Pop Pantheon

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Xtra Magazine's KC Hoard joins Russ to tackle Canadian pop queen Carly Rae Jepsen's recent double album Day and Night. KC and Russ debate the creative merit of Carly's prolific release strategy, then dig into the evolution of her artistry on Day and Night, which features some of her best work in years.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

NPR Music’s Sheldon Pearce joins Pop Pantheon for the first in our new five-part series on BadGalRiri herself, Rihanna. Sheldon and Louie dig into Rih’s early life in Barbados and how she was discovered then signed by Jay-Z and L.A. Reid. Then they discuss her breakout with “Pon De Replay” and the Caribbean sounds that defined 2005’s Music of the Sun before tackling her quick return with 2006’s A Girl Like Me, a more genre expansive record that spawned enduring hits like “SOS” and "Unfaithful" and set the stage for her global chart takeover.Join us next week as we explore the second leg of Rihanna’s 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad and 2009's Rated R.NOTE: An earlier version of this episode included a minor audio editing error around 12:25-12:40 that has now been fixed. If your podcatcher downloaded the episode, delete it from your library and refresh the feed for the corrected version. Listen to our Rihanna Essentials PlaylistTickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween on 10/30

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ gather to break down Troye Sivan's 4th studio album, She's the Best, which sensually explores the middle ground between queer lust and longing.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Mailbag time! Louie and Russ tackle questions from the Mailbag, including one about Taylor Swift invoking her "haters" on record and a question about Rihanna's legacy. Plus we finally find out out: what is Russ' whole deal, anyways?

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss their respective experiences seeing Charlie Puth and Charli XCX recently, before going deep on Tinashe's latest album, Popstar.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

From Taylor to Karol, both Olivias, Ella, Ariana, Audrey, and more, hosts of the Like a Virgin podcast, Fran Tirado and Rose Dommu, join Louie and Russ to power rank the Main Pop Girls of the last 12 months.Tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween on 10/30

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss last night's woeful 2026 MTV Music Video Awards, before turning their attention to the deluxe re-issue of Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, going track-by-track.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

In anticipation of the annual MTV Video Music Awards airing this Sunday, comedian Jake Cornell joins Louie and Russ to count down each of their favorite performances from the storied show's 42 year history.Buy tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween