Switched on Pop

We rarely cover movies here at Switched On Pop. But after seeing Ryan Coogler's new vampire musical Sinners, we knew we had to make an exception.

The movie is an ode to Black music. Throughout its over two hour runtime, the film pays tribute to the blues: nodding to the musicians, instruments, and melodies that make it a foundational genre in the American musical canon. There's also Irish folk vampires, original music from Ludwig Göransson, and a whole lot of history – perfect for Charlie and Nate to sink their teeth into.

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It's that time of year again: Eurovision Song Contest is upon us. And with the competition comes a tradition at Switched On Pop, where Charlie and Nate look at the songs (and countries) that have the best odds to take home the title. This year, we have an ode to the sauna, soaring operatics, and a feast of food-themed tunes – including the Estonian entrant Tommy Cash's ode to the "Espresso Macchiato."

This episode of Switched On Pop, we take a sonic trip to Basel, Switzerland – and in the back half of the episode, talk to Tommy Cash himself about his entry and more.

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Despite TikTok defining this decade's music landscape, the app hasn't spawned a bonafide pop superstar – yet. 24-year-old Addison Rae is trying to be the first.

She's already had cosigns from Arca, Charli XCX, and Benny Blanco; critical acclaim from outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Elle; and is cultivating a fervent fanbase with a slew of breathy, ethereal, and inspiration-laden singles. But how does one translate TikTok celebrity into pop success?

On this episode of Switched On Pop, Reanna, Nate, and Charlie put their "Headphones On" to understand how one of the biggest Gen-Z celebrities is trying to parlay her allure into pop princess-dom.

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SONGS DISCUSSED

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Taylor Swift isn't just a world-conquering pop star at the top of her game, her approach to songwriting has also proven massively influential for an up-and-coming generation of singer-songwriters. Gracie Abrams, Maisie Peters, and Phoebe Bridgers—all of whom opened for Swift during her Eras Tour—each owe a debt to Swift's hyperspecific lyrics, minimal melodies, and bombastic bridges. We break down the key aspects of Swift's songcraft and how we can hear them manifest in the work of her young acolytes, and we speak to another burgeoning artist, the brilliant Jensen McRae, to learn firsthand why Swift's style has been so resonant.

Songs Discussed

Taylor Swift - All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)

Gracie Abrams - That’s So True

Maisie Peters - There It Goes

Taylor Swift - Style (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift - You're On Your Own, Kid

Phoebe Bridgers - Motion Sickness

Taylor Swift - Our Song

Beyoncé - Sandcastles

Katy Perry - Unconditionally

Taylor Swift - cardigan

Dua Lipa - Levitating

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift - Dear John (Taylor's Version)

Jensen McRae - Praying For Your Downfall

Jensen McRae - Savannah

Jensen McRae - Immune

Taylor Swift - Would've, Could've, Should've

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Specialized platforms and social media have empowered musicians to tap into niche audiences, igniting a quiet revolution in the music industry. Despite the dominance of viral hits, a new wave of artists, labels and businesses are redefining success by building dedicated fanbases with focused, niche strategies. This conversation, live from SXSW, features Charlie leading a conversation with:

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Miley Cyrus just released three singles from her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful. Inspired by Pink Floyd's The Wall—specifically the 1982 feature film based on the album—Cyrus is not just sharing new music but a whole visual album, each song accompanied by a music video shot by director Panos Cosmatos. We last heard from Cyrus in 2023 with her massive smash "Flowers," which found the industry veteran finding some kind of inner peace. With her new songs, Cyrus is turning from healing herself to healing the world. She described the project as "a concept album that’s an attempt to medicate somewhat of a sick culture through music." What does such an endeavor sound like? For one, a lot of surprising textures and collaborators: Shoegaze guitarists, jazz saxophonists, indie rock producers. At least, sounds that are surprising to those who only know Cyrus from "Flowers," "Wrecking Ball," and "Party in the USA." The true Miley stans expect the unexpected from an artist who, it turns out, has always been weird.

Songs Discussed

Miley Cyrus - Flowers, Prelude, Something Beautiful, End of the World, Dooo It!, Malibu, Cattitude (feat. RuPaul), Plastic Hearts

Blank Banshee - Eco Zones

Caroline Polachek, Oneohtrix Point Never - Long Road Home

D'Angelo - Send It On

Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders - Journey In Satchidananda

Whitney - Forever Turned Around

ABBA - Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen

Alvvays - Easy On Your Own?

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Why was Chappell Roan's band dressed like an 80s hair metal act during her Grammy performance? The answer unlocks the surprising secret behind her #1 country hit "The Giver." This musical detective story connects glam rock aesthetics to modern country through an unexpected lineage involving AC/DC's producer, Shania Twain's revolution, and men who inadvertently dressed in drag. Between fiddle licks and gated reverb drums lies a brilliant subversion of country traditions that proves the genre has always been about musical drag while revealing what "rhinestone cowgirl" really means.

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Songs Discussed:

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The Who's "My Generation" wasn't born from inspiration—it was commissioned. In a rare interview, Pete Townshend reveals how six fans at London's Goldhawk Club in 1965 directly asked him to write an anthem for their post-war generation. This conversation uncovers how a simple request transformed into rock's definitive youth statement, complete with its rebellious stutter and blues foundations. As Townshend releases his solo anthology during our own era of generational flux, the story behind rock's most famous declaration of youth proves more relevant than ever.

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Songs Referenced

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In 2022, Lady Gaga embarked on The Chromatica Ball – a stadium tour featuring a stage that Gaga herself referred to as her "museum of brutality." Three years later, this idea of a brutalist enshrining of all things Monster can come to represent her new studio album MAYHEM. 

Over the course of fourteen tracks, Gaga is "unafraid to reference or not reference," invoking not just the pop weirdos of a past era like Prince and Bowie, but also her contemporaries, in this gothic and chaotic web of a record. This episode of Switched On Pop, Little Monster-in-residence Reanna takes Charlie and Nate on a tour through the Gaga-seum, showcasing Gaga's ability to pay tribute to her inspirations, her imitators, and her biggest icon: herself. 

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SONGS DISCUSSED

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When the song “Get Ur Freak On” hit radio in 2001, it set the world of popular music on fire. Missy Elliott and Timbaland’s first crossover hit sounded nothing like the chart-topping bluesy rock of Aerosmith or Lenny Kravitz, or the smooth R&B of Joe or Jagged Edge. It was a song that compelled you to dance - literally, with Missy issuing repeat commands to “get ur freak on” and encouraging crowds to gather ‘round in what we’ve only ever experienced as a hot slick mess of bodies, cheering and vibing as one pretzeling mass. But this song was years in the making. Timbaland and Missy had been hard at work on the sound for nearly a decade before “Get Ur Freak On” was heard by anyone.

This week, in yet another segment of our Modern Classics miniseries, our guest host and former producer Megan Lubin shares the story of the sound that made “Get Ur Freak On” a pop music phenomenon, and transformed Timbaland into one of the most ubiquitous producers of the aughts.  

Songs Discussed

Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On

Tweet - Oops (Oh My)

Jay-Z - Dirt off Your Shoulder

Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around

2Pac - Me Against The World

TLC - Creep

Ginuwine - Pony 

Aaliyah - One in a Million

Jay-Z ft. UGK - Big Pimpin’

Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)

Justin Timberlake - Cry Me a River

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous

Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. - My Love

Timbaland ft. One Republic - Apologize

Sports Car - Tate McRae

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