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PODCAST

Unfamous with Justin Tranter

Justin Tranter + Morgan Stuart

Most of what you love in pop culture didn’t happen the way you think it did. Unfamous goes deep with the people who were actually there. Hosted by Grammy-nominated hit songwriter Justin Tranter, whose credits include Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and some of the biggest pop songs of the past decade, Unfamous takes you inside the rooms where culture gets made. Artists, writers, producers, executives and collaborators reveal the decisions, disagreements, false starts, rewrites, rejections and

music music interviews

All Episodes

58:10

When "Pushing Through" Stops Working: Rainbow Kitten...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/09/30

What happens when pushing through stops making you stronger and starts getting in the way of the art? Justin Tranter sits down with Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer/songwriter Ela Melo and her partner and movement director Cat Cogliandro to unpack how movement, trust and recovery changed the way Ela and the band perform. They trace “Devil Like Me” from a homemade recording built with cardboard-box stomp claps to its live reinvention, revisit the 2022 Red Rocks performance that forced Ela to

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88:56

Inside Pop Songwriting: Hits, Failure, Fear + What...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/09/23

What makes a great song when everyone is trying to reverse-engineer hits, virality and the “right” way to be an artist? Justin Tranter sits down with friends and collaborators Sasha Alex Sloan and Amelia Moore, two artist-songwriters whose careers keep proving that some of the best creative decisions are the ones that look wrong on paper. They unpack how an imperfect choice became one of the most memorable parts of Camila Cabello’s “Never Be the Same,” why the “too complicated” riff in Amelia’s

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63:28

Why Some Songs Work Onscreen and Others Don’t: Pitch...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/09/16

What makes one song perfect for a scene while another, even a great one, just doesn’t work? Justin Tranter sits down with music supervisor Julia Michels and songwriter, producer and arranger Alana Da Fonseca to break down the judgment behind the music in Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada, Wednesday, Off Campus and more. They get into testing whether “Toxic” would still connect with a younger audience, knowing instantly that KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” belonged in The Devil Wears Prada,

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64:16

How Music Gets Into Hit TV Shows | The Hidden Process...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/09/09

How does a song actually make it into a hit TV show, and what makes the right placement capable of changing an artist’s career?Live from the GMS Conference, Justin Tranter sits down with Emmy-nominated music supervisors Amanda Krieg Thomas and Anna Romanoff to reveal the hidden process behind the music you hear on screen. They break down how Off Campus on Prime built its musical world from the scripts up, how artists like G Flip and The Beaches landed major moments, what it really takes to clear

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66:39

Bella Kay + Alexis Idarose Kesselman |...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/09/02

Bella Kay and songwriter-producer Alexis Idarose Kesselman break down the creative partnership behind Bella’s debut album, from meeting during one of Bella’s first-ever writing sessions to making “I Love It, I Love It, I Love It,” “Stop,” “Blur,” and “Karaoke.” They talk about learning the rules without losing what makes an artist unique, fighting for ideas, turning messy relationships into songs, handling criticism, and why the best collaborators make you feel even more like

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72:30

Ruth B + Cole MGN | What Happens After Your First...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/08/26

Ruth B’s career exploded with her very first song. Then came the harder question: how do you do it again? Ruth and producer Cole MGN join Justin Tranter to unpack the pressure that followed “Lost Boy,” why “Dandelions” unexpectedly going viral five years later changed Ruth’s relationship with success, and how the two built her most personal album yet. They break down abandoning the songwriting-session treadmill, reinventing Ruth’s creative process, taking nearly two years to finish “Breathe,”

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36:22

Recap | How Artists Rebuild, Find Their Identity +...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/08/19

Host and co-creator Justin Tranter and co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit their conversation with artist Valencia Grace and manager Kyle Stuart to unpack what it really takes to build an artist from the ground up. They break down why getting dropped can sometimes unlock the artist you were supposed to become, why the right manager needs to be genuinely obsessed with the work, and why virality, a record deal, or industry attention can never replace creative identity, trust, and a team that actually

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94:36

Bea Miller | Child Stardom on The X Factor,...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/08/12

Bea Miller joins longtime collaborator Justin Tranter to unpack growing up as a child star, surviving The X Factor, and finding her confidence as a songwriter. They break down how real conversations about depression, relationships, insecurity and bad decisions became songs like “Feel Something,” “Drunk Enough,” “Depressed on the Internet,” and “Sex for Attention,” plus sexism in writing rooms, Paramore’s influence, and the new album marking her first in a decade. This episode is funny, brutally

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28:25

Recap: Kid Cudi on Creative Trust, Criticism, and the...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/08/05

Unfamous host Justin Tranter and his co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit Justin’s conversation with Kid Cudi, unpacking what it reveals about trust, creative risk, criticism, and longevity. From the chaotic first session that helped unlock “Saltwater,” to Cudi pushing himself vocally, to “Pursuit of Happiness” becoming something bigger than its original meaning, this minisode looks at how great artists keep evolving without losing what makes them singular.Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin

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25:36

Recap: Caleb Hearon + Caitie Delaney on TV Writing,...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/07/29

