The Guardian 's deputy music editor Laura Snapes returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the work and career of one of pop’s most trenchant storytellers, Lily Allen. Louie and Laura dig into Lily's MySpace origins and scrappy 2006 debut, Alright, Still, her status as a British tabloid fixture, and her 2009 electro pop record It's Not Me, It's You . From there, they track her decline in acclaim and on the charts with 2014’s Sheezus and 2018’s No Shame, before discussing her surprise comeback with 2025’...
May 14, 2026•2 hr
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, to commemorate the twenty year anniversary of Beyoncé's beloved second solo album, 2006's B'Day , Louie and Russ go track-by-track on one of Queen B's most explosive, concise, and complicated works. 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...
May 11, 2026•11 min
"Drop Dead?" "Dracula?" Drake? Louie and Russ make bets on what they think will be The Song of Summer for 2026. Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 07, 2026•53 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ ponder the latest Madonna single, "Bring Your Love" featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Zara Larsson's remix album Midnight Sun: Girls Trip , and Kacey Musgraves' latest, Middle of Nowhere . 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...
May 04, 2026•12 min
Louie and Russ explore the mysterious Billboard Hot 100 and unpack a sample of songs they know nothing about, Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 4/2 Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 30, 2026•1 hr 18 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are joined by journalist Mya Abraham to talk about the blockbuster new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael , as well as to deep-dive on R&B diva Kehlani's self titled studio album. 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 di...
Apr 27, 2026•11 min
Journalist, critic and host of NPR 's It's Been a Minute, Brittany Luse, makes her Pop Pantheon debut as we dive into the sassy, brassy ‘90s phenom En Vogue. Brittany and Louie explore the girl group’s prefab origins and their storm onto the Billboard charts with 1990’s Born To Sing . Next they dive into their classic sophomore album, 1992’s Funky Divas , their first member shake-up, and 1997’s EV3 . Then they explore the group’s post-peak work, their impact on future girl groups, and rank En Vo...
Apr 23, 2026•2 hr 1 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss new music from Madonna and Olivia Rodrigo, and play a game where they predict the commercial and critical reception to a panoply of forthcoming pop girl albums. 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 th...
Apr 20, 2026•13 min
Louie and Russ discuss recent career developments for Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, Zara Larsson, BTS, and Robyn and whether they're currently trending upward or downward in the Pop Pantheon. Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 4/2 Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Apr 16, 2026•1 hr 13 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, From Sabrina and Justin to Addison, Pink Pantheress, Slayyyter, & Katseye, Louie and Russ talk some of the buzziest performances from Coachella weekend. They also dig into Lady Gaga and Doechii's "Runway" and Russ' experience seeing Lily Allen perform West End Girl live. 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 Pan...
Apr 14, 2026•11 min
Louie is joined by Vulture 's Jason P. Frank, Pitchfork 's Walden Green, and critic Lauren Michele Jackson to draft the 20 best Lana Del Rey songs of all time. Check out a playlist of our best Lana songs of all time Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 4/2 Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 4/8 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See aca...
Apr 09, 2026•2 hr 5 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are joined by The Fader's Steffanee Wang to break down new albums from Raye and Slayyyter. 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. Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobi...
Apr 06, 2026•11 min
Mic The Snare returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the career of one of the most successful bands of the century, Maroon 5. Louie and Nick dig into the M5's beginnings as a high school band called Kara’s Flowers, their pivot to funky pop rock on their 2002 blockbuster debut Songs About Jane , and the softer reception to their second and third records— as well as the start of lead singer Adam Levine’s tenure on NBC's The Voice— that lead to a commercial rebirth for the ages with the pop banger “Move...
Apr 02, 2026•2 hr 25 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ talk about their experiences seeing Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun Tour before breaking down new albums from Charlie Puth and Robyn 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. Note for iOS users...
Mar 30, 2026•17 min
Louie is joined by Shaad D'Souza and Reanna Cruz to count down their favorite pop albums of the century so far. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow Russ on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 26, 2026•1 hr 31 min
Journalist and editor Crystal Bell joins Russ from Seoul, South Korea to break down BTS' big comeback. Last week, the K-pop boy band released their first studio album in six years, Arirang , following each member of the group completing South Korea's mandatory military service. Crystal and Russ break down the album, BTS' live performance comeback and their new Netflix documentary BTS: The Return . Then they discuss BLACKPINK's recent EP, Deadline , and discuss how K-Pop has changed since both gr...
Mar 24, 2026•11 min
Friend of the Pod Sam Murphy recently posted a TikTok positing an interesting question about whether Hot 100 #1s have the same salience as they used to have. To parse this question out further, Louie is joined by Sam and Chris to talk about the state of the #1 single, the Billboard charts, and what it all says about the music listen functions in 2026. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Insta...
Mar 19, 2026•52 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Happy Oscars! To celebrate the big day and our fav prolific Oscars also-ran, we're dropping All Access early and drafting the 20 best Diane Warren songs of all time with our pals Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber of Who? Weekly. Tell us your Diane favs in the comments and enjoy this wild ride through one of the best songwriting discographies in pop history. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pa...
Mar 15, 2026•11 min
For the conclusion of our Whitney Houston Series, Louie and Russ play clips from all three guests— Emily Lordi, Jason King, & Gerrick Kennedy— plus take listener calls to finally determine if Whitney Houston is in Tier 1 of the Pop Pantheon. Whitney Houston Essentials Playlist Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 3/20 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on...
Mar 12, 2026•1 hr 19 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Two of the biggest male pop stars of the day, Harry Styles and Bruno Mars, just returned with new albums after relatively long absences. What's new with these two and what do they have to say after years out of the spotlight? On this episode, Louie and Russ unpack Bruno Mars' The Romantic and Harry Styles' Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, g...
Mar 09, 2026•12 min
Gerrick Kennedy, author of Didn't We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston , joins Pop Pantheon for the third in our four-part series on the pop supernova Whitney Houston. Louie and Gerrick discuss Whitney’s most consistent and idiosyncratic album, 1998’s My Love Is Your Love, and its follow-up, the defensive flop, 2002’s Just Whitney, her only without Clive Davis at the helm. They unpack Whitney’s devolving public image through the late '90s and aughts, her appearances in the 2005 r...
Mar 05, 2026•2 hr 3 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga's 7th studio album, Mayhem , turns one year old this week. To celebrate, Louie and Russ look back on the Grammy winner, going track-by-track on the record that had Gaga proclaiming, "my nachos are mine, I invented them, and I’m proud of them!" 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 t...
Mar 02, 2026•12 min
Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music Jason King returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our four-part series on the late, great pop Whitney Houston. Louie and Jason dissect Whitney’s unprecedented run of cultural dominance through the '90s, from her iconic Super Bowl 1991 performance to 1992's The Bodyguard, the best-selling soundtrack of all time. They then discuss Whitney’s troubled marriage to Bobby Brown, her continued run of film and soundtrack success with 1995’s Waiting to Exhale an...
Feb 26, 2026•1 hr 56 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Rihanna's 8th (and last?????) studio album Anti dropped a decade (!!) ago. To celebrate ten years, Louie and Russ look back on the record, going track-by-track on RiRi's loosest, most internal, and adventurous album, both a crowning achievement and frustrating cornucopia of unfulfilled potential. 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...
Feb 23, 2026•10 min
Author of the forthcoming book Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston Emily Lordi returns to Pop Pantheon to kick off our special four-part on a pop star known as “The Voice” – perhaps the single greatest singer to ever grace the charts— Whitney Houston. Louie and Emily dig into Whitney’s origins in New Jersey, her musical family and first taste of the industry as a teenage model and session singer. Then they discuss her providential link-up with record man Clive Davis, h...
Feb 19, 2026•2 hr 23 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ take more listener questions on Grimes, the best solo singles from former boy banders and girl groupers, who's on their Niche Legend Mount Rushmore, 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 Po...
Feb 16, 2026•11 min
Louie and Russ crack open the mailbag and answer listener questions about everything from the lack of buzz for Lorde post Virgin to what videos we like to put on at Gay Guy Music Video Night, our Letterboxd Top 4 and more. Buy tickets for Main Pop Girls on 2/27 in NYC Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 2/13 Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store Follow Pop Pantheon on Instagram Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram Follow...
Feb 12, 2026•49 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Friend of the Pod Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Bad Bunny's historic Super Bowl halftime show performance and Charli XCX's.... less historic new film, The Moment . 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 A...
Feb 09, 2026•13 min
This Sunday, Bad Bunny will make history as the first Puerto Rican born and the first Latin male artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Ahead of the big game, Russ is joined by Hearing Things co-founder Julianne Escobedo Shepherd and Alana Casanova-Burgess, co-creator + host of La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience, to dig into the history of Latin performers at the Halftime Show and discuss what it means for Bad Bunny to take center stage in this moment. Buy tickets for Mai...
Feb 05, 2026•47 min
In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ dissect last night's Grammy Awards, from the very right (Bad Bunny takes Album of the Year :-)) to the very wrong (Billie Eilish wins Record of the Year!?!?! :-(). 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 App...
Feb 02, 2026•15 min
