I celebrate the best and brightest pop music of 2023 in this end-of-year episode. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Last night, Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album, GUTS. I share some of my favorite tracks and dissect why it works.

IG: @hivemindpopculture

X: @hivemindthepod

Model Bella Hadid and Actress Riley Keough are the latest celebrities to publicly speak about the treatment they undergo for Chronic Lyme Disease. The weird part? Chronic Lyme is not recognized as an actual illness by the CDC and most doctors believe it's part of a pseudoscience scam.

I go down the rabbit hole so you don't have to.

Let's talk about pain, privilege, and having a body.

IG: @hivemindpopculture

X: @hivemindthepod

I go to bat for the HBO's The Idol, a series I believe is getting unwarranted criticism. Lily Rose Depp and The Weeknd star.

instagram: @hivemindpopculture

twitter: @hivemindthepod

Exploring the roots of this zany, super inclusive, internet-driven music genre.

@hivemindpopculture

Inspired by a recent wave of "sped up remixes" going viral on TikTok, I look into the genre recently dubbed Hyperpop - from its early roots in 90s European dance music to its current iteration, where trans performers make all the rules.

instagram: @hivemindpopculture

twitter: @hivemindthepod

Ticketmaster is jacking up prices. Teens are camping out all day in the freezing cold. Everyone is fainting. Artists pause mid-show to take BeReals on their fans' phones. What's going on?!? Let's take a look at the changing face of big-budget pop concerts as a new generation attends them for the first time.

Love songs are part of the skeleton of pop music. Why do some resonate more than others? Together, let's take a look behind the curtain.

instagram: @hivemindpopculture

twitter: @hivemindthepod

I tour through Rihanna's prolific career, which lacks musical identity but boasts hits, vibes, and reinvention. After being on hiatus for the past 7 years, does she have what it takes to headline the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show? Debatable!

Instagram: @hivemindpopculture

Twitter: @hivemindthepod

As 2022 comes to a close, I celebrate the year's best music by awarding songs in the following five categories: "Best Songwriting," "Most Creative," "Pop Perfection," "Bound to Blow Up," and "Blast From The Past."

Also - Hivemind's first listener mailbag :)