Switched on Pop

On the surface, Tove Lo's new hit "Cool Girl" boasts a snappy, earworm chorus and an empowering message of self-reliance. Beneath its chill exterior, though, Lo's song burns with a passion bordering on rage, and sinister sonic undertones suggest an unreliable narrator who doesn't always mean what she says. The more layers one pulls back from this song, the more Lo's source material—the novel and film "Gone Girl"—comes to the fore, turning "Cool Girl" into the kind of pop smash that sticks in your head in more ways than one. Featuring:Tove Lo - Cool GirlDaft Punk - Harder, Better, FasterAlessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in 2011, two pop songs dropped with the same patriotic title: "Made in America." But the similarities pretty much end there. Toby Keith's country smash and Jay Z, Kanye West and Frank Ocean's soulful hip hop anthem have little in common except a firm conviction that each song knows what it really means to be American. Five years later, these tracks have a lot to tell us about the role music plays in shaping our national identity, and begs the question: does music truly bring us together?FeaturingToby Keith - Made In AmericaJay Z and Kanye West ft. Frank Ocean - Made in AmericaSisqo - Thong SongUsher - Yeah!Beyoncé - Daddy LessonsJimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel No. 9Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys - Ida Red Likes to Boogie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Charlie spent the last two weeks listening to every song on the Billboard Hot 100. What did he discover? That the sonic similarities of most chart-toppers sound closer than ever. Except for the #1 song in America, as of this episode's release - "Closer" by The Chainsmokers, ft. Halsey. This one is different than the rest...or is it? We dive into the styles of the moment to re-learn the old maxim that "great artists steal" - whether that artist is a 2016 DJ duo or an 18th century Classical master. Featuring:•Tory Lanez - LUV•Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better•Frenship - Capsize•Maroon 5 - Don't Wanna Know•Cheat Codes - Sex•The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey - Closer•Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez - We Don't Talk Anymore•Jack U ft. Justin Bieber - Where Are U Now•Drake - Know Yourself•Amine - Caroline•MO - Final Song•Mike Posner - I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb remix)•The Weeknd - I Can't Feel My Face•The Chainsmokers ft. Phoebe Ryan - All We Know•Antonio Vivaldi - "La Primavera" Concerto•Vivaldi - Giustino•Vivaldi - Dorilla in Tempe•Vivaldi - Orlando Furioso Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Nokia ringtone used to be heard more than a billion times per day, making it one of the most popular songs in the world. We tend to consider cellphone rings as somewhat antithetical to music. There is a whole subset of YouTube videos dedicated to the perverse thrill of watching a delicately beautiful musical moment ruined by the harsh cry of a default ringtone. In this episode, we zoom in on one of these annoying melodies to see if there's not some hidden musical craft present in the ubiquitous bleeps and bloops that envelop us. Later, Charlie shares a piece made solely of this sonic detritus, and a data scientist locates surprising musical patterns in a most unexpected source.Featuring:The Nokia TuneThe Beatles - She's So HeavyOne Direction - Live While We're YoungFrancisco Tarrega - Gran ValsLinks:Charlie Harding - Bowl ArrowJonathan Berger's Article in Nautlius: How Music Hijacks our Perception of TimeFamous Cell Phone Rings Played on the Piano by Tony AnnGreg Hochmuth's work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lady Gaga's new single "Perfect Illusion" is the apotheosis of her artistic statement. She is well known for her visual style that too often overshadows her music. But when taken together, it is evident that Lady Gaga is playing all of us because the non-conformity of her outward appearance is reflected back in her compositions. On first listen, her songs may sound like just another catchy pop tune and this is intentional. Gaga lures us close with the sound of pop fame and then hooks us and reels us into into her dungeon of monstrous sounds.FeaturingLady Gaga - Perfect IllusionLady Gaga - Just DanceLady Gaga - Government HookerQueen - Radio GagaLady Gaga - Love GameLady Gage - ScheisseMichael Jackson - ThrillerPhantom Of The Opera - OvertureJohn Carpenter - Halloween Theme (Main Title)Lady Gaga - Bad RomanceLady Gaga - AlejandroAce Of Bass - I Saw The SignLady Gaga - SpeechlessQueen - Don’t Stop Me NowLady Gaga - So Happy I Could DieNatasha Bedingfield - Pocket Full of SunshineLady Gaga - Born This WayMadonna - Express YourselfLady Gaga - TeethLady Gaga - Bloody MaryLady Gaga - Dance In The DarkTony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Anything GoesTony Bennett - I Wish I Were In Love Again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Certain pop songs have that moment, when everything seems to change but still remain the same, when the drama gets ratcheted up, when the tension increases and our emotions take an elevator ride to the heavens. From Beyoncé to Johnny Cash, savvy pop songwriters know a well-placed harmonic modulation can leave listeners reeling. But what is this mysterious musical trick, and how does it work? Tune in and let us take you higher, and higher, and higher, as we explore the wild world of modulation.FeaturingOne Direction - Night ChangesTaylor Swift - Love StoryBackstreet Boys - I Want it That WayStevie Wonder - Knocks Me Off my FeetBeyonce - Love On TopWhitney Houston - I Will Always Love YouMozart - Queen of the Night AriaMichael Jackson - Man in the MirrorThe Beatles - Penny LaneJohnny Cash - Walk the LineHear more of Dru Cutler's work at www.drucutler.