Pop Pantheon

Shaad D’Souza returns to Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our three-part series on Charli XCX. Shaad and Louie unpack Charli’s 2020 lockdown album, the DIY How I'm Feeling Now, and 2022’s Crash, which ditched the outré experimentation of her PC Music era in favor of open gestures at the pop charts. From there, they discuss Charli’s return to the Hot 100 with “Speed Drive” and her most recent record, brat, which fuelled her unexpected rise from Niche Legend to the most talked about pop star in the world. Finally, they reassess Charli XCX’s place in the Official Pop Pantheon.Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1)Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brat Summer becomes Brat Autumn as Charli XCX drops a completely reimagined version of her blockbuster album from earlier this year, Brat and it's Completely Different but Also Still Brat. Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Charli's latest addition to the Bratoverse and how it transcends the pitfalls of the cliche modern pop superstar remix, providing new twists, depth and dimension to the OG material with an all-star lineup from across the music world including Ariana Grande, Lorde, Addison Rae, Bladee, ShyGirl, Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish & more. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our three-part series on Charli XCX. Anna and Louie look back on Charli’s early link-ups with "hyperpop" innovator Sophie, starting with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, which began Charli's pivot from an also-ran on the pop charts into the genre’s savviest alternative auteur. From there, they chart her adventurous new creative direction, her work with frequent creative partner A.G. Cook on her 2017 mixtapes, the sugar-rush Number 1 Angel and the critically-beloved Pop 2. Finally, they discuss Charli's scrapped third studio album, XCX World, her failure to launch commercial singles in the U.S. and her 2019 self-titled album Charli. Join us next week for our third and final part in the series, which will cover Charli’s output from 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now through brat.Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1)Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga turned heads with her debut film role, her Oscar-nominated turn in 2018's A Star is Born, and many thought she might defy history and become the rare pop diva who successfully pivots to Hollywood. But since then, her track record has been spotty at best. Despite her performance being singled out as a bright spot, her next film, 2021's House of Gucci, got a mixed reaction at best. And now her third effort Joker: Folie à Deux, released last week, is being pegged as one of the biggest comic movie flops of all time, critically and commercially. With more duds than hits in her filmography, what's Gaga's future as a film star? Louie, Russ and Variety's Daniel D'addario discuss.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

For the first in our new three-part series on Charli XCX, i-D’s Owen Myers returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the start of Charli’s iconoclastic and unlikely trail through pop. Owen and Louie trace Charli’s roots in England, starting when she was a teenage songwriter posting demos to MySpace and performing at raves in London. Then they discuss her charmingly DIY unreleased debut album, 14, her first brush with success with the surprise hit “I Love It,” her 2012 mixtapes, Heartbreaks and Earthquakes and Super Ultra, and her 2013 major label debut True Romance. Next they unpack “Fancy,” her first solo success with “Boom Clap” and the snappy pop punk 2014’s Sucker.Join us next week for Part 2, in which w'ell be talking about Charli’s reinvention as an avant pop futurist beginning with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP and through her self-titled 2019 record, Charli. Check out Pop Pantheon's Charli XCX Essentials Spotify PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreBuy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYCCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1)Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night live in Los Angeles, DJ Louie gathered with HeidiWorld's Molly Lambert, And Introducing's Molly Mary O'Brien, The Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood & writer Jaelani Tuner-Williams to break down Katy Perry's new record 143, Lady Gaga's new record Harlequin and just how these two superlative millennial divas are navigating the awkward period of their careers between trend-setter and legacy act.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LABuy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYCBillboard is currently rolling out their list of the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century and we couldn't resist participating in the fun! Rich Juzwiak and Sam Murphy join DJ Louie to share each of their respective top tens before the three duke it out to settle on their collective final list of the the Top Ten Pop Stars of the 21st Century. Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween in both Los Angeles (10/25) and NYC (11/1)Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

Don't forget to grab tickets to our live show, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and The Millennial Diva Conundrum this Monday 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA! We'll be talking 143, Harlequin, and so much more! In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ each had the true pleasure of seeing Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's Sweat Tour in New York City and Toronto respectively and they got together to break down the entire surreal and joyous experience.To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app. 

Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Live! Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the Millennial Diva Conundrum on 9/30 at Dynasty Typewriter in LA (DISCOUNT BEGINS AT 12AM on 9/20!) Buy Tickets to Pop Pantheon Presents Main Pop Girls Dance Party on 10/4 at Parkside Lounge in NYCIn a SUPERSIZED episode of Pop Pantheon, critic, writer and NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast host Aisha Harris returns to unpack the astonishing symmetry of two of the biggest boy bands in history, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. Aisha and Louie track their strikingly similar origins, their first brushes with success in Europe and their explosions stateside, which helped solidify the teen pop boom of the turn of the century. They then dig into their self-titled debuts, from Backstreet’s blockbuster 1996 effort to *NSYNC’s launch the next year, their short-lived runs as commercial supernovas with Millennium (1999) and No Strings Attached (2000), their diverging sounds and ambitions, final hits, intertwined legacies and finally, Aisha and Louie rank Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC in the Official Pop Pantheon. Listen Pop Pantheon's Backstreet Boys VS. *NSYNC Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous: Los Angeles at Los Globos on 9/27Follow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on Instagram

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The 40th Annual MTV Video Music Awards were held last night and featured marquee performances from It Girls like Sabrina Carpenter, GloRilla, Lisa & Chappell Roan while presenting their prestigious Video Vanguard award to Katy Perry. But with MTV flailing, music videos in their flop era and most old guard superstars MIA, did the VMAs justify their continued existence or live up to their storied history? Louie and Russ ponder these questions, recap all the major performances and awards, and generally talk their sh*t about last night's show. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.