After the country star’s “Try That in a Small Town” video was criticized as offensive, right-wing support sent the song to No. 2 on the singles chart. Guests: The Tennessean's Marcus K. Dowling; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Amanda Marie Martinez

Jason Aldean’s Culture War Hit

The Popcast is hosted by Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic for The New York Times. It covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news. 

Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

Music

Music Interviews

Music Commentary

Breaking down the heavyweight rap battle after a weekend of dramatic diss tracks.

Popcast (Deluxe): How Kendrick Lamar Out-Drake’d Drake

Picking the best edited track list for “The Tortured Poets Department” one week later and charting the recent rise of a pair of pop’s middle-class stars.

Popcast (Deluxe): The Best New Taylor Swift Songs. Plus: Chappell Roan & Sabrina Carpenter

Answering your questions about the sound and substance of the pop superstar’s double album, and the way fans and critics have responded to it. Guests: Caryn Ganz and Stereogum's Tom Breihan.

Taylor Swift: The ‘Tortured’ Mailbag

A discussion about the singer’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s “imperial era,” the use of her rumored relationships and production choices.

Popcast (Deluxe): Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured’ Era

Digging into “Only God Was Above Us,” an LP that’s both catchy and complex. Guest host: Jon Pareles. Guests: The New Yorker's Amanda Petrusich and Pitchfork's Matthew Strauss.

Jason Aldean’s Culture War Hit

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