Pop Could Never Save Us

Holly and critic Dave Moore (https://www.otherdavemoore.com) talk about the 2018 pop movie Vox Lux, directed by Brady Corbet (director of the Oscar-winning The Brutalist), and why its nihilistic interpretation of manufactured Millennial teenpop is incoherent, wrong, and - worst of all - boring. This is Part 1 - Part 2 will follow shortly. A full list of songs and audio clips used in the episode is...

In the first of a series of bonus episodes around pop music movies, Holly and James investigate the moral panic over the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle , and try and understand why Bill Haley had those theatre seats ripped.

Holly and James discuss revenge, cunnilingus and warmly welcome a once featured guest to Valhalla. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Taste - Sabrina Carpenter 2) BACKBONE - Chase and Status and Stormzy 3) Die With A Smile - Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga 4) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis 5) HOT TO GO! - Chappell Roan A full list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/uqipcos...

In a chilled out bonus ep edited by James, he and Holly discuss the movie Kneecap (2024) featuring the republican Irish rap group Kneecap, and the coke-dusted evil of the Oasis reunion tour. They also try unsuccessfully not to get cancelled.

Holly and James talk about underwear. An odyssey through the changing in the role of gender and irony since the 2000s. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Guess - Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish 2) Good Luck, Babe! - Chappell Roan 3) Stargazing - Myles Smith 4) Austin - Dasha 5) Kisses - Bl3ss feat. bbyclose Bye Bye Bye - 'NSYNC 7) Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen A full list of the songs used in the ep...

Tell a friend. Holly and James are back. Songs featured in the episode: Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter Please Please Please - Sabrina Carpenter A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey Houdini - Eminem BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar A full list of all songs featured on the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/r5f5es36

Holly sits down for a long chat with Monia Ali of the Fandom Exile Substack to discuss stan culture, online platforms, the industry's hand in shaping our current media landscape, and how Louis Tomlinson's career was kneecapped to ensure the success of Harry Styles. Monia's Fandom Exile newsletter can be found here: https://exiledfan.substack.com A list of all songs and video clips play...

Holly and James continue watching Taylor Swift's Eras tour. Holly geeks out over songwriting, while James endures it. And this episode ends with a good moral for the kids! A full list of songs played in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/s6fx6fhv

If you haven't heard enough people talking about Taylor Swift yet, have we got a show for you! Holly and James sit down at their moss-covered podcasting desks to talk about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie and her surprising lack of chart megastardom until the pando. A full list of songs used in this episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/vz277mym

It's the final episode of Pop Could Never Save Us, and Holly and James finish off their time in 2018 by picking through the dust of the mumble rap debate and Eminem's kamikaze attack on the game. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) I Love It - Lil Pump & Kanye West 2) FEFE - 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj 3) Lucky You - Joyner Lucas & Eminem 4) RAP DEVIL - Machine Gun Kelly 5) Killshot - Eminem A full...

It's 28th September 2018 and Holly and James settle in for the worst Top 5 of the entire show while musing about dubstep, the Millennial/Zoomer generational handover, and whether Kanye was always like he became. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Promises - Calvin Harris, Sam Smith, Jessie Reyez 2) Eastside - Benny Blanco, Halsey, Khalid 3) I Love It - Kanye West, Lil Pump 4) Happier - Marshmello, Bastile 5)...

Holly and James are back in the present day for one last time to enjoy life in plastic! SONGS DISCUSSED: 5) Barbie World - Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj 4) vampire - Olivia Rodrigo 3) Dance The Night - Dua Lipa 2) What Was I Made For - Billie Eilish 1) SPRINTER - Dave & Central Cee A full list of all songs played in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/zie8d The Pick of the Week play...

Holly and James finish off their time in 2003 to discuss Sugababes and Shadymania. SONGS DISCUSSED: 5) Sugababes - Hole In The Head 8) Obie Trice - Got Some Teeth 11) 50 Cent - P.I.M.P. A full list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/6vh4f

PART 1 OF A TWO PARTER. Holly and James go back in time to 21st October 2003, preminisce about the stars who are still relevant, reminisce about 9/11, MTV Cribs, and childhood egg throwing antics, and attempt to find where the love is. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Fatman Scoop - Be Faithful 2) Blue - Guilty 3) Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On 4) Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love 5) XXXX XXXXX XXXXX [SEE PART 2!...

