We are witnessing the death of the male popstar...
We went from YEARS of The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Usher, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Harry Styles... and then just none.
After the rise of Harry Styles, we have yet to see a single male rise to the upper echolon of pop music in nearly a DECADE
However, in 2025 it FINALLY feels like we have some contenders. Sombr, Role Model, Conan Gray, and Troye Sivan have all started to have some of their biggest songs to date.
So what changed? And what does a male artist need to break through in 2025?
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0:00 -Intro
5:00 - What is a Male "Popstar"?
11:39 - What makes a successful Male Artist?
18:07 - The 3 things that Make or Break a New Artist
20:57 - What are the Pop Boys missing?
27:55 - Sombr29:58 - How can Pop Boys evolve?
31:54 - The Men closest to getting it
36:26 - Omar Apollo
38:13 - Conan Gray
40:57 - The Pop Boys Not Doing it For Me
#musicindustry #sombr #rolemodel #harrystyles #musicmarketing
Do we have an epidemic of loneliness? Or just an epidemic of undatable men...Situationships, toxic exes, "talking stages" lasting for months-- it seems like EVERYONE is having trouble with dating these days. Especially among Gen ZIt is definitely something I have been struggling with, and our guest this week Amelia Moore is certainly no stranger to heartbreak, so we sat down to talk about all things relationships, dating, performative men, and how situations like these have inspired her music.
#performativemale #relationshipadvice #datingsucks #performativemen #relationshippodcast
Is it just me or does it feel like EVERYONE’s love life is a disaster these days?
Situationships. Talking stages. Low-effort texting. Going back to your ex…It’s like we’d rather stay stuck in something we KNOW is bad for us than risk being alone.
Why? Because connection—even when it’s toxic—is still connection. And we are addicted to it.
The dopamine rush of attention. The illusion of intimacy. The validation of being chosen—even if it’s only temporarily.
We crave the high of a connection more than the health and consistency of that connection.
So we go back. Even when we know better...So how did we become addicted to connection? And how can we break that spell? Well what better guest to have than @Aidan Bissett who just put out an entire album exploring this exact topic.
You may know him from songs like More Than Friends, Tripping Over Air, and Ultraviolet– but “shut up and love me” goes much deeper into these feelings of heartbreak and our addiction to connection…
#aidanbissett #indiemusic #heartbreaksong #epidemicofloneliness
We are in a recession of originality...From AI Art, algorithms pushing the same things over and over again, to EVERY movie being a remake-- it feels like nothing is original anymore.In fact, 10/10 of the Top 10 Movies of 2024 were ENTIRELY remakes and sequels...It's not that these are bad movies by any means, they just aren't new! We have been recycling the same IP over and over again for over 50 years0:00 - Intro4:17 - Nostalgia Bait11:58 - Reused IP Done Right14:34 - Why TV is better17:56 - Social Media & Cultural Flattening27:20 - Profit Maxing34:02 - The Innovators Dilemma#supermanmovie #moviereview #entertainmentindustry #videoessay
Is the American dream dead? Many are struggling with the rising cost of living, and the burden of student loans. More people are living paycheck to paycheck, making it near impossible to save for the future...So in this week's episode of Nicky at Night, we are taking a deep dive into the Death of the American dream. How everything became so unaffordable, and why this issue is about so much more than any political party-- it is about our standard of living
0:00 - Intro
5:13 - What is the American Dream?
10:13 - How did the American Dream Die?
11:37 - Trickle Down Economics
17:38 - The Crisis of Affordability
22:19 - How much $ will actually make you stable?
31:58 - Why is the Economy like this?
35:35 - How do we move forwards?
#politics #leftist #videoessay #costoflivingcrisis #affordabilitycrisis
Did you really think I wasn't gonna do a Lorde episode?!?!Of COURSE we have to do an album review of Virgin by Lorde. It's a deep exploration of her inner world covering topics such as sexuality and gender expression. It also touches on generational trauma and her journey of self awareness. It's an amazing piece of work that delves into her past trauma that made her into the artist that she is today0:00 - Intro2:36 - Album Cover4:13 - Themes of the Album10:09 - Hammer13:07 - Favorite Daughter16:41 - Shapeshifter20:25 - Broken Glass22:28 - If she could see me now24:15 - David26:08 - Album Review#Lorde #albumreview #musicindustry #lordevirgin
YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING!!!!Our Addison Rae episode is finally here
#addisonrae #musicindustry #musicmarketing
Everyone seems to be talking about Labubu...It seems like overnight he just spawned out of nowhere, and now you can't escape it.
Viral tiktoks, celebrity sightings, appearing at fashion shows... you name it and he is there.But what is the lore of Labubu? How did he even start? Why did he become so popular? Well that is exactly what we set out to solve today!
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#labubu #popmart #socialmediamarketing #videoessay
HIII!LONG time no see omg! I was on vacation out of the country for a month so I apologize for the massive gap in episodes, but it feels GOOD to be backToday we are sitting down with Sam Riddle, the SVP of Marketing at Warner Records. His team works across the marketing for artists such as Dua Lipa, Sombr, Benson Boone, Nessa Barrett, Teddy Swims, Omar Apollo, and so many more! It was so cool to hear his insight as someone who is REALLY in it when it comes to rolling out an artists project.
#musicmarketing #musicindustry #sombr #dualipa #nessabarrett
Welcome back to Nicky at Night!!!This week we are back with another video essay-- very in line with the "Epidemic of Escapism" episode, but this time I really wanted to hone in on this idea of "wellness" or "glow-up culture" on the internet.Lately, it has really felt like Body Standards are regressing. With the rampant use of things like Ozempic, and this return of "trend dieting". People are manufacturing these subcultures like the "Pink Pilates Princess" to sell you a product. I think it has contributed to a LOT of really dark and scary body standards returning that can be very unhealthy for young people0:00 - Intro3:32 - Disclaimer4:44 - Skinny vs Healthy9:02 - The History of Body Standards12:50 - Beauty vs Health Standards18:33 - The Marketing of "Hotness"24:25 - Ozempic & Body Positive Role Models31:!4 - My problem with "glow-up" culture35:44 - Closing Arguments#videoessay #bodystandards #bodypositivity #commentary
White Lotus Season 3 was just SOOOO good I had to do a reviewI know it's a week after, but I hope you all still enjoyed! :)JOIN THE DISCORD:Follow me on IG:#whitelotus #whitelotusseason3 #thewhitelotus #popculturepodcast
How does one grow as a new artist in 2025?It really seems like the game has changed these days. From the rise of Chappell Roan, Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter, Role Model, and so many more. We have more artists breaking through than ever.Not only that-- some of these people SKYROCKETED to the top of the charts.But why? What did they do differently from everyone else? How did this artists grow and what can new artists learn from their success?In this week's episode we discuss exactly that question
How does one grow as a new artist in 2025?It really seems like the game has changed these days. From the rise of Chappell Roan, Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter, Role Model, and so many more. We have more artists breaking through than ever.Not only that-- some of these people SKYROCKETED to the top of the charts.But why? What did they do differently from everyone else? How did this artists grow and what can new artists learn from their success?In this week's episode we discuss exactly that question
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#musicmarketing #musicindustry #aspiringartist #sabrinacarpenter #musicpodcast
Today we are answering the question that EVERYONE has been asking..."How much does Spotify actually pay artists?"I sat down with Sam Duboff, the Global Head of Spotify for Artists to answer that exact question.Prior to this interview, I did a lot of research on the business of streaming as a whole, and how the music industry collects revenue. My goal with this video is not to push anyone's opinion one way or another, but to add some clarity for exactly how this monetization structure works for Artists, DSPs, Songwriters, Producers, Labels/Publishers, and anyone else involved when it comes to music streaming.JOIN THE DISCORD:https://discord.gg/FjSrEF2JZ4 Follow the Pod on SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/0WWqkpzdSCY7Sj6XlTROY1Follow the Pod on APPLE:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nicky-at-night/id1758627077Follow me on IG:https://www.instagram.com/nicky.reardon/#musicindustry #musicmarketing #aspiringartistToday we are answering the question that EVERYONE has been asking..."How much does Spotify actually pay artists?"I sat down with Sam Duboff, the Global Head of Spotify for Artists to answer that exact question.Prior to this interview, I did a lot of research on the business of streaming as a whole, and how the music industry collects revenue. My goal with this video is not to push anyone's opinion one way or another, but to add some clarity for exactly how this monetization structure works for Artists, DSPs, Songwriters, Producers, Labels/Publishers, and anyone else involved when it comes to music streaming.JOIN THE DISCORD:Follow me on IG:#musicindustry #musicmarketing #aspiringartist
Welcome back to Nicky at Night!!!This week we have our first ever guest episode with none other than Sulinna Ong, the Global Head of Editorial Music at Spotify.Her team oversees ALL of the music & playlisting at Spotify. Curating every New Music Friday, Today's Top Hits, Rap Caviar, etc. Overseeing the largest source of music discovery on the largest music streaming platform in the world.Sulinna is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met, and any time I discuss music, art and culture with her I always learn something new. I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as I did :)
#musicindustry #musicmarketing #aspiringartist
WELCOME BACK TO NICKY AT NIGHT!!This week we are diving deeper into a video I made a while ago about the music industry and different kinds of artists.In my mind, I classify people into one of three ways.WritersVocalistsPerformersThis week, we are analyzing the "Performer" archetypeJOIN THE DISCORD:Follow me on IG:#musicindustry #ladygaga #dojacat #tatemcrae #aspiringartist #musicreview
WELCOME BACK TO NICKY AT NIGHT!!!This week wanted to do a more deep dive on this trend I have seen in politics lately. This idea of the "relatable billionaire", and these tech CEOs somehow becoming this symbol of aspiration.It's so fascinating to me how public displays of wealth have become such a symbol of aspiration-- yet one of the biggest reasons why everything is SO expensive right now is exactly because of the actions of these same people who are being idolized.It is truly this paradox that makes no sense to me, and I cannot comprehend why someone would ever think the top priority of a billionaire is to lower your grocery prices...JOIN THE DISCORD:Follow me on IG:#videoessay #democrats #politics
WELCOME BACK TO NICKY AT NIGHT
Sorry for the delay! I had the flu last week but we are back
This week I wanted to dive into this concept of escapism I have seen taking over our society.
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#videoessay #podcast #overconsumption
SOOO A CRAZY THING HAPPENED...And a HUGEEE thank you so Spotify again :')JOIN THE DISCORD:Follow me on IG:#grammys #beyonce #chappellroan #podcast
Welcome back to Nicky at Night!!!This was an episode I recorded like a week before the TikTok ban that was lost in Capcut limbo that i finally got around to editing!We are diving in to one of my favorite movies of the past year, The Substance. This entire film is proglonged commentary on society that I found absolutely FASCINATING so I wanted to dissect it all with you :)JOIN THE DISCORD:https://discord.gg/FjSrEF2JZ4 Follow me on IG:https://www.instagram.com/nicky.reardon/#podcast #thesubstance #moviereview
Welcome back to Nicky at Night!!! This week we are going full video essay mode on this topic idea I have been thinking about for a LONG time on "The Death of Nuance". How EVERYTHING in our society has become so extreme, argumentative, and hyper-individualistic. Without any thought or consideration for other people or the context around them JOIN THE DISCORD: Follow me on IG: #videoessay #medialiteracy #commentary
