Time's Taylor Crumpton returns to Pop Pantheon to explore the deeply personal and trenchantly political R&B of neo-soul earth mother Erykah Badu. Taylor and Louie discuss Erykah’s upbringing in Dallas, her early work as part of a rap duo, and her early collaborations with the Roots and D'Angelo. From there they break down her legendary 1997 album Baduizm, her follow up Live, which included her improv'ed hit "Tyrone," and 2000's socially-conscious Mama's Gun. Along the way, they touch on her legendary love life and innovative later era work, like her 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone. Finally, they rank Erykah Badu in The Official Pop Pantheon.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Erykah Badu Essentials Playlist on Spotify
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss buzzy new albums from three very different pop girlies: Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun, Audrey Hobert's Who's The Clown?, and Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Louie & Russ play a game of Step Up, Step Down where they look at recent career moves by Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Cardi B, and Lorde and decide if they are currently on an upward or downward slope in the Pop Pantheon.
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie is joined by friend of the pod, Pot Psychology's Rich Juzwiak, to break down Mariah Carey's 16th studio album, Here For It All, which dropped a few weeks ago. The two dig into the record's mix of '70s soul and contemporary R&B, how Mimi deploys her more limited vocal range, and how Here attempts to solve for the problems of the late-career pop diva album.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Louie and Russ are answering all of your questions about Season One of our Taylor Swift series which covered her early era and first three albums, 2006's debut, 2008's Fearless, and 2010's Speak Now.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, what else could it be? Louie and Russ go extra long on Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, consider each track, and ask the big questions about what it all means in the career trajectory of the biggest pop star of them all.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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The Guardian's deputy music editor Laura Snapes makes her Pop Pantheon debut for the conclusion of season one of our epic Taylor Swift super-series. Louie and Laura revisit the marquee music event of autumn 2010, the release of Taylor’s third album, Speak Now. They discuss the album's six platinum hits, how it revitalized the record industry in a moment of peril and the way Taylor used Speak Now to respond to public narratives about her.
Join us next week for a bonus B-Side Mailbag episode covering YOUR questions about Taylor’s early years and initial run of country albums.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk the announcement of Bad Bunny as next year's Super Bowl halftime show performer, Russ' experience at Lorde's Ultrasound World Tour, and take bets on the first week sales for Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl before digging into Doja Cat's '80s pastiche on her new album, Vie, released last week.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Stereogum senior editor Tom Breihan returns to Pop Pantheon for the second episode of season one of Pop Pantheon’s epic Taylor Swift super-series. Louie and Tom touch down on Taylor as she lands her first big pop hit, the pop-rock anthem “Love Story.” From there, they tackle Taylor’s graduation from country ingenue to global superstardom with her number one Grammy-winning sophomore album, 2008’s Fearless, and discuss modern pop music history's big bang with Taylor and Kanye West's infamous meeting at the 2009 MTV VMAs.
Join us next week for the conclusion of season one, in which we’ll discuss Taylor’s 2010 album Speak Now.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist
Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge
Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in NYC and LA
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Buy Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music
Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk their predictions for who will be next year's Super Bowl halftime performer and talk there experiences seeing Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour before digging into Cardi B's long-awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, which dropped on Friday.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield returns to Pop Pantheon to kick off the first season of our sprawling, multi-year super series about the biggest pop star phenomenon of the 21st century, Taylor Swift. Louie and Rob, author of Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music, dig into Taylor’s origins in suburban Philadelphia, the famed Christmas tree farm she grew up on and her bootstrapped teenage years in Nashville. Then they discuss her 2006 self-titled album, which transformed Taylor into country music’s newest ingénue.
Join us next week for Part 2, in which we’ll discuss Taylor’s sophomore album, 2008’s Fearless.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Early Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist
Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge
Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More
Buy Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ get together to share their experiences of seeing Lady Gaga's epic Mayhem Ball World Tour, before diving into their thoughts on new albums from Justin Bieber and Jade.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Louie, Russ, and returning champ Reanna Cruz discuss the year in main pop girls before each sharing their personal top five Main Pop Girl Power Ranking for 2025 and putting their heads together for a collective top ten. Gaga? Addison? Doechii? Sabrina? PinkPantheress? Who will win?!?!
Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, With performances from everyone from Doja Cat to Mariah Carey, and Lady Gaga and major awards for Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, Louie and Russ reflect on the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, the first to air on CBS. It was a show loaded with a lot of stuff but very little that felt essential. The two try to parse apart the purpose and future of the VMAs is an era where both MTV and music videos feel less relevant than ever.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Louie and Russ look back on 2025's wonky summer of pop music, discuss whether there was any true song of summer this year, and look at Billboard's definitive rankings before sifting back through their bets from this spring to see who got the most right about Song of Summer 2025.
Grab tix to Main Pop Girls on Oct. 3 at Parkside Lounge
Grab tix to Gorgeous Gorgeous on Sept. 12 at The Sultan Room
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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk briefly about the engagement news of the century before digging into Sabrina Carpenter's 7th (!!)— although for all intents and purposes, sophomore— studio album, Man's Best Friend, which dropped on Friday.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Pop Pantheon will return with new episodes next week! In the meantime, enjoy a taste of our Patreon channel, Pop Pantheon: All Access, with this live show about Taylor Swfit's The Tortured Poets Department from back in April of '24.
If you enjoy this and want to receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Wall Street Journal's Myles Tanzer returns to Pop Pantheon ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Justin Bieber's fourth studio album, Purpose, to unpack the blockbuster record. Louie and Myles touch down on Justin's recent album Swag, discuss Purpose's trio of number one hits, "Love Yourself," "Sorry" and "What Do You Mean?," and talk about Justin's approach to pop stardom over the years.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
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Pop Pantheon is off until September but we didn't want to leave you high and dry! This episode on Cyndi Lauper from back in January 2022 is one of Louie's favorites. If you missed it or are new to the pod, this is great gem from the back catalog. If you've heard it before, we hope you enjoy revisiting the career, work, and legacy of this early MTV era icon.
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ revisit Miley Cyrus' divisive 2013 blockbuster Bangerz, her most successful pop star era but one loaded to the brim with controversy and worse. To do so, they go track-by-track on the album but skip it's three enduring hits— "We Can't Stop," "Wrecking Ball," and "Adore You"— to decide if this explosive, chaotic record many deem some kind of "classic" stands on it's own two feet without them.
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.
Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.
