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
Yesterday
Olivia Rodrigo has The Cure for sadness
Olivia Rodrigo is back with her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl in love. As the title might suggest, it’s a deeply personal affair, with moody soundscapes supporting hyper-detailed lyrics of soul-wrenching depth. This album is a meditation on desire, and intrig ... Show More
42m 50s
Jun 9
Paul McCartney went back to Liverpool for something new to say
Boys of Dungeon Lane, McCartney's collaboration with producer Andrew Watt, arrived when McCartney was 83 and and he came out swinging: the opening track greets listeners with a dissonant, unresolved guitar chord that sets the album's tone. Harmonic instability runs through the en ... Show More
42m 8s
Jun 5
How a sci-fi dystopia became a personal utopia (ft. Arc Iris)
A sci-fi ballet imagined a 2080 where AI strips people of purpose, and the day before its New York premiere, an actual dystopia arrived. Arc Iris, the trio of Jocie Adams, Zach Tenorio and Ray Belli, built iTMRW as a concept record set in a future ruled by a mega-corporation that ... Show More
13m 2s
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
18 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
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
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
