Live From Mars

We’re continuing my Top 3 Albums of 2025 series with the record that kicked off the year’s biggest pop era: Lady Gaga’s Mayhem. I’m joined by two of my first internet friends, Seth and Amanda, for a full deep dive into the rollout, the tracklist chaos, Best / Worst / Fave picks, and why this album stayed in our rotation all year.If you’re looking for a Lady Gaga Mayhem review, an "Abracadabra" breakdown, Mayhem Ball reactions, or Grammys Album of the Year predictions, this episode covers all of it.Topics coveredWhy Mayhem is a Grammy Album of the Year contender"Disease" vs "Abracadabra" and how the Grammys premiere reset the eraTracklist debate, production shifts, and whether "Die With a Smile" belongs on the albumBest / Worst / Fave picks including "Perfect Celebrity", "Vanish Into You", and "How Bad Do U Want Me"Most underrated songs on MayhemTour thoughts, Mayhem Ball performances, and what Gaga should do nextGrammys 2026 predictions, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Dance Pop RecordingTimestamps00:00 - Intro and Top Albums of 2025 series setup02:37 - Seth and Amanda join the conversation05:11 - Rollout talk: "Disease" to "Abracadabra"06:09 - "Abracadabra" Grammys premiere reaction11:37 - Does "Die With a Smile" belong on Mayhem?13:30 - Tracklist debate and the two-halves album conversation16:12 - Best, Worst, and Fave picks20:30 - Why "Vanish Into You" hits and why Amanda disagrees27:30 - Most underrated songs on the album29:15 - What’s next for Gaga after Mayhem35:21 - Grammys 2026 predictions across major categories37:57 - Plugs and wrap-upFollow & support the show:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vinylbymarsLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars

Subscribe to my Substack for weekly reviews, charts talk, and deep dives: https://vinylbymars.substack.comThis special end-of-year episode of Live From Mars breaks down my official list of the Top Ten Pop Albums of 2025. With every major outlet releasing their Best Albums of 2025 and Year-End Music Lists, this episode adds the perspective you will not get anywhere else. If you are searching for the real standout albums across pop, R&B, experimental pop, and Latin music, this countdown brings you the records that truly shaped the year.I walk through the projects that defined 2025, including Justin Bieber’s SWAG, PinkPantheress’ Fancy That, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Lorde’s Virgin, Miley Cyrus’ Something Beautiful, Addison Rae’s Addison, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving, Lady Gaga’s Mayhem, Bad Bunny’s DTMF, and Rosalía’s Lux, my pick for the best album of 2025. These albums pushed pop forward with bold production, unforgettable songwriting, genre-blending experimentation, and some of the strongest artistic visions of the decade.If you love year-end recaps, pop music deep dives, album reviews, or “albums of the year” content, this episode gives you everything you need in one place. These are the albums that stayed in my rotation long after release week, the ones that built full worlds and delivered the biggest musical statements of 2025.And if you want even more insight into this year’s top albums, listen to my full deep dive into Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving with HTHAZE on the podcast. It is the perfect companion to this countdown.Follow the show:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars

Substack: Get weekly music breakdowns, reviews, and unedited reaction content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comThe Top Albums of the Year series is back. After last year's run highlighted releases from Taylor Swift to Sabrina Carpenter to Charli xcx and beyond, I’m returning with a three-episode run to highlight the three albums that defined my 2025 listening experience. We’re starting with Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving, a project that continues to build her momentum and shape conversations around Album of the Year considerations.I’m joined by special guest HTHAZE, one of the most recognizable music reaction creators online and the number one music creator on Patreon, to get into why The Art of Loving stands out in this moment. We talk about how listeners first connected with Olivia, the impact of her live performances, how she has become part of the current UK-to-US artist wave, and what we hope to hear next as she heads into a new chapter.In this episode, we cover:Why The Art of Loving kicks off the Top Albums of 2025 seriesHow we each first discovered Olivia DeanWhy the live performances at Rough Trade, Brooklyn Paramount, and MSG matterBest song, worst song, and personal favesPitchfork’s score and how we would rate the albumAdele comparisons and Olivia’s place in this era of musicWhat we hope to see from album threeFollow and support the show:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLink in bio: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars

Watch my full unedited 2026 Grammy Awards nominations reaction exclusively on Substack when it goes live this Friday: https://vinylbymars.substack.comWe’re just two days away from the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations, and I’m putting my full predictions on the line. In this episode of Live From Mars, I break down who I think will get nominated across the Big Four categories — Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist — plus all the major pop fields.We cover everything:Full predictions for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New ArtistPop Solo Performance, Pop Duo/Group Performance, Pop Vocal Album, and Dance Pop Recording predictionsWhy Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar could lead the 2026 nominationsWhich K-pop acts could break through this yearThe biggest snubs, surprises, and dark horses to watchHow Grammy eligibility actually works and what songs qualify this yearFollow Alex:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has officially made history, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. and 5.5 million worldwide. But did it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by fellow Swiftie and friend of the pod, Steven Sullivan (@stevensully1), to unpack your burning questions and hot takes about Taylor’s record-breaking twelfth studio album. Together, they revisit their original predictions, debate if the “showgirl” concept worked, and discuss where Taylor goes next.We cover everything:First impressions and how opinions have evolvedWhether Showgirl delivered on its conceptThe highs and lows of the tracklistThe “Canceled” and “Eldest Daughter” discourseIf “Wood” deserves a single and Sabrina Carpenter remixGrammy predictions and what’s next for TaylorChapters:00:00 - Intro03:48 - Steven returns04:18 - Did we actually like Showgirl?10:20 - Album highs and lows17:50 - The “Showgirl” concept debate25:30 - Writing and production discussion36:10 - Did it come too soon or too late?47:20 - “Wood” and Sabrina Carpenter50:20 - Grammy predictions53:59 - Final thoughtsFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars

Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is finally here, and it’s already breaking every record in sight. But does it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by a friend of the pod and resident Swiftie, Seth (@dramakingbooks), to unpack Taylor’s twelfth studio album in full. Together, they break down how Showgirl stacks up against past eras, if the reunion with Max Martin and Shellback delivers, and why fans are so divided over the album.We cover everything:Track-by-track reactions and one-word reviewsWhether the “Showgirl” concept was successfulTaylor’s record-shattering first-week sales and beating Adele's decade-long recordThe most controversial lyrics and production choicesWhy “Eldest Daughter” might be her weakest Track 5 yetBest, Worst, and Fav songs from The Life of a ShowgirlChapters:00:00 - Intro04:00 - First impressions and expectations09:30 - Marketing vs. album reality17:00 - Track-by-track: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” and more55:00 - Final rankings and where Taylor goes nextFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymars