Switched on Pop

Vulture
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Feb 9, 2021 • 41min

The Scandalous Sounds of Bridgerton (w Kris Bowers)

The Netflix series Bridgerton has hooked audiences with its bodice-ripping sex scenes, a colorblind approach period drama casting, and a soundtrack featuring recreations of modern bangers from pop stars like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish arranged in the style of a classical string quartet. By bringing modern melodies into the proper world of Regency England, the show reminds us that classical music wasn’t always so stuffy and solemn. In its time, it trafficked in the same scandal as modern pop.Alongside these classical-pop mashups, Bridgerton serves up its own ravishing score from composer Kris Bowers, who joins to break down how he made the past pop.Songs Discussed:Vitamin String Quartet - Thank U, Next, Bad Guy, In My BloodKris Bowers - When You Are Alone, Flawless My Dear, StrangeMaurice Ravel - Tombeau de Couperin, PreludeClara Schumann - Der Mond Kommt Still GegangenJohannes Brahms - Symphony No 3 in F Major Op 90, Mvt 3 (for Four Hand Piano)MoreRead Maria Popova on the letters of Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumannand Adrian Daub on Four Handed Monsters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Feb 2, 2021 • 38min

How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” used retro sounds and modern bass to break every record

This Sunday, The Weeknd will perform his distinctly dark brand of pop at the Super Bowl halftime show. On the surface, the alter-ego of Abel Tesfaye is a strange pick for the ostensibly family-friendly main-stage — for more than a decade, The Weeknd has fused the sounds of pop, R&B, and trap into a cinematic horror-thriller about drugs, sex and the excess of fame. While his sheer volume of Hot 100 hits have rightly earned him mainstream status, even his most commercial material is hardly PG — the 2015 hit “Can’t Feel My Face” is an 80s throwback laced with on-the-nose cocaine metaphors. But over the last year his subversive image has been rewritten by the song “Blinding Lights,” from his 2020 album After Hours. The song vaulted up the charts in March 2020, supported by a viral TikTok challenge: Using the song’s opening instrumental as inspiration, countless families performed the dance together while sheltering in place. Since then, seemingly every radio format, adult contemporary included, has played this song on repeat, making it the longest running song in the Hot 100 top five and top ten (given the songs success, The Weeknd is justly aggrieved by the Grammy’s recent snub).On Switched on Pop’s first episode as part of Vulture, we break down how “Blinding Lights” blends lyrical relatability with musical familiarity, earning The Weeknd the biggest and perhaps most misunderstood hit of his career.Songs DiscussedThe Weeknd - Blinding LightsMichael Sembello - Maniaca-ha - Take on MeBruce Springsteen - Blinded By The LightManfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The LightThe Weeknd - Can't Feel My FaceThe Weeknd - FaithThe Weeknd - In Your EyesThe Weeknd - Save Your TearsThe Weeknd - Until I Bleed OutMoreRead Chris Molanphy's "Why the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Is the First Chart Topper of the Coronavirus Era"Thanks to Arc Iris for the theme song reharmonization Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Jan 26, 2021 • 52min

Epik High is our gateway into Korean hip hop (with Tablo)

Epik High are elemental to Korean hip hop. DJ Tukutz, Mithra Jin and Tablo’s underground style boom bap beats with dexterous rapping helped bring this music from its underground roots to a global scale. On their latest release, Epik High Is Here Part I, the textures are subdued but paired with heavy drums and aggressive vocals, a contrast that matches our collective anxiety arising from the pandemic. Charlie speaks with Tablo about the creation of the album, but first first ethnomusicologist Youngdae Kim shares a short history on the development of Korean hip hop. SONGS DISCUSSEDEpik High - Rosario, Go, Fly, Map the Soul, Harajuku Days, Born Hater, Lesson Zero, Based On A True Story, Leica, Wish You WereSeo Taiji and Boys - I KnowVerbal Jint - OverclassMORERead Youngdae Kim and T.K. Park’s “A Brief History of Korean Hip-hop”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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18 snips
Jan 19, 2021 • 39min

