Pop Pantheon

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access Episode, friend of the pod Lindsey Weber drops by to talk new songs from Janelle Monáe, Kylie Minogue, G-Flip & more. Subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access to get the rest of this episode, plus at least three bonus installments of the show per month, access to our Discord and lots of other fun perks. 

Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul author Mark Bego joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the life and career of the greatest singer in American history, Aretha Franklin. Louie and Mark follow Aretha’s story from her upbringing as a reverend's daughter to her early gospel recordings and how her cover of Otis Redding’s ‘Respect’ rocketed her to superstardom. From there, they tackle Aretha’s fabled run through the late ‘60s, during which she soundtracked American life through the civil rights movement, women's liberation and the Vietnam War. Then they parse her unlikely 1980s comeback, her latter career, and discuss how she came to be seen as one of the most essential and legendary American pop stars ever. Finally, they place Aretha Franklin in the official Pop Pantheon.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Aretha Franklin Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at ResidentGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Mark Bego on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

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 FavsJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at ResidentGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Myles Tanzer on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua & host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien join DJ Louie to look back on three years of Chromatica: How they absorbed it when it dropped in the context of May 2020, how it sounds to them now, what's happening aesthetically and thematically on the songs, where it stacks up against in Gaga's catalog and what it says about her status in the pop firmament of the 2020s.To hear the rest of the episode, plus gain access to all our bonus content and more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. 

Senior Music Editor at Rolling Stone Julyssa Lopez joins Pop Pantheon to discuss chameleonic hit-maker and international pop force, Shakira. Louie and Julyssa unpack Shakira’s early success throughout Latin America with 1995's Pies Descalzos and 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?, her international break-through, Laundry Service (2001), her market-conquering Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), the Pharrell-driven She Wolf (2009), through to her current status as a hitmaker, 30 years into her career, and trailblazer for a new generation of latin pop crossover superstars. Finally, they place Shakira in the official Pop Pantheon.Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreListen to the Shakira Essentials playlist on SpotifyGrab 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 BushwickFollow Julyssa Lopez on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Louie and Russ gather to discuss British pop star Jessie Ware's fifth studio album, the disco-homaging That! Feels Good!, which dropped a couple weeks ago and where it fits into the broader disco revival which began in 2020 with Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia.To hear the rest of this episode plus all of our bonus content, access to our Discord and so much more, subscribe to the Icon Tier at Pop Pantheon: All Access.

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? Check Out Our Beyoncé Series from last year, Part 1: Destiny's Child with Brittany Spanos, Part 2: Solo Superstar with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Part 3: American Icon with Dr. Daphne Brooks & Part 4: Beyoncé's Renaissance with Doreen St. FelixJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los AngelesGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in Bushwick!!!Subscribe to Hunter Harris' Substack Hung UpFollow Hunter Harris on TwitterCheck out Ira Madison III's Podcast Keep It! Follow Ira Madison III on TwitterFollow Puja Patel on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

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!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los AngelesFollow John Seabrook on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

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. 

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 SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los Angeles!Follow Brennan Carley on TwitterFollow Brennan Carley on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of the latest episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Louie and Russ discuss the rollout for Chlöe Bailey's debut solo album, In Pieces, which debuted last week at #119 on the Billboard 200 selling just ten thousand copies. What happened? Why didn't Chlöe- who'd previously has success with her sister as part of Chlöe & Halle, was supported by a major label and co-signed by Beyoncé and is clearly a gifted and ambitious vocalist, writer and performer- connect as a solo artist? And what does this tell us about the state of pop stardom more broadly in 2023?To hear the whole episode plus all of our bonus content, get access to our Discord channel, the guest list at Louie's party Gorgeous Gorgeous and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier.

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 SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Follow Doreen St. Félix on TwitterFollow Doreen St. Félix on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

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 1960sListen to the Mid-Century Girl Groups Essentials playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Follow Jacqueline Warwick on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter  

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 GuardianListen to Pop Pantheon's Lana Del Rey Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Shaad D'Souza on Instagram 

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 Listen to Pop Pantheon's Lana Del Rey Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Kathy Iandoli on TwitterFollow Kathy Iandoli on Instagram

Author and Who? Weekly co-host Bobby Finger joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the career of sly country agitator turned alt pop girlie Kacey Musgraves. Bobby and DJ Louie discuss the blend of traditionalism and iconoclasm on both Kacey’s 2013 debut, Same Trailer Different Park and her sophomore effort, Pageant Material (2015). They dig into Kacey’s 2018 critical smash, Golden Hour, which profoundly expanded the scope of her work and won the Grammy for Album of the Year, and revisit her latest effort, 2021’s Star-Crossed, as they parse out just how Kacey has treaded the line between expert genre practitioner and a gay pop queen. Finally, Louie and Bobby rank Kacey Musgraves in the official Pop Pantheon.Listen to Who? WeeklyBuy Bobby Finger's debut novel The Old PlaceJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Check out Pop Pantheon's Kacey Musgraves Essentials Playlist on SpotifyGet Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Bobby Finger on TwitterFollow Bobby Finger on Instagram

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. 

Vulture's Jason P. Frank joins DJ Louie to discuss the idea of "Poptimism", or the movement in musical critical discourse during the mid 2000s and 2010s that allowed for pop music to be taken seriously as art. Jason and Louie discuss the circumstances that created Poptimism, how it disseminated through discourse over the last twenty years, the major albums, songs and artists that calcified the term, and how it's perhaps become irrelevant in the modern pop landscape. Read Kelefeh Sanneh's "The Rap Against Rockism" from The New York Times Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Get Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous in DTLA on 3/25Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Jason P. Frank on Twitter

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!

Writer and A&R person Jordan Sargent returns to Pop Pantheon to explore a definitive moment in establishing hip hop’s centrism in mainstream pop music – the early 2000s. Jordan and DJ Louie explore the careers and legacies of a quartet of performers, Ja Rule, Nelly, Ludacris and 50 Cent, who hit their cultural peak during a moment when pop first fully allowed rappers to be mainstream pop stars. They discuss the sound of crossover rap in the 2000s and the biggest hits of the era from ‘In Da Club’ to ‘Hot in Herre,’ ‘Always on Time,’ and ‘One Minute Man’ and then rank all four hip hop stars in the Pop Pantheon. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Check out Pop Pantheon's 2000s Crossover Rappers Essentials Playlist on SpotifyFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on TwitterFollow Jordan Sargent on Instagram