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.

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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 of previous works seemed ceaseless, and her new relationship with football star Travis Kelce was plastered all over our TVs and social media feeds constantly.

All of that made the album a lot to stomach for many outside of the artist's (massive) core fan base and Poets, though hugely commercially successful, was broadly seen as one of the pop icon's weaker efforts, including by the makers of the podcast.

But with the power of hindsight, how does Tortured Poets hold up removed from all of that context?

Louie, Russ, and friend of the pod Shaad D'Souza gather to discuss just that, plus each share their... um.. "tailored" versions which help prune the massive tracklist into something more manageable, and maybe good?

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.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

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!

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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 Jepsen-helmed 10 Things I Hate About You Musical and the viral mess of Katy Perry's Lifetimes Tour, before playing a game that tests Louie's Spotify numbers knowledge.

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.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

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 clever branding, catchphrases, and signature swaggering, fun-loving on-record presence, all of which made him one of the key voices of the EDM era. Finally, they discuss his later era work and rank Pitbull in the official Pop Pantheon.

Listen to Pop Pantheon's Pitbull Essentials on Spotify

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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 audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

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 4/18

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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 for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Pre-order Nora’s new book, Hit Girls: Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade HERE, listen to Every Single Album HERE & sign up for updates about Louie’s upcoming book HERE.