The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack Taylor Swift 's Midnights & throw our immediate Best & Worst at you, RIHANNA HAS NEW MUSIC (!!!) as do Ellie Goulding , BBNO$, Caroline Polachek, Chela, Meghan Trainor, Kelela & others. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok !
Back at it with The 1975 this week. They have just released their fifth album 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language' but we're throwing it back to their critical masterpiece 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships'. The first part of their 'Music For Cars' series, it's an experimental, chaotic, and masterful listen that reflects on the disjointed nature of the physical and online world at the time. As unhinged as ever, it features some of their best and most questionable lyrics.
The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack The 1975 & Tove Lo's new albums, BTS tottering off to the army, Lana's album being stolen FROM HER CAR, new music from Betty Who, Marshmello & Juice WRLD, Nessa Barrett, SG Lewis, RAYE, Joshua Bassett, Louis Tomlinson & Blink 182 + we preview MIDNIGHTS! Follow us on Instagram & TikTok !...
This week it's Sam's Pick - an album he regards as one of the best, whilst Nic's never really given it the time of day. We explore Lana Del Rey's 2019 record 'Norman F***ing Rockwell', regarded by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest albums of all time, despite it's relatively lackluster commercial success. The Jack Antonoff produced album broke new ground for Del Rey, exploring the American Dream in a time of great uncertainty, the height of the Trump presidency, raging wildfires in California ...
Our side hustle takes on new music from Blink 182, Carly Rae Jepsen, WILLOW, Pinkpirate, Daine, Joyce Wrice, Charlie Puth, Tiesto taking on the Black Eyed Peas (!!!!!!), the nominees of the 2022 ARIAs, and more!
This week, we challenge what a flop really is by taking on one of the most successful EDM records of its time David Guetta's 'Nothing But The Beat'. The record, featuring Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Sia, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and more, marked a point of saturation for the EDM/pop crossover. It's a fascinating study of a producer who had a formula for hits and could use it at his disposal.
The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack new music from Ed Sheeran for Pokemon (?!), Shawn Mendes for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (?!?!) alongside Paramore, Ciara, Forest Claudette, Shygirl, Tate McRae & Charlie Puth + the first sounds of Kim Petras & Max Martin together!
Britney Spears' 'Glory' was a difficult return to form for the pop artist who was still within the confines of her conservatorship. The album provided a rare oasis for her to explore an experimental electronic-pop sound with the likes of Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. In this episode, we discuss the legacy of 'Glory' and veer off into subjects like how many Guinness World Records Britney holds.
The Pop In is our weekly new music and news wrap. This week we unpack Sam Smith & Kim Petras' viral hit 'Unholy', talk about Rihanna's Super Bowl news and more.
Katy Perry is back for a second time on Flopstars with her 2020 record 'Smile'. 'Smile' was rolled out over the space of a year and coincided with the birth of Perry's first child. It's upbeat and positive, rebounding from the comedown that was 'Witness'. While it certainly brings back the pop bops, it's hard to call it a return to form.
The biggest pop music moments of the week all wrapped up!
It seems like we might finally be approaching the follow-up to Sky Ferreira's iconic debut album 'Night Time, My Time'. 'Masochism', the working name for the sophomore record, has been forming for about 8 years and in that time 'Night Time, My Time' has aged like fine wine. Here, we unpack the classic pop record by looking into what was going on for Ferreira at the time and how it differed from everything else out.
Welcome to THE POP IN! A Flopstars sidebar to keep the album deep dives ~pure~ where we'll unpack the week in music, entertainment and pop culture simultaneously, just before jumping into an album we care about right now. This week on The Pop In: 1989 (Taylor's Version) is imminent - will it be the best yet? New Rina Sawayama's being teased in an unusual manner for 2022. Jack Harlow's rap's latest pop crossover but does his album deserve the criticism it's getting? New bops (or are they flops?) ...
We've discussed Lady Gaga on this podcast plenty but it was only a matter of time until we gave 'Chromatica' a spotlight of its own. Gaga's return to dance/pop was largely foiled by the pandemic but it became the sound of lockdown for many. 'Rain On Me' became a massive hit but the rest of the record was let down by a lack of promotion due to global circumstances. It's a firm fan favourite though and one of the most memorable pop records in recent times.
Welcome to THE POP IN! A Flopstars sidebar to keep the album deep dives ~pure~ where we'll unpack the week in music, entertainment and pop culture simultaneously, just before jumping into an album we care about right now. This week on The Pop In: Understanding The Assignment, Met Gala hits and misses, Harry Styles etc, Coachella's finest and least fine moments and we Bop Or Flop new music from Khalid, Ava 'Sullet' Max & this week's Flopstar, Lady Gaga. Subscribe for weekly updates & foll...
It's 10 years since Florence + The Machine dropped 'Ceremonials' so we're going back. Florence and co's sophomore album was a grandiose affair with links to Baz Luhrman and maximalist cinema. It was tailor-made for festivals and huge concerts but also an emotional sucker punch on tape too. Nic Kelly and Sam Murphy talk about how the record holds up now as well as new releases by Charli XCX, The Weeknd, Silk Sonic and more.
It's Charli baby! You know we love Charli XCX on this podcast and after previously looking at her mixtapes, we're shining a light on 'Charli'. Her long-awaited third album is one that bridges together her flair for the experimental with her natural pop instincts. It's both commercial and wildly left-centre with a host of guests from Haim to Lizzo. Sam Murphy and Nic Kelly get deep on 'Charli' while also talking about new releases from Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Conan Gray and more.
For our season five premiere, we're taking on a titan. Adele is no flop. In fact, she's probably the least flop-worthy artist on the plant. But, we wanted to talk about her and so we're digging into her least successful album '19'. Her debut is her most lucid and alternative album but it also set the foundations for the mega-success that was to come. Join Sam Murphy and Nic Kelly as they talk '19' plus the latest releases from Adele, The Weeknd, Tove Styrke, Remi Wolf and more....
Episode 4 is dedicated to Lady Gaga. 2021 has been a busy year for the superstar so far with the 10 year anniversary of 'Born This Way', the 'Chromatica' remix album and another collaborative album with Tony Bennett 'Love For Sale'. None of it signals a new era for Gaga though, so on this episode, we look at what her official pop follow-up to 'Chromatica' could look like. 'Chromatica' was excellent but the era was stopped short due to COVID-19 and now we're left to speculate what could've been i...
This week we go into Britney Spears. Britney has been battling a conservatorship ship for more than a decade, making it difficult for her to act with the freedom of a regular popstar. She’s still managed hits but with frustration for her situation mounting, she pulled the pin on her pop career. If it ends though, what’s next for Britney? Can she return to being a main pop girl and will freedom give her music a sense of liberation that it’s been lacking?
This episode is all about Charli XCX’s next era. She’s announced that her most “pop” album yet is on the way citing Janet Jackson as a major influence. If she’s returning to pop it may mean she’s ready to play the mainstream game again after a period of experimentation. Here, we’ll talk about how Charli can get hits again. We also discuss new songs from Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, and Omar Apollo.
This season, we’re going to deep dive on an artist who has flopped in the past and envision how they can avoid a flop in the future. We’re talking dream collaborators, perfect album titles, the sound they should go for. This episode is all about Lorde’s next era. We already have an album on the way but we’re talking the ways in which she could score another big hit. Who should she work with? What promotional tactics should she use? Does she even want another big hit?
We're diverting once again from our regular programming to give you our wrap of the second quarter of 2021. Things are starting to heat up and April through June gave us plenty to talk about from Olivia Rodrigo's debut 'SOUR' to Lorde's return with 'Solar Power'. Flops, bops, and us of our chops, as per, in this latest episode.
This week, we're taking on Sigrid's debut album 'Sucker Punch'. She's just returned with her excellent new single 'Mirror' but we're going back to where it all began and talking the hype, Scandipop and why she wasn't able to cut through outside of Europe.
Marina FKA. Marina & The Diamonds is in the spotlight this week as we take a look at her sophomore record 'Electra Heart'. It was a buoyant, blistering pop record that saw her collide with some of the biggest producers in the world while also maintaining her quirky songwriting flair. Critics were less than kind but fans have maintained it's a classic and on this episode, we decide how it holds up today.
Lady Gaga has been featured on the podcast once before with 'ARTPOP' but we are returning to Mother Monster to look at her YeeHaw moment 'Joanne'. It was a creative left-turn for Gaga, ditching the avant-garde pop for something stripped back and raw. Not everyone loved it but it was an important moment in her career development.
We're diverting from regular programming for one week to bring you a special episode. As we see out the final week of March, we take a look at the year that has been so far. It's been a quiet one by pop standards but we've still had the Grammys and the Superbowl plus major releases from Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Lana Del Rey and heaps more.
This week, we're taking a deep dive into Lily Allen's third album 'Sheezus'. It was a comeback album for Allen but it failed to match her previous success and also led to some personal turmoil. All these years later though, Allen's songwriting still stands up.
Paris Hilton's venture into pop music is on our radar this week as we take a look into 'Paris'. Her divisive debut was neither as good or as bad as it needed to be. It remains a study on whether you can manufacture a pop career from scratch. Believe it or not, it actually delivered some hits that stand up today.
Years & Years' debut 'Communion' was a smash in the UK, bolstered by the triumphant 'King'. In this episode of 'Flopstars', however, we discuss why it didn't hit quite as hard in other areas of the globe and what the future holds for Years & Years.
