Live from SXSW: Grammy nominee songwriter Emily King didn’t set out to write a perfect pop song with “Remind Me.” Instead, she bent the rules of song structure to fit her message: the magical feeling when you find something you’ve been long missing. Mirroring this theme, the chorus doesn’t come when you expect it. The climax arrives late, after an “aha” mome ... 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
Apr 2019
How To Write a Hit Song: The Love Junkies
Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lidnsey—known as the Love Junkies—write some of the best songs in Nashville today. Between the three of them, they've helped launch Taylor Swift, pushed Lady Gaga into country music—with her album "Joanne"—and gave country music one of its more ... Show More
41m 30s
Aug 2020
Lianne La Havas's Bittersweet Memories
British singer/songwriter Lianne La Havas recently released her third album, a self-titled collection of songs about love, heartbreak, and independence. Pitchfork editor Puja Patel recently spoke with Lianne at home in London over video chat for Pitchfork’s Listening Club. They t ... Show More
21 m
Apr 2020
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Singer and Songwriter Jessi Alexander
She sings in the shower and in the car, and loves to watch, “The Bachelor.” She also wrote Miley Cyrus’ hit song, “The Climb.” This isn’t your best friend’s Tindr profile. We’re talking about Jessi Alexander, the prolific singer and songwriter who just released her latest album, ... Show More
34m 27s
Oct 2015
Sam Smith's Bond Song, Disclosure & Lorde, Sia, Little Mix & More: Must-Hear Music Podcast
Billboard staffers discuss Sam Smiths' James Bond song "Writing's on the Wall," Sia's "Alive," Disclosure's Lorde collbo "Magnets," Ryan Adams' cover of Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams," Fetty Wap ft. Monty's "Jugg" and Little Mix's "Love Me Like You." See acast.com/privacy for pr ... Show More
41m 27s
Apr 2024
Adrianne Lenker's songs that get under the skin
<p>Adrianne Lenker feels things deeply. You hear it in every one of her songs, whether solo, or with her band Big Thief. Lucky for us, she shares it all, and over the past few years has become one of the most promising and prolific songwriters around; making 6 albums on her own a ... Show More
36m 37s