Listening 2 Britney: Toxic

Throughout pop history, groups from The Ink Spots to the Beach Boys to Fleetwood Mac all forged their sound in the alchemy of vocal harmonies, harnessing the magic that happens when different voices join as one. Then suddenly, right around the 1980s, vocal harmonies started to wa ...  Show more

For the first time in history, five country songs were at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ella Langley, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and Stella Lefty all have songs that range from two-stepping hits to borderline Americana: what do these songs say about the state of country musi ...  Show more

On this special rerun, Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY get Toxic! Join for LUXXURY’s thesis on why the song is a pop masterpiece that weds high art and obscure sonic references with Britney Spears’ bubblegum vocals. There’s also all of the usual deep dives, rabbit holes, and interpolat ...  Show more

On this episode, Kirk dives into one of the greatest pop songs of all time.

Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is arguably the defining song of the last decade, but it's far from your average pop tune. With its unusual tensions and unstoppable groove, it defies ...

The singer, rapper and songwriter’s peppy empowerment songs have made her an outlier in a field dominated by melancholic music. Guests: The Ringer's Justin Charity; Lindsay Zoladz; and William Robin. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You ca ...  Show more

A conversation about the pop singer’s new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Plus: How Tinashe’s “Nasty” went viral. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-ac ...  Show more