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PODCAST

Pop Pantheon

The podcast where DJ Louie XIV and guests completely overanalyze all your favorite pop stars, then rank them in the official Pop Pantheon.

music music commentary

All Episodes

51:28

What Will Be the Song of Summer 2025?

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/05/08

After debating the current chart fortunes of everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga and a bevy of current-charting Tik Tok stars they've never heard of, Louie and Russ throw down cash in a high stakes betting game in which they attempt to figure out what will be the official Song of Summer 2025! Come back this fall to find out who won. BUY TICKETS TO MAIN POP GIRLS: PRIDE ON JUNE 7 AT PARKSIDE LOUNGE!Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for

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11:49

Is Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/05/05

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department— a sprawling, 31 song, two disc, two+ hour melange of music from the superstar— arrived last April amidst peak Taylor cultural overload: her landmark Eras Tour had been globe-trotting for a year, she'd just recently dominated the Grammys winning her record-breaking fourth Album of the Year trophy for previous album Midnights, her non-stop fountain of re-releases

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52:21

Britney Mailbag! (with Alim Kheraj)

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/05/01

In the wake of our epic Britney series, critic and writer of the Substack In the Zine Alim Kheraj joins Louie and Russ to answer all your burning follow up questions: What are our favorite Britney deep cuts? What do we make of the anti-Britneys like Avril? Who would we cast in a proper remake of the Britney, Beyoncé, and Pink Pepsi commercial? And so much more! Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop

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11:39

Lorde Returns, Katy Perry's Latest Flop & More...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/28

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, late last week, Lorde ushered in her much-anticipated new era by dropping her latest single, "What Was That," amidst a surprise live pop-up show in New York City's Washington Square Park, before releasing the song's music video soon after. So how is it? And what does it tell us about the possibility of an impending Lorde-aissance? Louie and Russ discuss that, along with the recently announced Lena Dunham and Carly Rae

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135:44

PITBULL (with Reanna Cruz)

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/24

Reanna Cruz joins Pop Pantheon to break down the rise of Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull. Reanna and Louie explore Pitbull's genesis in the cultural hub of Miami and his breakthrough with 2004's dancehall-cum-reggaeton banger “Culo.” They then tackle his early work in both Spanish and English and his pivot towards big dance anthems and cross-cultural superstardom, resulting in albums like 2009’s Pitbull Starring in Rebelution and 2011’s Planet Pit, his massive run of hit guest verses and

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11:58

Latin Pop Speed Round: Bad Bunny, Nathy Peluso & more...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/21

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento joins Russ to discuss the expansive world of latin pop, including Bad Bunny's latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, plus new songs from Nathy Peluso, Bb trickz & 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

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56:34

Where Are All the Queer Male Superstars? (with USC's...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/17

Queer men are the backbone of modern pop fandom. And yet so few, even in 2025, get to the top of the mainstream pop star heap. Why is that? And how have queer male artists existed in the pop music firmament over the last hundred years? Dean of USC's Thornton School of Music Jason King is here to help unpack all these questions and more.Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's

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11:12

Gagachella + new songs from Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/15

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti joins Russ to talk about Lady Gaga’s extraordinary Coachella performance. They also play a New Music Speed Round with new songs from Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran & 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

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59:27

Are Lady Gaga, Drake, & Selena Gomez Moving Up or...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/10

In a game of "Step Up, Step Down," Louie and Russ discuss recent career developments from Lady Gaga, Drake, Selena Gomez, Tate McRae, & Bruno Mars and whether they are currently trending up or down in the official Pop Pantheon. Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18Join 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 Twitter

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12:15

Gaga Mailbag! + Kylie's Tour & Louie's Book (Patreon...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/07

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are answering your burning questions regarding Mayhem, the tour, and so much more on Lady Gaga. They're also talking about seeing Kylie Minogue's North American arena tour and Louie's recently announced book! 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

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102:27

The Best Pop Songs of the 2020s So Far (with Shaad...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/04/03

As a sequel to a recent episode recapping The Best Albums of the 2020s So Far, critic Shaad D'Souza, The Ringer's Rob Harvilla, and writer and editor Puja Patel are here to count down each of our top five pop songs of the 2020s so far. Check out a playlist of our top pop songs of the 2020s so far on SpotifyCheck out Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Essentials PlaylistCome to Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC on 4/11Come to Gorgeous Gorgeous LA on 4/18Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for

