The 6 Best Popcast Podcast Episodes
1) BTS Conquered America. What’s Next for K-Pop?
Now that K-pop is successful on its own terms, the questions it faces are changing. Guest: Billboard's Jeff Benjamin.
2) Was Ashlee Simpson Underappreciated? Discuss
In the mid-2000s, the pop singer had platinum albums and an MTV reality show. Hear the first of two conversations about Ms. Simpson’s misunderstood career.
3) What’s Left for the Weeknd to Conquer?
“Dawn FM” suggests at least one future direction for the pop powerhouse, who’s spent a decade making careful moves. Guest: The Ringer's Rob Harvilla.
4) How TikTok Is Killing the Radio Songwriter
Radio hits are different from TikTok smashes. And the shift is having an impact on songwriting.
5) Popcast: Britney Spears
A discussion of Ms. Spears’s conservatorship.
6) The Crooner in Chief: Barack Obama’s Musical Legacy
He brought soul and hip-hop into the White House like no president before him. A discussion of Mr. Obama’s most powerful musical moments, on this week’s Popcast.
7) Romeo Santos & Prince Royce Interview! On Why Bachata Is Still Underrated in Latin Music and Beyond
The leading stars of the Dominican genre discuss their paths to selling out stadiums and the lingering feeling that they haven’t received their due amid the Latin music boom.
8) Can a Celebrity Be Conservative? How Pop Culture Is Shifting in Trump’s America
From Sydney Sweeney to Taylor Swift and YoungBoy Never Broke Again, a conversation with the columnist Ross Douthat about how culture is reacting to a second Trump administration.
9) 5 Takeaways From the Grammy Nominations
Breaking down the story lines to watch from the new slate of nominees going into February’s big show.
10) Yung Lean Interview! On Defeating His Demons, Swedish Modesty & Charli XCX's Wedding
More than a decade after achieving viral fame as a teenage rapper outside of Stockholm, Yung Lean is back with new music, a new film and some hard-won clarity.