The Sam Sanders Show

Today we’re sharing an episode from KCRW’s Question Everything . What happens when TikTokers replace TV hosts and interviewers, and presidential candidates start begging to be on their shows? Question Everything host Brian Reed sits down in a Brooklyn wine shop with four of the internet’s biggest creators: Caleb Simpson, who gets people on the street to take him up to their apart...

Raphael Saadiq has been influential to the music industry since he burst onto the scene with his group Tony! Toni! Toné! — since then he’s produced hits with artists like Beyoncé and scored countless film and TV projects.  He’s now nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his blues anthem “ I Lied To You ” from the blockbuster film...

There’s a little trend that’s gaining a lot of traction… Many people are leaving Spotify – and making a fuss on their way out.  They’re angry at the platform and the algorithm. They’re angry with how it pays artists. Some users are very angry about the ads Spotify runs. It’s quite the vibe shift for the world’s largest music streaming service....

It’s officially awards season in Hollywood – with endless red carpets, secret ballots, snubs, scandals… and vibes that feel increasingly weird. Joining Sam to check-in on the health of the movie industry are two of the sharpest cinephiles in the game. Amanda Dobbins and Sean Fennessey, hosts of  The Big Picture podcast. They unpack the drama shaping this year’s hottes...

Consumed by a fear of looking bad on camera, dance floors across the country are filled with young people standing still. It suddenly seems everyone is too scared to let loose and move to the rhythm. Artists like Tyler, The Creator and Kaytranada have recently called out their crowds for rigid behavior. Sam breaks it all down with  Elias Leight, reporter covering the music business for The Wa...

It’s a new year, so how about some timeless pop culture to lift our spirits? Music that heals, TV shows that inspire joy, movies that create everlasting memories. Sam describes these as Modern Scriptures – the stuff that we can return to again and again to help us stay grounded, centered and connected. Joining Sam for this is meditation and mindfulness expert Dan Harris. He hosts...

Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from One Song .  Is Dreams what it sounds like when personal chaos becomes collective brilliance? Recorded live at On Air Fest at KCRW, Sam joins hosts Diallo and LUXXURY to break down this Fleetwood Mac classic. Together, they dive into the Rumours -era drama and unravel why the magic of Dreams feels both intensely personal and universally resona...

There was a time when popular music was inseparable from civil rights and civil unrest. But today, very few popular songs reflect the grievances seen in the streets.  Fela Kuti is an artist who wasn’t afraid to make protest music. Known as the father of Afrobeat, his music became the soundtrack for social change in his native Nigeria.  He’s the focus of the new podcast ...

Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from the How To! Podcast.  Sam is many things: journalist, podcaster, pop-culture obsessive, and a familiar voice from public radio. He’s also “quite possibly the world’s most hesitant homeowner.” Sam wants to fix up the house he recently bought, but three things are holding him back: First, he doesn’t have a clue whe...

Today we’re sharing Sam’s episode from Life in Seven Songs .  Sam grew up strictly Pentecostal in Texas. Non-religious music was forbidden in his house – so Sam got resourceful, smuggling CDs into the house in his underwear and watching MTV in secret. At 18 years old, just as he was getting ready to leave for Stanford, Sam’s life was turned upside down. Both of his par...

Even though 2025 gave us big albums from artists like Lady Gaga and Bad Bunny, did pop music fall short overall?  Sam breaks down the year’s hits and misses with Reanna Cruz , music journalist and producer at Switched on Pop . Why does everything sound like it’s stuck in the 2000s? Who are the artists actually pushing boundaries? And is there anything to look forward to in the new...

Grammy winner Samara Joy is a jazz prodigy, but her singing is rooted in gospel music.  She tells Sam about discovering jazz in high school, her family’s famous Godmobile , and how faith shaped the artist she is today. Plus, why her music will never be touched by AI.  Samara Joy’s latest album  Portrait is out now. Sign up for  Sam’s Newsletter to get behind t...

Tis’ the season! It’s that time of year when we’re bombarded by gift guides. Something for your partner, your friends, White Elephant gifts, and the always daunting task of getting something for your parents. It seems like every year we’re expected to GIVE so much.  Sam breaks down the gift guide overload with Avery Trufelman, host of the Articles of Interest podcast,...

This year saw some pretty spectacular pop culture moments… but there’s a few we hope to never see again.  We’re breaking down the best and worst of 2025, from blockbuster hits like KPop Demon Hunters and Sinners , to the rebirth of rock with bands like Geese.  Sam takes on this big task with help from Traci Thomas , host of The Stacks podcast, and Franklin Leonard , fo...

HBO’s new gay romance series Heated Rivalry has the internet… feeling things . It tells the steamy story of two feuding hockey players who secretly desire (and devour) each other. The series rounds out a long list of queer pop culture moments from 2025. Alex Abad Santos, correspondent at Vox, joins Sam to look back on it all.  From I Love LA to the re-release of Brokeback Mountai...

Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter makes people look good on the big screen — especially Black people.  She’s the mind behind the costumes for countless iconic films including Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, the Black Panther franchise, and arguably the biggest movie this year… Sinners.  Sam chats with Ruth about the literal blood and sweat that goes into her...

Solomon Ray is the hottest new voice in Gospel music, but there’s a catch. He’s not real.  Sam chats with Andrew R. Chow , a correspondent for Time where he covers technology. They break down the rise of AI in the music industry and how human artists are fighting back. Are streamers doing anything to filter out tracks made by machines? What can listeners do to avoid AI slop? Plus,...

To celebrate Thanksgiving, we’re sharing a special episode of Your Mama's Kitchen .  In the podcast, host Michele Norris and guests explore how our earliest culinary experiences shape our personal and professional lives. Plus, every guest shares a recipe for a favorite dish from their youth so you can taste a bit of their story. Sam was on the show recently where he took Michele and lis...

Now that Wicked: For Good is finally in theaters, has the industry been changed for the better?  NOTE: This episode contains hot takes and spoilers. Sam breaks it all down with Katey Rich, awards editor at The Ankler , and host of the Prestige Junkie podcast and newsletter. They dive into the memes, the money, and star power that created the biggest Broadway adaptation ever. Plus, what do all...

Danielle Pinnock got her big break in the wildly popular sitcom Ghosts. But just before she landed that role, she nearly quit acting. She tells Sam how a ton of hard work (and a little bit of lying and scamming) finally got her noticed. Danielle also breaks down why she continues fighting for Black stories and body acceptance in Hollywood. Plus, her latest hot take gets us in the mood for the holi...

Sports betting is a billion dollar industry chock full of scandals.  Journalist Baker Machado breaks down how gambling has infiltrated sports from the collegiate to professional level, how players get involved, and how betting companies push fans into spending money they often can’t afford to lose. Spoiler alert: it’s all legal.  Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behi...

Samin Nosrat found a love for cooking through working in acclaimed restaurants and visiting kitchens around the world. She became a star after releasing her hit cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – which also became a Netflix series. But to her surprise, all that success left her feeling empty.  Sam chatted with Samin in her ‘secret garden,’ surrounded by kumquats, limes and pas...

Author Michael Lewis is best known for writing Money Ball, Liar's Poker and The Big Short , his seminal book about the 2008 financial crisis that later became an Oscar-winning film. He sat down with Sam for a recent Live Talk Los Angeles event to celebrate the 15 year anniversary and new audio book of The Big Short. They revisit the biggest lessons from 2008 and reflect on what’s changed &md...

Comedian Jay Jurden loves seeing just how far he can push a joke.  In his debut special, Yes Ma’am , Jay makes fun of everyone from millennials to Kid Rock to his own open marriage. Sam chats with Jay about his writing process, why you won’t hear a single Trump joke in his set, and why every comedian who has ever made fun of you might owe you money.  Jay Jurden’s debut...

For the first time in 35 years, there are no rap songs in Billboard’s Top 40. Is hip-hop in trouble?  Sam breaks down what it all means with Justin Richmond, music journalist and host of Pushkin’s  Broken Record podcast. The two chat about the warning signs that might have led to this moment, how hip hop has evolved, and how Black music continues to influence artists acr...