Big stars didn’t show up. Ratings were down. Hip-hop was once again shut out of the major categories. Can “music’s biggest night” represent what’s really happening in music? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jan 30, 2018•58 min•Ep. 164
Flamboyant hip-hop, promising punk rock, intricate bluegrass and more: a conversation about the artists we’re looking forward to following this year. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jan 26, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 163
The lead singer of the Irish rock band, who died at 46, wrote songs in the 1990s that deeply touched young women and Irish listeners while appealing to a worldwide audience Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jan 19, 2018•53 min•Ep. 162
Streaming has established itself as the dominant mode of music distribution. What could go wrong? Quite a lot, it turns out. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jan 12, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 161
Jazz could have spent 2017 looking backward, focusing on the centennials of foundational figures. But instead, several strains of contemporary jazz thrived. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jan 05, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 160
After a brief break from the spotlight, the rapper returned with “Revival,” an album that revisited familiar tropes and sounds. Where can he go from here? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Dec 22, 2017•54 min•Ep. 159
Our readers picked the topics of conversation, which included Fergie, the state of streaming and evolutions in Latin pop Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Dec 18, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 158
From Lorde to Kendrick Lamar, many of the albums and songs on our critics’ best-of lists showcased the work of musicians meeting difficult circumstances with artistic fortitude. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Dec 08, 2017•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 157
A conversation about the band’s 14th album, “Songs of Experience,” and its ongoing quest for bigness. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Dec 02, 2017•34 min•Ep. 156
The 21-year-old rapper, who died last week, found a unique way to unite the languages of hip-hop and emo. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Nov 22, 2017•58 min•Ep. 155
Ms. Swift plays a different game on her sixth album — making pop music that directly competes with the rest of the field’s dominant players. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Nov 14, 2017•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 154
She hasn’t done interviews, but the pop star has been leaving hints about what to expect on her sixth album. Our writers listen to the signs. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Nov 09, 2017•48 min•Ep. 153
A new biography of the magazine’s founder has been praised by our critic and slammed by its subject. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Nov 03, 2017•41 min•Ep. 152
Changes to the formulas used to build albums and singles charts will weigh paid streams more than free ones. What will the impact be? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Oct 27, 2017•48 min•Ep. 151
Two of the music world’s biggest voices and boldest personalities are back. Deep into successful careers, where have their paths diverged? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Oct 20, 2017•55 min•Ep. 150
In the 15 years since she last released an album, the music industry has undergone big changes, but Ms. Twain’s new LP still debuted at No. 1. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Oct 13, 2017•47 min•Ep. 149
He was a student of the ’60s who learned from his elders, but put his own deliberate spin on rock ’n’ roll. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Oct 04, 2017•34 min•Ep. 148
“The Star-Spangled Banner” has long been a site of dissent and disagreement. A conversation about the history of the anthem, and those who have protested it. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Sep 29, 2017•48 min•Ep. 147
Nashville has been undergoing a gender crisis for most of the 2010s. Is the latest development — kinder men — a solution? Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Sep 22, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 146
The rapper behind one of the summer’s biggest hits has made swift moves in the music industry, and is making waves in the fashion world, too. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Sep 15, 2017•55 min•Ep. 145
What happens when the media shines a light on feminist punk? A conversation about D.I.Y. scenes and representation. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Sep 11, 2017•56 min•Ep. 144
If the music-streaming service disappeared, a culture might vanish too. A conversation about where the tech and culture worlds collide. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Aug 25, 2017•31 min•Ep. 142
On “Rainbow,” Kesha steps away from her old persona but keeps her former spark. In court, Taylor Swift speaks with no filter. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Aug 18, 2017•45 min•Ep. 141
The band just completed a 13-show run in New York where it didn’t repeat any songs, and its fans are already hungering for the next residency. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Aug 11, 2017•42 min•Ep. 140
As the band released its most divisive album yet, it embarked on a rollout that confused its narrative even further. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Aug 04, 2017•36 min•Ep. 139
A conversation about two singers in different bands who left significant musical and emotional legacies Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jul 28, 2017•59 min•Ep. 138
Spotify, SoundCloud, Tidal: Seemingly every major streaming service has suffered through some controversy lately Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jul 21, 2017•47 min•Ep. 137
A new album from Jay-Z, documentaries about Sean Combs and Dr. Dre, and the death of Prodigy have stirred new thinking about older artists Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jul 14, 2017•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 136
Fanaticism about this Korean genre is on the rise in the United States, but it hasn’t cracked mainstream pop culture Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jun 30, 2017•56 min•Ep. 135
SoundCloud rap is a raw, rowdy, rebellious movement fueled by young rappers looking outside the genre for inspiration. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Jun 23, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 134