Practically Pop

Dancing With The Stars' Season 35 announcement is FINALLY here, and I've got quite a lot to say about this year's stellar cast!!! (well, maybe not a lot, but I'm really excited) 🤗

You know, it was pretty crazy that last year, out of everything having to do with Sabrina Carpenter's Man’s Best Friend, people had a gripe with the album cover?! I mean, come on! The album was absolutely amazing and so much fun, and yet, the cover was still at the forefront weeks after its release. Hmm. LOTS to cover in our season 5 premiere.

Tune in to celebrate the eight-year anniversary of Why Don't We's debut album, 8 Letters!!!

To the first song that ever made me cry. Happy 10 years of Primera Cita by CNCO (song + album), and I hope you all enjoy today's season finale mini-sode!!!

That's right! This week, we're diving into Disney Channel's best summer movie EVER, High School Musical 2 (aka my second favorite movie from the HSM franchise)!

Introducing my most unhinged, confessional-style rant of the most iconic summer camp ever known to television: Total Drama Island! Let's just say, there was a LOT to talk about. Hope you enjoy!

Chapters:

00:00 - Opening thoughts on rewatching Total Drama Island
00:48 - Why Cartoon Network shows still matter to me
01:27 - Why season one is the most iconic and unhinged camp season
02:17 - Heather and Courtney as two sides of the same coin
02:53 - Duncan and Courtney’s central relationship storyline
04:00 - Why Duncan & Courtney's relationship felt real, messy, and important for younger viewers
06:27 - Gwen and Trent’s friendship-driven romance
07:35 - Owen as gross, kind, and unexpectedly tough in season one
09:21 - The guys’ friendships and the girls’ shifting alliances
10:14 - Uncensored confessional rants and Heather’s insults
12:14 - Why reality competition shows always need a surprise elimination
12:38 - Courtney’s elimination and Harold’s revenge logic
15:45 - Justin’s unfair elimination and the mystery of his motive
17:22 - Trent’s elimination and Heather’s manipulation
19:09 - The merge and why post-merge eliminations feel different
19:55 - Lindsay’s unfair elimination and hidden intelligence
21:34 - Beth and Lindsay’s growing friendship
22:46 - Leshawna’s unfair elimination for voting confusion
23:25 - Bridgette and Ezekiel’s early exits
25:03 - Heather’s elimination in “I Triple Dog Dare You”
26:22 - How the dare challenge worked and why Heather sabotaged herself
28:02 - Chris, lawsuits, and the aftermath of his cruelty
29:17 - Chef’s rough exterior and occasional softer side
31:28 - Why the reboot works and a plea for more classic episodes streaming

There’s this sense of wonderment and realness on Freya Skye’s debut EP, stardust, that really just draws you in. Just having listened to it the first time two months prior, I was in awe of how purely magical it is! There are so many big feelings presented on this six-track effort that perfectly balance being young with such a mature outlook on relationships and friendships at just 16.

Chapters:

00:00 - Why Freya Skye’s Stardust felt special enough to include in season 4
00:25 - Who Freya Skye is and why listeners may already know her
01:02 - The magical, ethereal sound of the EP
01:37 - How the songs reflect teen relationships and friendships
02:24 - “Maybe Tomorrow” and the floating, starry feeling it creates
03:04 - “Golden Boy” and the charismatic guy who is not what he seems
04:05 - Freya’s honesty as a songwriter, compared to Taylor Swift and Kelsea Ballerini
04:33 - Why “Golden Boy” is so catchy and fun to sing
04:51 - Why “Petty” hits hardest emotionally
05:46 - The lyrics that capture being let down by someone shady
06:24 - Why the song works without being overly aggressive
06:32 - The real-life cost of staying petty after a fallout
07:05 - Advice to stay cordial, protect your energy, and move on
07:33 - Outro and where to keep up with the show

Another Friday, another mini-sode! This week, it's all about "Coast" by Hailee Steinfeld!

Exactly eleven years ago today, Bea Miller graced the world with her bold, unapologetic debut album, Not An Apology. Full of rebellion, freedom, and self-expression, everything about this record had all the makings of an outspoken, confident rock star that Bea became in this era and we’re celebrating its anniversary today! Enjoy!

It's finally here. Our Pop Girl Summer essential episode: MIDNIGHT SUN BY ZARA LARSSON!!! On this special episode, we are getting into the album, what role Midnight Sun had into the creation of this season, why I thought the record was a sleeper hit, why "Girl's Girl" has such a weird connection to the Summer House scandal, and which other artist Zara should make another iconic summer anthem with!