For the second in our five-part series on Britney Spears, NPR’s Ann Powers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Britney’s first attempts to transition from teen queen to grown-up pop star. Ann and Louie tackle Britney's iconic “I’m a Slave 4 U” VMA performance, work with The Neptunes and play at maturity on 2001’s Britney, relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and her one and only starring film role in the teen road comedy Crossroads. Finally, they dive into Britney and Madonna’s VMA kiss, the duo's generational pop baton passing on the single “Me Against The Music” and Britney’s most adventurous record up to that point, 2003’s In the Zone.

Join us next week for Part 3, in which we’ll discuss and Britney's infamous mid-aughts along with 2007's Blackout and 2008's Circus

Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist

Come to Main Pop Girls: BRITNEY VS. GAGA on 3/21!

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

For the first in our five-part series on Britney Spears, The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Felix returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the birth of a pop princess. Doreen and Louie dig into Britney’s origin story, from Star Search and The New Mickey Mouse Club to her Jive deal and development in Sweden with Max Martin. Then, they tackle her legendary breakout smash and music video, “...Baby One More Time," and her 1999 album of the same name, which shot her to the front of the teen pop pack. Next, they parse 2000’s hit-packed Oops!... I Did It Again, which solidified Britney’s spot as the most important pop star of the new Millennium.

Join us next week for Part 2, in which we’ll discuss 2001’s Britney and 2003’s In The Zone.

Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist

Come to Main Pop Girls on 3/21!

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, is pop music stuck in a nostalgia loop? Pop starlet Tate McRae's new album is highly referential to the last twenty years of pop from Britney to the Pussycat Dolls to Halsey and beyond. But on her new album So Close to What, which dropped last week, does she form her own identity? Or do she and her murderer's row of collaborators just do good karaoke? Louie, Russ, and Variety's Steven J. Horowitz discuss.

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.

Lady Gaga's seventh studio album Mayhem drops on March 7 and in anticipation of the big day, Carey O'Donnell, Kristen S. Hé, and Naomi Zeichner join DJ Louie to break down their thoughts, hope and dreams on the upcoming record before each sharing their ranking of Gaga's albums to this point.

Come to Main Pop Girls on 3/21!

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Katy Perry's second studio album Teenage Dream  is deemed a classic "pop bible" by many pop fans. The album produced five number one singles and spun off a deluxe version with another couple top tens. But what about the other seven tracks from the TD era? If you listen to this record without its classic hits, does it hold together as a complete body of work? Louie and Russ dive into every one of Teenage Dream's non-singles to get answers and decide if the album is a bonafide classic, or just a great collection of smashes paired with some less great filler. 

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.

Louie and Russ are answering your questions about whether pop stars like Cher can still exist, what Olivia Rodrigo should do next, how they listen to music for the show, why gay men have trouble embracing gay male pop stars, and so much more.

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ break down Kendrick Lamar's explosive Super Bowl halftime performance before getting into new songs from Tate McRae, Sexxy Redd & Bruno Mars, Rose Gray & Doechii.

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.

Critic Stephen Kearse joins Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our two-part series on Kendrick Lamar ahead of his Super Bowl halftime show this Sunday. Stephen and Louie tackle Kendrick’s string of hit-making guest appearances in the mid-2010s, his first solo number one, “Humble,” and 2017’s critically adored Damn. Then they discuss Black Panther and Kendrick’s final album with Top Dawg, 2022’s sprawling Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Finally, they unpack the Kendrick/Drake beef, his recent hot streak and 2024’s GNX, before ranking Kendrick Lamar in the Official Pop Pantheon.

Check out our Kendrick Lamar Essentials Playlist on Spotify

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night's Grammys featured show-stopping performances from Doechii, Chappell Roan and others, plus wins from Roan, Kendrick Lamar and, finally, a long-awaited crowning for Beyoncé in Album of the Year. Louie and Russ share their reactions before going deep on Lady Gaga's newest single, "Abracadabra", the third from her forthcoming album Mayhem and the video for which dropped during the awards ceremony.

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.

Rolling Stone’s Mankaprr Conteh returns to Pop Pantheon for part one of our two-part series on Kendrick Lamar ahead of his Super Bowl performance. Louie and Mankaprr dig into Kendrick’s origins in Compton, his teenaged mixtapes under the alias K. Dot and his independently released studio debut, 2011’s Section.80. From there, they tackle 2012's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, a mainstream pop breakthrough immediately hailed as a masterpiece. Finally, they walk through how Kendrick weaved together musical traditions from across the Black diaspora on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly.

Tune in next week for Part 2, covering Damn, Kendrick’s beef with Drake and Kendrick’s induction into the Official Pop Pantheon.

Check out our Kendrick Lamar Essentials Playlist on Spotify

Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC!

Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram