Switched on Pop

Daft Punk’s first album laid the groundwork for their robot personas, with four to the floor beats, programmed drum machines, and sequenced synthesizers. On their second album Discovery, Daft Punk fully lean into the artificial – singing through robotic vocoders that correspond with their now-iconic robot helmets.But in there is a paradox, explored on episode 2 of Listening to Daft Punk: the more machine the robots become, the more human the music sounds.Songs Discussed Daft Punk - One More Time Daft Punk - Teachers Daft Punk - Aerodynamic Sister Sledge - Il Macquillage Lady AC/DC - Thunderstruck Laurie Anderson - O Superman Daft Punk - Revolution 909 Kraftwerk - Autobahn Kraftwerk - The Robots Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You Zapp - More Bounce to the Ounce Stevie Wonder - 1-2-3 Sesame Street Cher - Believe Kid Rock - Only God Knows Why Barry Manilow - Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed Daft Punk - Superheroes Edwin Birdsong - Cola Bottle Baby Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman Daft Punk - Face to Face Daft Punk - Something About Us Daft Punk - Voyager Daft Punk - Veridis Quo Daft Punk - Superheroes Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams - LYTD (Vocoder Tests) [feat. Pharrell Williams] Daft Punk - Digital Love Daft Punk - Crescendolls Eddie Johns - More Spell On You George Duke - I Love You More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ten years ago, Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories gave life back to music. The world-beating smash “Get Lucky” broke streaming records, forged a retro sound that still dominates the charts, and paved the way for artists like The Weeknd, Dua Lipa and Lizzo to craft their own throwback hits. How did Daft Punk do it? Switched On Pop’s four part-mini series Listening 2: Daft Punk unlocks the sounds, voices, and stories across all four of the group’s studio albums. On their first album, Homework, Daft Punk stretched the boundaries of electronic music and began wiring the circuits that would become their robot alter-egos, asking a fundamental question: where does the human end and the machine begin?Songs Discussed ​​Daft Punk - Give Life Back to Music Daft Punk - Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers) The Beach Boys - Darlin' Daft Punk - Around the World Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Strong Daft Punk - Robot Rock Daft Punk - Game of Love Daft Punk - Da Funk Daft Punk - Teachers Black Box - Ride on Time Daft Punk - Daftendirekt Daft Punk - Fresh Daft Punk - High Fidelity Daft Punk - Oh Yeah Daft Punk - Phoenix Daft Punk - Rollin' & Scratchin' Daft Punk - Rock'n Roll Daft Punk - Burnin' Kraftwerk - The Robots Vangelis - Main Titles Brad Fiedel - Main Title - The Terminator Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow - The Turing Test Daft Punk - TRON Legacy (End Titles) Daft Punk - Indo Silver Club Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After nearly two decades as a band the Jonas Brothers are staking their claim to a magnum opus by calling their next album, quite simply, The Album (out May 12). The project follows the success of their 2019 comeback project Happiness Begins — which blended polished pop sounds with ‘70s funk breaks and produced the No. 1 single “Sucker” — with a focus on the smooth sounds of yacht rock. Switched On pop co-host Charlie Harding spoke with Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas in March 2023, during their five night broadway run, in anticipation for the release of The Album.  Songs Discussed Jonas Brothers - Wings, Waffle House, Montana Sky, Summer Baby, Before the Storm Daryl Hall & John Oates - She's Gone, Wings Kenny Loggins - Meet Me Half Way Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel, Leave Me Alone The Doobie Brothers - Takin' It to the Streets, Minute By Minute Thundercat, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins - Show You The Way Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin' Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle Eagles - Take It Easy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s May, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time for the Eurovision Song Contest. This year’s edition of the international-but-primarily-in-Europe competition features a uniquely eclectic group of songs (per usual), from a take on electro-flamenco, to Game of Thrones EDM, to a previous winner’s return to the Eurovision stage. On this episode, Charlie and Nate look at the six songs bookmakers are looking at to lead the pack of this year’s entries.Songs Discussed: Alessandra – Queen of Kings Deadmau5 – Right This Second Gabry Ponte, R3HAB, Timmy Trumpet – Call Me  La Zarra – Évidemment Édith Piaf – Non, je ne regrette rien Claude François – Alexandrie Alexandra Blanca Paloma – EAEA TVORCHI – Heart of Steel Kalush Orchesta – Stefania Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha Kraftwerk – Radioactivity Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone Metallica – 72 Seasons Loreen – Tattoo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When trouble strikes in music town, there’s one guy who gets the call. That’s me, Joe Treble, forensic musicologist. This week, I've got one of the most shocking cases I've ever worked. Someone killed the key change in pop music, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to find the perpetrator.The key change used to be at large on the Billboard charts. From the 1950s to the 1990s, 20-30% of all number one hits featured one. In Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody," the key change hits right before the final chorus. The song’s harmonic center shifts up, raising the pitch of the song, challenging the vocalist to hit higher and higher notes, juicing the big finish with excitement and pep. But starting in the 1990s the key change virtually disappeared from the Hot 100. Now, hit songs start and end in the same key, and no one seems to have even noticed. Except for me.This investigation will bring me face to face with a rogue's gallery of suspects and sources: Chris Dalla Riva, music and data specialist; Brandon McFarland, alias 1-O.A.K., producer; Emily King, singer and songwriter. Each interrogation brings me closer to revealing the murderer, but will I be able to handle the terrible truth? Tune in as I tackle the hardest case of my career: the case of the missing key change!Songs DiscussedEmily King - Georgia Sleepwalker, Medal, The Way that You Love MeYG, Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign - Do Yo Dance (feat. Kamaiyah, RJ, Mitch, Ty Dolla $ign)Beyoncé - Love On TopBon Jovi - Livin' On A PrayerWhitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)Frank Sinatra - Strangers In The Night Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have an emergency podcast drop because the biggest and fastest moving story on the internet right now is about a song called “Heart On My Sleeve.” The track sounds like it was made by the producer Metro Boomin featuring Drake and The Weeknd. It might be one of the most consequential songs in music history because it was actually a fake, made with artificial intelligence. The blowback from this song has been enormous and a bit confusing. So host Charlie Harding went on The Vergecast podcast to break down how this song was likely made, and what it might mean for the music industry, the tech industry and all of our intellectual property.  