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10:37

One Year of Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine +...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/31

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, this past Friday, just over a year after the release of her 7th studio album, Eternal Sunshine, Ariana Grande released a deluxe version, Brighter Days Ahead. Louie and Russ reflect on how their feelings about the original record have evolved since it first dropped and how the new songs— and the short film she put out alongside them— add to the Eternal Sunshine Universe and era. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive

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121:15

Is Britney Spears Tier 1? (with Molly Mary O'Brien,...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/27

We've finally arrived! After four episodes and nearly ten hours of discussion and dissection, Pop Pantheon's Britney Spears Mega Series concludes with the big question: Is Britney Spears in Tier 1 of the Pantheon? To parse that out, Louie and Russ are joined by friend of the pod Molly Mary O'Brien to pull at this debate from every possible angle. Throughout the nearly two-hour (!!!) debate, they also hear from Dean of USC's Thornton School of Music's Jason King regarding his thoughts on

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149:41

BRITNEY SPEARS: PART 4 (with Beyond the Blinds' Troy...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/20

For the fourth episode in our five-part series on Britney Spears, Beyond The Blinds’ Troy McEady returns to Pop Pantheon to discuss late period Britney, an unnerving decade+ period where Britney's pop stardom often felt forced upon her and yet, produced some of her most beloved and successful music. Troy and Louie start with her EDM reimagining on 2011’s chart-topping Femme Fatale, her first and only album to produce three top ten singles. From there, they unpack Britney’s brief, odd The X

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12:26

Chappell Roan Returns + New Music From Lil Nas X,...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/17

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, on Friday, Chappell Roan finally dropped her long-awaited country single "The Giver," first teased on SNL back in November, plus Lil Nas released his Neptunes-nodding "Hot Box," Haim shared their treatise on "Relationships," and Lizzo gave it another whirl. Louie and Russ discuss all these songs, plus take a question about their British pop canon. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop

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136:09

BRITNEY SPEARS: PART 3 (with The New York Times'...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/13

For the third episode in our five-part series on Britney Spears, The New York Times pop music editor Caryn Ganz makes her Pop Pantheon debut to parse through a period in which tabloids covered Britney’s every move like a national news story. Caryn and Louie discuss how a turbulent time in Britney’s personal life led to what’s now considered a pop classic and one of the most prescient and influential albums of the period, 2007’s Blackout. From there, they tackle the start of Britney’s

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11:06

Reborn This Way: Lady Gaga Goes Back to Basics on...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/10

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga just dropped her hotly anticipated 7th studio album, Mayhem, this past Friday. Monster braintrust Louie, Russ and Who? Weekly's Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber got together to queen on the new record, which indexes past Gaga styles through a decidedly distilled, adult framework and is perhaps her best solo album in over a decade. To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon,

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133:40

BRITNEY SPEARS: PART 2 (with NPR's Ann Powers)

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/03/06

For the second in our five-part series on Britney Spears, NPR’s Ann Powers joins Pop Pantheon to discuss Britney’s first attempts to transition from teen queen to grown-up pop star. Ann and Louie tackle Britney's iconic “I’m a Slave 4 U” VMA performance, work with The Neptunes and play at maturity on 2001’s Britney, relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and her one and only starring film role in the teen road comedy Crossroads. Finally, they dive into Britney and Madonna’s VMA

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156:38

BRITNEY SPEARS: PART 1 (with The New Yorker's Doreen...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/02/27

For the first in our five-part series on Britney Spears, The New Yorker’s Doreen St. Felix returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the birth of a pop princess. Doreen and Louie dig into Britney’s origin story, from Star Search and The New Mickey Mouse Club to her Jive deal and development in Sweden with Max Martin. Then, they tackle her legendary breakout smash and music video, “...Baby One More Time," and her 1999 album of the same name, which shot her to the front of the teen pop pack. Next,

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11:09

The Vacuous Comforts of Tate McRae's So Close to What...

Pop Pantheon ·

2025/02/24

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, is pop music stuck in a nostalgia loop? Pop starlet Tate McRae's new album is highly referential to the last twenty years of pop from Britney to the Pussycat Dolls to Halsey and beyond. But on her new album So Close to What, which dropped last week, does she form her own identity? Or do she and her murderer's row of collaborators just do good karaoke? Louie, Russ, and Variety's Steven J. Horowitz discuss.To hear the rest of the

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326 results

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