Unfamous host Justin Tranter is joined by his co-creator Morgan Stuart to revisit their episode with comedian, actor, and writer Caleb Hearon and TV writer Caitie Delaney, whose credits include Big Mouth and Rick and Morty. Together, they unpack what Caleb and Caitie’s creative partnership reveals about writer room dynamics, ego, executive notes, knowing when to push back, and why the best collaborators care more about the work than getting credit. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin

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70:42

Wendy Goldstein | The Art of Building Superstars

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/07/22

Wendy Goldstein, Chairwoman and CCO of Republic Records, joins Justin Tranter for a masterclass on how artists are discovered, careers are built, and hit records are made.From signing The Roots in her first week at Epic Records to helping guide artists like Ariana Grande, Joe Jonas, and DNCE, Wendy shares lessons from decades spent shaping some of the biggest careers and moments in modern music. She breaks down what A&R really is, how she evaluates songs, why some artists become stars while

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66:21

Claire + Ragnar Rosinkranz | The Viral Hit, the...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/07/15

Claire Rosinkranz and Ragnar Rosinkranz join Justin Tranter for a funny, intimate, and deeply honest conversation about making music as father and daughter. They look back on the musical home that shaped Claire, the unexpected rise of “Backyard Boy,” and what it felt like to have a viral breakout at 16 before fully understanding the scale of it. But this episode is not just about one song. Claire also opens up about the pressure that followed, performing for audiences that are not always hers,

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74:57

Emei + Ricky Reed | How Radical Honesty Builds Great...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/07/08

Singer-songwriter Emei joins Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and Nice Life founder Ricky Reed for a conversation about the creative partnership behind her latest project, Night at the Opera, and what it really takes to build a lasting career. Together with Justin Tranter, they unpack how Ricky discovered Emei, why one radically honest conversation became the foundation of their collaboration, and how trust, vulnerability, and creative honesty shaped both the music and the artist behind

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75:03

Nick Jonas | The Rejections Behind His Biggest...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/07/01

Nick Jonas has spent nearly two decades navigating the highs, lows, and reinventions that come with growing up in public. In this episode of Unfamous, he joins Justin Tranter for an honest conversation about the resilience, creativity, and self-belief that have fueled one of pop culture's most enduring careers. Nick reflects on the pressure of being perceived as a Disney star and Jonas Brother while trying to prove himself as an artist, the fear of rejection that almost kept him from taking bigger

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69:07

Rose Gray | From Louder, Please to "Club to Your Arms"

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/06/24

Rose Gray joins Justin Tranter for a conversation about songwriting, collaboration, and the creative journey behind her latest single, "Club to Your Arms." A Critics Choice Brit Award nominee and one of the most exciting voices in modern pop, Rose shares how she built a devoted fanbase through relentless touring, emotional honesty, and a clear artistic vision long before any viral breakthrough arrived. Together, she and Justin unpack their years-long creative partnership, the evolution of Rose's

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79:41

Katy Perry + Christian Breslauer | Watch It Burn,...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/06/17

Katy Perry, Christian Breslauer and Justin Tranter make bold, emotionally driven work. But more importantly, they know what it means to feel something fully and still let it be seen.In this episode of Unfamous, Katy sits down with Justin to talk about their songwriting collaboration on “Band-Aids” and “Watch It Burn” (out 6/25), and how those songs came from a place of vulnerability, intention, and emotional truth. She talks about fear. About anger she had to let herself touch. About the line

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74:30

Skylar Grey + Elliott Taylor | Eminem Hits, Bubble...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/06/10

Skylar Grey and Elliott Taylor collaborate on making music. But more importantly, they’ve built a creative life together. In this episode of Unfamous, Skylar opens up about writing Love The Way You Lie for Eminem and Rihanna alone in a cabin in the woods with no internet, how emotional burnout shaped her new album Wasted Potential, and why some of the darkest creative moments often lead to breakthrough art.If you love songwriting, creative process, and honest conversations about burnout, ambition,

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72:15

Bongo ByTheWay + Ant Clemons | Songwriting math,...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/06/03

Bongo ByTheWay and Ant Clemons break down the creative chemistry that turned their first session into 11 songs in a single day and eventually led to collaborations with artists like Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and more.The conversation dives into songwriting “math,” artist development, ego-free collaboration, surviving the music industry, and why emotional intelligence matters just as much as talent. They also talk about sleeping on floors before breakthrough moments, navigating

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78:21

Linda Perry + Don Hardy | Music, filmmaking, grief,...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/05/27

Linda Perry, the songwriter and producer behind songs like Christina Aguilera's “Beautiful” and Four Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” joins Unfamous alongside documentary filmmaker Don Hardy to talk about the deeply personal documentary about Linda’s life and creative evolution.The episode explores Linda’s journey through music, collaboration, grief, cancer, vulnerability, and emotional honesty while unpacking what happens when an artist allows themselves to be documented in the middle of real life

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5:34

Valencia Grace performs “Picture Frames” live on...

Unfamous with Justin Tranter ·

2026/05/20

Valencia Grace performs a live rendition of “Picture Frames” on this special episode of Unfamous. Stripped down to just voice and piano, the performance highlights the theatrical emotion, intimacy, and storytelling at the core of Valencia’s artistry.Follow, subscribe, like and comment if you love to watch and listen. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T

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35 results

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