While Holly and James were recording a real episode, Melle Mel put out a diss track to Eminem and James thought we should do an episode on their beef and careers. SONGS DISCUSSED: EZ Mil & Eminem - Realest Melle Mel - Response To Eminem's Latest Diss List of all songs featured in episode - Eminem - Kamikaze DJ Kay Slay Feat. Melle Mel, Raekwon, Cee-Lo Green & Grandmaster Caz - Hip Hop...

Holly and James continue enjoying their time in 1994, chatting about Disney, gangsta rap, fading old rock stars, and the birth of nu-metal. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle 2) That's How I'm Livin' - Ice-T 3) Come Baby Come - K7 4) My House - Terrorvision 5) I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra & Bono 6) Bat Out...

Holly and James visit the first chart of 1994 to talk boy bands, novelty songs, Golden Age hip-hop and diva adult contemporary. DISCUSSED - 1) Twist & Shout - Chaka Demus & Pliers 2) Babe - Take That 3) Mr. Blobby - Mr. Blobby 4) It's Alright - East 17 5) The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll A full list of all songs played in the episode can be accessed here: https://rentry.co/sc2t8

Talking about the UK Charts from 19th May - 1st June 2023, Holly and James take a holiday in Europe and find no love. DISCUSSED: 1) Tattoo - Loreen 2) Cha Cha Cha - Kaarija 3) Queen of Kings - Alessandra 4) I Wrote A Song - Mae Muller 5) Giving Me - Jazzy 6) Say Yes To Heaven - Lana Del Rey 7) Baby Don't Hurt Me - David Guetta, Anne-Marie, Coi Leray Visit the pick of the week playlist here: ht...

Holly and James visit the UK Top 40 for 12th-18th May 2023 for a battle of the Sheeranoids plus a chart record and a novelty song. DISCUSSED: 1) David Kushner - Daylight 2) Lewis Capaldi - Wish You The Best 3) Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed 4) Switch Disco, Ella Henderson, Robert Miles - REACT 5) FIFTY FIFTY - Cupid 6) Mae Stephens - If We Ever Broke Up 7) The Krown Jewelz - Scrap The Monarchy Visit the...

Holly and James take a radical trip back to the 1980s and learn about FM synthesis. TOP 5: The Power Of Love - Jennifer Rush Take On Me - a-ha Trapped - Colonel Abrams Nikita - Elton John Gambler - Madonna ALSO DISCUSSED: Theme to Miami Vice - Jan Hammer A Good Heart - Feargal Sharkey Slave To The Rhythm - Grace Jones Rebel Yell - Billy Idol Cloudbusting - Kate Bush Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads...

James and Holly discuss the last two weeks' UK Top 40, and Holly attempts not to have a breakdown. Miracle - Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding Mother - Meghan Trainor Tiesto - 10:35 People - Libianca Strandz - Us Against The World Taylor Swift - All Of The Girls You Loved Before Mimi Webb - Red Flags Coi Leray - Players A full list of all songs in the episode is available here: https://rentry...

Holly and James discuss the UK Official Top 40 from 20-26th May 1973 -- a year of glam, girls and Glitter. TOP 5: 1 - See My Baby Jive - Wizzard 2 - Hellraiser - Sweet 3 - And I Love You So - Perry Como 4 - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree - Dawn, Tony Orlando 5 - Can the Can - Suzi Quatro Full list of all songs played in the episode

Holly & James discuss the week's UK top 40, including  Sure Thing by Miguel Boy's a liar Pt. 2 - PinkPantheress, Ice Spice Die For You - The Weeknd ceilings - lizzy mcalpine As It Was - Harry Styles.

Holly and James visit 1966, when London is swinging and pop music wins the World Cup. Spotify playlist TOP 5: Pretty Flamingo - Manfred Mann Daydream - The Lovin' Spoonful Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Cher You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Dusty Springfield Sloop John B - The Beach Boys List of all songs included in episode

James and Holly discuss the highest entries which weren't in the Top 5 in the pilot episode, including the number 1 hits Pointless by Lewis Capaldi and Flowers by Miley Cyrus. Also charting: Let Go -  Central Cee Miss You - Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz Creepin' - Metro Boomin/Weeknd/21 Savage Out of Nowhere - Bugzy Malone & Teedee