When They Popped - A Y2K Pop Culture Podcast

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  In this episode Mary and Kelsey are *gonna spread their wings, it’s their chance to fly* as they share their favorite episodes from two iconic MTV reality shows: My Super Sweet Sixteen and Punk’d. You’ll be taken back to the early 2000s heyday of MTV and relive the extravagant parties - and tantrums - of noteworthy milestone birthdays and the best pranks on unsuspe...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Brian, Nick, Kevin, Howie and AJ have heard our cries and they are making our fan dreams come true: the Backstreet Boys are summoning fans to create their dream setlist…and they are actually going to perform it at their upcoming fan event in Cancun this spring! For their “30 for 30” concert, the boys are asking fans to vote on their top 30 songs they want to see per...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Mary and Kelsey celebrate spooky season with two of their favorite Halloween Disney Channel Original Movies: Halloweentown and Don’t Look Under The Bed. If it’s been a while since you last saw these movies, don’t worry: the gals offer a full play-by-play of each one while dropping fun facts and insights around the production. Happy Halloween!!  Support the show Inst...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In part 2 of this emergency epi, Mary finishes her recap of Britney’s book, The Woman In Me, beginning at the implementation of Britney's thirteen-year CONservatorship and  discussing the biggest revelations, uncut and unedited!  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: whentheypoppedy2k@gmail.com Website: linktree.com/wh...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  Britney Spears’ The Woman In Me officially launched today and Mary speed read the entire book so you don’t have to. In part one of our emergency epi, Mary details the first half of the book including Britney’s upbringing, her relationship with Justin Timberlake, her first marriage, and the beginning of her public unraveling following her divorce from Kevin Federlin...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this XL and X-rated episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Jesse Chambliss, host of Jesse’s Girls podcast and all-around pop culture and Britney Spears trivia maven, to celebrate the sweet sixteen of Britney’s critically acclaimed, dance pop album, Blackout. The trio play a lively round of eff, marry, kill and discuss the criminally underrated gems and cultural t...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! The Spice Girls may have only been a group for a few years, but the indelible impact they made on the global pop culture scene cannot be overstated. In this episode, Mary and Kelsey discuss how five determined, talented, and magnetic women came together to inspire a generation with their Girl Power mantra with “strength and courage and a Wonder Bra.” They cover the...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with the hilarious and charming Kelly Clinger, former backup singer for Britney Spears. Kelly shares her stories dating all the way back to the Disney Mouseketeers days, and what it was like to rub shoulders with the biggest acts of y2k and today including Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, JC Chasez, Christina Aguilera, the...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! On December 20, 2009 Brittany Murphy was declared dead at age 32. News of her passing became the subject of tabloid fodder and public debate for months. The public’s obsession exploded even further when Simon Monjack, Brittany’s husband, died of identical causes nearly 6 months later. In part two of their Brittany Murphy deep dive, Mary and Kelsey discuss the fallou...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  Clueless. Girl, Interrupted. Don’t Say A Word. 8 Mile. Uptown Girls. Happy Feet. What do all of these movies have in common? The undeniable genre-agnostic talent of Brittany Murphy, that’s what! In part 1 of their Brittany Murphy series, Mary and Kelsey discuss when Brittany popped, the indelible mark she made on cinema of the late 90s and 2000s, and the mystery su...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!   Mary breaks down her experience at 90s Con in Tampa and spills on updates around *NSYNC’s reunion, plans for the Backstreet Boys, a panel with TLC, and more! For our BSB babes:  let's meet up at Nick Carter's upcoming Who I Am Tour. Here is our exclusive link to his Florida shows and here is the link to all other dates.  Make sure to enter the Who I Am T...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In part two, Mary and Kelsey wrap up their analysis of the best MTV Video Music Awards performances from the early 2000s including the Madonna and Britney Spears (and Christina Aguilera) smooch that stopped the world, Good Charlotte, Beyoncé’s pregnancy reveal, and Shakira (this year’s Vanguard Award recipient) and Wyclef.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppe...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! This week is all about moon man memz. With this year’s MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) on the horizon, Mary and Kelsey are breaking down the most memorable performances from the early 2000s. Part 1 includes Britney Spears’ unforgettable Oops! I Did It Again rendition where she surprised the audience with a Swarovski-crystal coated two piece and her Slave 4 U premier...