Live From Mars

Matt Hansen joins Live From Mars for an emotional deep dive into his debut album Orchid , the songwriting experiences that shaped it, and the realities of building a music career completely independently. Matt opens up about going from posting covers in parking garages during COVID to becoming one of the internet’s fastest-rising independent artists with over a billion streams worldwide. Alex and...

Subscribe on Substack for more Mars Music: https://vinylbymars.substack.com/ The Grammys are officially wrapped, and we’re breaking down everything that happened the night after music’s biggest show. In this episode of Live From Mars , Alex is joined by returning guest and fan-favorite Amanda Leopizzi to recap the biggest wins, surprise losses, standout performances, and the moments everyone is st...

Subscribe on Substack: https://vinylbymars.substack.com Grammy week is here, so I’m locking my final predictions before the votes are revealed. In the first official episode of 2026, I break down my Grammy ballot across 12 categories, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. I also compare my picks against hundreds of listener submissions from my Gram...

In this episode of Live From Mars , I sit down with John Stein , Head of Editorial at Spotify , to break down Spotify Wrapped 2025 and what the year in music actually sounded like. We go behind the scenes of how Spotify Wrapped is made, how editorial teams balance streaming data with human curation, and how playlists like Discover Weekly and Fresh Finds help artists break and grow over time. John...

Subscribe to my Substack for more pop music deep dives and unfiltered reactions: https://vinylbymars.substack.com This week on Live From Mars , I’m joined by my good friend (and resident guy-who-screams-songs-in-the-car) Nick Palmai to finally give Miley Cyrus’ Something Beautiful the deep dive it deserved. We’re talking about why this album became my favorite of 2025, why it got such a mixed rece...

We’re continuing my Top 3 Albums of 2025 series with the record that kicked off the year’s biggest pop era: Lady Gaga’s Mayhem . I’m joined by two of my first internet friends, Seth and Amanda, for a full deep dive into the rollout, the tracklist chaos, Best / Worst / Fave picks, and why this album stayed in our rotation all year. If you’re looking for a Lady Gaga Mayhem review, an "Abracadabra" b...

Subscribe to my Substack for weekly reviews, charts talk, and deep dives: https://vinylbymars.substack.com This special end-of-year episode of Live From Mars breaks down my official list of the Top Ten Pop Albums of 2025 . With every major outlet releasing their Best Albums of 2025 and Year-End Music Lists , this episode adds the perspective you will not get anywhere else. If you are searching for...

Substack: Get weekly music breakdowns, reviews, and unedited reaction content: https://vinylbymars.substack.com The Top Albums of the Year series is back. After last year's run highlighted releases from Taylor Swift to Sabrina Carpenter to Charli xcx and beyond, I’m returning with a three-episode run to highlight the three albums that defined my 2025 listening experience. We’re starting with Olivi...

Watch my full unedited 2026 Grammy Awards nominations reaction exclusively on Substack when it goes live this Friday: https://vinylbymars.substack.com We’re just two days away from the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations, and I’m putting my full predictions on the line. In this episode of Live From Mars , I break down who I think will get nominated across the Big Four categories — Album of the Year, Re...

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.com Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has officially made history, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. and 5.5 million worldwide. But did it actually live up to the hype? In this week’s episode of Live From Mars , Alex is joined by fellow Swiftie and friend of the pod, St...

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.com Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is finally here, and it’s already breaking every record in sight. But does it actually live up to the hype? In this week’s episode of Live From Mars , Alex is joined by a friend of the pod and resident Swiftie, Seth (@dramakingbooks) , to u...

I’m now live on Substack! Every week, I’m sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/ . Taylor Swift’s twelfth album The Life of a Showgirl is days away. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Swiftie creator Steven Sullivan to map out Taylo...

I'm now live on Substack! Every week, I'm sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/. Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh album Man’s Best Friend is here — just one year after Short n’ Sweet. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Sabrina superfan...

Taylor Swift has officially announced her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl and I’m breaking down everything we know so far. From her surprise New Heights podcast appearance to the visuals and tracklist to the long-awaited reunion with Max Martin and Shellback, this episode dives into why TS12 feels like a turning point in her career. I’ll also cover the Sabrina Carpenter feature, whether t...

We’re heading into August, which means the Grammy eligibility deadline is just around the corner. On this episode of Live From Mars , I’m breaking down the state of the 2026 Grammy race across the Big Four categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. From frontrunners like Kendrick Lamar’s GNX and Lady Gaga’s Mayhem to under-the-radar picks like Miley C...

This week on Live From Mars , Alex is joined by returning guest Nick Palmai to unpack Justin Bieber’s surprise new album SWAG . From the rollout and first impressions to the features, lyrical content (or lack of it), and how this record fits into Bieber’s larger discography, they dive into everything. The album is cohesive, moody, and full of bold choices... some of which work, and some that defin...

This week on Live From Mars , Alex unpacks a massive week in pop music—from Lorde’s industrial new album Virgin , to wild moments at Glastonbury, Olivia Rodrigo album rumors, Beyoncé's floating car scare, and more. This episode combines a full review of Virgin with New Music Friday highlights and a breakdown of the week’s biggest music news. Topics covered: New Music Friday picks: Lorde’s Virgin ,...

This week on Live From Mars , Alex shares his picks for the best songs of 2025 (so far)—including bangers from Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Ariana Grande, and more. Plus, a quick New Music Friday recap and the chaotic rollout of Sabrina Carpenter’s surprise new album Man's Best Friend. Topics covered: Quick hits from a quiet New Music Friday: Kehlani, Mark Ronson & RAYE, Hannah Jadagu Sabrina...

This week on Live From Mars , Alex shares one of the wildest weeks in his pop music life: going record shopping with Joe Jonas, meeting Miley Cyrus, and seeing The Weeknd’s After Hours 'Til Dawn tour. Plus, a full breakdown of Addison Rae’s surprisingly strong debut album Addison , Sabrina Carpenter’s new single “Manchild,” and an in-depth conversation with Sony Music Publishing’s SVP of A&R a...

This was one of the biggest music weeks in a long time. Taylor Swift now officially owns her masters—her first six albums are finally hers—and Miley Cyrus just dropped what I truly believe is the best album of her career. I break it all down in this week’s episode. We get into the full Taylor masters timeline, the $360M deal, what this means for the re-records, and whether Reputation (TV) is actua...

This week on Live From Mars , Alex (still recovering from a cold!) shares a full breakdown of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour stop in NYC — from the visuals to the vocals, the weather chaos, and why Blue Ivy might’ve stolen the show. Plus, New Music Friday highlights from Renee Rapp, Joe Jonas, and Julia Michaels. Topics covered: Renee Rapp’s bold new single “Leave Me Alone” and upcoming album Bite M...

This week on Live From Mars , I’m diving into a packed New Music Friday featuring Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, and Calvin Harris — plus, I take you inside the Something Beautiful visual album premiere hosted by Miley and Spotify. Then I’m joined by fellow music content creator Nick Fry ( @nicksmusictaste ) for a chaotic and honest deep dive into the albums you called 10/10. We’re reviewing your favori...

This week on Live From Mars, I’m breaking down Ed Sheeran’s nostalgic new single “Old Phone,” the issue with his long promo campaign, and why Maroon 5’s “Priceless” featuring LISA left me completely underwhelmed. Plus, Jorja Smith enters her rave era, and I share thoughts on the final leg of Charli XCX’s Brat Tour in Brooklyn—my first time seeing her live. I also unpack the deluxe edition of Selen...

This week on Live From Mars , we’re breaking down Lorde’s long-awaited return with her new single What Was That — how it fits into her discography, its early success, and why it has fans divided. Plus, I’m sharing quick reactions to other New Music Friday standouts including Benson Boone, Samia, and Joe Jonas. Then for our deep dive, we explore how the touring landscape has shifted post-Eras Tour,...

One year later, we’re revisiting Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department in an unfiltered deep dive into its rollout, reception, and legacy. Was the double album drop a mistake? Which songs still hit hardest? And how does it stack up in Taylor’s discography today? I’m joined by viral Swiftie and returning guest Nick Palmai ( @nickpalmai) to break it all down — from our dream rollout (with tra...