Switched on Pop

A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Music Commentary
Music Interviews
Music History
226
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raise The Roof
"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture"
29 min
227
The Beatles get back to their roots
Why 'Let It Be' has four official recordings and which one is the best
39 min
228
Taylor, Adele & Silk Sonic’s broken hearts club...
Breaking down every type of heartbreak on the radio dial
40 min
229
Snotty Nose Rez Kids on hip hop and Indigenous ...
"In hip hop, you have the MC. Well, we have our storytellers."
24 min
230
The State of the Pop Union
We take the musical temperature by consulting the charts, the platforms, and the people.
33 min
231
Why ABBA songs just hit different
After 40 years, the Swedish hitmakers are back with new music. Does it match up to their classic hits?
33 min
232
The Healing Power of Pop with Esperanza Spalding
Mental Health and Pop Music
33 min
233
Janet Jackson's Legacy After 'Control' from It'...
The 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's first No. Billboard Hot 100 hit
45 min
234
James Bond's Spycraft Sound
Billie Eilish and Hans Zimmer take on the classic theme
33 min
235
James Blake & The Return of Harmony
“I find contentment and bliss in a chord progression, but it's fleeting”
36 min
236
Sparkle spoke out against R Kelly. It cost her ...
28 min
237
ICYMI: The Mystery of Montero AKA Lil Nas X (fe...
How Lil Nas X Rattled the World to Earn his Second #1 Hit
34 min
238
Deja Vu: Why Olivia Rodrigo keeps giving up son...
Copyright lawsuits are on the rise and changing the music business
57 min
239
CHVRCHES and the sound of 80s horror
How internet trolls and horror film icon John Carpenter inspired their new album Screen Violence
31 min
240
From Taylor Swift to Bon Iver, Aaron Dessner Fi...
“Being collaborative is risky on some level...but it's the most important thing”
25 min
241
Modern Classics: Carina del Valle Schorske on C...
Why every song about Manhattan is a pop song
28 min
242
The Joy of Music Festivals
Darkside’s Dave Harrington & listeners share their best moments
25 min
243
The Beauty and Horror of Insane Clown Posse's S...
What we can learn from one of the most controversial, and most misunderstood, music festivals
33 min
244
How Coachella took the Woodstock look
The Cut takes over Switched On Pop
24 min
245
Modern Classics: Mark Ronson on Ginuwine's "Pony"
The "Uptown Funk" hitmaker breaks down the innovations behind pop's biggest smashes
36 min
246
Summer Hits: Jack Antonoff on Bleachers “Stop M...
“The things that pull me to write are when I feel something that scares me or fills me with joy or mystery.”
39 min
247
Modern Classics: Yola on Childish Gambino’s “Re...
On her new album, Yola channels sounds of the past to shine light on today
31 min
248
The Appealing Uneasiness of Listening to L’Rain...
How the artist’s album Fatigue “mirrors my interest in illegibility.”
24 min
249
Summer Hits: City Girls - Twerkulator (with Kyr...
For rap duo City Girls, twerking is more than a dance move - it's a reclamation
22 min
250
Summer Hits: Lorde - Solar Power (w Hanif Abdur...
Is Lorde's new summer song a banger or a dud?
29 min