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! We don’t need an excuse to discuss Christina Aguilera's pivotal 2002 album, Stripped, but its upcoming 21st birthday (OMG!!) is a perfect reason to revisit the tracks and discuss its undeniable influence. Mary’s BFF from high school Steff fills in for Kelsey this week as they go track by track and recall this album's impact (Don’t worry, Kelsey and Mary ar...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Mary and Kelsey continue their deep dive on their favorite *NSYNC moments in this part two episode covering the group’s 2001 Super Bowl performance, how their rivalry with Backstreet Boys originated and was later resolved, the iconic Celebrity album, and their last performance (to date). The gals also share their predictions for what a rumored reunion could look lik...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode Mary and Kelsey dive into the most iconic moments from *NSYNC, from our first introduction to JC, Justin, Lance, Chris and Joey with their fortuitous 1998 Disney special and a track-by-track synopsis of their debut album and their first tour, to their Celebrity album and final group performance. There are too many amazing moments to fit into one epis...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Oh my Gawd we’re back again with another rendition of Now That’s What I Call Music! Join Mary and Kelsey as they relive the iconic songs of NOW 5 track by track and explore why this album is the perfect compilation of y2k bops. Featuring hit tracks from Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Kandi, Bon Jovi, and more, this album offers the best of...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! 20 years ago, audiences were introduced to an era of “Growl Power” by four friends bedecked in cheetah print with big dreams to become pop stars. As Disney Channel’s first-ever original movie musical, The Cheetah Girls brought an album of bangers, impeccable style and choreo, the timeless message of friendship and ushered in a new musical format for the network, pav...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In celebration of The Cheetah Girls’ 20th anniversary, Mary and Kelsey dive into multi-hyphenate talent, Raven-Symoné. From her first role at just three years old on The Cosby Show, to the queen of Disney Channel - including the iconic That’s So Raven show and a successful music career, this episode will retell the incredible story of how Raven popped. No, we didn’t...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Josie and the Pussycats, A Walk to Remember, Tarzan, Even Stevens, Crossroads, Cheetah Girls, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, High School Musical, and Princess Diaries all have one thing in common: they all feature iconic songs written just for these films and shows. In this episode, Mary and Kelsey discuss their favorite bangers from movies and TV shows of th...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! We’re celebrating 30 episodes with deep dives into music of the early 2000s with the queen of the keys and queen of the strings: Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch. These two ladies’ careers have a lot in common including how they pumped out the most iconic bangers of our generation. Also reminder, for your Y2K nostalgic tees, shirts, tumblers and MORE check out Er...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! I n this episode Mary and Kelsey are joined by the incredible Lia Russo, host of The Ashlee and Jessicast, to discuss all things Ashlee Simpson in honor of the 19th anniversary of Ashlee’s debut album, Autobiography. The ladies discuss their favorite moments from The Ashlee Simpson show, their top songs from the album, and other fun memories of their favorite pop ro...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! After entering the limelight at just nine months old, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen set off to become the most influential figures of our generation as actors, producers, business women, and fashion designers blazing new trails for female workers’ rights. In this episode Mary and Kelsey reminisce on their favorite shows and movies from the Olsen twins, like Double, Dou...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Nobody reported on the lifestyles of the rich and the famous like VH1’s “The Fabulous Life Of…” series. We learned about the mansions, cars, beauty regimens, and vacations of our favorite celebs of the 2000s. And don’t get us started on that instantly recognizable British posh accent narration. In this episode we discuss the fabulous lives of Mary Kate and Ashley, L...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Few celebrities are truly as underrated as Brenda Song, and in this episode, Mary and Kelsey attempt to cover all of Brenda’s most iconic roles in one nostalgia-packed episode. From her first role in 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd to Get A Clue, to The Suite Life and The Social Network, Brenda has her fingerprints over the most iconic roles of the early 2000s to today. ...