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A strange syndrome is wreaking havoc on the voices of our biggest pop stars. From Rihanna to Justin Bieber, no one is safe from having their beautiful vocals chopped up, screwed down, repitched and repurposed. As dance music takes over the charts and new software grants vocal manipulation at the click of a button, this uncanny production technique has become nearly ubiquitous. But is this ultramodern sound really that new? We dig deep into the roots of the sound of the moment.Featuring:• Kiaara - Gold• Coldplay - Hymn for the Weekend (Seeb remix)• Hailee Steinfeld ft. Grey & Zedd - Starving• Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna - This is What You Came For• Mike Posner -I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb remix)• DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You• Cold Crush Brothers - MC Battle (Live)• Cerrone - Rocket in the Pocket• Wu Tang Clan - Tearz• Wendy Rene - After Laughter• Kanye West - School Spirit• Whistle - Just Buggin• Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode marks something of a departure from the norm. With Charlie away, host Nate, aka "Hubcap," takes us on a home-show tour of the Scottish Highlands with his traveling minstrel act, The Gideon and Hubcap Show. It's an entirely different kind of summer music spectacle. Featuring:•13,000 Miles - Gideon Irving•Oh Wow - Gideon Irving•Ida Done - Gideon and Hubcap•Safe Word - Gideon and Hubcap•Hebrides Overture – Felix Mendelssohn•Mouth Music - From the Smithsonian Folkways Collection, Scottish Drinking and Pipe Songs•Breabach - Gig Face•Cuyahoga - Gideon and HubcapCheck out www.mynameisgideon.com and www.gideonandhubcap.com for more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fingerprints of house music are all over mainstream pop, but much of its sound has been whitewashed. That ubiquitous four-to-the-floor kick and synth bass sound draws from Chicago's queer, black and latinx warehouse club culture. Micah Salkind is working on a book on the history of these communities. Together we break down the sonic origins of this music through a modern track that fully embraces its cultural nexus: "Hideaway" by Kiesza. Micah takes us back to Chicago in the 1980s, and we explore how this sound came to be and where it is going today. FEATURINGKiesza - HideawayLoleeta Holloway - Love SensationBlack box - Ride On TimeMadonna - VogueMr. Fingers - The JuiceKanye West - FadeRythim Is Rythim - Strings Of LifePaul Oakenfold - You Could Be HappyFrankie Knuckles - Your LoveMFSB ft The Three Degrees - T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)Jesse Saunders - On and OnDiplo - Be Right There Justin Bieber - SorryCalvin Harris - This Is What You Came ForShaun J. Wright & Alinka - Love Inspired MORE STUFFFind more of Micah's work at micah-salkind.squarespace.com/about/ and his DJ sets at www.mixcloud.com/micahjacksonListen to Shaun J. Wright & Alinka on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/aalinkaa/shaun-j-wright-alinka-love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you create a hit that both breaks sound barriers and chart records? Drake has done this with a unique mix of international sounds from Africa, the Caribbean, the U.K. and Canada. But is his chart topping success musical appropriation or celebration? A deep listening reveals diverse influences and musical rhythms that have crossed oceans centuries before "One Dance" was even conceived. Plus, we debut Blinky Bill's "So Strong," his first single off his upcoming solo album.FEATURING- Drake - One Dance (feat. Whizkid & Kyla)- Ojuelegba Remix - Wizkid ft. Drake & Septa- 2Baba - Coded Tinz ft. Phyno, Chief Obi- DJ Maphorisa - Soweto Baby feat Wizkid & Dj Buckz- Crazy Cousinz - Do You Mind ft. Kyla- The Revolutionaries - General For General- Barrington Levy - Dance Are Changing - Joh Thomas - Ghetto Dance- Papa Biggie - Youth Them Have To Grow- Yellowman - Adam & Eve- Mighty Diamonds - Love Me Girl- Drake - Hotline Bling- Timmy Thomas - Why Can’t We Live Together- D.R.A.M. - Cha Cha- Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - Take Care Of You- Drake - Take Care ft. Rihanna- Drake - JunglePaul Simon - Graceland- Paul Simon - I Know What I Know- Moby - Natural Blues- Vera Hall - Trouble So Hard- David Guetta - Hey Mama (ft. Nicki Minaj)- Sangkala - Gamelan Degung- Joel Francisco Perri - Las llamas de Potosi- Habib Koité - Africa- Kwaa Mensah - Odo Me, Me Sum No DoChico O’farrell - Sin Titulo- Trio Matamoros - El Que Siembra Su Maíz - Joseph Kabasele - Africa Bola Ngombi- E.T. Mensa & The Tempos - Fom Fom- Fela Kuti - Lagos Baby- Fela Kuti - Elbe Moi (Carry Me)- Fela Kuti - LadyWizkid - Show You The Money- Blinky Bill - So StrongCheck out Blinky's music at www.soundcloud.com/blinkybSupported by Casper and Amazon Prime Music's Song of Summer Playlist Amazon www.amazonsongsofsummer.com/pop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices