Flopstars

It's 10 years since Florence + The Machine dropped 'Ceremonials' so we're going back. Florence and co's sophomore album was a grandiose affair with links to Baz Luhrman and maximalist cinema. It was tailor-made for festivals and huge concerts but also an emotional sucker punch on tape too.  Nic Kelly and Sam Murphy talk about how the record holds up now as well as new releases by Charli XCX,...

It's Charli baby! You know we love Charli XCX on this podcast and after previously looking at her mixtapes, we're shining a light on 'Charli'. Her long-awaited third album is one that bridges together her flair for the experimental with her natural pop instincts. It's both commercial and wildly left-centre with a host of guests from Haim to Lizzo. Sam Murphy and Nic Kelly get deep on 'Charli' whil...

For our season five premiere, we're taking on a titan. Adele is no flop. In fact, she's probably the least flop-worthy artist on the plant. But, we wanted to talk about her and so we're digging into her least successful album '19'. Her debut is her most lucid and alternative album but it also set the foundations for the mega-success that was to come.  Join Sam Murphy and Nic Kelly as they tal...

Episode 4 is dedicated to Lady Gaga. 2021 has been a busy year for the superstar so far with the 10 year anniversary of 'Born This Way', the 'Chromatica' remix album and another collaborative album with Tony Bennett 'Love For Sale'. None of it signals a new era for Gaga though, so on this episode, we look at what her official pop follow-up to 'Chromatica' could look like. 'Chromatica' was excellen...

This week we go into Britney Spears. Britney has been battling a conservatorship ship for more than a decade, making it difficult for her to act with the freedom of a regular popstar. She’s still managed hits but with frustration for her situation mounting, she pulled the pin on her pop career. If it ends though, what’s next for Britney? Can she return to being a main pop girl and will freedom giv...

This episode is all about Charli XCX’s next era. She’s announced that her most “pop” album yet is on the way citing Janet Jackson as a major influence. If she’s returning to pop it may mean she’s ready to play the mainstream game again after a period of experimentation. Here, we’ll talk about how Charli can get hits again. We also discuss new songs from Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, and Omar Apoll...

This season, we’re going to deep dive on an artist who has flopped in the past and envision how they can avoid a flop in the future. We’re talking dream collaborators, perfect album titles, the sound they should go for. This episode is all about Lorde’s next era. We already have an album on the way but we’re talking the ways in which she could score another big hit. Who should she work with? What...

We're diverting once again from our regular programming to give you our wrap of the second quarter of 2021. Things are starting to heat up and April through June gave us plenty to talk about from Olivia Rodrigo's debut 'SOUR' to Lorde's return with 'Solar Power'. Flops, bops, and us of our chops, as per, in this latest episode. 

This week, we're taking on Sigrid's debut album 'Sucker Punch'. She's just returned with her excellent new single 'Mirror' but we're going back to where it all began and talking the hype, Scandipop and why she wasn't able to cut through outside of Europe. 

Marina FKA. Marina & The Diamonds is in the spotlight this week as we take a look at her sophomore record 'Electra Heart'. It was a buoyant, blistering pop record that saw her collide with some of the biggest producers in the world while also maintaining her quirky songwriting flair. Critics were less than kind but fans have maintained it's a classic and on this episode, we decide how it holds...

Lady Gaga has been featured on the podcast once before with 'ARTPOP' but we are returning to Mother Monster to look at her YeeHaw moment 'Joanne'. It was a creative left-turn for Gaga, ditching the avant-garde pop for something stripped back and raw. Not everyone loved it but it was an important moment in her career development. 

We're diverting from regular programming for one week to bring you a special episode. As we see out the final week of March, we take a look at the year that has been so far. It's been a quiet one by pop standards but we've still had the Grammys and the Superbowl plus major releases from Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Lana Del Rey and heaps more. 

This week, we're taking a deep dive into Lily Allen's third album 'Sheezus'. It was a comeback album for Allen but it failed to match her previous success and also led to some personal turmoil. All these years later though, Allen's songwriting still stands up. 

Paris Hilton's venture into pop music is on our radar this week as we take a look into 'Paris'. Her divisive debut was neither as good or as bad as it needed to be. It remains a study on whether you can manufacture a pop career from scratch. Believe it or not, it actually delivered some hits that stand up today. 

Years & Years' debut 'Communion' was a smash in the UK, bolstered by the triumphant 'King'. In this episode of 'Flopstars', however, we discuss why it didn't hit quite as hard in other areas of the globe and what the future holds for Years & Years. 

On this episode, we're going deep on Kelly Clarkson's controversial third album 'My December'. The commercial detour came as a shock to fans and the record label alike, introducing us to a darker Clarko sound. It failed to makes waves on the charts and agitated the label in the process but fans still stick by it to this day. Let's dig into 'My December'. 

Rita Ora is one of the most versatile pop artists in the game. Her second album 'Phoenix' came 6 years after her first and in that time she faced plenty of challenges as people began to question, 'What does Rita do?' 'Phoenix', however, proves that she can make bangers and bops by the dozen. It does raise plenty of questions about what music she actually wants to make though and on this episode we...

In this special episode, we pay tribute to boundary-pushing, limitless producer SOPHIE who has shaped pop in ways we may not even fully understand yet. Nic and Sam share memories from their formative experiences listening to SOPHIE and talk about her undeniable legacy. 

This week, we’re focussing on a relatively new record. Rina Sawayama’s debut SAWAYAMA isn’t even a year old but it’s already caused a stir. The full-length debut from the ambitious pop artist landed her on critics' radar all around the world and found her a cult fanbase of devoted fans. The chart love hasn’t happened just yet though and on this episode, we discuss why.

This week, we’re turning our attention to ZAYN’s debut ‘Mind Of Mine’. As the first member to leave One Direction, all eyes were on ZAYN and this project. While 'Pillowtalk' prospered the rest of the album failed to nab attention as ZAYN wrestled with his place as a mainstream popstar. He’s just dropped a new album ‘Nodbody Is Listening’ so we’re going to dig deep into the career of ZAYN.

First up in season 3 is Zara Larsson’s 2017 debut album ‘So Good’. It was a long road leading up to the album filled with many hits but the album failed to give her anything as big as ‘Lush Life’ to add to her arsenal. With a second album on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to chat all things Zara.

In the second part of our holiday special, we're going back on the second half of last year, picking apart some of the key releases. On part one, we're focussing on the first half of the year, talking about records by Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and more. We also go through our Spotify wrapped.  Just a note: We found out after the episode that Mike Pence's Twitter cover photo was...

In this holiday special, we're going back on the year that was, picking apart some of the key releases. On part one, we're focussing on the first half of the year, talking about records by Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Lady Gaga and more. We also pit some of the biggest #1 records of the year against each other. 

This week, it’s Little Mix’s turn. Their fourth album ‘Glory Days’ was far from a flop, actually. It was their biggest album in the UK and Australia spawning an array of hits. It was also aimed towards the US though where it failed to nab any considerable hits once again. On this episode, we look at how the album made Little Mix the biggest band in the world while also failing to get them the glob...

This week, we’re looking at an icon. It’s hard to attach the word flop to anything Beyonce has done but her fourth album ‘4’ was an underwhelming performer commercially. While it failed to cling to the charts though, it launched her into a new phase of her career. She felt liberated both in a business-sense and artistically. What it gave way to was her most daring album yet and one that still shin...