In a preview of this week's episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua & host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien join DJ Louie to look back on three years of Chromatica: How they absorbed it when it dropped in the context of May 2020, how it sounds to them now, what's happening aesthetically and thematically on the songs, where it stacks up against in Gaga's catalog and what it says about her status in the pop firmament of the 2020s.To hear the rest of the episode, plus gain access to all our bonus content and more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. 

Senior Music Editor at Rolling Stone Julyssa Lopez joins Pop Pantheon to discuss chameleonic hit-maker and international pop force, Shakira. Louie and Julyssa unpack Shakira’s early success throughout Latin America with 1995's Pies Descalzos and 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?, her international break-through, Laundry Service (2001), her market-conquering Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), the Pharrell-driven She Wolf (2009), through to her current status as a hitmaker, 30 years into her career, and trailblazer for a new generation of latin pop crossover superstars. Finally, they place Shakira in the official Pop Pantheon.Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreListen to the Shakira Essentials playlist on SpotifyGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at Resident Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Julyssa Lopez on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Louie and Russ gather to discuss British pop star Jessie Ware's fifth studio album, the disco-homaging That! Feels Good!, which dropped a couple weeks ago and where it fits into the broader disco revival which began in 2020 with Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia.To hear the rest of this episode plus all of our bonus content, access to our Discord and so much more, subscribe to the Icon Tier at Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Beyoncé's massive Renaissance World Tour kicks off next week in Stockholm, Sweden so DJ Louie got a veritable Beyhive of all stars— writer of the substack Hung Up Hunter Harris, Keep It! Host Ira Madison III and Pitchfork Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel— in formation to reflect on (almost) one year of the stadium trek's namesake Renaissance, Queen B's seventh album which dropped last July. First, the panel discusses each of their personal journeys with the record, from elation to frustration and everything in between, and its incredibly perplexing rollout complete with no visuals, no live performances and essentially zero acknowledgement of this music from Beyoncé herself. They then share their hopes for the tour before tackling their personal rankings of Beyoncé's seven studio albums. Having lived with it for nearly a year, how does Renaissance stack up against her previous work? Check Out Our Beyoncé Series from last year, Part 1: Destiny's Child with Brittany Spanos, Part 2: Solo Superstar with Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Part 3: American Icon with Dr. Daphne Brooks & Part 4: Beyoncé's Renaissance with Doreen St. FelixJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los AngelesGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in Bushwick!!!Subscribe to Hunter Harris' Substack Hung UpFollow Hunter Harris on TwitterCheck out Ira Madison III's Podcast Keep It! Follow Ira Madison III on TwitterFollow Puja Patel on Twitter Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

The New Yorker's John Seabrook joins Pop Pantheon to discuss his recent exhaustive piece, "So You Want To Be a Tik Tok Star". John and Louie discuss how the social media vlogging app rose to dominance in the music space, why it's so well-suited to the pop music ecosystem, how artists both existing and new are utilizing it and rebelling against it, how the music industry is weaponizing it and how it's changing the very nature of both pop stardom and music as we know it... for better or worse. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los AngelesFollow John Seabrook on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Pop Pantheon's first guest ever (!!) Steven J. Horowitz is back to revisit the first artist ever featured on the show, Ariana Grande. Since Louie and Steven last spoke in early 2021, Ariana has done... not much. But since they didn't really get to dig into it back then, the two go long on her latest album, 2020's sex-fest Positions, a dreamy, minor work that somehow both produced two smash singles and felt weirdly slight for an artist of Ari's stature. What works on this album? What doesn't? How has it aged? And what does it portend for Ari's future music and position in the Pop Pantheon? Louie and Steven mull over all those questions and more. To hear the rest of this episode and all of our bonus content plus get access to our Discord channel and so many more perks, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. 

In the third episode of our girl group trilogy, US Editor and Culture Director of Service 95 Brennan Carley joins the show to discuss the (very) brief rise and fall of the last major American girl group of note, Fifth Harmony. Louie and Brennan discuss 5H's assembly by Simon Cowell on the reality singing competition show X-Factor, how they discovered their signature brand of 2010s female empowerment and borderline goofy ethos on their very good debut, 2015's Reflection, the trop-house vibes of their sophomore album, 2016's 7/27, home to their signature hit, the ridiculous, sleek smash "Work From Home", and member Camila Cabello's sudden departure as well as the gang's final self-titled album in 2017. Louie and Brennan then touch in on the member's respective solo careers before ranking Fifth Harmony in the official Pop Pantheon. Check out Pop Pantheon's Fifth Harmony Essentials Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Grab Tickets to See Louie DJ at his Queer Pop Party, Gorgeous Gorgeous, 5/6 in Los Angeles!Follow Brennan Carley on TwitterFollow Brennan Carley on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of the latest episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Louie and Russ discuss the rollout for Chlöe Bailey's debut solo album, In Pieces, which debuted last week at #119 on the Billboard 200 selling just ten thousand copies. What happened? Why didn't Chlöe- who'd previously has success with her sister as part of Chlöe & Halle, was supported by a major label and co-signed by Beyoncé and is clearly a gifted and ambitious vocalist, writer and performer- connect as a solo artist? And what does this tell us about the state of pop stardom more broadly in 2023?To hear the whole episode plus all of our bonus content, get access to our Discord channel, the guest list at Louie's party Gorgeous Gorgeous and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier.

The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Félix returns to Pop Pantheon for the second episode in our new girl group trilogy, digging into the crazy, sexy and cool career of one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, TLC. Doreen and DJ Louie discuss the album that made TLC instant stars, 1992’s raucous Oooh, on the TLC Tip!, their pivot to slinky R&B on their classic blockbuster sophomore album CrazySexyCool (1994), their comeback with 1999’s futuristic FanMail and 2002’s 3D, released after Lisa Left-Eye Lopes’ untimely death. Along the way, they explore TLC’s forward-thinking pop feminism and politics, the drama that plagued and in some ways defined them and their impact on both girl groups and pop history. Finally, Louie and Doreen rank TLC in the official Pop Pantheon.Come back April 20 for the final episode in Pop Pantheon’s girl groups trilogy.Listen to TLC Essentials playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Follow Doreen St. Félix on TwitterFollow Doreen St. Félix on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

Author of the book Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s, Dr. Jacqueline Warwick, joins Pop Pantheon to kick off the first of a trilogy of episodes on girl groups, starting with four acts who burned fast and bright during the 1950s and 1960s: The Ronettes, The Shirelles, The Marvelettes and The Shangri-Las. Jacqueline and Louie dive into the hits, careers and legacies of these foundational outfits who not only helped invent the idea of the girl group as we know it today, but also helped set the template for modern pop music. Finally, they place each of the four groups into the Official Pop Pantheon. Stay tuned this April for more episodes on girl groups throughout the ages.Buy Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960sListen to the Mid-Century Girl Groups Essentials playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More!!Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store!Follow Jacqueline Warwick on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter