The many lives of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
The Christmas song that holds up a mirror to American society
Breaking Through: Doechii, Mk.Gee, Rosé
As listeners question the accuracy of their Spotify Wrapped data, we explore three innovative artists reshaping pop music in 2024: Doechii's shape-shifting approach to hip-hop narrative, Mk.gee's revolutionary bedroom guitar techniques, and ROSÉ's bold evolution from K-pop idol to boundary-pushing solo artist.
The best (and worst) of holiday music in 2024
Doling out sleigh bells and coal to pop stars’ seasonal offerings
Kendrick Lamar: from Pulitzer to pop
On GNX, Kendrick Lamar balances artistic complexity with mainstream accessibility.
Listening 2 Madonna: Ray of Light
The third essential aspect of Madonna's holy trinity is her ever-shifting spirituality.
Listening 2 Madonna: Spanish Eyes
To understand Madonna is to see her music as a cultural melting pot.
Listening 2 Madonna: Who's That Girl?
The way Madonna communicates gender is integral to understanding her and her music.
Fleetwood Mac perfected turning drama into hits
Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird revive Buckingham Nicks on Cunningham Bird
Still Freaky After All These Years: Gaga, Tyler, The Cure
Lady Gaga, Tyler The Creator, and The Cure give us a masterclass on what it means to be a freak
Did Kendrick Lamar kill hip-hop?
Kendrick Lamar just won the biggest rap battle in recent memory. But did he claim the death of hip-hop in the process?
Where are all the scary songs?
Nate and Charlie take this spooky opportunity to explore the Halloween canon.
The virtuosity of Stevie Wonder
Wesley Morris joins Switched on Pop looking back on Stevie Wonder’s hits that make him out modern maestro
Learning to love: Coldplay
Coldplay are the biggest band in the world, yet the critics love to hate them. Can we learn to love the band?
Fall Out Boy and the worst earworm ever
Charlie and Nate talk earworms: what they are, why are they so catchy, and how to get over them.
Mexican pop is bigger than you think
The new wave of Mexican music includes everything from lovesick teenagers to English-language crossovers.
How Megan Thee Stallion brought Japanese hip hop to the Hot 100
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