Listener Mailbag: Grammy Album of the Year Frontrunners, Gaga Copying Taylor(?!), & More!
Louie and Russ answer listener questions about the current 2026 Grammy Album of the Year Frontrunners, why Chappell Roan's "The Giver" underperformed, Max Martin's trajectory as a collaborator, whether Gaga directly ripped Taylor off on "How Bad Do U Want Me," and more! BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE!Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los GlobosGorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan RoomJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter
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51:19
What Went Wrong on Lorde's Solar Power: A Track by Track Analysis (Patreon Preview)
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, on the cusp of Lorde's forthcoming fourth studio album Virgin, due next month, Louie and Russ revisit her last album, 2021's divisive paean to the natural world, Solar Power. Neither loved this record on impact but how has it aged? Does it land differently out of the context of its moment? And what do it's successes and failures portend for the next round of Lorde music?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.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.
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12:17
HAIM (with Ilana Kaplan)
Writer and editor Ilana Kaplan joins Pop Pantheon to discuss one of pop’s criminally under-appreciated secrets, Haim. Louie and Ilana unpack the sister trio’s origins in Southern California, including their family band Rockinhaim and Este and Danielle’s short-lived teen pop band The Valli Girls. From there, they dig into 2013’s Days are Gone, a record that paid virtuosic homage to pop radio of yore, Haim’s friendship with Taylor Swift and 2017’s Something to Tell You. Finally, they discuss Haim’s most recent album, 2020’s personal and more organic sounding Women in Music Pt. III and rank Haim in The Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Haim EssentialsBUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE!Gorgeous Gorgeous LA Pride on June 20 at Los Globos Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC Pride on June 27 at Sultan RoomJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter
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1:32:18
What Will Be the Song of Summer 2025?
After debating the current chart fortunes of everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and a bevy of current-charting Tik Tok stars they've never heard of, Louie and Russ throw down cash in a high stakes betting game in which they attempt to figure out what will be the official Song of Summer 2025! Come back this fall to find out who won. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE!Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter
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51:28
Is Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department Misunderstood? (with Shaad D'Souza) (Patreon Preview)
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department— a sprawling, 31 song, two disc, two+ hour melange of music from the superstar— arrived last April amidst peak Taylor cultural overload: her landmark Eras Tour had been globe-trotting for a year, she'd just recently dominated the Grammys winning her record-breaking fourth Album of the Year trophy for previous album Midnights, her non-stop fountain of re-releases of previous works seemed ceaseless, and her new relationship with football star Travis Kelce was plastered all over our TVs and social media feeds constantly. All of that made the album a lot to stomach for many outside of the artist's (massive) core fan base and Poets, though hugely commercially successful, was broadly seen as one of the pop icon's weaker efforts, including by the makers of the podcast. But with the power of hindsight, how does Tortured Poets hold up removed from all of that context? Louie, Russ, and friend of the pod Shaad D'Souza gather to discuss just that, plus each share their... um.. "tailored" versions which help prune the massive tracklist into something more manageable, and maybe good?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.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.
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