Men singing high is so ubiquitous in modern pop that we might take it granted, never pausing to ask: has it always been this way? Estelle Caswell, who makes the Emmy-winning Earworm series for Vox, decided to find out, and she stops by to share results from her painstaking study of male falsetto in pop music from 1958 to today. Some of her findings may surpr ... Show More
Today
Where have all the white rappers gone?
On a recent podcast interview, Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow said that, to craft his new album Monica, he “got blacker.” The problem is… Jack Harlow is white. The statement, while extremely tone-deaf, speaks to his intentions with this musical pivot: musically, Monica turns to the ... Show More
50m 43s
Mar 17
Jacob Collier can make anyone sing
Jacob Collier is a rare musician: an expert in so many musical languages (western harmony, negative harmony, microtonalism) and a phenomenal communicator about music. He's something like an Ambassador for Music, traveling the world and getting thousands of people, musicians and n ... Show More
55m 2s
Mar 10
Harry Styles loses himself to dance
The dance floor is where Harry Styles does his therapy, and this album is the session notes. Four years after Harry's House, Styles returns with Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally, a record built from minimal ingredients: live drums, Moog bass, nylon guitar, and synth sequence ... Show More
43m 38s
Feb 2021
Taylor Swift Joins the History of Re-Recorded Music -- But She's Taking It Even Further
On this week's Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, we take a look back at the history of pop stars re-recording their music, from Prince's new version of "1999" or Def Leppard reclaiming their biggest hits, but no one has ever taken it to the lengths that Swift has in store. Learn more a ... Show More
29m 55s
Aug 2023
Kylie Minogue: 4. She Hears It and She Knows
Join Scott Mills for the ultimate celebration of the UK’s best-loved pop star, who this year headlines Radio 2 in the Park on Sunday 17th September.All good things come to an end - unless you’re Kylie Minogue, apparently.In 2012, Kylie marked 25 years in the music industry. The A ... Show More
26m 17s
Nov 2020
The Great Year-End Songs Debate
Building Pitchfork’s year-end lists of the best albums and songs is a lengthy and painstaking process, involving careful consideration of the 1,000-plus releases we review each year, and others we may have missed. We include innumerable factors in our decision-making, but sometim ... Show More
55m 41s
Jul 2023
Mozart's Sex Life
<p>When we think of the biggest pop icons of all time, we might reach for Madonna, Elvis, or yes, even Michael Jackson. </p><br><p>One name that’s not thrown into the pot is Mozart. But why? His music was undoubtedly the pop music of his day, and as we’ll find out today, he ... Show More
38m 47s
Mar 2020
Katy Perry’s “Never Worn White,” New Dixie Chicks & More
Billboard breaks down the biggest releases in the music world for the week of March 6, 2020, including drops from Katy Perry, Dixie Chicks, Megan Thee Stallion, Bad Bunny, Demi Lovato, Jhené Aiko, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25m 30s
Aug 2020
Songs of the Summer of Our Discontent
By this time of year, there’s usually consensus around what the “Song of the Summer” is. But 2020 isn’t like any other summer in so many ways, including the pop charts. The Billboard Hot 100 has been all over the place for the past several months, with a new artist rising to the ... Show More
30m 4s