Pop Pantheon

For the first of our three-part series on the High Priest of Pop, Prince, the University of Minnesota's Dr. Elliott H. Powell joins the show to discuss the rise of perhaps pop history’s greatest enigma. Louie and Elliot unpack Prince’s upbringing in Minneapolis, his impressive 1978 debut, For You, on which he played every instrument, and mainstream breakthrough with his self-titled sophomore album in 1979 and its smash "I Wanna Be Your Lover". Then they tackle how 1980’s filthy, carnal Dirty Mind established Prince at pop's vanguard and presaged the sound of the 1980s and the cultural debate Prince wielded on 1981’s Controversy. Finally, they discuss how 1982’s 1999 synthesized Prince’s persona and sound into something broadly appealing and set the stage for his Purple Reign that would follow in the coming years.Join us next week for Part 2 which will cover Prince’s imperial phase, from 1984's Purple Rain to 1989's Batman.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Prince Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreBuy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In PasadenaCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on September 29Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Dr. Elliott H. Powell on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live: Britney's Memoir, Music & Legacy on 11/2 In PasadenaA little about the live show: She’s so lucky, she’s a star. But Britney Spears has charted one of the most challenging, complex paths through the music business since the dawn of pop. Following the release of Britney’s new memoir, The Woman in Me, Pop Pantheon podcast host DJ Louie XIV (he/him) has gathered an all-star panel of guests to discuss Britney’s life and music LIVE. Louie will be joined onstage by Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music Jason King, Beyond The Blinds podcast host (and Britney superfan) Troy McEady and Gloss Angeles podcast host Kirbie Johnson to tackle how Britney’s public narrative has impacted her legacy as the definitive pop superstar of her generation, discuss her innovative music and parse apart where she sits in the current pop firmament. And stick around after the show for a special Britney edition of Gorgeous Gorgeous, a pop party for queer and trans hotties by DJ Louie and friends! For more bonus content like this Britney Blackout episode, Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on September 29Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Troy McEady on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

Jack Antonoff, pop music's super producer du-jour, is analyzed for his strengths and weaknesses as a producer. The podcast explores the changing nature of pop stardom, the influence of social media on society, and the visionary approach to music through Antonoff's collaboration with Lana Del Rey.

Billboard's Leila Cobo joins to trace Jennifer Lopez's unique path through popular culture. They discuss JLo's rise from backup dancer to pop icon, her success in music and film, her ability to blend her Latina heritage with mainstream pop sounds, and her impact on the industry. They also delve into her transformation into Selena, her breakthrough in the Selena biopic, the rise of Latin-flavored music in the English language market, her consistent messaging in her music, the impact of her iconic music videos, and her ability to showcase her Latin identity while appealing to mainstream audiences. They analyze her collaborations with rappers and her struggle and successful comeback in the music industry. Finally, they debate Jennifer Lopez's place in the Pop Pantheon and conclude with a discussion on an underrated song by her.

Pop punk is the midst of a revival at the top of the charts so for this week's B-Side, Louie and writer for Alternative Magazine and other pubs, Ryan Piers, break down the history of the genre, how the iconoclasm of punk music and the commercialism of pop music have a strange but fruitful synergy,  pop punk's first wave in the mid-90s through the early 2000s with Blink 182, Green Day, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and others, how it's fallen in out and of fashion since, and the characteristics of its recent revival with Machine Gun Kelly, Olivia Rodrigo, Willow & others. Listen to Ryan's Alt & Punk Playlist on SpotifyJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 25Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on September 16Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Ryan Piers 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, Service 95's Brennan Carley joins DJ Louie to discuss Carly Rae Jepsen's new album, The Loveliest Time, which dropped last week and serves as a companion piece to 2022's The Loneliest Time. Louie and Brennan dig into Carly's aesthetic stasis in recent years, the swings-and-misses from Loneliest's attempts to find new avenues for her music, and how Loveliest presents her loosest and most exciting batch of songs in a very long time, serving as a potential jumping off point for a new phase of Carly's career. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. 

For part two of our Gwen Stefani series, NPR Music editor Hazel Cills returns to Pop Pantheon to tackle Gwen's solo career. Louie and Hazel discuss Gwen striking out on her own via collaborations with Moby and Eve, then parse through her certifiably bonkers, extraordinarily controversial, hit-stacked solo debut, 2004’s Love Angel Music Baby – undoubtedly one of the mid 2000’s biggest blockbusters. Then they consider her 2006 follow-up, The Sweet Escape, and solo return a decade later, 2016’s This Is What the Truth Feels Like. Along the way, they dig into Gwen’s gleefully polyglot musical aesthetic, her infamous cultural appropriation and, finally, rank Gwen Stefani in the official Pop Pantheon. Read Hazel's retrospective review of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Listen to Pop Pantheon's No Doubt & Gwen Stefani Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on August 25Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

And Introducing host Molly Mary O’Brien joins the show for part one of a double-header on Gwen Stefani! This week, Molly and Louie discuss No Doubt, a local SoCal ska band that improbably morphed into one of the world’s biggest pop rock bands and then served as a launching pad Gwen’s solo career as one of the important big-tent dance pop stars of her generation. The two dig into what made Gwen a inevitable superstar even before she took her place as the band’s front-woman, No Doubt’s feel-good, goofy early tunes, the monster pop hooks and pop feminism of their 1995 breakthrough, Tragic Kingdom, the contemplative commercial comedown of 2000’s Return of Saturn, 2001’s dancehall-inspired Rock Steady which returned the group to the charts and their final effort, 2012's Push and Shove. Finally, they rank No Doubt in the official Pop Pantheon. Tune in next week for Part II: Gwen Stefani’s solo years.Listen to Pop Pantheon's No Doubt & Gwen Stefani Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreListen to And Introducing on Apple PodcastsListen to And Introducing on Spotify Follow Molly Mary O’Brien on TwitterFollow Molly Mary O’Brien on InstagramFollow 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, Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger joins Pop Pantheon: All Access to revisit Robyn's most recent album, 2018's long-awaited Honey. Bobby and Louie dig into the album's central themes of grief and loss, how it pivots from the catharsis and gratification of classic Robyn songs towards something more amorphous and even frustrating, its deconstruction of dance music genres, the journey of the title track from Girls soundtrack curio to undulating, sensual house track, Robyn's position in the greater pop music ecosystem as the Mother Niche Legend and so much more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive at least three episodes of the show per month, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. 

Louie and Russ are answering listener questions about what's next for Charli XCX, how Dua Lipa fits into the broader trend of cult-of-personality pop stars, whether The Idol will tank The Weeknd's career, why Luke Comb's "Fast Car" is such a hit, how a Canadian Pop Pantheon might differ from the American one, a slew of Niche Legends, how they make the show and so much more. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter