Pop Pantheon (DJ Louie XIV)
Explore every episode of Pop Pantheon
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Nov 2023 | AALIYAH (with Kathy Iandoli) | 01:50:36 | |
Author of the book Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah Kathy Iandoli returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the far too short career of one of the most exciting pop recording artists of her generation, Aaliyah. Kathy and Louie discuss Aaliyah’s upbringing in Detroit, her connection to soul legend Gladys Knight and how she came to create 1994’s Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number with R. Kelly, a convicted sexual predator who married her illegally as a teen. Then they examine one of the most forward-thinking pieces of R&B futurism ever produced, 1996’s One in a Million, a collaboration largely with innovative songwriting and production duo Timbaland and Missy Elliott, which is widely considered one of the best albums of the ‘90s. Next, they dissect Aaliyah’s showcase of triple-threat talent in Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned, her thrilling soundtrack songs, "Are You That Somebody" and "Try Again,” the blend of R&B traditionalism and avant garde genre experiments on Aaliyah’s 2001’s self-titled album, released just one month before her untimely death and how her early passing as impacted her legacy. Finally, they rank Aaliyah in the official Pop Pantheon. Buy Kathy's Book Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah Listen to Pop Pantheon's Aaliyah Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on November 10 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous X Who? Weekly on November 16 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Kathy Iandoli on Twitter Follow Kathy Iandoli on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 29 Sep 2022 | BTS (with Tamar Herman) | 01:38:30 | |
Senior Culture Reporter for the South China Morning Post and author of the book BTS: Blood Sweat and Tears, Tamar Herman, joins DJ Louie for a deep-dive on K-Pop phenom boyband BTS. First, Louie and Tamar lay out some of the contours and history of the K-Pop scene and music industry before diving into BTS’ story, how they were initially put together in 2010 by producer Bang Si-Hyuk as a socially-conscious rap outfit on their “Skool Trilogy” in 2013 and 2014, and Bang’s vision for a boy band that broke K-pop norms by giving each member more agency in creating a distinct persona and shaping the group’s music. They then get into the group’s pivot to a more overt pop-oriented sound with mid-2010s output like the "Youth Trilogy", Wings, and the Love Yourself suite, all of which continued the group’s message-forward music while expanding their sound into EDM, R&B, Moombahton and more to massive success in Asian marketplaces and eventually, in the English-speaking world as well. Later, Louie and Tamar discuss just how BTS were able to fully cross-over into the biggest boy band in the world in the later 2010s, breaking into mainstream U.S. popular culture in a way no K-pop act had even whiffed at prior with their Map of the Soul albums, 2020’s BE, as well as on massive English-language hits like “Dynamite” and “Butter”, the unique pressure K-pop “Idols” are under in terms of how the present themselves in public, and how BTS and their success have changed the pop landscape both in their home country, stateside and across the globe. Finally, Louie and Tamar rank BTS in the official Pop Pantheon. Buy Tamar's book BTS: Blood Sweat & Tears Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Listen to the Pop Pantheon BTS Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Tamar Herman on Twitter | |||
| 06 Apr 2023 | THE RONETTES, THE SHIRELLES, THE MARVELETTES & THE SHANGRI-LAS (with Dr. Jacqueline Warwick) | 01:35:05 | |
Author of the book Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s, Dr. Jacqueline Warwick, joins Pop Pantheon to kick off the first of a trilogy of episodes on girl groups, starting with four acts who burned fast and bright during the 1950s and 1960s: The Ronettes, The Shirelles, The Marvelettes and The Shangri-Las. Jacqueline and Louie dive into the hits, careers and legacies of these foundational outfits who not only helped invent the idea of the girl group as we know it today, but also helped set the template for modern pop music. Finally, they place each of the four groups into the Official Pop Pantheon. Stay tuned this April for more episodes on girl groups throughout the ages. Buy Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s Listen to the Mid-Century Girl Groups Essentials playlist on Spotify Follow Jacqueline Warwick on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter
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| 20 Apr 2023 | FIFTH HARMONY (with Service 95's Brennan Carley) | 01:42:06 | |
In the third episode of our girl group trilogy, US Editor and Culture Director of Service 95 Brennan Carley joins the show to discuss the (very) brief rise and fall of the last major American girl group of note, Fifth Harmony. Louie and Brennan discuss 5H's assembly by Simon Cowell on the reality singing competition show X-Factor, how they discovered their signature brand of 2010s female empowerment and borderline goofy ethos on their very good debut, 2015's Reflection, the trop-house vibes of their sophomore album, 2016's 7/27, home to their signature hit, the ridiculous, sleek smash "Work From Home", and member Camila Cabello's sudden departure as well as the gang's final self-titled album in 2017. Louie and Brennan then touch in on the member's respective solo careers before ranking Fifth Harmony in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Pop Pantheon's Fifth Harmony Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los Angeles! Follow Brennan Carley on Twitter Follow Brennan Carley on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter | |||
| 15 Aug 2024 | TINASHE (with The Cut's Cat Zhang) | 01:46:58 | |
Ahead of the release of Tinashe’s seventh studio album, Quantum Baby, The Cut’s Cat Zhang joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Tinashe’s rollercoaster career. Cat and DJ Louie dig into Tinashe’s upbringing in Lexington, Kentucky, her work as a child actor on Two and a Half Men and the girl group she was briefly in with fellow pop star Hayley Kiyoko, The Stunners. From there, they unpack her early mixtapes, explosion into the public consciousness with the sultry club banger “2 On,” her moody major label debut in 2014, Aquarius, and her years in label purgatory, during which she managed to release a return-to-roots mixtape, 2016’s Nightride, and 2018’s Joyride. Next they tackle Tinashe’s reinvention back into the bedroom artist she began as and how she blazed a new trail as an independent artist with 2019’s expansive and lush Songs For You and 2021’s critically-lauded 333. Finally, they rank Tinashe in the Official Pop Pantheon. Read Cat's Profile of Tinashe in the Cut Listen Pop Pantheon's Tinashe Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 8/17 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 13 Feb 2023 | Was Rihanna's Halftime Show Good? (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd) (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:15 | |
In a preview of our new Patreon episode available in full on Pop Pantheon: All Access, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd joins DJ Louie for a Monday morning recap of Rihanna's big return to the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show last night in Glendale, Arizona, her first live show since 2018. They discuss what they liked about the performance, what they felt was missing, the pregnancy reveal, the divisive reaction from fans, the setlist, the outfits, the staging, how the crew did with their predictions last week, how Rihanna defies pop star expectations and most importantly, what it all telegraphed about the future of her pop career, if there in fact is one at all. To hear the rest, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access for bonus content, access to our discord channel and many more perks. | |||
| 07 Aug 2023 | Carly Rae Jepsen's New Paths on The Loveliest Time (with Brennan Carley) (Patreon Preview) | 00:13:35 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Service 95's Brennan Carley joins DJ Louie to discuss Carly Rae Jepsen's new album, The Loveliest Time, which dropped last week and serves as a companion piece to 2022's The Loneliest Time. Louie and Brennan dig into Carly's aesthetic stasis in recent years, the swings-and-misses from Loneliest's attempts to find new avenues for her music, and how Loveliest presents her loosest and most exciting batch of songs in a very long time, serving as a potential jumping off point for a new phase of Carly's career. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 28 Oct 2024 | NYC LIVE SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT! + Lady Gaga Returns plus New Music from Addison Rae and Halsey (Patreon Preview) | 00:14:30 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are here to fight about Lady Gaga's new single, "Disease", the first offering from her forthcoming album, "LG7". They then dive into Addison Rae's new single "Aquamarine" and ponder Halsey's latest record, The Great Impersonator, which dropped last Friday. 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. Grab Tickets to Pop Pantheon's Live Show in NYC where we'll be counting down the best pop music of 2024 with Nora Princiotti, Larisha Paul & Sam Murphy. | |||
| 23 Nov 2022 | AMY WINEHOUSE (with Sasha Frere-Jones) | 01:44:59 | |
Musician and Writer Sasha Frere-Jones joins DJ Louie to discuss the tragically short career and life of the great British soul singer, Amy Winehouse. Louie and Sasha begin by discussing how an early death, perhaps before a pop star has even reached their peak, affects their legacy before diving into Amy’s story, how she grew up on the music of jazz greats like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn and ‘90s American hip hop superstars like Nas and Lauryn Hill and the ways that marriage formed the aesthetic of her debut album, 2003’s Frank. They then discuss how a painful breakup led Amy both down a dangerous path with drugs and alcohol but also inspired her breakthrough sophomore album, 2006’s modern classic Back to Black, a meticulously constructed throwback to ‘50s and ‘60s soul and girl group aesthetics made in collaboration with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. Louie and Sasha lay out the ways in which that album juxtaposed backwards-looking production with Amy’s utterly singular and thoroughly-modern perspective on love, heartbreak and substance abuse, how Black’s massive and expected success only exacerbated her problems, the toxicity of celebrity press coverage in the late 2000s, and how it all ultimately helped lead to Amy’s untimely passing from alcohol poisoning in 2011. Lastly, Louie and Sasha discuss the long shadow of Amy Winehouse’s legacy in pop culture, before ranking her in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Sasha's piece following Amy's death in The New Yorker Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous At Resident in DTLA on Dec 3 Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Amy Winehouse Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 10 Nov 2022 | BELINDA CARLISLE, DEBBIE GIBSON, TIFFANY & TAYLOR DAYNE: Forgotten Ladies of the 1980s (with Stereogum's Tom Breihan) | 01:49:44 | |
We’re shaking things up a bit this week! The ‘80s were formative for our ideas of modern pop stardom but it’s not just Madonna, Prince, Michael, Janet, George and the gang that deserve credit for shaping that legacy. So in this episode, Senior Editor at Stereogum Tom Breihan joins me to break down the careers and legacies of four more erstwhile women who hit high highs during this decade, with smash singles and multi platinum albums, then fell off the charts just as the decade turned over to the 1990s: Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne. Tom and I first lay out why the ‘80s were such an important decade for our conceptions of the pop star and pop music, before turning to each woman’s story individually, where they came from, how they rose to fame, what made them click, why they all eventually fell off, and the important contributions each made to pop culture- whether it be songs (“Heaven is a Place on Earth”! “Only in My Dreams”! “Tell it to My Heart”!), tropes, music videos, or otherwise. Finally, Tom and I rank Belinda Carlisle, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Taylor Dayne in the official Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Check out our Forgotten Ladies of the 1980s Spotify Playlist! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 21 Jul 2022 | BEYONCÉ PART 2: SOLO SUPERSTAR (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd) | 01:59:59 | |
Part 2/4! Beyoncé’s latest solo album, Renaissance, drops on July 29th so to get everyone prepared, Pop Pantheon will be releasing a series of four episodes on the work and legacy of Queen Bey, each with a different guest! In our second installment, DJ Louie is joined by author and journalist Julianne Escobedo Shepherd to discuss the first decade of Beyoncé’s solo career. Louie and Julianne begin with Beyoncé’s first steps outside of Destiny’s Child, including her film appearances in 2001’s MTV’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera and 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember, as well as on record with “Work It Out” and, most importantly, her feature on future-husband Jay-Z’s smash 2002 hit “‘03 Bonnie and Clyde”. They then discuss the major themes of the first period of Beyoncé’s solo music: ecstatic monogamous love, betrayal and infidelity, wealth accumulation and imbalanced gender dynamics and how they’re all represented on Beyoncé’s first solo album, 2003’s blockbuster Dangerously in Love and amplified on her second, 2006’s funky, terse fan-favorite, B’Day. They then dig into how B’Day’s harder edge and relative commercial underperformance-- and the attention her co-star Jennifer Hudson swept up from under Beyoncé in the film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls-- led to the more widely-appealing, if less singular, I Am… Sasha Fierce in 2008, and, after firing her father Mathew as manager, how Bey began to shape a new phase of career with 2011’s languid, lowkey 4, in which she was no longer beholden to trends or hit-chasing, expanding her impact into something much greater than conventional pop stardom and providing the platform for the thrilling audio-visual projects which would both define the next decade of her career and change the music industry forever. Stay tuned for next week’s installment, in which we’ll dive into 2013’s BEYONCÉ the visual album, 2016’s Lemonade, 2018’s Everything is Love, 2019’s Homecoming and 2020’s Black is King!
Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 28 Jan 2025 | Grammy Predictions + FKA Twigs' Eusexua (with Rich Juzwiak) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:44 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Ultimate Friend of the Pod Rich Juzwiak returns to the show to make predictions in the top 4 categories for this Sunday's Grammys with Louie and Russ, before the three break down FKA Twigs' latest album, Eusexua, which Rich reviewed in Pitchfork. 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. | |||
| 07 Mar 2024 | ARIANA GRANDE: PART 2 (with Pitchfork's Anna Gaca) | 01:56:01 | |
For part two of our Ariana Grande series, Pitchfork senior editor Anna Gaca is here to discuss the aesthetic pivot of 2018’s Sweetener, the superstar's first album following the horrific bombing of her Manchester concert and which found her reaching for light amidst unthinkable darkness. From there, Louie and Anna tackle the tabloid frenzy of Ari's relationship with comedian Pete Davidson and how their break-up, along with the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, turned 2019’s thank u, next into a once-in-a-career deluge of public fixation and artistic revelation. Finally, they consider 2020’s ode to stay-a-home pandemic sex, Positions, discuss their hopes for her imminent seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, due tonight, and re-address Ariana Grande's ranking in the official Pop Pantheon. Join us on Pop Pantheon: All Access next week for our review of Ariana’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Ariana Grande Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Pop Pantheon Live: Tortured Poets & The State of Taylor Mania on 4/22 at the Bellhouse in Brooklyn Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/23 at Los Globos Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 06 Jan 2022 | SELENA GOMEZ (with The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli) | 01:39:43 | |
On the premiere episode of 2022, DJ Louie first wraps up last year’s cliffhanger by finally placing Rihanna in the official Pop Pantheon. Then, Pop Music Reporter for The New York Times, Joe Coscarelli, joins Louie to talk Disney-Princess-turned-peculiar-pop-figure, Selena Gomez. First, Louie and Joe dig into just who Selena Gomez’s fans are, how Disney stars have transitioned into pop stars over the last two decades, and Selena’s rise to fame on her Disney show, Wizards of Waverly Place. They then break down the neutered “pop punk” aesthetic of Selena, Miley, and Demi’s music in the late aughts, Selena’s… um…. “band”, Selena Gomez and the Scene, and how their eventual turn towards synthetic dance pop led to her first crossover hit, 2011’s “Love You Like a Love Song”, and both Selena’s canny pivot towards adult stardom with her role in Harmony Korine’s controversial film, Spring Breakers, and her less successful one with her 2013 solo debut, Stars Dance. They then track how she eventually found a musical aesthetic following the one-two punch of the Lorde-and-Lana-fication of pop in the mid aughts along with her link up with songwriting duo Michaels and Tranter, the artistic revelation of her 2015 sophomore album, Revival, how she functions as a featured artist on late ‘10s hits like “It Ain’t Me” and “Taki Taki”, and each give their takes on her most recent record, 2019’s Rare. Finally, Louie and Joe debate Selena’s position in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Joe's Profile of Selena in The New York Times Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Tonight (1/6) at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Selena Gomez Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 23 Sep 2021 | JUSTIN BIEBER (with Pitchfork Contributing Editor Rawiya Kameir) | 01:34:04 | |
Pitchfork Contributing Editor and Asst. Professor at Syracuse University Rawiya Kameir and DJ Louie get into it about one of contemporary pop’s most divisive figures, Justin Bieber. Louie and Rawiya discuss pop’s evolution beyond the need for male pop stars in the late ‘00s and how Bieber entered to fill the void, initially as one of the first music superstars to emerge on YouTube, and later as a certified hitmaker. They then dive into what makes the Beliebers perhaps the definitive Standom of the internet era, the numerous ways Bieber attempted to pivot to credible adult star in the first part of ‘10s, the implicit racial dynamics in his passion for R&B music as well as attempts by the powers that be to moderate that, how he became the most loathed celebrity on earth before mounting a massive comeback with his 3rd album Purpose, his ongoing knotty relationship to fame and latest incarnation as a chilled-out, proudly devout Wife Guy. Finally, Louie and Rawiya have a thorny debate about where Bieber belongs in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Bieber Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Gx2Fa46woFqHkJ0LTqiPY?si=5036fcedb6b74a57 Join the Pop Pantheon Bieber Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 9/23 at 9PM ET / 6PM PT!: https://discord.gg/xqVe5bsE Read Rawiya's Review of Justice on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/justin-bieber-justice/ NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Rawiya Kameir on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rawiya | |||
| 15 Sep 2022 | DONNA SUMMER (with Black Girl Songbook's Danyel Smith) | 01:48:04 | |
Author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop and host of The Ringer podcast Black Girl Songbook, Danyel Smith, joins DJ Louie to explore the work, impact and legacy of the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. Louie and Danyel begin with Donna’s early life as the eccentric Black girl in her Boston community during the 1950s and ‘60s, her move to Germany in 1968 to star in the musical Hair which eventually led to a star-crossed meeting with producers Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte who would go on to be her primary collaborators, and their breakthrough with the radically orgasmic disco anthem “Love to Love You Baby” in 1975. Louie and Danyel then cover Donna, Giorgio and Pete’s ambitious run of concept albums through the mid ‘70s, their seismic innovations on 1977’s “I Feel Love”, considered the first electronic dance song, Donna’s status as the poster child for both the music and aesthetics of the disco movement thanks in part to her role in the film Thank God It’s Friday and its luscious Oscar-winning smash “Last Dance”, her magnum opus, 1979’s Bad Girls which set the template for the modern pop event album, and how she managed to outrun the sudden decline of disco thanks to 1983’s economical new-wave anthem “She Works Hard for the Money”. They conclude with Donna’s commercial decline in the latter 1980s, her Born-Again Christianity and controversial statements about the AIDS Epidemic and the gay community, her absolutely massive impact on the sound and look of pop stardom and how her legacy- and that of the movement she defined- has evolved over time. Finally, Louie and Danyel rank Donna Summer in the official Pop Pantheon.
Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Buy Danyel's Book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 15 Jan 2024 | Ariana Returns! Plus New Music from Lil Nas X & Jennifer Lopez (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:17 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, the year is major pop star releases kicked off late last week with three singles from three stars of three different pop generations: Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?", Lil Nas X's "J. Christ" & Jennifer Lopez' "Can't Get Enough". Louie and Russ gather to break each of them down, share their thoughts on their quality and parse out how each of these superstars are attacking the idea of the lead single in the fractured, center-less world of pop music in 2024. 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. | |||
| 29 Aug 2024 | Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter is a Genre Explosion (with Danielle Amir Jackson) (Originally Published on Patreon on 4/1/2024) | 00:59:38 | |
Happy Labor Day Weekend! Louie is still off on vacation so as a treat, we're republishing our Patreon review of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter from back in April. If you like this episode and want to hear more like it, you can subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access for weekly bonus episodes of the show and so much more. You can also subscribe for the audio only direction in the Apple Podcasts App. Enjoy! Episode Description: Beyoncé eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, dropped last Friday. Once perceived as a foray into country music, this sprawling 80 (!!) minute epic turned out to be so much more than that and, as with any Bey project, begs for some serious unpacking. DJ Louie, Russ and Oxford American's Danielle Amir Jackson are here to do just that, breaking down the music, themes, references, history and breadth of the expansive second installment in Beyoncé's unfurling new trilogy. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 8/17 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: New York at Sultan Room on 9/13 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 06 Mar 2025 | BRITNEY SPEARS: PART 2 (with NPR's Ann Powers) | 02:13:00 | |
For the second in our five-part series on Britney Spears, NPR’s Ann Powers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Britney’s first attempts to transition from teen queen to grown-up pop star. Ann and Louie tackle Britney's iconic “I’m a Slave 4 U” VMA performance, work with The Neptunes and play at maturity on 2001’s Britney, relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and her one and only starring film role in the teen road comedy Crossroads. Finally, they dive into Britney and Madonna’s VMA kiss, the duo's generational pop baton passing on the single “Me Against The Music” and Britney’s most adventurous record up to that point, 2003’s In the Zone. Join us next week for Part 3, in which we’ll discuss and Britney's infamous mid-aughts along with 2007's Blackout and 2008's Circus Check out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials Playlist Come to Main Pop Girls: BRITNEY VS. GAGA on 3/21! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 18 Jul 2024 | MICHAEL JACKSON PT. 2: THE KING OF POP RISES (with Joseph Vogel) | 01:51:59 | |
Joe Vogel, author of Man in the Music: The Creative Life of Michael Jackson, joins Pop Pantheon for the second in our four-part series on the King of Pop. DJ Louie and Joe dig into MJ’s early solo work, from his 1972 debut Got to Be There to his first solo number one, “Ben,” his changing voice as grew older and his final Motown album, 1975’s Forever Michael – released when Michael was just 16. From there, they discuss Michael’s starring role as Scarecrow in the 1975 cult classic The Wiz and his creative partnership with Quincy Jones, which produced the glorious, effervescent 1979 masterpiece Off the Wall, the album that single-handedly turned Michael Jackson into a true solo superstar and set his course to the top of the Pop Pantheon.
Listen to Michael Jackson Pt. 1: The Jackson 5 (with Emily Lordi) Buy Joseph Vogel's Book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Lincoln Center on 7/20 FOR FREE! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos in Silver Lake on 7/26 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 16 Feb 2023 | FRANK SINATRA (with You Must Remember This' Karina Longworth) | 01:45:10 | |
Critic, author and host of the podcast You Must Remember This Karina Longworth joins Pop Pantheon to help tell the story of patient zero for the concept of a “Pop Music Icon,” the legendary crooner and American Icon Frank Sinatra. Karina and DJ Louie trace Frank's career from its origins in clubs in Hoboken to the onset of what was perhaps the first true pop star fandemonium craze of the modern era, Sinatramania. Next, they discuss Frank's cornucopia of definitive American Standards, his success in the movie business, his role in turning Las Vegas into a world-class entertainment city and the formation of The Rat Pack. Finally, they consider his legacy in American popular music, his impact on celebrity culture and his influence on artists as far ranging as Elvis, Michael Jackson and Billie Eilish. Listen to You Must Remember This Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Check out Pop Pantheon's Frank Sinatra Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Karina Longworth on Twitter Follow Karina Longworth on Instagram | |||
| 24 Apr 2023 | Ariana Grande's Positions (with Steven J. Horowitz) (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:19 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Pop Pantheon's first guest ever (!!) Steven J. Horowitz is back to revisit the first artist ever featured on the show, Ariana Grande. Since Louie and Steven last spoke in early 2021, Ariana has done... not much. But since they didn't really get to dig into it back then, the two go long on her latest album, 2020's sex-fest Positions, a dreamy, minor work that somehow both produced two smash singles and felt weirdly slight for an artist of Ari's stature. What works on this album? What doesn't? How has it aged? And what does it portend for Ari's future music and position in the Pop Pantheon? Louie and Steven mull over all those questions and more. To hear the rest of this episode and all of our bonus content plus get access to our Discord channel and so many more perks, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 16 Nov 2023 | Bonnie McKee on the Song Machine, Pop Stardom & Ego Death | 00:47:19 | |
Bonnie McKee is the songwriter behind many of the most enduring pop hits of the last 15 years including Taio Cruz' "Dynamite", Britney Spears' "Hold it Against Me" and no fewer than 5 (!) of Katy Perry's #1s. She's also a pop star in her own right, having run the gamut from singer-songwriter-aspirant in the early 2000s through numerous major label deals and finally, her current career as an indie pop act. Bonnie joins DJ Louie to talk about it all: her love of pop music, how she writes it, her experience as song-crafter to the stars, how the "song machine" works when it comes to major pop stars, the difference between writing songs for yourself and for other artists and how the pop music ecosystem has changed over her nearly 20 year career. Listen to Bonnie McKee's "Don't Get Mad Get Famous" Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous X Who? Weekly on November 16 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 18 May 2023 | The Best Pop Music of 2023 (So Far) (with The Wall Street Journal's Myles Tanzer) | 01:31:13 | |
Editor at The Wall Street Journal Myles Tanzer joins DJ Louie to break down 2023 in pop music so far. The two debate the broader state of pop this year, both aesthetically and commercially, and discuss which stars have experienced significant up-levels before each sharing their lists of their three favorite albums and five favorite songs of 2023 (so far). Listen to a Spotify Playlist of Louie & Myles' 2023 Favs Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at Resident Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in Bushwick Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter | |||
| 09 Sep 2021 | LORDE (with Billboard's Jason Lipshutz) | 01:21:03 | |
Senior Director of Music at Billboard Jason Lipshutz joins DJ Louie to discuss everyone’s favorite off-the-grid alt-pop icon, Lorde. First, Louie and Jason break down the EDM pop and festival boom of the late aughts and early 2010s. They then break down how Lorde’s “Royals” presented an appealing response to that escapist era of pop culture and how the success of her debut album, Pure Heroine, set the stage for an anti-pop movement that’s only gained steam since with acts like Halsey, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo, the critical triumph and commercial underperformance of her sophomore album, Melodrama, and how it purposefully de-centered her pop stardom, and they give early opinions on her latest album, last month’s Solar Power. Finally, Louie and Jason rank Lorde in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Lorde Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4vfnoV3z77iXG1SlrKduZn?si=b2cb2233b6524a4e Join the Pop Pantheon Lorde Discord Chat w/ DJ Louie on 9/9 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT!: https://discord.gg/e43UF2MZ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow Jason Lipshutz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonlipshutz | |||
| 05 Oct 2023 | How Country Bros Took Over Pop (with Spencer Kornhaber & Marissa R. Moss) | 01:11:06 | |
There's been a record-breaking trend this year of country music dominating the top of the Billboard Hot 100. But it's not just any country music. These hits by artists like Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean, Oliver Anthony & Luke Combs— all cis white men— are each employing identity politics and tapping into broader socio-political conflict in the US, either implicitly or explicitly, to help power their rise to pop dominance. So for the first segment of today's show, The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber, who has written extensively about the influx of bro country on the charts, is here to help explain this phenomenon. In the second of half of the episode, writer and journalist Marissa R. Moss, who publishes the great country newsletter Don't Rock the Inbox turns Louie on to five great country acts operating on the margins— all of whom, notably, are not cis white men— who deserve our attention and are providing a beacon of hope in the entrenched and often sexist, homophobic, transphobic and racist world of Nashville radio. Read Spencer's pieces on the rise of country bros in The Atlantic Subscribe to Marissa's newsletter, Don't Rock the Inbox Listen to a playlist of Marissa's recommendations Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In Pasadena Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC: Halloween Edition on October 27 Follow Marissa R. Moss on Twitter Follow Spencer Kornhaber on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 24 Feb 2025 | The Vacuous Comforts of Tate McRae's So Close to What (with Steven J. Horowitz) (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:09 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, is pop music stuck in a nostalgia loop? Pop starlet Tate McRae's new album is highly referential to the last twenty years of pop from Britney to the Pussycat Dolls to Halsey and beyond. But on her new album So Close to What, which dropped last week, does she form her own identity? Or do she and her murderer's row of collaborators just do good karaoke? Louie, Russ, and Variety's Steven J. Horowitz discuss. 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. | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | BEYONCÉ PART 3: AMERICAN ICON (with Yale University's Dr. Daphne A. Brooks) | 01:50:44 | |
Part 3/4! Beyoncé’s latest solo album, Renaissance, drops on July 29th so to get everyone prepared, Pop Pantheon will be releasing a series of four episodes on the work and legacy of Queen Bey, each with a different guest! In our third installment, DJ Louie is joined by author of Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound, Yale University’s Dr. Daphne A. Brooks, to discuss the latest decade of Beyoncé’s solo career. Louie and Dr. Brooks begin with the quagmire that pop stars- and particularly black female pop stars- face as they enter their mid 30s in the fickle, ageist pop cultural landscape and how various icons of the genre like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Janet Jackson have re-engaged audiences during this period of their lives and careers. They then discuss Beyoncé’s culturally transformative 2013 self-titled 5th studio album, how the surprise release and inclusion of visual components for each song solved the problem of finding a hit single, created a singular shared cultural experience, and forever changed the way pop stars would release music, the rich musical textures which filtered black musical tradition through mordern electro-R&B, and the ways in which this record depended Beyoncé’s artistry and self-revelation, as well as her feminism and activism. They then unpack her 2016 single “Formation”, its confrontational video and performance at the 2016 Super Bowl, and how the song functions as both a call to action and certified rump shaker for the ages, before diving into her masterwork of that same year, her sixth album, the audiovisual magnum opus Lemonade. Louie and Dr. Brooks break down how Lemonade reimagined the feminist ideal of the “personal as political”, using Beyoncé’s own story of domestic disruption to narrate a broader story about American history, how it effectively reclaimed genres like rock ‘n roll and country for Black women, and the innovative ways Beyoncé mined her own pain to radically heal herself, her marriage, her people and the nation through this project. Finally, Louie and Dr. Brooks dive into Beyonce’s latest three side projects, 2018’s collaboration with Jay-Z Everything is Love, 2019’s live concert film Homecoming and 2020’s Lion King companion-piece Black is King, all of which have helped enrich and deepen her artistry and activism and served as a victory lap for her storied career and what, when we look back on it in 50 years or more, Beyoncé’s enduring legacy will be as the greatest and most important pop figure of the 21st century thus far. Stay tuned for next week’s installment, in which we’ll be giving first reactions to Beyoncé’s new record Renaissance, her seventh studio album and first in over six years! Tickets to DJ Louie's Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 8/12 in Downtown Los Angeles!
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| 04 Nov 2024 | Our 2024 Grammy Nomination Predictions: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan & More (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:43 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, America is making it's most critical decision this week: who will be nominated for Grammys! Louie and Russ each share their predictions for which of your favs (and less favs) will get nominated in the Big Four categories ahead of the official announcement this Friday Nov. 8. 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. | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | Bey-Side: Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" and Renaissance Predictions | 00:52:53 | |
In an emergency B-Side (Bey-Side??), DJ Louie, along with Pop Pantheon producer Russ, break down everything about Beyoncé's latest single, the '90s house-nodding club anthem "Break My Soul", which dropped last night. Louie and Russ lay out where Beyoncé's commercial and artistic trajectory stands leading into this new era, from which genres, songs and artists "Break My Soul" draws, whether or not it's any good, pontificate on whether Bey can score a radio hit in the third decade of her in her career, what the song might portend for the rest of her forthcoming solo album, Renaissance Pt. 1, her first in 6 years, and what they each hope the album sounds like. Listen to Louie's appearance on Eat, Pray, Britney Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 02 Jun 2022 | SCISSOR SISTERS (with Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua) | 01:45:20 | |
Happy Pride! To celebrate Pride Month, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua joins DJ Louie to talk one of the most iconic gay pop acts of the century, Scissor Sisters. Louie and Matthew talk the history of queer men in mainstream pop, Scissor Sisters' formation in the downtown NYC electroclash scene of the late '90s and early '00s, their fluke first hit, a BeeGees-esque cover of "Comfortably Numb", how their 2004 self-titled debut album played like a expertly made, fun-loving tour through gay music history, why they exploded as pop stars in the UK but remained a cult phenomenon here in America, and how they presaged artists like Robyn and Charli XCX by carving out a space for alternative pop stars stateside. They then talk about their second album, 2006's Ta-Dah, it's myriad of slightly obscure pop historical references, the smash hit and their signature song, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'", their turn towards more sex-forward music on their 2010 Stuart Price-produced masterpiece, Night Work, and Louie shares a bit about what the record meant to him in his personal journey with his sexuality. Next, Louie and Matthew discuss their final album, 2012's Magic Hour, how they mainstreamed the word "kiki" on their gay club hit "Let's Have a Kiki" and the impact they've had on future queer pop stars like Mika, Sam Smith and Lil Nas X, as well as on campier American pop icons who followed in their footsteps like Lady GaGa and Katy Perry. Finally, Louie and Matthew rank Scissor Sisters in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Matthew's review of Night Work in Pitchfork Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 19 Dec 2024 | What Pantheon Rankings Did We Get Wrong in 2024? | 01:07:07 | |
For our final main episode of 2024, Louie and Russ look back at all the artists ranked in the Pop Pantheon this year— from Demi Lovato to Frank Ocean to Adele, Tina Turner, Pink and so many more— and, with the help of calls from our dedicated and very passionate listeners, assess whether any tier adjustments need to be made. Did Brat Summer make us overzealous on Charli XCX? Was it cruel to put Hillary Duff in Tier 5? With the blockbuster success of Wicked, has Ari finally made it to Tier 2? All that and more! We'll be publishing a couple little treats on 12/24 and 1/2 and will be back to our regularly scheduled programming on 1/9 with new weekly episodes! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Presents: Y2GAY! The New Year's Eve Party in Brooklyn GIFT a Pop Pantheon: All Access subscription to your friends and fam!!! Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 06 May 2021 | DRAKE (with The WSJ Mag's Myles Tanzer) | 01:22:56 | |
DJ Louie is joined by Wall Street Journal Magazine Digital Editor Myles Tanzer for a supersized episode about the Certified Lover Boy himself, Drake. Louie and Myles track the collapsing boundaries between pop and hip hop, Drake’s groundbreaking emergence in the late '00s as a new kind of hip-hop-star-turned-pop-icon, the innovative emotional language of his work along with his singular sonic universe, how his influence has trickled down through pop, and so so SO much more. Finally, Louie and Myles grapple with a HUGE first for the podcast: After over 200 Billboard Hot 100 hits and more than a decade of uninterrupted pop cultural dominance, are they ready to elevate Drake as our first Tier 2 Megastar-to-Tier 1 Icon?! Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Myles Tanzer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mylestanzer | |||
| 21 Apr 2022 | ABBA (with Carl Magnus Palm) | 01:47:11 | |
ABBA Scholar and author of 8 (!!!!) books on ABBA, Carl Magnus Palm, joins DJ Louie for an epic deep dive into the Swedish pop legends. First, Louie and Carl discuss the history of pop and "schlager" in Sweden and how the country's musical traditions helped form ABBA's music before tracing the pre-ABBA careers of the four members, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, through the 1960s and how the group came together in the early 1970s, both as bandmates and romantic couples. Louie and Carl then break down how the "ABBA Sound" developed from the group's early recordings and their obsession with Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and The Beach Boys' vocal-layering, ABBA's unique international ambitions, how the glam-rock nodding, Eurovision-winning "Waterloo" changed their career, the ways they continued to refine and expand their singular aesthetic on subsequent hits like "Mamma Mia" and "SOS", the darker and more wistful lyrical themes that began to surface on mid-period hits like "Fernando", the majestic ebullience of "Dancing Queen", their canny techniques for incorporating numerous pop subgenres into their work without ever losing their essential ABBA-ness, the powerful interplay of light and dark in their work, how the dissolution of the group's two romantic couples informed their more emotionally-complex latter period hits like "The Name of the Game" and "The Winner Takes It All", how the band came apart in the early 1980s, and how their legacy has evolved and changed over the last 40 years thanks to their greatest hits album ABBA Gold and the jukebox musical and film, Mamma Mia!. Finally, Louie and Carl rank ABBA in the official Pop Pantheon. LA Pop Pantheon Girlies! Get Info for Louie's New Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, on 4/22 at Resident in DTLA! Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 31 Aug 2023 | BIG Announcement! + Britney Spears' Blackout Unlocked (with Troy McEady) (Originally Published on Patreon on 12/22/2022) | 00:59:30 | |
Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In Pasadena A little about the live show: She’s so lucky, she’s a star. But Britney Spears has charted one of the most challenging, complex paths through the music business since the dawn of pop. Following the release of Britney’s new memoir, The Woman in Me, Pop Pantheon podcast host DJ Louie XIV (he/him) has gathered an all-star panel of guests to discuss Britney’s life and music LIVE. Louie will be joined onstage by Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music Jason King, Beyond The Blinds podcast host (and Britney superfan) Troy McEady and Gloss Angeles podcast host Kirbie Johnson to tackle how Britney’s public narrative has impacted her legacy as the definitive pop superstar of her generation, discuss her innovative music and parse apart where she sits in the current pop firmament. And stick around after the show for a special Britney edition of Gorgeous Gorgeous, a pop party for queer and trans hotties by DJ Louie and friends! For more bonus content like this Britney Blackout episode, Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on September 29 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 30 Sep 2021 | MINISODE: Answering Your Questions on Britney, The Pantheon and The Best Pop Songs of the Year | 00:23:57 | |
DJ Louie answers listener questions about the difference between "pop" as popular music and Pop as a specific genre, the relevance of the Grammys, whether Britney is a Tier 1 Icon or a Tier 2 Megastar, what he thinks of Dua Lipa, whether artists can slide between tiers throughout their careers, lists his favorite songs of the year so far and more. Send your questions to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com! NYC: RSVP to See DJ Louie Play Free Afterparties for Who? Weekly's Shows at The Bellhouse 10/22 + 10/23! LA: RSVP to Come See DJ Louie play the Who? Weekly X Pop Pantheon Party on 10/28! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod | |||
| 30 May 2024 | PINK (with Molly Mary O'Brien) | 01:51:49 | |
Molly Mary O’Brien returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the unlikely longevity of Pink. Louie and Molly chart Pink’s emergence in Philadelphia clubs as a teenager through to her brief girl group career and her pop debut as a blue-eyed R&B product at the turn of the millennium with 2000’s Can’t Take Me Home. From there they discuss “Lady Marmalade,” Pink’s rocker image overhaul with 2001’s Linda Perry-assisted juggernaut Missundaztood, 2006’s hit-filled I’m Not Dead and 2008’s Funhouse, which brought her reincarnation as pop’s greatest circus performer. Then they unpack her mid-career hits, from “Raise Your Glass” to 2012’s The Truth About Love and her long-lasting career as a stadium-filling live act. Finally, they rank Pink in the Official Pop Pantheon.
Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/15 at Los Globos in Los Angeles Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Mary Mary O'Brien on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 27 Jun 2024 | KATE BUSH (with Mic the Snare) | 02:01:34 | |
Mic The Snare joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the wild, unbridled genius of pop’s ultimate enigma, Kate Bush. Louie & Mic The Snare dig into Kate’s teenage record deal and her debut single, 1978’s “Wuthering Heights.” From there they discuss her debut album The Kick Inside, her legendary first – and only – full live tour and her early, pre-MTV adoption music videos for singles like “Babooksha.” Then they work through her gloriously sprawling career, from her 1982 debut on the U.S. album charts, The Dreaming to her most indelible record, 1985’s Hounds of Love, and her U.S. breakthrough in 1989, The Sensual World, through to her 2005 comeback Aerial and her final album, 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. Finally, they rank Kate Bush in the Official Pop Pantheon. Buy Tickets to our Dance Party Pop Pantheon Present: Main Pop Girls of '24 in NYC on August 2! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Kate Bush Essentials Playlists Playlists Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 7/26 at Los Globos Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous: PRIDE! on 6/28 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn Follow Ira Madison III on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 11 Nov 2024 | Grammy Nominations Reactions + Is "Disease" a Flop? + More (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:25 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ react to Friday's Grammy Nominations and score their predictions from last week's episode. Then, they play a game of "Step Up, Step Down" about post-Sweat Tour Troye Sivan, Lady Gaga's "Disease", The Weeknd's new era and more. 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. | |||
| 07 Sep 2023 | PRINCE: PART 1 (with Dr. Elliott H. Powell) | 02:11:45 | |
For the first of our three-part series on the High Priest of Pop, Prince, the University of Minnesota's Dr. Elliott H. Powell joins the show to discuss the rise of perhaps pop history’s greatest enigma. Louie and Elliot unpack Prince’s upbringing in Minneapolis, his impressive 1978 debut, For You, on which he played every instrument, and mainstream breakthrough with his self-titled sophomore album in 1979 and its smash "I Wanna Be Your Lover". Then they tackle how 1980’s filthy, carnal Dirty Mind established Prince at pop's vanguard and presaged the sound of the 1980s and the cultural debate Prince wielded on 1981’s Controversy. Finally, they discuss how 1982’s 1999 synthesized Prince’s persona and sound into something broadly appealing and set the stage for his Purple Reign that would follow in the coming years. Join us next week for Part 2 which will cover Prince’s imperial phase, from 1984's Purple Rain to 1989's Batman. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Prince Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In Pasadena Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on September 29 Follow Dr. Elliott H. Powell on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 02 Feb 2023 | THE WEEKND (with Anupa Mistry) | 01:56:34 | |
Writer and producer Anupa Mistry joins Pop Pantheon to dissect the career of the most enigmatic pop superstar of his generation, The Weeknd. Anupa and DJ Louie discuss The Weeknd’s genre-obliterating early mixtapes, which helped to redefine the contours of R&B in the 2010s, and his studio debut, 2013’s Kiss Land. They also walk through his string of massive successes, from his breakthrough sophomore album, 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, 2016 follow-up Starboy, 2020’s revelatory After Hours, his 2021 Super Bowl performance, and most recent effort, last year’s Dawn FM. Read Anupa's 2015 profile of The Weeknd in Pitchfork Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Come See Louie DJ @ Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA, 2/10 Check out Pop Pantheon's The Weeknd Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 11 Mar 2021 | ARIANA GRANDE (with Steven J. Horowitz) | 00:56:22 | |
In the debut episode of Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV briefly introduces the concept and tiers of the Pop Pantheon. He is then joined by music journalist extraordinaire Steven Horowitz- writer and editor for publications like Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety and Vulture- to discuss all things Ariana Grande: her arrival on the scene as an antidote to the EDM-pop of GaGa and Katy Perry, the benefits and pratfalls of her relationship with hip hop and R&B, where the concept of the "diva" stands in 2021, and the possibility of Ari as the last monoculture pop superstar. Finally, Louie and Steven debate which Tier to rank Ariana in the official Pop Pantheon. Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV Follow Steven Horowitz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/speriod Check out all Steven's writing on: http://www.stevenjhorowitz.com/ | |||
| 03 Jun 2021 | LADY GAGA (with NY Times Contributor Lindsay Zoladz) | 01:28:16 | |
DJ Louie is joined by New York Times Contributor Lindsay Zoladz to discuss Mother Monster herself, Lady GaGa! First, Lindsay drops some EXPLOSIVE ArtPop Hot Goss. Then, Louie and Lindsay dig into GaGa’s meteoric rise to mega-stardom, her bold queering of the pop cultural landscape, debunk some of the annoying critical narratives that plagued initial rise, chart the Pop-altering establishment of the Little Monsters, her musical, presentational, and social media innovations, whether or not ArtPop deserves Justice, and how, in the latter part of her career, she’s morphed from a hit-to-hit pop star into a much grander type of Icon. Finally, Louie and Lindsay debate the BIG question: is GaGa a Tier 2 Megastar or…. *gasp*... has she ascended to the top of the Pantheon as a Tier 1 Icon?! Check out Lindsay's retrospective on the "Telephone" video in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/arts/music/lady-gaga-beyonce-telephone.html Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Lindsay Zoladz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsayzoladz | |||
| 06 Jul 2023 | Checking in on Taylor Swift's Re-Recordings So Far (with Charlie Harding, Larisha Paul & Nora Princiotti) | 01:18:34 | |
On the eve of the third installment of Taylor Swift's re-recording project of her first seven studio albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Switched on Pop's Charlie Harding, Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul and Every Single Album's Nora Princiotti join DJ Louie to break down how this singularly ambitious endeavor has gone so far. Has it achieved its commercial goals? What about its aesthetic ones? What are the differences? When it comes to Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version), is the panel choosing the TV or OG on their free time? As fans, are we obligated to choose Taylor's Versions? Which of her yet-to-be-re-recorded albums will be the most difficult to replicate? And does all of it— along with her new music, massive tour, "Cruel Summer" single release, various romantic endeavors and the rest— add up to too much Taylor? Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in LA on 7/14 Follow Larisha Paul on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 29 Jul 2024 | Ice Spice's Y2K Is Surprisingly 2024 Coded (with Nadirah Simmons) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:03 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Ice Spice just dropped her debut record Y2K, an under 25 minute tour through drill beats, Jersey club and Ice's signature puerile humor and nonchalant flow. How does it work as her first official album statement? Who is this music playing to? And does it sound like 2000 at all? Writer Nadirah Simmons is here to break it all down with Louie and Russ. 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. | |||
| 12 Aug 2021 | CARDI B (with Pitchfork's Clover Hope) | 01:08:54 | |
DJ Louie is joined by Pitchfork writer and author of the new book, The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop, Clover Hope, to discuss one of the hottest contemporary rap and pop stars, Cardi B. First, Louie and Clover break down the history of female rappers who operate as bonafide crossover pop stars, beginning with Roxanne Shanté and Salt N Peppa in the ‘80s through Nicki Minaj’s melting of the lines between hip hop and pop star in the last decade. They then discuss Cardi’s emergence as a social media personality, what made her uniquely charming in that space, the singular position of having to translate an established personality into musical form, the surprise success and critical acclaim of her debut album Invasion of Privacy, the unique ways Cardi’s musical career operates as just one aspect of her broader celebrity, and finally the doors she has helped open for the plethora of female rappers currently all operating at once in the pop space. Finally, Louie and Clover debate which tier to place Cardi in in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Playlist of Cardi B Essentials on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R2aNuBZHWrjHbuh0gamO2?si=2fc5b3d72eb242a8 Buy Clover's Book The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop: https://www.amazon.com/Motherlode-100-Women-Made-Hip-Hop/dp/1419742965 Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Clover Hope on Twitter: https://twitter.com/clovito | |||
| 10 Aug 2023 | Pop Punk: Past & Present (With Ryan Piers) | 00:56:18 | |
Pop punk is the midst of a revival at the top of the charts so for this week's B-Side, Louie and writer for Alternative Magazine and other pubs, Ryan Piers, break down the history of the genre, how the iconoclasm of punk music and the commercialism of pop music have a strange but fruitful synergy, pop punk's first wave in the mid-90s through the early 2000s with Blink 182, Green Day, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and others, how it's fallen in out and of fashion since, and the characteristics of its recent revival with Machine Gun Kelly, Olivia Rodrigo, Willow & others. Listen to Ryan's Alt & Punk Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 25 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 22 Nov 2023 | The Best Pop Music of 2023 (with Shaad D'Souza) | 01:07:16 | |
Music writer Shaad D'Souza joins DJ Louie to discuss pop music in 2023. They each share and discuss their three favorite albums, three favorite songs, greatest disappointments, major trends in the genre and more. Check out a Spotify Playlist of Louie and Shaad's 2023 Favs Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on December 16 Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Shaad D'Souza on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 25 Mar 2021 | CIARA (with Chris Stedman) | 00:58:06 | |
In episode 2 of Pop Pantheon, host DJ Louie XIV addresses the veritable uproar from the KatyCats following last week's episode. He then briefly reviews the concept of the Pop Pantheon tiers before being joined by author and professor Chris Stedman to discuss the Princess of Crunk&B, Ciara. Louie and Chris dissect the idea of "flops" in the context of Chris' Pitchfork piece, "The Enduring Appeal of Pop Stars Who Flop", the trajectory of Ciara's career from centrist pop star to flop to critical darling and gay icon, the unjust tension projected onto women of color in pop who move between genres, and Ciara's resilience and longevity in the fickle and ever-shifting pop landscape over the last twenty years. Finally, they debate which tier Ciara belongs in in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Chris' piece, "The Enduring Appeal of Pop Stars Who Flop", on Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-enduring-appeal-of-pop-stars-who-flop/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJLouieXIV Follow Chris Stedman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisDStedman | |||
| 27 Apr 2023 | How Tik Tok Has Changed Pop Stardom (with The New Yorker's John Seabrook) | 00:58:19 | |
The New Yorker's John Seabrook joins Pop Pantheon to discuss his recent exhaustive piece, "So You Want To Be a Tik Tok Star". John and Louie discuss how the social media vlogging app rose to dominance in the music space, why it's so well-suited to the pop music ecosystem, how artists both existing and new are utilizing it and rebelling against it, how the music industry is weaponizing it and how it's changing the very nature of both pop stardom and music as we know it... for better or worse. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More! Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los Angeles Follow John Seabrook on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | Live! Katy Perry's 143, Lady Gaga's Harlequin & The Millennial Diva Conundrum (with Molly Lambert, Molly Mary O'Brien, Jaelani Turner-Williams & Mikael Wood) (Patreon Preview) | 00:13:43 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night live in Los Angeles, DJ Louie gathered with HeidiWorld's Molly Lambert, And Introducing's Molly Mary O'Brien, The Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood & writer Jaelani Tuner-Williams to break down Katy Perry's new record 143, Lady Gaga's new record Harlequin and just how these two superlative millennial divas are navigating the awkward period of their careers between trend-setter and legacy act. 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. | |||
| 12 Aug 2024 | Paris Hilton Saw the Future on Paris (with Troy McEady) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:49 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, When Paris Hilton released her debut album, 2006's Paris, the world largely saw it as a joke. Despite it's lead single "Stars Are Blind" becoming a top 20 hit, the album tanked, was savaged by critics and Paris never released another one. Now, on the eve her long-awaited sophomore effort Infinite Icon, due September 6, Troy McEady joins DJ Louie to look back on Paris. Is it as vapid and meritless and critics thought back in the aughts? Or a misunderstood classic of sorts? Louie and Troy bring fresh ears to album that, love it or hate, was prescient about the future of pop stardom. 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. | |||
| 24 Aug 2023 | Jack Antonoff: Friend or Foe? (with Mitch Therieau) | 01:07:53 | |
Mitch Therieau, author of the piece Dream of Antonoffication: Pop Music's Blandest Prophet which was published last month in The Drift, joins the show to talk pop music's super producer du-jour Jack Antonoff. Jack is known for his work a wide variety of female artists from Taylor Swift to Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Clairo, St. Vincent and countless others. To many, he is a hero, the anti-Dr. Luke who is happy to play a supporting role to his collaborators and work around their skills to produce idiosyncratic, personal pop music. To others, he is overused and stale, so omnipresent as to swallow up otherwise singular artists into his non-distinct, murky production style. Louie and Mitch dig into all sides of the argument: Jack's strengths and weaknesses as a producer, his best and worst projects, the narratives that surround him and what it all says about the state of contemporary pop music and stardom broadly. Read Mitch's piece Dream of Antonoffication: Pop Music's Blandest Prophet in The Drift Listen to Mitch's playlist of (nearly) every song Jack has ever been involved with Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 25 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16 Follow Mitch Therieau on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 16 Jan 2025 | CHER: PART 2 (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy) | 01:48:07 | |
Chris Molanphy returns to Pop Pantheon for the second and final part in our Cher series. Chris and Louie pick up on Cher’s career just as she scored a hit in 1979 with “Take Me Home” during the disco craze. Then they track her string of failures through the early eighties before her massively successful pivot to acting, including her Best Actress Oscar win for 1987’s Moonstruck. Next they dig into her best-selling album to date, 1989’s Heart of Stone, her infomercial era in the nineties and Sonny Bono's tragic death in 1998 which paved the way for yet another comeback with 1998’s Believe. Finally, they discuss contemporary Cher, her formidable staying power and lasting legacy and rank Cher in the Official Pop Pantheon.
Listen to Pop Pantheon's Cher Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 26 Jan 2023 | What Pantheon Rankings Have I Gotten Wrong?: Kesha, ABBA, Miley, Your Calls & More! | 01:14:09 | |
For this week's B-Side, we're reassessing all the Pop Pantheon rankings of the last year, including debates on Kesha, Miley, ABBA, Belinda Carlisle, Spice Girls and More. We're also taking listener Pantheon disputes via your phone calls. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Listen to our Original Pantheon Ranking Reassessment from April 2021 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 19 Mar 2024 | Britney and Janet Aren’t Justin Timberlake’s Only Problem (with Vox's Kyndall Cunningham) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:25 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Justin Timberlake put out his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, last Friday. But is it possible to hear this music— or appreciate Justin's talents— outside of the narrative nosedive his career has taken in the last decade? Vox's Kyndall Cunningham joins Louie and Russ to discuss. 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. | |||
| 30 Mar 2023 | Lana Del Rey's Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (with Shaad D'Souza) | 01:04:18 | |
As a follow-up to last week's Lana Del Rey deep dive, music critic Shaad D'Souza returns to the show to break down her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which dropped last Friday. Shaad, who reviewed the record for The Guardian, and Louie discuss Did You Know...'s major themes and aesthetics, the evolution of Lana's lyrical approach, how the record fits into the grander scheme of her artistic and commercial arc and more. Read Shaad's Review of Did You Know... in The Guardian Listen to Pop Pantheon's Lana Del Rey Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Shaad D'Souza on Instagram
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| 14 Jul 2022 | BEYONCÉ PART 1: DESTINY'S CHILD (with Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos) | 01:52:16 | |
Part 1/4! In the first of four episodes in our new series covering the work and career of pop titan Beyoncé, DJ Louie is joined by Senior Writer at Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos, to discuss the group that started it all: Destiny’s Child. Louie and Brittany begin with a broad history of black R&B girl groups, specifically the ‘90s wave of which DC was a part, and the ever-evolving way black women have presented themselves in the pop space. They then discuss Beyoncé’s early life, how she and her father Mathew Knowles helped form Destiny’s Child with the initial lineup including Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and Letoya Luckett, their 1998 self-titled debut and it’s surprise #3 hit, the remix of their ballad “No No No”, “No No No Pt. 2” featuring Wyclef Jean which showcased Beyoncé’s signature singing-rapping hybrid. Next, they dive into their smash sophomore album, 1999’s The Writing’s on the Wall and its innovative singles, all of which featured the groups virtuosic harmonies, a sharp pop feminist perspective that often traded in the role money plays in gender dynamics, and futuristic staccato R&B production courtesy Darkchild and others, before diving into all the tea on how, at the peak of their success, the initial line-up very messily and publicly gave way to a new trio: Beyoncé, Kelly and new member Michelle Williams. Louie and Brittany then cover DC’s blockbuster third album, largely an answer to the negative press of the group shake-ups, 2001’s Survivor and its attendant hits, the member’s various solo endeavors, and how Beyoncé returned to the group following her solo success for one final chapter, 2004’s Destiny Fulfilled. Finally, Louie and Brittany rank Destiny’s Child in the official Pop Pantheon.
Tickets to see Louie DJ Pop Music at Gorgeous Gorgeous 7/16 in DTLA! Check out Louie's Destiny's Child Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 02 Oct 2023 | The Ease of Kylie Minogue's Tension (with Michael Cragg) (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:05 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, journalist and author Michael Cragg joins Louie for a discussion of Kylie Minogue's sixteenth studio album, Tension, which dropped a couple weeks ago. Tension arrives amidst a heightened level of interest on Kylie following the viral success of its lead single "Padam Padam", which was a gay club anthem in the US and a bonafide hit around the world, including becoming her first top ten in the UK in more than a decade. Louie and Michael discuss whether Tension delivers on the promise of "Padam Padam", how it slots in with the rest of her latter day work, their favorite and least favorite moments on the record, what allows Kylie to simply employ "The Kylie Thing" on album after album and what it means for her to have a hit at this phase in her career and life, especially for American audiences who are largely unfamiliar with her illustrious four decades as a pop phenomenon. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 25 Sep 2024 | The Visceral and Meta Pleasures of Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's Sweat Tour (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:22 | |
Don't forget to grab tickets to our live show, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and The Millennial Diva Conundrum this Monday 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA! We'll be talking 143, Harlequin, and so much more! In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ each had the true pleasure of seeing Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's Sweat Tour in New York City and Toronto respectively and they got together to break down the entire surreal and joyous experience. 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. | |||
| 28 Sep 2023 | DOJA CAT (with Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul) | 01:55:45 | |
Rolling Stone’s Larisha Paul joins Pop Pantheon to dissect the career of one of the most enigmatic, eccentric talents working in pop today: Doja Cat. As Doja releases her fourth studio album, Scarlet, Larisha and Louie dig into her origin story, connection to controversial super-producer Dr. Luke, rise on Soundcloud and the laid-back stoner R&B of her 2014 debut EP Purrr!. They then tackle Doja's first full-length LP, 2018’s Amala, the strange breakout success of the novelty track and video, the meme-sensation “"Mooo!", 2019’s sonically eclectic Hot Pink and the single that turned Doja into an A-Lister, “Say So.” Finally, they discuss Doja’s 2021 juggernaut third album Planet Her, the various controversies that have helped define her prickly public persona and how she's responded to them, where Doja is at in her pop stardom as she releases Scarlet and rank Doja Cat in the official Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access to listen to Louie break down Scarlet in detail with writer and critic Rawiya Kameir. Listen to Pop Pantheon's Doja Cat Essentials Playlist Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In Pasadena Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on September 29 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC: Halloween Edition on October 27 Follow Larisha Paul on Twitter Follow Larisha Paul on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 04 May 2023 | (Almost) One Year Of Renaissance: Where Does It Rank In Beyoncé's Catalog? (with Hunter Harris, Ira Madison III & Puja Patel) | 01:18:36 | |
Beyoncé's massive Renaissance World Tour kicks off next week in Stockholm, Sweden so DJ Louie got a veritable Beyhive of all stars— writer of the substack Hung Up Hunter Harris, Keep It! Host Ira Madison III and Pitchfork Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel— in formation to reflect on (almost) one year of the stadium trek's namesake Renaissance, Queen B's seventh album which dropped last July. First, the panel discusses each of their personal journeys with the record, from elation to frustration and everything in between, and its incredibly perplexing rollout complete with no visuals, no live performances and essentially zero acknowledgement of this music from Beyoncé herself. They then share their hopes for the tour before tackling their personal rankings of Beyoncé's seven studio albums. Having lived with it for nearly a year, how does Renaissance stack up against her previous work? Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los Angeles Subscribe to Hunter Harris' Substack Hung Up Follow Hunter Harris on Twitter Check out Ira Madison III's Podcast Keep It! Follow Ira Madison III on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 23 Dec 2024 | 2024 Rap Up: Doechii, GloRilla, Meg Thee Stallion & more (with Clover Hope) (Patreon preview) | 00:10:18 | |
Clover Hope, journalist and author of The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop, joins Pop Pantheon All Access to discuss the state of the female rap game in 2024. Clover and Russ revisit Meg Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj’s beef, discuss Doechii’s recent string of breakthrough performances, and dig into Alligator Bites Never Heal, Megan, GloRilla’s Glorious and more. | |||
| 13 Sep 2023 | Olivia Rodrigo Makes the Sophomore Jump on Guts (with Stereogum's Tom Breihan) (Patreon Preview) | 00:12:01 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Streogum's Tom Breihan joins DJ Louie to break down Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album Guts, which dropped Friday: What's working (more rock!), what's not, the major themes and sounds and what it all says about Olivia's place in the pop star firmament of 2023. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 30 Jan 2025 | KENDRICK LAMAR: PART 1 (with Rolling Stone's Mankaprr Conteh) | 02:13:15 | |
Rolling Stone’s Mankaprr Conteh returns to Pop Pantheon for part one of our two-part series on Kendrick Lamar ahead of his Super Bowl performance. Louie and Mankaprr dig into Kendrick’s origins in Compton, his teenaged mixtapes under the alias K. Dot and his independently released studio debut, 2011’s Section.80. From there, they tackle 2012's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, a mainstream pop breakthrough immediately hailed as a masterpiece. Finally, they walk through how Kendrick weaved together musical traditions from across the Black diaspora on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Tune in next week for Part 2, covering Damn, Kendrick’s beef with Drake and Kendrick’s induction into the Official Pop Pantheon. Check out our Kendrick Lamar Essentials Playlist on Spotify Come to our dance party Main Pop Girls on 2/1 at Parkside Lounge in NYC! Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 01 Apr 2022 | NORMANI (with Keep It! Host Ira Madison III) | 00:40:32 | |
APRIL FOOLS!!! Keep It! host Ira Madison III returns to Pop Pantheon for a very special (and silly) episode on the glacially unfurling career of former Fifth Harmony member and aspiring pop starlet, Normani. Louie and Ira talk about why people fell in love with Normani as the clearest talent in 5H before debating the conditions that have allowed Normani to release only seven songs in the last five years before diving into her multiple attempts at getting her solo career off the ground. They begin with her two hit Spotify-core duets, 2018's "Love Lies" and 2019's "Dancing with a Stranger" with Khalid and Sam Smith respectively, before moving through her erstwhile Calvin Harris collabs, her apparent lift-off with 2019's banger Beyonce-referencing "Motivation" and its' break-the-internet music video showcasing her formidable dancing talents followed by her perplexing disappearance from music for two years, and finally her two recent underperforming "comeback" singles, the Aaliyah-sampling slinky R&B groover "Wild Side" and her latest non-event, "Fair". Finally, Louie and Ira place Normani in the official Pop Pantheon (SPOILER ALERT: she's Tier 5....). Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 18 Dec 2023 | Who TF is Tate McRae? Making Sense of Pop's New Main Girl (Patreon Preview) | 00:09:17 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Tate McRae has, to some, been on the rise for the past few years. To many, she became the pop starlet of the moment overnight with her viral hit "Greedy". On the occasion of her sophomore album, Think Later, released a couple weeks ago, Louie and Russ came together to talk everything Tate: How she's metamorphosed over her ascent, what's clicked with "Greedy" and how that's reflected (or not) in the rest the album, and what Tate's sudden catapulting to the top says about the current state of pop stardom. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 01 Jul 2024 | The Chaos and Calculations of Camila Cabello's C,XOXO (with Omri Rolan) (Patreon Preview) | 00:09:37 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Is Camila Cabello's fourth studio album, C, XOXO, a cold-hearted Single White Female-ing of other, cooler pop stars? Or is it an earnest— if chaotic— attempt by the former girl group star to find her authentic voice as a grown up pop diva? Louie, Russ and Friend of the Pod Omri Rolan are here to figure it out. 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. | |||
| 03 Mar 2022 | DIANA ROSS PT. 1: THE SUPREMES (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy) | 01:24:47 | |
Pop critic, chart analyst, writer of Slate's "Why Is This Song No. 1?", and host of the podcast Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy, joins DJ Louie for the first of a two-part series on American Icon, Diana Ross. First, Louis and Chris set the stage by discussing how the phrases "pop" and "pop star" came into form in the late 1950s, the establishment of the teenager as a target market group for music and the birth of the "teen idol". They then discuss Diana Ross' backstory growing up in the burgeoning Detroit music scene, how the formation of the predecessor to The Supremes, The Primettes, dovetailed with the creation of her future-label-boss-turned-husband Berry Gordy's Motown Records, why Motown and "the Motown Sound" were so transformational in the pop music landscape in the late '50s and early '60s, and how a popular wave of pre-Supremes girl groups like The Shangri-Las and The Marvelettes functioned as musicians and stars in this period. Next, Louie and Chris walk through The Supremes signing with Gordy, their flop first album and Diana being promoted to permanent front-woman, their historic collaboration with storied producers and songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland, their smash second album, Where Did Our Love Go? and subsequent astounding run of hits through the middle and end of the '60s, how their music evolved with the times, the inherent radicalism of a group of black women becoming the most popular pop act in the world, what makes Diana's star quality and voice to singular, and how Gordy positioned her for eventual solo stardom, often at the expense of the other girls in the group. Join us next week for Part 2, which will cover Diana's solo career! Send questions about this episode, the Pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Monday 3/7 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's The Supremes Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 09 Jun 2022 | Bloghouse (with Lina Abascal) | 01:13:44 | |
Bloghouse has come up a number of times in episodes of Pop Pantheon, from Robyn to Kesha to Scissor Sisters. So for this Week’s B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Lina Abascal, author of the book Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor, to discuss the late aughts micro-movement and how it influenced mainstream pop. Louie and Lina dig into what exactly bloghouse was, how the internet, innovations in music software and dance music trends came together to bring it into being, the major artists and songs of the era, how it evolved for its five year run, and how it influenced a generation of pop stars like Lady GaGa, Robyn, Kesha, Marina and The Diamonds, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Charli XCX, Calvin Harris, Britney Spears, Rina Sawayama, Dua Lipa, and more. Finally, Louie and Lina share some of their favorite classics of the era. Check out Louie's Bloghouse Essentials Playlist on Spotify Check out Lina's book, Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Lina Abascal on Instagram | |||
| 05 Feb 2024 | The Grammys Still Have a Problem with Black Women (with Variety's Chris Willman) (Patreon Preview) | 00:07:55 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, it’s been 25 years since a Black woman won Album of the Year. If neither Beyonce or SZA can do it, who can? Louie + Russ ponder that question with Variety’s Chris Willman as they walk through the good, the bad + the infuriating from the 2024 Grammys. 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. | |||
| 23 Mar 2023 | LANA DEL REY (with Kathy Iandoli) | 01:57:15 | |
In preparation for her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, dropping tonight, Kathy Iandoli joins Pop Pantheon to explore the enigmatic and paradigm-shifting career of pop iconoclast Lana Del Rey. Kathy, who taught a course on Lana at NYU, joins DJ Louie to discuss Lana’s myth and all of her records, from her breakthrough, 2012’s Born To Die, to her psychedelic rock homage, Ultraviolence (2014), her magnum opus, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019), and her most recent efforts, Chemtrails over the Country Club (2021) and Blue Banisters (2021). Finally, Louie and Kathy talk about her sprawling legacy and place Lana Del Rey in the Official Pop Pantheon. Watch for our review episode of Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd next week. Buy Kathy's book, God Save the Queens The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Kathy Iandoli on Twitter Follow Kathy Iandoli on Instagram | |||
| 16 Jun 2022 | KELLY CLARKSON (with Legends Only's Bradley Stern) | 01:47:33 | |
This week, DJ Louie is joined by music journalist and co-host of the podcast Legends Only, Bradley Stern, to discuss the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson! First, Louie and Bradley discuss Kelly’s legendary run on Idol, from being deemed “forgettable” by Simon Cowell to winning the show and America’s hearts in a landslide victory, her display of down-home affability and incredible versatility on the show, equally adept at Motown as she was at rock, show-tunes and pop ballads, her first album, 2003’s Thankful, which played up her chameleonic and powerful vocal talent but played down her singular personality to middling results, how she fought tooth and nail to take more control of her artistry on her juggernaut second album, 2004’s more rock-oriented classic Breakaway, and calcified her on-record scorned-by-resilient persona on its signature hit, the iconic kiss-off anthem “Since U Been Gone”. Louie and Bradley then cover Kelly’s legendary and very public battle with label-boss Clive Davis over her third record, 2007’s largely self-penned My December, her mea-culpa for that defiance, 2009’s All I Ever Wanted, how Kelly eventually reached a detente with the powers that be in the 2010s and unlocked a very successful second decade of her pop career, and how all the qualities that made us fall in love with her twenty years ago as a cocktail waitress with a big voice and a dream on Idol lead to a third wave of her career as a beloved daytime talk show host, as well as to her viral covers series, “Kellyoke”. Finally, Louie and Bradley rank Kelly Clarkson in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Louie's Kelly Clarkson Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Bradley Stern on Twitter | |||
| 06 Mar 2023 | New Music Speed Round: Sam Smith, Ava Max, Lana, Ice Spice & More! (with Main Pod Girl's AJ Marks) (Patreon Preview) | 00:09:20 | |
Main Pod Girl's (and PP Discord fav!) AJ Marks joins DJ Louie to dissect and debate new songs from Sam Smith, Kelela, Ava Max, Ice Spice, Zara Larsson, Chloe & More! To hear the rest of this episode and so much more bonus content, along with access to our Discord, guest list at Gorgeous Gorgeous and other great perks, Subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier! | |||
| 03 Jan 2024 | Hard Candy is a Sweet Spot in Madonna's Late Period (with Miles Marshall Lewis) (Patreon Preview) | 00:08:02 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and guest Miles Marshall Lewis look back Madonna's 11th studio album, 2008's Hard Candy, an album where the Queen of Pop uncharacteristically played catch-up with her pop star progeny, enlisting Timabland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell to help get her music back in American radio's good graces. The gambit only minorly paid off. The album received mixed reviews and while lead single "4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake" reached the top ten, the album was middling performer commercially. But how has it aged? And how does it stack up again other latter period Madonna albums? Louie and Miles dive into all this and more. 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. | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | Rihanna Super Bowl Setlist Draft Extravaganza!! (with Lindsey Weber, Jason Lipshutz & Julianne Escobedo Shepherd) | 01:17:22 | |
For this week's B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by a literal Navy of Pop Pantheon All-Stars- Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber, Billboard's Jason Lipshutz and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd- to preview Rihanna's epic return to music at Super Bowl LVII, this Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona! They talk all the big questions: Why now? What does it portend for new Rihanna music? What made her change her hard "no" to the NFL over their treatment of Colin Kaepernick? Then, the main event: Louie, Lindsey, Jason and Julianne try to figure which of Rihanna's ~40 hit songs she'll pull out for this 12-14 minute set, how she'll structure it to showcase the diversity and generational strength of her discography and pontificate on guests she could plausibly bring out to join her on stage. Finally, the crew discusses whether Rihanna's Pop Pantheon tier ranking has shifted from cuspy 2-1, where she was ranked in our series with Julianne back in December 2021, and if this performance- and the promise of new music- has the potential to finally elevate Rihanna, once and for all, to Tier 1 of the Pantheon. Listen to Louie and Julianne's two-part Pop Pantheon series on Rihanna Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!! Come See Louie DJ @ Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA, 2/10 Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter Follow Jason Lipshutz on Twitter Follow Lindsey Weber on Twitter Follow Julianne Escobedo Shepherd on Twitter
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| 16 Dec 2024 | Our Best and Worst Concerts of 2024 (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:25 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Russ saw over 20 (!!!) live concerts in 2024. Louie saw a few too. Today, they're getting together to rank them all— from Charli & Troye to Missy Elliott to Tate McRae to Usher to Madonna— from worst to best. 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. | |||
| 01 Apr 2024 | Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter is a Genre Explosion (with Danielle Amir Jackson) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:58 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Beyoncé eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, dropped last Friday. Once perceived as a foray into country music, this sprawling 80 (!!) minute epic turned out to be so much more than that and, as with any Bey project, begs for some serious unpacking. DJ Louie, Russ and Oxford American's Danielle Amir Jackson are here to do just that, breaking down the music, themes, references, history and breadth of the expansive second installment in Beyoncé's unfurling new trilogy. 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. | |||
| 26 May 2022 | Best Pop Music of 2022 So Far (with Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber) | 01:28:58 | |
We’re halfway through 2022 so for this week’s Pop Pantheon B-Side, DJ Louie is joined by Who? Weekly's Lindsey Weber to talk all their favorite pop songs and albums of the year so far, any trends they're spotting (short songs, short albums, and where are the main girlies??!!) and finally, Louie and Lindsey go through 15 buzzy new bottom tier Whos and decide whether they have a shot at top tier Themdom. LA Niche Legends! Grab tix for DJ Louie's Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous: Pride Edition, Friday, June 10 at Resident in DTLA! Listen to Louie and Lindsey's previous Pop Pantheon Episode on Carly Rae Jepsen Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 14 Mar 2023 | Miley Cyrus' Endless Summer Vacation (with Shaad D'Souza) (Patreon Preview) | 00:09:06 | |
Miley Cyrus just dropped her 8th studio album, Endless Summer Vacation, last Friday, so critic Shaad D'Souza- our guest for our Miley episode and who reviewed the new record for Pitchfork- is here to help break this music down: what works, what doesn't, the major themes and aesthetics, the incredible success of lead single "Flowers", what we should and shouldn't expect from Miley at this point and whether any of it impacts her ranking in the Pop Pantheon. If you enjoyed this snippet and want to hear the rest of the episode, plus more bonus content, access to our Discord channel and more, you can subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 20 Aug 2024 | Tinashe Meditates on Love and Sex on Quantum Baby with Kyann-Siann Williams (Patreon Preview) | 00:08:53 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, NME's Kyann-Sian Williams joins Russ to discuss Tinashe's brand new seventh studio album Quantum Baby – the second in a trilogy of albums she's rolling out. Can she capitalize on the virality of "Nasty"? Or is that even on her mind? And is Tinashe expanding her artistry or letting us in on this new record? Russ + Kyann-Sian break it all down. 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. | |||
| 21 Mar 2024 | CALVIN HARRIS & DAVID GUETTA (with Lina Abascal) | 02:12:13 | |
Culture writer and author Lina Abascal returns to Pop Pantheon to revisit the fleeting early 2010s moment when EDM DJs utterly consumed American popular music via two of the genre’s most emblematic figures, David Guetta and Calvin Harris. Louie and Lina trace David’s roots in the Paris club scene through to his breakthrough in the U.S. with hits like "When Love Takes Over", "Sexy Bitch" & "Memories", "Where Them Girls At?", "Titanium" and "Turn Me On", his big pop collaborations with artists like Sia, Kelly Rowland and Nicki Minaj. They then tackle Calvin’s bloghouse-y origins through to his peak-era work, from 2011’s “We Found Love” with Rihanna to smashes like "Feel So Close", "Sweet Nothing", "One Kiss" and "This is What You Came For". Finally, Louie and Lina discuss how the EDM bubble burst, how Guetta and Harris adapted, and rank both David Guetta and Calvin Harris in the Official Pop Pantheon. Send your mailbag questions to PopPantheonPod@Gmail.com!! Listen to Pop Pantheon's Calvin Harris & David Guetta Essentials Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents: Taylor Mania at Parkside Lounge on 4/19 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 3/23 at Los Globos Follow Lina Abascal on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 13 Feb 2025 | Listener Mailbag! Olivia Rodrigo's Next Move, Cher, Gaga, the Lack of Gay Male Pop Stars & More | 00:51:59 | |
Louie and Russ are answering your questions about whether pop stars like Cher can still exist, what Olivia Rodrigo should do next, how they listen to music for the show, why gay men have trouble embracing gay male pop stars, and so much more. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Valentines Day in LA on 2/14 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/1 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 11 Mar 2024 | The Novel & Familiar Thrills of Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine (with Bustle's Nolan Feeney) (Patreon Preview) | 00:11:23 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode and as a capstone to our latest series on Ariana Grande, Bustle's Nolan Feeney joins DJ Louie to discuss Ari's seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which dropped on Friday. Louie and Nolan dig into all the record's themes, aesthetics, how it toys with her public narrative, the impact of collaborator Max Martin, absence of long-time songwriting aces Victoria Monet and Tayla Parx and so much more. 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. | |||
| 03 Nov 2023 | Pop Pantheon Live! Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy (with Jason King, Troy McEady and Kirbie Johnson) (Patreon Preview) | 00:13:23 | |
Pop Pantheon had it's first live show ever last night at the Crawford Auditorium in Pasadena, courtesy of LAist!
To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | Announcement! | 00:10:00 | |
Please welcome to the stage: Pop Pantheon All Access!! Simply can't get enough of Pop Pantheon? Well, great news! I am so excited to announce the launch of our new Patreon channel, Pop Pantheon All Access (click here to join)! This is the spot for even more of the trenchant, in-depth, fun-loving pop music analysis you expect from Pop Pantheon but with a few fun twists, as well as a great community of fellow pop obsessives. There are two tiers (duh) in PPAA: 1. Icon Tier: for $5 a month, Icon Subscribers will get access to at least one bonus episode of Pop Pantheon a month! That's right, ya'll! These episodes will focus largely on new music by all of our favorite pop stars, even ones we have yet to rank in the Pantheon, in-depth look-backs at past albums and eras and some more personal content from me on my life, DJ career and some behind the scenes on how the show gets made! You will also get access to our Discord server, exclusive virtual album release parties, early merch drops, guest list for my queer pop party Gorgeous Gorgeous in LA, and to provide meaningful input on who and what you'd like to see featured on future episodes of Pop Pantheon! 2. Niche Legend Tier: for just $2 a month, Niche Legend Subscribers can support the show, gain access to our Discord server, early merch drops and provide input on future episodes of the show. Right now, there are three new bonus episodes up on PPAA: 1. A new music speed round where Russ and I talk new releases by Rihanna, Lizzo, Tove Lo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Rina Sawayama and more, then play a game called "Step up, Step down" where we assess major pop news of late (eg. Rih playing the Super Bowl!) and discuss how it might affect their Pantheon placement. 2. A conversation with Pop Pantheon fav, Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, where we deep dive on Taylor Swift's 2017 album Reputation, lay out all the controversy that swirled around the record when it dropped, dig through the music, themes, and aesthetics with a fine-toothed comb and the power of hindsight, and tie it all to her new blockbuster album, Midnights. 3. A very personal (and silly :-)) convo with my sister Lily about some of our favorite shared pop music memories, the role she plays behind the scenes in making this show better and of course, all the Pantheon rankings she disagrees with. I can't thank you enough for supporting this independently-produced show and I am so excited to do even more over-analysis of all your favorite pop stars! See you guys there :-). | |||
| 05 Dec 2024 | The Best Pop Songs of 2024 LIVE! (with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Jason P. Frank & Nora Princiotti) | 01:12:36 | |
Live from Parkside Lounge in New York City, DJ Louie is joined by Hearing Things' Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Vulture's Jason P. Frank and The Ringer's Nora Princiotti to countdown each of their favorite top ten pop songs of the year, before hashing out the definitive Pop Pantheon Top Ten Pop Songs of 2024. Check out a Spotify Playlist of Louie, Julianne, Jason & Nora's Favorite Pop Songs of 2024 Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on Dec. 7 at Los Globos Check out Pop Pantheon's Adele Essentials Playlist on Spotify Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram | |||
| 17 Jun 2021 | MISSY ELLIOTT (with Steven J. Horowitz) | 01:08:44 | |
Returning guest, writer and editor for Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, Vulture and more, Steven J. Horowitz, joins DJ Louie to chop it up about pop revolutionary Missy Elliott. Louie and Steven discuss Missy’s entree into the music biz along with partner-in-crime Timbaland as a songwriter and producer for artists like Jodeci, Ginuwine, and Aaliyah. They then break down what makes Missy's music sound as mind-bending today as it did in the late ’90s, why her debut album, Supa Dupa Fly, caused such a stir when it was released, her one-of-a-kind video aesthetic and physical presentation, perpetual innovation as she crossed over from hip hop star to pop icon at the turn of the century and why all the great female rappers of Missy’s era stopped creating new music in the mid aughts. Finally, Louie and Steven rank Missy in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Steven's ranking of every Missy song ever in Vulture: https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/best-missy-elliott-songs-ranked.html Check out Steven's appearance on our previous episode on Ariana Grande: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ariana-grande/id1556457357?i=1000512516103 Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppantheonpod/ Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PopPantheonPod Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djlouiexiv/ Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/djlouiexiv Follow Steven J. Horowitz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/speriod | |||
| 17 Mar 2022 | LISTENER MAILBAG!: Answering Your Questions on Dua, Beyonce, Kylie, Charli, Kacey and.... Ava Max! | 00:55:59 | |
In a special mailbag episode, DJ Louie answers listener questions about the "Levitating" lawsuit, the greatest pop comebacks of all time, Kylie Minogue's placement in the Pop Pantheon, Charli XCX's new album, what Beyonce should do next, how artists are selected for the podcast, relatability vs. virtuosity in pop stardom, Christina Aguilera's signature song and more! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 12 Feb 2024 | Beyoncé's Surprise Singles + Usher's Halftime Show + New Music Speed Round (with Variety's Steven J. Horowitz) (Patreon Preview) | 00:10:03 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Beyoncé dropped two singles plus announced her new album! Usher performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show! Variety's Steven J. Horowitz joins Louie and Russ to discuss it all, plus a new music speed round featuring Justin Timberlake, Kacey Musgraves & Ice Spice. | |||
| 18 Aug 2022 | MILEY CYRUS (with Shaad D'Souza) | 01:46:56 | |
Music critic Shaad D’Souza joins DJ Louie to talk about one of modern pop’s most captivating, divisive and perplexing figures, Miley Cyrus. Louie and Shaad open with a break down of Miley’s emergence on the smash Disney show, Hannah Montana, how the character’s own double life as a pop star and a “normal girl” mirrored Miley’s own, and the chaste image and anodyne pop-rock empowerment anthems on which Miley-as-Hannah made her name and, later in career, had to torch. They next dive into Miley’s various, often bold but almost always awkward attempts to break out of the Hannah Montana box, first with her calculated pivot towards sexed-up dance pop on 2010’s nonstarter Can’t Be Tamed and much more effectively on 2013’s Bangerz, a fascinating, garish record that repositioned the former Disney kid as a freewheeling, hip hop-obsessed party monster, a brazen and un-self-aware culture vulture and, for the first and perhaps only time in her a career, a trendsetting pop star. Louie and Shaad debate the record’s prescient centering of trap in mainstream pop, as well its table-setting fusion of rap and country, how we view Miley’s egregious cultural appropriation through a contemporary lens, and whether the album’s whirlwind of controversy obscured some of the record’s delicate, honest songwriting and virtuoso vocal performances. Later, they discuss how Miley squandered a lot of remaining good will with her next two projects, 2015’s utterly bizarre Wayne Coyne-collabo Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz and 2017’s middle-of-the-road country-pop-leaning Younger Now, and if Miley has effectively repositioned herself in recent years with a series of well-received live performances and covers and a turn towards rock homage on her 2020 album Plastic Hearts. Finally, Louie and Shaad rank Miley Cyrus in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Shaad's review of Plastic Hearts in Pitchfork Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 23 Apr 2024 | Pop Pantheon Live! Tortured Poets & the State of Taylor Mania (with Brittany Spanos, Nora Princiotti & Hunter Harris) (Patreon Preview) | 00:14:39 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night in front of a live audience at The Bell House in Brooklyn, Pop Pantheon gathered Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos, Every Single Album's Nora Princiotti and Hung Up's Hunter Harris to discuss Taylor Swift's 11th studio album(s?) The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. Louie and the crew dissect the new music from every angle: major themes, aesthetics, writing styles, the Jack Antonoff of it all and more. Next, they dig into Taylor's current Imperial Phase: how it happened, how long it can last and whether there's a backlash brewing before discussing Taylor's Pantheon ranking and sharing their updated Taylor album rankings. 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. | |||
| 10 Mar 2022 | DIANA ROSS PT. 2: THE SOLO YEARS (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy) | 01:15:31 | |
Pop critic, chart analyst, writer of Slate's "Why Is This Song No. 1?", and host of the podcast Hit Parade, Chris Molanphy, joins DJ Louie once again for the second part of our series on Diana Ross. This episode, Louie and Chris discuss Diana's initially rocky transition from lead singer for The Supremes into solo superstar and how she finally scored a solo #1 with an unexpected, avant-garde cover of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in 1970. They then discuss her spotty track record through the early-mid '70s, sometimes scoring massive hits with mostly adult-contemporary ballads like "Touch Me in the Morning" and "Do You Know Where You're Going To", but just as often releasing records that made little impact, all while pursuing a secondary career as a movie star most notably in her Oscar-nominated performance as Billie Holiday in 1972's Lady Sings the Blues. Louie and Chris then chronicle various pop movements that coincided with and affected Diana's career in this '70s- the racial segregation of radio, the birth of the female pop singer-songwriter like Carole King and Joni Mitchell, innovative R&B artists like Roberta Flack and Chaka Khan- Diana's third wind as a disco queen, beginning with 1976's smash "Love Hangover", 1979's "The Boss" and eventually, her blockbuster, career-defining collaboration with Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, 1980's Diana and it's legendary singles, "I'm Coming Out" and "Upside Down". Finally, Louie and Chris debate what allowed Diana to beat the odds, defying pop's ageist bent with hits across three decades and what exactly makes Diana one of the ultimate Tier 1 Icons in the official Pop Pantheon. Send questions about this episode, the Pantheon, pop stars in general or whatever else is on your mind to PopPantheonPod@gmail.com Join the Pop Pantheon Discord Monday 3/14 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT! Check Out Louie's Diana Ross Essentials Playlist Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 12 May 2022 | MTV's Total Request Live (with Dunzo's Troy McEady) | 01:17:07 | |
In this week's B-Side episode, host of the podcasts Dunzo and Beyond The Blinds, Troy McEady, joins DJ Louie to discuss Millennial pop cultural touchstone, MTV's Total Request Live. Inspired by a Zoomer in the Pop Pantheon Discord who, following last month's Christina Aguilera episode, revealed they didn't know what TRL was, Louie and Troy attempt to explain the show's history and format, how its' interactive vibe served as the turn-of-the-century pop fan's precursor to social media, lay out the major players from host Carson Daly to signature stars like Britney, Good Charlotte and Eminem and attempt to illustrate the power MTV had over their generation. They also wax poetic on some of their favorite forgotten songs, videos and artists from the "TRL Era", reflect on the show's top ten videos of all time and share a bit about why TRL meant so much to each of them as burgeoning pop fanatics. Listen to Louie and Troy talking about Rihanna's Anti on Dunzo a few months ago Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 17 Jun 2022 | Father's Day Special (with my dad) | 00:55:38 | |
My dad, Tim, is not only the biggest Pop Pantheon fan who loves to share his many opinions on all the episodes, but is also a music fanatic and entertainment attorney who specializes in music. As such, I had the privilege of growing up in a household where the two of us bonded over our mutual love of pop and often got to experience it together. His passion for it all was (obviously) formative to my own identity, career and life. For this bonus episode of Pop Pantheon, in honor of Father's Day this Sunday, I invited him on the show to talk a little about his own musical journey, a lot about our shared pop memories (including him taking me to see Alanis Morissette at Roseland Ballroom when I was 7, playing me "...Baby One More Time" for the first time in the car and screaming "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" at The 1989 Tour together), all of his opinions on the episodes and rankings, and of course, whether he thinks his fav pop girlie of all time, Taylor Swift, is in Tier 1 or Tier 2 of the Pop Pantheon. Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter | |||
| 05 May 2022 | BILLIE EILISH (with Molly Lambert) | 01:37:54 | |
Writer and host of the new podcast Heidi World: The Heidi Fleiss Story, Molly Lambert, joins DJ Louie to break down the spectacular emergence of Gen Z's most paradigm-shifting star, Billie Eilish. First, Molly, who profiled Billie last year for the cover of Elle, shares insights into what it was like spending time with her, how she's relating to her newfound megastardom, as well as her fans on social media and out in the world, and why she doesn't consider herself a "pop star" at all. Louie and Molly then discuss how unlikely 2010s breakouts like Lorde, Halsey and Lana Del Rey softened the ground for idiosyncratic, insular-sounding bedroom artists to become mainstream pop stars. Next, they track Billie's career origins, along with her brother and collaborator Finneas, on Soundcloud, how their viral hit "Ocean Eyes" lead to a record deal with Interscope when Billie was just 15, and how her debut EP, 2017's Don't Smile At Me, presented a new kind of teen idol who leaned into, rather than glossed over, the alienation, depression and anxiety of being a young person in the internet era, thus endearing her to a new generation of pop fans who craved less-aspirational and more relatable pop figures. They also dive into she and Finneas' far-ranging aesthetic influences from horror movies to trip hop, Gorillaz, Lil Peep, Bjork, Garbage and even Frank Sinatra, before laying out her explosion into the mainstream with her debut album, 2019's Grammy-sweeping When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, how that record expanded the duo's musical palette but also perhaps garnered Billie an unwanted and unintentional level of fame, how she went about addressing all of that on her sophomore album, 2021's more low-key masterpiece Happier Than Ever, how she's uniquely positioned to bring large swaths of the pop-consuming public along with her singular, strange musical instincts, and where she might go next. Finally, Louie and Molly rank Billie Eilish in the official Pop Pantheon. Check Out Louie's Billie Eilish Essentials Playlist Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||
| 19 Feb 2024 | Can We Justify Justin Timberlake's Justified? (with Rachel Brodsky) (Patreon Preview) | 00:13:19 | |
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, as we gear up for Justin Timberlake's sixth studio album Everything I Thought I Was, due in March, DJ Louie and writer Rachel Brodsky gather to reflect on his debut, 2002's Justified. The two parse out how Justin's public profile nosedive has impacted the public's experience of this music, whether it's possible to enjoy this album in vacuum, and If perhaps there's been an overcorrection on Timberlake in recent years that ignores some of delights of his peak work. 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. | |||
| 17 Apr 2025 | Where Are All the Queer Male Superstars? (with USC's Jason King) | 00:56:34 | |
Queer men are the backbone of modern pop fandom. And yet so few, even in 2025, get to the top of the mainstream pop star heap. Why is that? And how have queer male artists existed in the pop music firmament over the last hundred years? Dean of USC's Thornton School of Music Jason King is here to help unpack all these questions and more. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store | |||
| 13 Apr 2023 | TLC (with The New Yorker's Doreen St. Félix) | 01:58:26 | |
The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Félix returns to Pop Pantheon for the second episode in our new girl group trilogy, digging into the crazy, sexy and cool career of one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, TLC. Doreen and DJ Louie discuss the album that made TLC instant stars, 1992’s raucous Oooh, on the TLC Tip!, their pivot to slinky R&B on their classic blockbuster sophomore album CrazySexyCool (1994), their comeback with 1999’s futuristic FanMail and 2002’s 3D, released after Lisa Left-Eye Lopes’ untimely death. Along the way, they explore TLC’s forward-thinking pop feminism and politics, the drama that plagued and in some ways defined them and their impact on both girl groups and pop history. Finally, Louie and Doreen rank TLC in the official Pop Pantheon. Come back April 20 for the final episode in Pop Pantheon’s girl groups trilogy. Listen to TLC Essentials playlist on Spotify Follow Doreen St. Félix on Twitter Follow Doreen St. Félix on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow Pop Pantheon on Twitter | |||
| 13 Oct 2022 | GEORGE MICHAEL (with Jezebel's Rich Juzwiak) | 01:57:41 | |
Senior Writer for Jezebel Rich Juzwiak joins DJ Louie once again to discuss the formidable work and legacy of the iconic George Michael. Louie and Rich discuss George’s early life, his chance middle-school meeting with Andrew Ridgely which lead to the formation of his breakthrough musical endeavor- the duo Wham!- the group’s two albums, 1983’s Fantastic and 1984’s blockbuster Make It Big, and how both Wham!’s well-executed appropriation of canonically Black musical aesthetics and its pervasive critical derision set the table for Michael’s solo career. Then then breakdown Michael’s era-defining magnum-opus, his debut solo record 1987’s Faith, how it showcased his meticulous craftsmanship as a producer, songwriter, performer and purveyor of Pop Stardom, his struggles with his sexual identity and why they may have lead him to retreat from the spotlight on its much more low-key follow-up, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, and how the tragic death from AIDS of his first true love, Anselmo Feleppa, along with a drawn-out lawsuit with his record label created a nearly six-year gap between Listen and 1996’s Older, his bold and devastating 3rd album that all but revealed Michael’s sexuality to the world. Next, Louie and Rich discuss Michael’s 1998 arrest for cruising in a public restroom, how he cannily used it as an opportunity to come out to the world once and for all and why, unfortunately, his post-closet life ultimately ended in tragedy with his untimely death in 2016 at the age of 53. Finally, they debate Michael’s enduring legacy as both a consummate pop figure, a lynchpin in the broader narrative of gay male pop stars and rank George Michael in the official Pop Pantheon. See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 10/22! Buy Pop Pantheon's New "Niche Legend" Dad Hat! Take the Pop Pantheon Listener Survey Join the Pop Pantheon Discord! Listen to the Pop Pantheon George Michael Essentials Playlist on Spotify Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram | |||