When They Popped - A Y2K Pop Culture Podcast

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Look up the phrase “triple threat” and you’ll see Jesse McCartney’s picture. In this episode Mary & Kelsey discuss Jesse - multi hyphenate actor, boy-bander, singer, songwriter, and all-around Beautiful Soul - and his rise to fame from Dream Street up to today.  Loved today’s episode? Leave us a rating & review and we may read your review on our next episode...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode Kelsey and Mary break down their favorite movies featuring the 2000’s it girl of the big screen, Lindsay Lohan. From the Parent Trap to Life Size, Freaky Friday, and Mean Girls, they discuss behind-the-scenes stories and background behind LiLo’s biggest roles and their cultural impact, like why we still say “fetch” and celebrate October 3 each year....

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey break down their all-time favorite Hilary Duff moments including their top Lizzie McGuire episodes, Metamorphosis, *THAT* dance on The Today Show, and the inexplicable orange peel and rollerblades photoshoot. Get your capri pants and platform flip flops on because this episode will take you right back to 2001.  Support the show Insta...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! The story of Destiny’s Child has more twists and turns than a season of Real Housewives. Join Mary and Kelsey as they retell how one of the best-selling girl groups of all time popped, their trials and tribulations along the way, and facts behind the group that inspired a generation.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: w...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey give the y2k stars they believe to be ~criminally underrated~ their flowers. They discuss pop princesses from the early aughts whose songs you definitely jammed out to in the car but you may have forgotten about since- like Stacie Orrico, Aly & AJ, and identical twin sisters pop duo The Veronicas. Mary and Kelsey share why they b...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Oops!... I Did It Again, the second studio album from Britney Spears, celebrates its 23rd anniversary this May. Kelsey and Mary celebrate this very special anniversary with an equally special guest: Troy McEady of Dunzo and Beyond The Blinds podcasts and all-around Britney enthusiast. Kelsey puts Troy and Mary’s knowledge of the album to the test and *maybe* raises...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Fellow fangirls, this episode is for you. This week Kelsey and Mary dive into parasocial relationships, aka one-sided relationships, usually between an individual and a celebrity or influencer. They are pop culture enthusiasts, not psychologists, so they chatted with Dr. Sally Theran, Associate Professor of Psychology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and a lice...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In the final episode of their three-part Backstreet Boys series, Mary and Kelsey discuss the post-Black & Blue era to present day. From Never Gone to DNA, they recount the most iconic and memorable moments in between including AJ’s emotional Oprah interview surprise, Kevin’s departure from the group (and eventual reunion), NKOTBSB, the years-long DNA world tour,...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! You may think you know the story of the Backstreet Boys, but we’re willing to bet you will learn something new in this mini series in celebration of BSB’s 30th anniversary. In this episode, Mary and Kelsey throw it back to 1996 when the Backstreet Boys were just on the precipice of breaking into the scene, all the way up to 2001 when they popped off and became house...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Thirty (30!! Three-zero! 3 X 10!) years ago in April of 1993, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell came together to form the best-selling boy band of all time: Backstreet Boys. Since then, Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling boy band of all time, and one of the world's...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! If you spent hours in your basement learning the music video dance routines to *NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye or Britney’s (You Drive Me) Crazy, this one’s for you. Mary and Kelsey are catching up with famed dancer, choreographer, actor, writer, and *all-around icon* Darrin Henson. Darrin recalls when he popped and his journey to dance alongside and create choreography routin...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary recap their weekend at 90s Con aka their ~podcasters retreat~ and discuss their favorite moments, insights from panels including *NSYNC, 98 Degrees, and All That cast members, plus other important matters like inflatable furniture, friendship bracelets, and the sanctity of slime.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypopped...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! From All That to the Amanda Show to She’s The Man, Amanda Bynes was the *it* girl of comedy in the late 90s to the mid-00s. In this episode, Kelsey and Mary take a look back at Amanda’s incredible career and the indelible mark she left on pop culture, and remember their favorite moments from her multiple television series and blockbuster movies - dancing lobsters in...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary continue their dissertation on the top TRL videos of the year 2000. Buckle up buttercups because this episode will take you from the depths of the sea with Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” underwater nightclub all the way to Mars with Britney’s “Oops I Did It Again” plus other iconic videos from Christina Aguilera, JLo, Eminem and more. Support the show In...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! This week Mary and Kelsey recall the glory days of MTV’s hit music video countdown show, Total Request Live, and dissect the top videos from the year 2000. There are too many gems to squeeze into one episode, so buckle up for a two-part trip back to the beginning of the new millennium featuring Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears and Hanson.  Support the show In...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! This week Kelsey and Mary discuss the classic Y2K Disney Channel Original Movies that made their hearts go boom boom. From the iconic musical stylings of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century to the futuristic tech of Smart House and Pixel Perfect and the based-on-true-story sports hit Double Teamed, Kelsey and Mary make their case for why these movies are worthy of a ret...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary are feeling the love this Valentine’s Day and throwing it back to some of their favorite iconic couples of Y2K. The girls dish on Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ tumultuous behind-the-scenes relationship during filming of “The Notebook” that evolved into a real-life love story offscreen, and the IRL love connection between The OC’s Seth Cohen and Su...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Kelsey and Mary go full Sporty Spice and recall the most iconic Super Bowl moments with their favorite Y2K stars. They take us back to halftime performances by *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, and more, the Backstreet Boys’ national anthem rendition (and why Kels and Mar are still salty about it two decades later) plus their favorite commerc...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode Kelsey and Mary dive into the juicy details behind the iconic candy-colored tracksuits that shaped a generation. We’re retelling the origin story of Juicy Couture, the women behind the brand, and the trailblazing celebrity-fueled marketing strategy that made it pop.  But first, the gals will fill you in on Y2K news for You2Know including their revela...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary discuss the record breaking NOW franchise and throw it back to 2000 with a listening party and close examination of NOW 4. The girls break down the history of the world’s most successful compilation franchise (that is *still* cranking out CDs today!!) and share a nostalgic blast from the past with some tidbits about the hottest tracks of the year.  S...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! If your SANASAAA senses are tingling, this episode is for you! Kelsey and Mary dive into all things The Simple Life: Chops, Tinkerbell, Nicole and Paris' infamous feud, what was real vs. fake, and our favorite moments from the iconic show's five season run.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: whentheypoppedy2k@...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary discuss the show that changed reality TV and catapulted Nick and Jessica into a new stratosphere of fame. The girls share their favorite moments from the series,  discuss what went down after the show ended, and investigate a juicy excerpt from Jessica's new short story that sent the girls into an absolute tailspin - the tea is piping hot!  Supp...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! What do Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Adele, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and Britney Spears all have in common? They’ve all collaborated with pop genius, songwriter, and producer, Max Martin - the "music man" of Y2K. Mary and Kelsey discuss Max Martin’s rise to fame from his breakout onto the pop music scene to the dozens of #1 hits he’s created since...some whic...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Throw on your AIM away message and throw it back with hosts Kelsey and Mary as they discuss the biggest celebrities, trends, music and mania of the late 90s and early 2000’s. This is your nostalgia, now, pop culture podcast.  Are you team Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC? Britney or Xtina? Simple Life or Newlyweds? With When They Popped, you don’t have to pick a side, beca...

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Kelsey and Mary dive into the story of boy-band-mogul-turned-convicted-Ponzi-scheme-operator Lou Pearlman, who was the creator and manager of the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, O-Town, Aaron Carter and more influential pop groups in the late 90’s and early 00’s. The girls discuss Pearlman's tainted legacy and the eye-popping scam that led to his demise.  Support the...