Pop Pantheon

For the second installment in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue, Paper ’s Joan Summers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Kylie’s commercial crash out in the '90s and glorious rebirth in the early 2000s. Joan and Louie dig into Kylie's commercial nadir with 1997’s Impossible Princess , then unpack one of pop’s greatest rebounds, her 2000 maximalist camp fantasia Light Years . From there, they discu...

Nashville Public Radio's senior music writer Jewly Hight joins Russ to help break down country music's continued boom. Russ and Jewly chat about the aftermath of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, try to make sense of Morgan Wallen's behemoth success with I'm the Problem and discuss new songs from Tanner Adell, Megan Moroney & more! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes...

For the first in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue, Michael Cragg returns to Pop Pantheon to help unpack the origins of a zenith superstar of global pop, Kylie Minogue. Michael and Louie explore Kylie’s breakout moment, first with the Australian soap Neighbours , then “The Loco-Motion.” From there, they unpack her early work with eighties hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman and her first brush at...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ go track-by-track on Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, 2016's Joanne . A departure from the slamming dance beats and extravagance of her earlier eras, the record posited a more "stripped back" version of the camp queen, featuring a campaign laden with country signifiers including her signature pink cowboy hat, and a backsto...

Writer and editor Carly Lewis joins Russ to rank their respective top 10 Canadian pop stars of all time. Carly and Russ discuss why Canada has produced so many successful pop stars, then talk about some of the biggest names in Canadian pop from Celine Dion to Drake and Shania Twain – and a few Canadian greats who never found fame outside the Great White North.  BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP G...

Friend of the pod Troy McEady returns to Pop Pantheon All Access for a super sized New Music Speed Round. Troy and Russ give their first impressions of Justin Bieber's surprise album Swag, Cardi B's lead single for her sophomore record, "Outside," Katseye's EP Beautiful Chaos, Lizzo's rap mixtape My Face Hurts from Smiling & more! To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus...

Hit Girls author Nora Princiotti returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss two infamous celebrities turned fleeting pop divas of the early 2000s, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Nora and Louie discuss Lindsay’s Radio Disney hits, like “Ultimate You” and her TRL moment with “Rumors” and 2004’s pop rock Speak . Then, they work through Paris’ 2006 light reggae bop “Stars Are Blind” and her album from that s...

Kesha released her sixth studio album on Friday – notably, her first as an independent artist. Friend of the pod Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone joins Russ to break down Period's highs and lows, what it means for Kesha to make unapologetic party music again and where she sits in the pop firmament as she heads out on a roaring summer tour with The Scissor Sisters. To hear the rest of the this epis...

We put out another call for our audience's most unpopular pop opinions and boy did you deliver. Switched on Pop producer Reanna Cruz joins Russ to field unpopular pop opinions about Lady Gaga’s vocal abilities, Taylor Swift’s videography AND discography, Charli XCX’s refusal to let the brat moment die and, of course, Benson Boone. Plus Reanna and Russ reveal some of their OWN unpopular opinions in...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lorde's long-awaited fourth studio album, Virgin , dropped this past Friday and finds the New Zealand savant both looking backwards at past sounds and versions of herself while exploring new writing modalities. Louie and Russ dig into the new music, its candid, grimy explorations of gender, sexuality, the body, and being in your late 20...

Louie and Russ gather for an installment of "Step Up, Step Down," where they discuss recent career developments for Miley Cyrus, Drake, The Weeknd, Megan Thee Stallion, & Ed Sheeran and whether they are currently trending up or down in the Pop Pantheon. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: POP GIRL SUMMER ON 7/25 AT THE MEADOWS! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Conte...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Sister auteurs Haim returned on Friday with their 4th studio album, I Quit . Writer and editor Alex Frank joins Louie to talk about the new record, how Haim fairs on their first songs without long-time collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid but— due to Danielle's and his' recent breakup— his specter hanging all over this music, the notion of "qu...

Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield returns to Pop Pantheon for the second and final part in our Elton John series. Rob and Louie pick up on Elton’s career after his initial run of hits in the 1970s at the tail end of his imperial phase. They then discuss his prolific career from 1975’s autobiographical Captain Fantastic to his poorly received disco record in 79, Victim of Love , and his comeback via 1...

Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield makes his Pop Pantheon debut for our special two-part Pride series on one of the most iconic queer figures in pop history, Elton John. Louie and Rob dig into Elton’s musical roots, his band Bluesology and his early work with lyricist and creative partner Bernie Taupin. From there, they discuss his 1970 breakthrough with “Your Song” and his seminal run of mid-1970s “cl...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tik Tok Influencer turned gay pop fan cause célèbre Addison Rae dropped her debut album, Addison , last Friday following a series of surprisingly great singles. Does the record meet the hype? How does Addison translate in album form? And how unlikely is it for this former social media star to suddenly emerge as the vanguard pop diva du...

Rolling Stone staff writer Larisha Paul returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the best pop songs you might have missed so far in 2025. Larisha and Russ talk about what it takes to break through in today's over-saturated pop market and what's happening on the outskirts of the mainstream pop world, then they each share some of their favorite bubbling under and over-looked songs from the first half of 2...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ get together to talk Louie's night at Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter show in New Jersey, Taylor Swift buying back her masters and how it impacts the legacy of the re-recording project, and Miley Cyrus' latest opus, Something Beautiful , which dropped on Friday. Plus, Louie tries Selena Gomez's Oreos live on air! To hear the rest...

Host of the Legends Only podcast Bradley Stern returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss the best pop songs of 2025 so far. First, Louie and Bradley discuss the broader trends— or perhaps the broader lack of trends— happening in pop music so far this year, before each sharing their list of favorites from the first half of 2025. Listen to Louie and Bradley's Favorite Pop Songs of 2025 So Far BUY TICKETS T...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ dive deep into the trenches of the Hot 100 to figure out what the hell is going on with mainstream pop music these days, parsing the songs of alleged popular artists such as "Alex Warren," "BigXThaPlug," "Myles Smith," "Benson Boone," and so many more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episode...

Louie and Russ answer listener questions about the current 2026 Grammy Album of the Year Frontrunners, why Chappell Roan's "The Giver" underperformed, Max Martin's trajectory as a collaborator, whether Gaga directly ripped Taylor off on "How Bad Do U Want Me," and more! BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE! Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous G...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, on the cusp of Lorde's forthcoming fourth studio album Virgin , due next month, Louie and Russ revisit her last album, 2021's divisive paean to the natural world, Solar Power . Neither loved this record on impact but how has it aged? Does it land differently out of the context of its moment? And what do it's successes and failures porte...

Writer and editor Ilana Kaplan joins Pop Pantheon to discuss one of pop’s criminally under-appreciated secrets, Haim. Louie and Ilana unpack the sister trio’s origins in Southern California, including their family band Rockinhaim and Este and Danielle’s short-lived teen pop band The Valli Girls. From there, they dig into 2013’s Days are Gone , a record that paid virtuosic homage to pop radio of yo...

After debating the current chart fortunes of everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and a bevy of current-charting Tik Tok stars they've never heard of, Louie and Russ throw down cash in a high stakes betting game in which they attempt to figure out what will be the official Song of Summer 2025! Come back this fall to find out who won. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS:...

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department — a sprawling, 31 song, two disc, two+ hour melange of music from the superstar— arrived last April amidst peak Taylor cultural overload: her landmark Eras Tour had been globe-trotting for a year, she'd just recently dominated the Grammys winning her record-breaking four...

In the wake of our epic Britney series, critic and writer of the Substack In the Zine Alim Kheraj joins Louie and Russ to answer all your burning follow up questions: What are our favorite Britney deep cuts? What do we make of the anti-Britneys like Avril? Who would we cast in a proper remake of the Britney, Beyoncé, and Pink Pepsi commercial? And so much more! BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE...