Flopstars

HI FRIENDS! We are back for 2023. The first proper Flopstars show of the year is coming next week. We're unpacking the mess around Sam Smith's album release, who we think might win the GRAMMYs, Miley's return and the new songs from Ava Max, Kid Laroi, Zara Larsson, Rosalia and many more. OUR FIRST IRL EPISODE. See you next week for our first big album of the year - if you wanna know who it is, sta...

We're finished with our albums for season 6 but we're keeping it going with a few 2022 wraps. This episode focusses around Spotify Wrapped for the year - both our personal lists and the global lists. We talk the dominance of Harry Styles, Bad Bunny's global takeover, Lizzo's year and heaps more as we unpack this rollercoaster of a year. 

We're rounding out the year with our final album unpack - Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. The challenging, experimental record was dropped for free in 2015 after her biggest era 'BANGERZ'. It was a wild move not seen by any of her contemporaries but Miley has always led with feeling. It's an imperfect - at times - meandering record that has some very special moments too. We talk about why it's un...

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap.

Kacey Musgraves gets her first episode on Flopstars this week as we dig into 'Golden Hour'. The Grammy Album of the Year winner was a turning point for Musgraves' career introducing new crowds to her psychedelic brand of country music. It's a record that appreciates what's around her and basks in a love-lorn haze. 

It's Nic's turn to pick an album to bring to the podcast and he's taking it back to 2007 with Mika's 'Life In Cartoon Motion'. The debut record by Mika was a commercial smash but it was absolutely trashed at the time by the critics reflecting a time of homophobia and pop shyness. We go deep on it to spotlight its highlights and understand why it was so influential for Nic. 

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. Why we won't be watching the Selena Gomez doco, Rihanna's letting us down, plus there's new music from Pink, Jason Derulo, Fletcher & one of the best alt-pop songs of the year from Hemlocke Springs.  Follow us on Instagram & TikTok !

Lorde's 'Solar Power' is powering the podcast this week. It was the testing third album from the 'Melodrama' artist who brought us from dark sounds straight to the beach. It tested both critics and fans as her 'genius' label was put to the test. A year later, it's starting to collect its flowers.  Follow us on Instagram & TikTok and join the conversation.

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap.  0:30 - Is Rihanna's return with 'Lift Me Up' enough? 3:45 - The astonishing chart records Taylor Swift's Midnights has achieved in Australia & the US 8:05 - We touch on the sad passing of Takeoff 9:40 - SZA's dark moment Shirt 11:30 - Ruel's new single - has the Australian prodigy plateaued for a bit? 15:10 - Dove Cameron's Bad Idea &...

We think Carly Rae Jepsen is the ultimate Flopstar in the best way so we had to react to her most recent record 'The Loneliest Time'. It's only new but it's already winning us over with its diverse range of sounds exploring love and loss. We talk about her recent TikTok success, how to discuss loss of a loved one in a pop song and play a few silly games. 

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack Taylor Swift 's Midnights & throw our immediate Best & Worst at you, RIHANNA HAS NEW MUSIC (!!!) as do Ellie Goulding , BBNO$, Caroline Polachek, Chela, Meghan Trainor, Kelela & others. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok !

Back at it with The 1975 this week. They have just released their fifth album 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language' but we're throwing it back to their critical masterpiece 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships'. The first part of their 'Music For Cars' series, it's an experimental, chaotic, and masterful listen that reflects on the disjointed nature of the physical and online world at the time...

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack The 1975 & Tove Lo's new albums, BTS tottering off to the army, Lana's album being stolen FROM HER CAR, new music from Betty Who, Marshmello & Juice WRLD, Nessa Barrett, SG Lewis, RAYE, Joshua Bassett, Louis Tomlinson & Blink 182 + we preview MIDNIGHTS! Follow us on Instagram & TikTok !

This week it's Sam's Pick - an album he regards as one of the best, whilst Nic's never really given it the time of day. We explore Lana Del Rey's 2019 record 'Norman F***ing Rockwell', regarded by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest albums of all time, despite it's relatively lackluster commercial success. The Jack Antonoff produced album broke new ground for Del Rey, exploring the American Dream...

Our side hustle takes on new music from Blink 182, Carly Rae Jepsen, WILLOW, Pinkpirate, Daine, Joyce Wrice, Charlie Puth, Tiesto taking on the Black Eyed Peas (!!!!!!), the nominees of the 2022 ARIAs, and more!

This week, we challenge what a flop really is by taking on one of the most successful EDM records of its time David Guetta's 'Nothing But The Beat'. The record, featuring Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Sia, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and more, marked a point of saturation for the EDM/pop crossover. It's a fascinating study of a producer who had a formula for hits and could use it at his disposal. 

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack new music from Ed Sheeran for Pokemon (?!), Shawn Mendes for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (?!?!) alongside Paramore, Ciara, Forest Claudette, Shygirl, Tate McRae & Charlie Puth + the first sounds of Kim Petras & Max Martin together!

Britney Spears' 'Glory' was a difficult return to form for the pop artist who was still within the confines of her conservatorship. The album provided a rare oasis for her to explore an experimental electronic-pop sound with the likes of Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. In this episode, we discuss the legacy of 'Glory' and veer off into subjects like how many Guinness World Records Britney holds...

The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack Sam Smith & Kim Petras' viral hit 'Unholy', talk about Rihanna's Super Bowl news and more. 

Katy Perry is back for a second time on Flopstars with her 2020 record 'Smile'. 'Smile' was rolled out over the space of a year and coincided with the birth of Perry's first child. It's upbeat and positive, rebounding from the comedown that was 'Witness'. While it certainly brings back the pop bops, it's hard to call it a return to form.

The biggest pop music moments of the week all wrapped up!

It seems like we might finally be approaching the follow-up to Sky Ferreira's iconic debut album 'Night Time, My Time'. 'Masochism', the working name for the sophomore record, has been forming for about 8 years and in that time 'Night Time, My Time' has aged like fine wine. Here, we unpack the classic pop record by looking into what was going on for Ferreira at the time and how it differed from ev...

Welcome to THE POP IN! A Flopstars sidebar to keep the album deep dives ~pure~ where we'll unpack the week in music, entertainment and pop culture simultaneously, just before jumping into an album we care about right now. This week on The Pop In: 1989 (Taylor's Version) is imminent - will it be the best yet? New Rina Sawayama's being teased in an unusual manner for 2022. Jack Harlow's rap's latest...

We've discussed Lady Gaga on this podcast plenty but it was only a matter of time until we gave 'Chromatica' a spotlight of its own. Gaga's return to dance/pop was largely foiled by the pandemic but it became the sound of lockdown for many. 'Rain On Me' became a massive hit but the rest of the record was let down by a lack of promotion due to global circumstances. It's a firm fan favourite though...

Welcome to THE POP IN! A Flopstars sidebar to keep the album deep dives ~pure~ where we'll unpack the week in music, entertainment and pop culture simultaneously, just before jumping into an album we care about right now. This week on The Pop In: Understanding The Assignment, Met Gala hits and misses, Harry Styles etc, Coachella's finest and least fine moments and we Bop Or Flop new music from Kha...