Critics are not feeling the love tonight when it comes to Disney's latest sequels, Mufasa and Moana 2. They've called the animated films "lifeless and bland." But save some sympathy for the composers behind these blatant IP grabs. Lin Manuel Miranda and the duo Barlow and Bear had to match the original, iconic numbers from the Lion King and Moana, songs writ ... Show More
May 8
Samara Cyn is rap's best new writer
How do you write a rap verse that's clever without saying so? Samara Cyn, one of the sharpest young writers in hip-hop, joins us to talk about Detour, her new EP about going analog. We get into wordplay versus narrative, the Missy Elliott blueprint behind "oooshxt!", and why she ... Show More
37m 34s
Apr 28
Hrishikesh Hirway made an album about running out of time — in no time
Hrishikesh Hirway, host of Song Exploder, returns with his first album in fifteen years, In the Last Hour of Light, made under a premise that's almost contradictory for a podcaster built around isolated stems: session players who had never heard the songs, vocals tracked live in ... Show More
43m 12s
Jun 2018
From Frozen to Coco: An Interview with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Part I)
In our first interview, we talk with Disney and Broadway songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who have penned hit songs for Frozen, Coco, Winnie the Pooh, Finding Nemo, and more for Disney. We discuss their creative process as songwriters, their work-life bal ... Show More
44m 21s
Jun 2019
"Tiny Dancer" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John
<p>Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote so many great songs over the years that it was impossible to pick a single one for Strong Songs. So, why not do two? Kirk dives into a pair of classics by the storied songwriting duo, talking about Elton's chameleon-like voice, h ... Show More
46m 42s
Apr 2025
The Best (and Worst) of the Hannah Montana Discography | Every Single Album: Miley Cyrus
To kick off their Miley Cyrus series, Nora and Nathan are of course getting started with Hannah Montana. They cover all of the music Cyrus released up to her album 'Breakout' in 2008, including 'Hannah Montana,' 'Hannah Montana 2,' 'Meet Miley Cyrus,' and 'Hannah Montana The Movi ... Show More
1h 34m
<p>Barlow & Bear came by to talk about the process for the writing the music for Moana 2, the stories behind "Beyond" and "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?", The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical and Mexican Pizza: The Musical, how they write music together and more!</p><p><br></p><p>SUBSCR ... Show More