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” is a full throttle power ballad

Power ballads used to top the charts regularly, from 80s rock to 90s R&B. But then in the 2000s, the formula of constant escalation gradually fell off the Billboard. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Olivia Rodrigo’s single “Drivers License” is breaking streaming records as listeners yearn for the emotional catharsis from this contemporary power ballad. With the help of David Metzer, professor of music history at the University of British Columbia, we break down how “Drivers License” sticks to an age-old formula, and how it deviates from a well worn musical path.  SONGS DISCUSSED Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License Barry Manilow - Mandy Roy Orbison - It’s Over Clyde McPhatter - Without Love There Is Nothing  Etta James - I’d Rather Go Blind  Journey - Open Arms  Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day  Seal - Kiss From A Rose Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be with You  Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven  MOREProfessor David Metzer’s The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to BeyoncéAiyana Ishmael for Teen Vogue “Olivia Rodrigo Song "Drivers License" Sparks Fan-Made TikTok POV Covers”Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram demoRichard S. He Twitter thread  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Jan 12, 2021 • 40min

D.O.C. (Death of the Chorus) with Emily Warren

Listen to Top 40 pop over the last decade and you’ll notice something weird is happening. The chorus—the emotional apotheosis of a pop song, its dizzying high, its cathartic sing-along center—is disappearing. In its place, artists from Bad Bunny to Taylor Swift are toying with new, chorus-lite song forms that introduce a new musical grammar to the sound of contemporary pop. We may not think much about pop structure when listening to our favorite songs, but this is a big deal—the last time pop experienced such a seismic shift was when the chorus first came into fashion, back in the 1960s. What does this mean for modern musicians and listeners? Emily Warren, songwriter for new-guard stars like Dua Lipa and Khalid, joins to break down why the sea change in pop form represents a new horizon of creative possibility.Songs DiscussedBad Bunny - Si Veo a Tu MamáFuture & Drake - Life Is GoodBillie Holiday - Blue MoonBeyonce - FormationTravis Scott - Sicko ModeQueen - Bohemian RhapsodyAretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural WomanDrake - Laugh Now Cry Later (ft. Lil Durk) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Jan 5, 2021 • 47min

ICYMI: The End Of Pop Music As We Know It: Fall Out Boy & Charli XCX

Is it true that all pop music sounds the same today? For the past year the “pop-drop” has dominated the airwaves. This new form of EDM infused pop came out of DJ culture and has infused its sound with every mainstream act like Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Tiring of this sound, some artists are finding creative ways to parody this pop trope. The rock outfit Fall Out Boy’s “Young And Menace” demonstrates equal parts mastery and mockery of the pop-drop. And PC Music, a rising art-music label out of London, skewers the whole of pop cliché on their mixtape collaboration with Charli XCX. After this episode, we promise you’ll be ready to move on to new sounds. Luckily, listeners have collaborated to create a new favorites playlist to help you cleanse your palette.This episode was originally published May 2017.SONGS DISCUSSEDThe Chainsmokers – CloserKygo & Selena Gomez – It Ain’t MeLady Gaga – The CureFall Out Boy – Sugar We’re Going DownFall Out Boy – Young And MenaceJay Z – D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)Ariana Grande – Into YouKaty Perry feat. Skip Marley – Chained To The RhythmDrake – PassionfruitPostmodern Jukebox – Sugar We’re Going Down SwingingBritney Spears – Oops! I Did It AgainSkrillex – BangarangDJ Snake – MiddleBeyoncé – Love On TopIcona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charlie XCX)Iggy Azalea – Fancy ft. Charli XCXSelena Gomez – Same Old LoveCharli XCX – 3AM (Pull Up) (feat. MØ)Hannah Diamond – Every NightBronze – Thy SlaughterDanny L Harle – Super Natural (ft. Carly Rae Jepsen)SOPHIE – JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYEA.G. Cook – SuperstarAriana Grande – Side To SideCoon Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra – I’m Gonna Charleston Back To CharlestonSpotify Playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Dec 29, 2020 • 48min

ICYMI: Do You Believe in Life After Autotune?

Auto-Tune may be the most divisive effect in music. Artists have protested it publicly at the Grammys, and critics have derided the effects for its inauthentic reproduction of the voice. And yet, nearly a decade since Jay-Z prophesied the death of Auto-Tune, the sound is alive and thriving in contemporary pop and hip-hop. Journalist Simon Reynolds has written a definitive history of Auto-Tune for Pitchfork that fundamentally changed how we hear this sound. This deep dive criss crosses geology, technology, and the evolution of pop as we know it.Songs Discussed: Cher - Believe Katy Perry - Firework Rihanna - Diamonds Future - F*ck Up Some Commas Emma Robinson - Stay (Cover)  Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek  Zapp & Roger - Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)  T. Pain - Chopped N Screwed ft. Ludacris  Lil Wayne - “How To Love” Kanye - “Heartless” The Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” Jay-Z - Death Of Auto-Tune Elvis - Mystery Train The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows Whispering Jack Smith - Baby Face Kesha - Tik Tok Bon Iver - Woods Future & Juice WRLD - Jet Lag ft. Young Scooter  Shek Wes - Mo Bamba The Carters - Apeshit Further Reading: Simon Reynolds - “How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music" Simon Reynolds -Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Dec 21, 2020 • 52min

Wham! Op. 84 “Last Christmas” with Chilly Gonzales

Wham’s 1984 contribution to the holiday cannon, “Last Christmas,” has surprising staying power. When Grammy-winning pianist Chilly Gonzales set out to record a holiday album, “A Very Chilly Christmas,” most of the selections were over a half century old. That’s because most of our favorite seasonal songs come from the 1960s and earlier. But in addition to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas,” Wham’s “Last Christmas” reliably returns each winter. Despite the cheesy 80s synths and drum machines, the song’s harmonies are remarkable resilient, a testament to George Michael’s auteur songwriting method. Celebrated artist known for his solo piano works, collaborations with Feist and Daft Punk, and his musical masterclasses series, Chilly Gonzales—musical genius—AKA “Gonzo,” sits down at the piano to share in the beauty of this nu-classical Christmas love song, as well as a few selections from his new album “A Very Chilly Christmas.”MOREGet tickets for A Very Chilly Christmas Special airing Dec 23rd at www.chillygonzales.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Dec 15, 2020 • 44min

Taylor Swift has "evermore" of a good thing

Just five months after releasing her Grammy-nominated album “folklore,” Taylor Swift surprised fans with a continuation of sorts — her ninth studio album “evermore.” Working with many of her “folklore” collaborators, Swift says that the team “couldn’t stop writing songs.” Like its sister album, “evermore” shies away from over-the-top pop production, and leans into Swift’s craft. Stripped of the highly produced synth layers from her “Lover” and “Reputation” era, Swift’s lyrics and vocal performance shine in their unvarnished restraint. On this hour-long album, Swift shows her ingenuity with the building blocks of songwriting, giving us more of her signature Swiftian strengths: Lyrics, melody and story. MoreRead "Figure It Out: The Linguistic Turn in Country Music" by Jimmie N. Rogers and Miller Williams in Country Music Annual 2000Listen to Jenny Owen Youngs album Night Shift for more rubber bridge guitar and great songs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Dec 8, 2020 • 41min

Women's Rap Renaissance

Producer Bridget Armstrong shares her top tracks from women who are running hip-hop in 2020: Megan Thee Stallion, Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, Flo Milli, and CHIKAMoreListen to the Drake episode on In My Feelings: https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/93-drake-vs-drake Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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