Three artists quietly reshaped pop music in 2024, though you might not know it from your Spotify Wrapped. As listeners question the accuracy of their year-end streaming stats, we explore the innovative sounds bubbling up just below the algorithmic radar. Tampa's "Swamp Princess" Doechii brings narrative depth back to hip-hop through her chameleonic vocal app ... Show More
Nov 18
Is there a Disney curse?: Demi, Selena, and Miley
This year, there were a few records that delivered less-than-optimal returns on either the Hot 100 or the Billboard 200 – and they all came from former Disney pop stars.
Demi Lovato’s latest album peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, where it spent one week and then fell ... Show More
48m 6s
Nov 11
Rosalía's 'LUX' brings the symphony to the club
Spanish pop star Rosalía is back with her new album, Lux. Over eighteen tracks, she trades in the dembow beats that filled her last record Motomami for maximalist orchestral sounds more in line with Björk than Bad Bunny. The album is dense: there's four movements, thirteen langua ... Show More
44m 2s
Nov 4
Lily Allen and Tate McRae revive the revenge anthem
They say the best revenge is living well, but if you’re a pop star going through a break up, that’s false. The best revenge is releasing a searing scorched-earth revenge banger that calls out your ex and, ideally, rides that vengeance to the top of the Billboard charts. That’s ex ... Show More
33m 50s
Dec 2024
The Bridge: Slate Music Club 2024
The Slate Music Club is back, in a special edition of Hit Parade – “The Bridge”! Our year-end panel of critics—NPR Music’s Ann Powers, Hearing Things’ Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Slate’s own Carl Wilson and Hit Parade host Chris Molanphy—discuss their favorite albums and singles ... Show More
35m 12s
Feb 2025
PTSD ENERGY Pop Debut: The Hidden Set featuring Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, Taylor Swift, Spice Girls, Kim Petra, LISA & Machine Gun Kelly
Tracklist: Apple - Charli XCX Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me) - LISA Spice Up Your Love - Spice Girls Disease - Lady Gaga Pink Pony Club - Chappell Roan my ex's best friend - Machine Gun Kelly Love Story - Taylor Swift King of Hearts - Kim Petra Welcome to the raw, emotional rebirth of D ... Show More
30m 8s
Apr 2025
d4vd Talks New Album 'Withered,' "Feel It," and the success of "Romantic Homicide"
<p>Unless you’ve been living without an internet connection, you know d4vd — the Texas-teen-turned-newly-20 whose 2022 track ‘Romantic Homicide’ now has 1.5 billion streams and counting. It’s a song that he made on his phone, in his sister’s closet, in just 30 minutes and it chan ... Show More
1h 27m