The boy band One Direction has been on hiatus for nearly five years, yet only now have all of the members of the group released a solo album. But how do these efforts from Niall, Liam, Harry, Louis and Zayn stack up? Vox Writer (and One Direction fan) Alexa Lee compares albums as a challenge for each member to rise to their greatest artistic potential.

Post Malone has confounded your hosts since he emerged on the scene, so this week we sit down to try and get to the bottom of our cycles of attraction and repulsion through deep analysis of his current hit, "Circles."

Mac Miller, Future and Billie Eilish all have good and bad news to share. 

Dua Lipa remembers the disco era in her hit “Don’t Start Now.” What may sound like just another dance floor track, upon deeper listening unfolds as a celebration of the genre.

From "Jolene" to "9 to 5," what makes Dolly Parton such a masterful songwriter?

Bass distorted to the edge of audibility; voices croaking out dark and violent lyrics; a hacked-together DIY aesthetic. This isn't a fringe musical movement, this is the sound of Tik Tok, the video app used by millions in Generation Z. And soon enough it might also be the sound of pop as we know it.

We hand over the hosting duties to Constance Grady, book reviewer for Vox.com, to discuss our new book/baby - Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why it Matters.

The East Coast / West Coast hip hop feud between Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls is full of tragedy and conspiracy, but what did it really sound like?

Electric Guest (Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton) take a left turn towards pop on “Dollar" — a song about making more out of less, something too many people find themselves to do right now.

Emo is experiencing a revival right now - most surprisingly within the world of hip hop. Find out where this sound came from, where it went, and why it is having a revival.

Once upon a time, classical music was pop, so today it's worth stepping back and asking: where does one genre stop and the other begin?

We break down key elements of the flamenco tradition, like the hard-to-define magic of duende, and count out some of the diabolical rhythms that keep us dancing.

Last year, NPR Music ran an audacious headline: “Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician.” Millions and millions of fans the world over agree, and while we try to avoid overt expressions of pop favoritism, we think they’ve got a strong case.

Prince predicted the sound and science of modern pop, from drum machines to online distribution to internet culture.

Men singing high is so ubiquitous in modern pop that we might take it granted, never pausing to ask: has it always been this way?

Swedish dancefloor confessionals, songs that stop time, the specificity of Lana Del Ray, and the awkwardness of descending fourths: it’s all on the table in this freewheeling conversation of deep musical nerdiness.

Mastering: the subtle art that explains why Metallica had to re-release a controversial album, Kanye sounds so crisp, and why the best pop really pops.

We listen to classic 1959 albums Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue and Dave Brubeck’s Take Out, discuss the complex legacy of Billie Holiday, and dig into some of the year’s forgotten gems.

Charli XCX bucks long-established norms in popular music.

Charlie sits down with Andrea Silenzi, host of the amazing parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time to break down one of the biggest love/hate hits of recent memory, and to make a very special announcement!