade? Vox's Kyndall Cunningham joins Louie and Russ to discuss. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and...

Do You Still Listen to Kanye West and Michael Jackson? (with Tre Johnson & Kemi Olivia Alemoru)

March 14, 2024 07:01 - 1 hour - 79.7 MB

Host and culture writer for Dazed, Vogue and more, Kemi Olivia Alemoru, and writer on race, culture and politics and author of the upcoming book Black Genius, Tre Johnson, join the show to discuss how we as critics and the public interface with the work of famous pop stars who have done awful things. Kemi, Tre and Louie dig into the complex legacies of Kanye West and Michal Jackson in particular, parsing apart how darker revelations about each of their characters have impacted how t...

The Novel & Familiar Thrills of Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine (with Bustle's Nolan Feeney) (Patreon Preview)

March 11, 2024 19:24 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode and as a capstone to our latest series on Ariana Grande, Bustle's Nolan Feeney joins DJ Louie to discuss Ari's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which dropped on Friday. Louie and Nolan dig into all the record's themes, aesthetics, how it toys with her public narrative, the impact of collaborator Max Martin, absence of long-time songwriting aces Victoria Monet and Tayla Parx and so much more. To hear the rest of the...

ARIANA GRANDE: PART 2 (with Pitchfork's Anna Gaca)

March 07, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 106 MB

For part two of our Ariana Grande series, Pitchfork senior editor Anna Gaca is here to discuss the aesthetic pivot of 2018’s Sweetener, the superstar's first album following the horrific bombing of her Manchester concert and which found her reaching for light amidst unthinkable darkness. From there, Louie and Anna tackle the tabloid frenzy of Ari's relationship with comedian Pete Davidson and how their break-up, along with the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, turned 2019’s than...

ARIANA GRANDE: PART 1 (with the LA Times' Mikael Wood)

February 29, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 97.6 MB

Pop music critic at the LA Times, Mikael Wood, joins Pop Pantheon for our first ever full re-examination of the first ever artist we ever ranked in the official Pop Pantheon: Ariana Grande. In Part 1, Louie and Mikael trace Ariana’s roots as a performer, from her start on Broadway as a teenager to her Nickelodeon years and her bubblegum debut single through to her first studio album, 2013’s Babyface-assisted Yours Truly. Then they tackle 2014’s My Everything, which ensconced Arian...

NYC Live Show! Talking Taylor at the Bellhouse on 4/22

February 26, 2024 08:01 - 2 minutes - 1.98 MB

When was the last time a single pop star dominated culture like Taylor Swift? From her blockbuster re-recordings, which brought a new generation of fans into the Swiftie fold, to her world-conquering Eras Tour, record-breaking 4th Album of the Year Grammy for 2022’s Midnights and the endless fascination with her personal life and new relationship with Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift has become the biggest music superstar of the millennium. In the wake of her eleventh studio album, The To...

JLo, Beyoncé & the Surprisingly Long History of the Visual Album (with Sydney Urbanek)

February 22, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 61 MB

Jennifer Lopez might not have stopped the world when she released her new self-financed visual album, This is Me... Now: A Love Story, last week. But she certainly drummed up a lot of conversation, much of which most certainly would not have been happening had she simply dropped a new record. After watching the film, DJ Louie got together with writer Sydney Urbanek, who is currently developing a series for her newsletter Mononym Mythology on the history of the visual album, to tal...

Can We Justify Justin Timberlake's Justified? (with Rachel Brodsky) (Patreon Preview)

February 19, 2024 08:01 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, as we gear up for Justin Timberlake's sixth studio album Everything I Thought I Was, due in March, DJ Louie and writer Rachel Brodsky gather to reflect on his debut, 2002's Justified. The two parse out how Justin's public profile nosedive has impacted the public's experience of this music, whether it's possible to enjoy this album in vacuum, and If perhaps there's been an overcorrection on Timberlake in recent years that ...

SHERYL CROW (with Natalie Weiner)

February 15, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 90.3 MB

Writer Natalie Weiner joins Pop Pantheon to unpack Sheryl Crow’s “winding road” to pop superstardom. Natalie and Louie trace back Sheryl’s early days in the music business, from her gig singing backup on Michael Jackson's blockbuster Bad Tour to writing songs for Celine Dion and Tina Turner, then discuss the roots rock infused pop of 1993's Tuesday Night Music Club that made Sheryl a star and won her Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. From there, they break down her signature 199...

Beyoncé's Surprise Singles + Usher's Halftime Show + New Music Speed Round (with Variety's Steven J. Horowitz) (Patreon Preview)

February 12, 2024 23:13 - 10 minutes - 9.2 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Beyoncé dropped two singles plus announced her new album! Usher performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show! Variety's Steven J. Horowitz joins Louie and Russ to discuss it all, plus a new music speed round featuring Justin Timberlake, Kacey Musgraves & Ice Spice. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop P...

Second Spin: USHER (with Rawiya Kameir)

February 10, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 96.6 MB

In anticipation of Usher's Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday, we're re-sharing our episode on him from September 2022. Music writer and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University, Rawiya Kameir, is back on the show to discuss the career and confessions of the great Usher. DJ Louie and Rawiya break down Usher’s musical origins singing in the church, the failed boy band he fronted in the early ‘90s, Nu Beginnings, and how his deal with the storied LaFace Records and subseque...

N*cki, M*gan & Why it's Time to Rethink Stan Culture (with Rolling Stone's Mankaprr Conteh)

February 08, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 56.8 MB

The long-simmering beef between Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion recently exploded from our streaming services with the release of their respective diss tracks "Big Foot" and "Hiss" and onto social media, where Nicki vented her ire for her rival for days, then, thanks to the rapper's most ardent fans, onto some people's front doorsteps and even to the gravesite of Megan's mother. This beef is yet another moment where the ferocity of stan armies and their relentless defense of t...

The Grammys Still Have a Problem with Black Women (with Variety's Chris Willman) (Patreon Preview)

February 05, 2024 21:08 - 7 minutes - 7.24 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, it’s been 25 years since a Black woman won Album of the Year. If neither Beyonce or SZA can do it, who can? Louie + Russ ponder that question with Variety’s Chris Willman as they walk through the good, the bad + the infuriating from the 2024 Grammys. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All ...

FERGIE (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd)

February 01, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 89.7 MB

For part two of our Black Eyed Peas series, writer and critic Julianne Escobedo Shepherd returns to Pop Pantheon to dissect the brief but remarkable reign of the Duchess of Pop, Fergie. Louie and Julianne break down Fergie’s brushes with child stardom via Peanuts and Kids Incorporated and her failed 90s girl group, Wild Orchid. Then they explore the sonic melange of her debut solo album,  2006’s The Dutchess, which traded in everything from camp pop-rap to 80s hip house, mid-century...

THE BLACK EYED PEAS (with The Ringer's Rob Harvilla)

January 25, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 106 MB

Ringer music critic and host of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s Rob Harvilla returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss one of the most derided – and successful – pop acts of the 21st Century, The Black Eyed Peas. Louie and Rob trace the group’s roots as an optimistic, politically progressive “conscious rap” crew, starting with their first two pre-Fergie records, 1998’s Behind The Front and 2000’s Bridging the Gap. Then they tackle the Peas’ reinvention as a garish, craven, operatically tack...

How Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia Made Her a Main Pop Girl (with Pitchfork's Anna Gaca) (Patreon Preview)

January 22, 2024 08:01 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, when it came out in 2020 at the height of Covid19 lockdown, Dua Lipa's sophomore album Future Nostalgia made her a superstar. Now, nearly four years later and on the eve of a new Dua era, Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca, who reviewed the album when it dropped, is here to talk about the record, how it's held up, how Dua's dance revival set the terms for pop and where it all positions her in the pop landscape as she ve...

Why Can't Pop Stars Score Two Hits Off One Album? (with Andrew Unterberger & Eric Bennett)

January 18, 2024 08:01 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MB

Olivia Rodrigo's Guts, Harry Styles' Harry's House, Lizzo's Special, Adele's 30, Miley Cyrus' Endless Summer Vacation. What's one thing all of these albums have in common? They're each major releases by pop superstars in the last few years that churned out one massive hit single and then struggled to find a second to match it. They also serve as slightly counterintuitive representations of the state of the modern pop blockbuster in which, unlike past eras, putting together a string ...

Ariana Returns! Plus New Music from Lil Nas X & Jennifer Lopez (Patreon Preview)

January 15, 2024 23:12 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, the year is major pop star releases kicked off late last week with three singles from three stars of three different pop generations: Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?", Lil Nas X's "J. Christ" & Jennifer Lopez' "Can't Get Enough". Louie and Russ gather to break each of them down, share their thoughts on their quality and parse out how each of these superstars are attacking the idea of the lead single in the fractured, center-le...

DEMI LOVATO (with Molly Mary O'Brien)

January 11, 2024 08:01 - 2 hours - 110 MB

Host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the often harrowing and sometimes triumphant life and career of Demi Lovato. Molly and Louie unpack Demi’s squeaky clean debut on Barney at 10 and her induction into the Disney machine, from her starring role in Camp Rock to her Hollywood Records efforts, including 2008’s well-made but anodyne Don’t Forget and 2009’s Kidz-Bop-Kelly-Clarkson Here We Go Again. Then they discuss Demi’s very publ...

What Pantheon Rankings Did I Get Wrong in 2023?: Shakira, The Simpson Sisters, Lana & More!

January 04, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 59.6 MB

Before we launch all our exciting new content for 2024, Louie and Russ look back on every single Pop Pantheon ranking from 2023 and discuss whether we got it right or wrong, take calls and emails from listeners with their ranking disputes and adjust some of our decisions. Does Shakira move from Tier 2 to Tier 1? Does Jessica Simpson really deserve to be in Tier 5?? And should the Niche Legend tier exist at all?!?!  It's all on the table.  Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon...

Hard Candy is a Sweet Spot in Madonna's Late Period (with Miles Marshall Lewis) (Patreon Preview)

January 03, 2024 08:01 - 8 minutes - 7.35 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and guest Miles Marshall Lewis look back Madonna's 11th studio album, 2008's Hard Candy, an album where the Queen of Pop uncharacteristically played catch-up with her pop star progeny, enlisting Timabland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell to help get her music back in American radio's good graces. The gambit only minorly paid off. The album received mixed reviews and while lead single "4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberla...

How Has Lady Gaga's Chromatica Held Up? (with Matthew Perpetua & Molly Mary O'Brien) (Patreon Rerun)

December 28, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 56 MB

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! In a rerun of an episode from Pop Pantheon: All Access published back in May, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua & host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien join DJ Louie to look back on three years of Chromatica: How they absorbed it when it dropped in the context of May 2020, how it sounds to them now, what's happening aesthetically and thematically on the songs, where it stacks up against in Gaga's catalog and what it says about her statu...

Pop Stars We Lost This Year: Sinéad O'Connor, Tony Bennett & Tina Turner (with Annie Zaleski, Brian Newman & Melissa Vincent)

December 21, 2023 08:01 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MB

Louie and a series guest look back on the career, work and legacies of some pop greats we lost in 2023: Sinéad O'Connor, Tony Bennett & Tina Turner. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Annie Zaleski on Twitter Follow Brian Newman on Twitter Follow Melissa Vincent on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Panth...

Who TF is Tate McRae? Making Sense of Pop's New Main Girl (Patreon Preview)

December 18, 2023 08:01 - 9 minutes - 8.49 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tate McRae has, to some, been on the rise for the past few years. To many, she became the pop starlet of the moment overnight with her viral hit "Greedy". On the occasion of her sophomore album, Think Later, released a couple weeks ago, Louie and Russ came together to talk everything Tate: How she's metamorphosed over her ascent, what's clicked with "Greedy" and how that's reflected (or not) in the rest the album, and wha...

MARIAH CAREY: PART 3 (with Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak)

December 14, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 102 MB

For the conclusion of our three-part series on Mariah Carey, Pot Psychology’s Rich Juzwiak returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss Mariah’s later period work, starting with one of the greatest comebacks in the history of pop: 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi. Louie and Rich unpack Emancipation’s smash hits and how it helped rewrite Mariah's legacy, then move on to its 2008’s sequel, E=MC², and 2009's idiosyncratic Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. Rich and Louie tackle the calcification of h...

Is Pink Friday 2 a Worthy Sequel? (with Hunter Harris) (Patreon Preview)

December 12, 2023 08:01 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Nicki Minaj dropped her long-awaited fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, last Friday. But is it a worthy follow-up to her legendary debut, 2010's Pink Friday? Hung Up's Hunter Harris joins DJ Louie to break it all down: what's good on this record, what's not and whether albums—this one or any other in her discography— are useful formats for Nicki's unique genius.  To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at leas...

MARIAH CAREY: PART 2 (with NPR's Aisha Harris)

December 07, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 102 MB

For the second in our three-part series on Mariah Carey, NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour's Aisha Harris joins the show to unpack some of the most fascinating, liberated and enduring music Mariah has made, as well as a professional nadir from which it once seemed she'd never recover. Louie and Aisha pick up with Mariah's self-described magnum opus, 1997’s Butterfly, then move on to her final album under her deal with Sony and Tommy Mottola, 1999’s Rainbow, before digging into the embarras...

How Mariah Carey Became the Queen of Christmas (with The Wall Street Journal's John Jurgensen) (Patreon Preview)

December 04, 2023 08:01 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Wall Street Journal's John Jurgensen, who has chronicled Mariah's ascent to the Queen of Christmas over the last 30 years, joins DJ Louie to discuss just how she's come to claim that title. Louie and John are talking Merry Christmas and "All I Want For Christmas Is You", the historical relationship between pop and Christmas music and how social media, stan culture, Love Actually, and a good-old fashioned banger came t...

MARIAH CAREY: PART 1 (with Dr. Brittnay L. Proctor)

November 30, 2023 08:01 - 2 hours - 121 MB

In the first of three new episodes on pop icon Mariah Carey, DJ Louie is joined by The New School's Dr. Brittnay L. Proctor to discuss Mariah's origin story and early career. They begin with her upbringing on Long Island as the product of a biracial marriage, her first forays into the music industry as a demo singer and background vocalist and her chance meeting with future husband Tommy Mottola which resulted in her smash self-titled debut album, home to four consecutive number one...

The Best Pop Music of 2023 (with Shaad D'Souza)

November 22, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 61.5 MB

Music writer Shaad D'Souza joins DJ Louie to discuss pop music in 2023. They each share and discuss their three favorite albums, three favorite songs, greatest disappointments, major trends in the genre and more. Check out a Spotify Playlist of Louie and Shaad's 2023 Favs Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on December 16 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Shaad D'Souza on Instagram Follow DJ L...

Bonnie McKee on the Song Machine, Pop Stardom & Ego Death

November 16, 2023 08:01 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MB

Bonnie McKee is the songwriter behind many of the most enduring pop hits of the last 15 years including Taio Cruz' "Dynamite", Britney Spears' "Hold it Against Me" and no fewer than 5 (!) of Katy Perry's #1s. She's also a pop star in her own right, having run the gamut from singer-songwriter-aspirant in the early 2000s through numerous major label deals and finally, her current career as an indie pop act. Bonnie joins DJ Louie to talk about it all: her love of pop music, how she w...

AALIYAH (with Kathy Iandoli)

November 09, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 101 MB

Author of the book Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah Kathy Iandoli returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the far too short career of one of the most exciting pop recording artists of her generation, Aaliyah. Kathy and Louie discuss Aaliyah’s upbringing in Detroit, her connection to soul legend Gladys Knight and how she came to create 1994’s Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number with R. Kelly, a convicted sexual predator who married her illegally as a teen. Then they examine one of the most fo...

Pop Pantheon Live! Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy (with Jason King, Troy McEady and Kirbie Johnson) (Patreon Preview)

November 03, 2023 18:06 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

Pop Pantheon had it's first live show ever last night at the Crawford Auditorium in Pasadena, courtesy of LAist! In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, USC's Jason King, Beyond the Blinds' Troy McEady and Gloss Angeles' Kirbie Johnson were all on stage with DJ Louie to discuss all things Britney: her new memoir, The Woman in Me, her legacy as a pop star and musician, why she mattered and continues to impact the world of pop and generations of stars who came a...

Lizzo & The Nature of Celebrity Scandal (with Megan Agnew & Hanna Phifer)

November 02, 2023 07:01 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Back in August, Lizzo was sued by a number of her former dancers for creating a hostile work environment, with allegations including racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination and assault, and more. This flew directly in the face of her brand, which champions positivity, inclusivity and authenticity above all else (including even her music). The Sunday Times' Megan Agnew and journalist and culture critic Hanna Phifer join DJ Louie to b...

Taylor Touchdown! (1989 TV! Eras Tour Film! Travis!) (Patreon Preview)

October 30, 2023 07:01 - 9 minutes - 8.66 MB

There sure is a lot of Taylor Swift happening right now but when is there not these days?  In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ got together to talk about it all: 1989 (Taylor's Version), which dropped Friday, its attendant "from the vault" tracks, The Eras Tour film which was released a few weeks ago, her new high-profile relationship with football star Travis Kelci and, with Taylor having the biggest monocultural moment in recent history, w...

BRUNO MARS (with Stereogum's Tom Breihan)

October 26, 2023 07:01 - 1 hour - 104 MB

Stereogum’s Tom Breihan returns to Pop Pantheon to dissect the career of pop history’s greatest mimic, Bruno Mars. Louie and Tom dive into how Bruno spent his childhood impersonating greats like Elvis and Michael Jackson, his failed start on Motown and early work for other artists, including via his production group The Smeezingtons. Then they discuss his tightly-stitched 2010 debut, Doo-Wops and Hooligans, 2012’s pop history grab-bag, Unorthodox Jukebox, and the cultural sensation ...

Where are All the New Pop Stars? (with Billboard's Elias Leight)

October 19, 2023 07:01 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

There are more pop artists than ever but very few of them seem to be able to grab a serious foothold at the top of the heap. Billboard's Elias Leight has been covering this topic extensively lately and for this week's B-side, he joins DJ Louie to break down why it's become nearly impossible to ascend to pop's  A-List in the Tik Tok era, how various factions— from artists, to labels, to fans— are reacting to this and how each may need to adjust expectations for what a successful pop ...

Searching for Queer Utopias on Troye Sivan's Something to Give Each Other (Patreon Preview)

October 17, 2023 07:01 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Troye Sivan released his third album, Something to Give Each Other, on Friday and Louie and Russ got together to dig into the music and world of this record. The two had very differing interpretations of the themes, mood and production choices here which led to a dynamic conversation about Troye, Something and how the continued paucity of queer pop stars puts inordinate amounts of pressure on each release to be everything...

JESSICA & ASHLEE SIMPSON (with Beyond the Blinds' Troy McEady)

October 12, 2023 07:01 - 1 hour - 109 MB

Beyond The Blinds’ Troy McEady joins Pop Pantheon for a double header on a pair of TRL-era pop princess sisters, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson. Louie and Troy track Jessica and Ashlee’s upbringing in Texas, Jessica’s failed attempts at teen stardom via Disney and Christian music and her breakthrough with 1999’s “I Wanna Love You Forever” and Sweet Kisses. Then they discuss 2001’s robotic Irresistible and the surprising vehicle for Jessica’s biggest success, MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick & Jess...

How Country Bros Took Over Pop (with Spencer Kornhaber & Marissa R. Moss)

October 05, 2023 07:01 - 1 hour - 65 MB

There's been a record-breaking trend this year of country music dominating the top of the Billboard Hot 100. But it's not just any country music. These hits by artists like Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Oliver Anthony & Luke Combs— all cis white men— are each employing identity politics and tapping into broader socio-political conflict in the US, either implicitly or explicitly, to help power their rise to pop dominance. So for the first segment of today's show, The Atlantic's Spen...

The Ease of Kylie Minogue's Tension (with Michael Cragg) (Patreon Preview)

October 02, 2023 07:01 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, journalist and author Michael Cragg joins Louie for a discussion of Kylie Minogue's sixteenth studio album, Tension, which dropped a couple weeks ago.  Tension arrives amidst a heightened level of interest on Kylie following the viral success of its lead single "Padam Padam", which was a gay club anthem in the US and a bonafide hit around the world, including becoming her first top ten in the UK in more than a decade. Lo...

Doja Cat Walls Herself In on Scarlet (with Rawiya Kameir) (Patreon Preview)

September 29, 2023 07:01 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Rawiya Kameir joins the show in a companion piece to this week's main feed episode on Doja Cat.  Here, Louie and Rawiya are talking all things Doja's fourth studio album, Scarlet, which dropped this past Friday. This is a very different type of Doja album: rap-heavy, combative and very very long. Louie and Rawiya are sharing all their thoughts on the record: what's working, what's not, whether Doja has effectively answer...

DOJA CAT (with Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul)

September 28, 2023 07:01 - 1 hour - 106 MB

Rolling Stone’s Larisha Paul joins Pop Pantheon to dissect the career of one of the most enigmatic, eccentric talents working in pop today: Doja Cat. As Doja releases her fourth studio album, Scarlet, Larisha and Louie dig into her origin story, connection to controversial super-producer Dr. Luke, rise on Soundcloud and the laid-back stoner R&B of her 2014 debut EP Purrr!. They then tackle Doja's first full-length LP, 2018’s Amala, the strange breakout success of the novelty track...

PRINCE: PART 3 (with Miles Marshall Lewis)

September 21, 2023 07:01 - 1 hour - 85.1 MB

For the conclusion of our three-part series on Prince, writer and critic Miles Marshall Lewis joins Pop Pantheon to discuss the final swing of Prince's career, beginning with his tumultuous battle with Warner Bros in the early 1990s, which saw him change his name to an unpronounceable symbol and perform with “slave” written on his face. Louie and Miles then tackle the ups and downs of Prince’s wildly prolific latter career, including 1991’s genre-spanning Diamonds and Pearls, his co...

PRINCE: PART 2 (with Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak)

September 14, 2023 07:01 - 2 hours - 114 MB

For the second in our three-part series on Prince, Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak joins the show to unpack Prince’s imperial years, starting with one of the best-selling albums of all time, 1984’s Purple Rain. Louie and Rich discuss all the music from this blockbuster record as well as the accompanying Oscar-winning film, which together made Prince a cultural phenomenon for the ages, before tackling his swerve into kaleidoscopic psychedelia on 1985's Around the World in a Day, his se...

Olivia Rodrigo Makes the Sophomore Jump on Guts (with Stereogum's Tom Breihan) (Patreon Preview)

September 13, 2023 07:01 - 12 minutes - 11 MB

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Streogum's Tom Breihan joins DJ Louie to break down Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album Guts, which dropped Friday: What's working (more rock!), what's not, the major themes and sounds and what it all says about Olivia's place in the pop star firmament of 2023. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to P...

PRINCE: PART 1 (with Dr. Elliott H. Powell)

September 07, 2023 07:01 - 2 hours - 120 MB

For the first of our three-part series on the High Priest of Pop, Prince, the University of Minnesota's Dr. Elliott H. Powell joins the show to discuss the rise of perhaps pop history’s greatest enigma. Louie and Elliot unpack Prince’s upbringing in Minneapolis, his impressive 1978 debut, For You, on which he played every instrument, and mainstream breakthrough with his self-titled sophomore album in 1979 and its smash "I Wanna Be Your Lover". Then they tackle how 1980’s filthy, car...

Guests

Bradley Stern
1 Episode
Jia Tolentino
1 Episode
rachel handler
1 Episode

Twitter Mentions

@djlouiexiv 159 Episodes
@poppantheonpod 153 Episodes
@pantheonpop 25 Episodes
@richjuz 9 Episodes
@speriod 5 Episodes
@jawnita 5 Episodes
@ohheybrittany 4 Episodes
@jmseabrook 4 Episodes
@lindseyweber 4 Episodes
@harvilla 4 Episodes
@jasonlipshutz 3 Episodes
@rawiya 3 Episodes
@jasonkingsays 3 Episodes
@jasonspank 3 Episodes
@joecoscarelli 3 Episodes
@cmolanphy 3 Episodes
@mylestanzer 3 Episodes
@anniezaleski 3 Episodes
@tombreihan 2 Episodes
@bylarisha 2 Episodes