Listen to the whole episode on The Vergecast Read Alex Cranz's story on Laser Bongs on The Verge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The South Korean idol group BTS is one of the biggest musical sensations in history. They're constantly breaking records and they have one of the most dedicated fan bases in the world known as Army. Their hit singles like “Boy With Love,” “Dynamite,” and “Butter” have been discussed on the show in the past for breaking through the US charts. But back in 2022, they decided to take a break from group activities and start releasing solo material because of their obligations to each fulfill mandatory military service in South Korea, precluding them from working together at the same time. Solo projects aren’t new for the group – BTS members have released mixtapes as far back as 2015 and countless solo singles – but this was the first time that BTS had ever announced a prolonged break. This moment, originally presented as a hiatus, has evolved into a whole new musical chapter for the group, with a seemingly endless array of new solo releases. Switched On Pop listens back to one track from each solo effort so far to introduce the casual listener to what is happening in this new era of BTS. Joining the show is Lenika Cruz, senior editor at The Atlantic, who literally wrote the book on BTS, simply called On BTS out on the Atlantic Editions imprint.Songs Discussed: j-hope, J. Cole - on the street Jimin - Like Crazy RM, Youjeen - Wild Flower Agust D - People Pt.2 Agust D - People Jung Kook - Dreamers JIN - The Astronaut BTS - Singularity, Inner Child Coldplay, BTS - My Universe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the first seconds of her latest album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, Caroline Polachek asserts that she is truly a once-in-a-generation artist. From her work in the indie band Chairlift to years of behind-the-scenes songwriting, she has worked hard over years to build a stellar music career – culminating in the pop opus Desire, already one of the best rated albums of 2023. On this episode of Switched on Pop, we look at Polachek’s career thus far, and talk to her about the intricacies of her latest.Songs Discussed Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You Caroline Polachek - So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings Chairlift - Bruises Ramona Lisa - Dominic Beyoncé - No Angel Danny L Harle, Caroline Polachek - Ashes of Love Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek - Tears CEP - Lilian’s Pavilion Caroline Polachek - Pretty in Possible Suzanne Vega - Tom’s Diner DNA remix Caroline Polachek - Welcome to my Island Caroline Polachek - Bunny Is A Rider Caroline Polachek - Smoke Caroline Polachek - Crude Drawing of An Angel Caroline Polachek - Butterfly Net Caroline Polachek - Sunset  Caroline Polachek - Fly To You Caroline Polachek - Hopedrunk Ever Asking Caroline Polachek - Billions Caroline Polachek - Blood And Butter Caroline Polachek - Butterfly Net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shakira is back on the Billboard Hot 100 – thanks to the help of Argentinian producer Bizarrap. Together, their song “Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” is layered with musical and lyrical references, from the callbacks to “She Wolf” to the multiple beat switches. It also works to play into something larger: something akin to a pop music conspiracy. On this episode of Switched On Pop, we take a closer look at Shakira’s latest, and how it’s indicative of a larger metatextual shift in pop music. Songs Discussed: Shakira, Bizarrap – Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53 Shakira – Vuelve Alanis Morrisette – Not The Doctor Shakira – Whenever, Wherever Shakira, Alejandro Sanz – La Tortura Shakira, Wyclef Jean – Hips Don’t Lie Shakira – She Wolf The Weeknd – Blinding Lights Giorgio Moroder – Palm Springs Drive LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem Pascal Letoublon – Friendships Beyoncé – Sorry Taylor Swift – All Too Well Olivia Rodrigo – Driver’s License Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever learned classical piano, you probably tried to play one of Bach’s Inventions. The composer wrote fifteen pieces containing the most important fifteen keys in order to teach his son the fundamentals of piano and composition. Today, they remain some of the most popular pieces of piano music. Acclaimed jazz pianist Dan Tepfer recently revisited his childhood music books seeing them in a way he’d never realized as a student: the Inventions are much more than novice piano works.For Tepfer, each of the Inventions not only highlight masterful command over harmony and counterpoint, but also contain moving character arcs that resemble the hero’s journey. A character is introduced at home in place of safety in act I. And then they are thrust into chaos and must overcome unsurmountable challenges in Act II. Finally, in Act III, our hero overcomes their final battle and returns home transformed by the journey. Once Tepfer heard this character arc, he started to apply it to his own free improv.Through studying Bach, Tepfer conceived a new album: Inventions / Reinventions. In this project Tepfer fills in the missing keys from the Bach to complete all twenty four keys (there are twelve major and twelve minor keys) while updating the music with modern improvisation. In this conversation Tepfer walks co-host Charlie Harding through his process of playing Bach and applying it to jazz improv.Listen to Dan Tepfer’s Inventions / Reinventions on StorySound RecordsListen to Into It with Sam Sanders on Fair Use Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices