Switched on Pop

Producer Bridget Armstrong shares her top tracks from women who are running hip-hop in 2020: Megan Thee Stallion, Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, Flo Milli, and CHIKA

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Listen to the Drake episode on In My Feelings: https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/93-drake-vs-drake

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In 1990 John Carlin and Leigh Blake pioneered a new kind of charity album. Together they co-founded Red Hot, a non-profit music label that uses music to raise money and awareness to for the fight against AIDS. This year is the 30th anniversary of their record: Red Hot + Blue, a platinum tribute album to Cole Porter, featuring artists like U2, Jody Watley, David Byrne, k.d. lang and Annie Lennox. Having released 20 projects and raised over $15M for AIDS charities, Carlin reflects back on Red Hot's idiosyncratic approach to reaching music audiences with a public health mission. And ten time Grammy nominee Red Hot collaborator Meshell Ndegeocello discusses how her contributions informed her own prolific music activism.

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Listen to Red Hot's records at redhot.org

Listen to Meshell's Chapter & Verse by calling 1-833-4-BALDWIN or visiting www.meshell.com

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Every song Cyndi Lauper writes is pop perfection according to Sam Sanders, host of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute.” Many fall for “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” but Sanders's favorite song is the slow burner “All Through The Night,” save for one moment: the synthesizer solo. For Sanders, this solo never fit in. Charlie investigates the source of his musical malady and uncovers how the 80s got its groove. 

Songs Discussed

Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

Cyndi Lauper - She Bop

Cyndi Lauper - All Through the Night

Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You

Janet Jackson - The Pleasure Principle

Janet Jackson - Nasty

Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone

Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All

Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It

Cyndi Lauper - Change Of Heart

Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight

Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

Tom Petty - You Got Lucky

Cars - Lets Go

Talking Heads - Burning Down The House

Parliament Funkadelic - Atomic Dog

The Weeknd - Blinding Lights

Dua Lipa - Physical

Little Mix - Break Up Song

Miley Cyrus - Heart of Glass (Blondie Cover)

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Read Dr. Megan L. Lavengood's research on the DX7: https://meganlavengood.com/research/

Listen to Dave Smith's (recently re-released) Sequential Prophet 5 synthesizer: https://www.sequential.com/product/prophet-5/

Learn about William Wittman's production credits on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/170639-William-Wittman

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Cultural critic Ivie Ani breaks down how Missy Elliott broke into the pantheon of anthems, and how she changed the scope of who could belong.

Songs Discussed

Missy Elliott - Work It

Blondie - Heart of Glass

RUN-DMC - Peter Piper

Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three - Request Line

Snoop Dogg - Y'All Gone Miss Me

Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back

Trace Adkins - Honky Tonk Badonkadonk

Missy Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Lil Kim - Not Tonight (Remix)

Missy Elliott - Lose Control (feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop)

Missy Elliott - Sock It 2 Me

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When Smash Mouth wrote "All Star,” they knew that it was going to change their lives. But they never expected it would become an anthem played in sports arenas, soundtracked by Hollywood, and embedded into seemingly every internet meme. Darryn King joins the show to break down "The Never-ending Life of Smash Mouth's 'All Star.'"

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In 1995, ESPN launched Jock Jams Volume 1, a compilation record that would define the sound of sports for the next quarter century. We listen to the album's biggest songs to define what makes a "Jock Jam," and tell the story of how this record came to define the sound of the stadium.

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Read Emily VanDerWerff's article: “The Jock Jam” megamix inadvertently plays out ESPN’s inner tensions

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Freddie Mercury and team made one of the most unusual anthems of all time. “We Are The Champions” has a somber beginning, an uncertain ending and a sprinkling of operatic allusions. Yet more than 40 years after this slow burners debut, it continues to be a staple at sporting events. In the first episode in a four part series, ANTHEMS, Nate and Charlie break down the song’s fundamental elements that place this song in the anthemic pantheon. 

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Cory Henry is a remarkably gifted multi-instrumentalist. Growing up in the church, he started playing the Hammond B3 organ at age 2 and played his first gig at Apollo theater in NYC at age 6. As a professional musician he’s played along side Bruce Springsteen, Boyz II Men, The Roots, Kirk Franklin and many others including the acclaimed group Snarky Puppy which earned 3 Grammys during his tenure playing keys. Now he leads his band Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles who are releasing an album on Oct 30th called Something To Say, which features all of Henry’s gifts, but especially his voice in an album that makes you want to get up and dance as much as it makes you want to take action. 

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Shawn Mendes, BTS, Alicia Keys, 24kGoldn, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber & Chance The Rapper are all in the Hot 100 with songs that attempt to cope with the state of the world. What do they tell us about the sound of popular music and our collective psyche? Charlie is joined by writer, critic and friend of the podcast, Lauren Michele Jackson to offer a meteorological reading of music in late 2020.

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Read Aja Romano's article "With 'Dynamite,' BTS beat the US music industry at its own cheap game" on Vox.com

SONGS DISCUSSED

Shawn Mendes - Wonder

Alicia Keys - Underdog

Hamilton - My Shot

Dua Lipa - Break My Heart

INXS - Need You Tonight

BTS - Dynamite

Justin Bieber - Holy ft. Chance The Rapper

24kgolden - Mood ft. iann dior

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There is a type of country song that loves flawed characters lost on a winding journey ... likely down a dit road. One of the best songwriters in this style is acclaimed artist Brandy Clark. Her credits include a whose-who of country music—Kacey Musgraves, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Lean Rimes—and her albums have received overwhelming critical acclaim. And her debut record, 12 Stories, earned her a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

We spoke with Brandy about her new album Your Life Is A Record, which asks what if your life’s journey fit on one LP. The songs are honest, and buck the all too familiar pop-country clichés. Clark writes songs about anti-heroes who make imperfect choices (“Who You Thought I Was,” “The Past Is The Past.”) All together her songs portray one whole life. 

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