A musical "freak," to us here at Switched On Pop, is an artist who is unique, non-conforming, and always manages to surprise. We're living in some freaky times right now, so there's no better way to honor that than to listen to pop's freakiest artists. The past few weeks have seen new releases from Lady Gaga, Tyler, the Creator, and The Cure – the latter releasing their first new album in sixteen years. This episode of Switched On Pop, we unpack these songs and get to the bottom of their freakiness.

Songs discussed:

• Lady Gaga – Disease
• Tyler, The Creator – Noid
• The Cure – Alone

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Over the summer, the culture was shaken by the biggest rap beef this decade, between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. From “First Person Shooter” to “Not Like Us,” hip-hop listeners hung on each rapper’s every word and rebuttal, and for the first time in years, the genre felt exciting.

Months after the beef had “ended,” Lamar released a track on Instagram dubbed “Watch the Party Die,” in which he lamented that hip-hop, in its current state, has lost its way and – as the title suggests – needs to die. It’s interesting, coming from Lamar, the supposed winner of the beef, and begs the question: is hip-hop dead? 

On this episode of Switched On Pop, engineer Brandon McFarland takes us on a journey over the course of history, to answer the question: can hip-hop ever truly die? And if this form of it is not sustainable, what’s next? 

Tracklist:

Drake - First Person Shooter ft. J. Cole

Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar - Like That

Drake - Push Ups

Kendrick Lamar - Euphoria

Drake - Family Matters

Kendrick Lamar - meet the grahams

Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us

Kendrick Lamar - Watch The Party Die

Glass Animals - Heat Waves

Desiigner - Panda

Migos - Versace

Public Enemy - Bring The Noise

THE CARTERS - APESHIT

Ariana Grande - 34+35

Kendrick Lamar - Alright

Jay-Z - D.O.A.

Cher - Believe

T-Pain - I'm Sprung

Lil Wayne - Lollipop ft. Static

Kanye West - Heartless

Drake - Over

Travis Scott - Mamacita ft. Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug

Lil Yachty - Poland

DRAM feat. Lil Yachty - Broccoli

Charlie XCX - 360

Too $hort - Oakland California

Geto Boys - Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta

Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks On Me

Blondie - Rapture

Playboi Carti - Magnolia

Playboi Carti - Rockstar Made

Lil Uzi Vert - New Patek

Lil Uzi Vert - Suicide Doors

Lil Uzi Vert - XO Tour Llif3

Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)

Future - Fuck Up Some Commas

Tyler, The Creator – Sticky

tisakorean - LET ME HEAR YOU SCREAM

Travis Porter ft. Tyga - Ayy Ladies

AgusFortnite2008, Stiffy & DJ Smokey – COF COF

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It’s the spookiest time of the year; Halloween is right around the corner. But unlike the winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, Halloween seems to lack a defining canon of scary music. There’s, of course, “Monster Mash,” and “Ghostbusters,” but those songs aren’t actually bone-chilling. Is there a way to make music scary? In a live show from The Dalton School in New York City, Nate and Charlie try to unpack that very question, dissecting some of the scariest songs of all time to create their own spine-tingling, hair-raising Halloween anthem.

Songs discussed:

• Bobby “Boris” Pickett – Monster Mash
• Michael Jackson – Thriller
• Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters
• Bernard Hermann – The Murder (From Psycho)
• John Williams – Main Title (Theme From Jaws)
• John Carpenter – Halloween, Main Title
• Cannibal Corpse – Scourge of Iron

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Stevie Wonder may be our modern day Mozart. A child prodigy, he joined Motown as a preadolescent where he was marketed as “Little” Stevie Wonder. He wowed audiences with his virtuosic command of the piano, harmonica, drums and of course, vocals. At just 13, he had his first number one hit “Fingertips Part II.” It was an unusual chart topper, featuring a live recording of mostly improvised music with Wonder switching between instruments as the audience cheered him on. But Wonder’s musical potential was far more than a gimmick. 

In the 1970s, Wonder broke free from the confines of his initial recording contract, securing his artistic and financial freedom. Between 1971 and 1976, during what is now known as his "classic period," he released five of the most iconic albums in popular music, beginning with Music of My Mind and culminating in Songs in the Key of Life. These albums showcased his musical genius and included timeless songs that have become part of the modern pop canon, touching on themes of love, heartbreak, justice, and spirituality. Few child prodigies fulfill their potential as profoundly as Stevie Wonder.

With the help of Wesley Morris, NYT critic and host of the spectacular audio series The Wonder of Stevie, Switched on Pop looks back on some of Stevie Wonder’s strongest compositions, exploring what makes him our contemporary musical maestro.

Songs Discussed:

• Stevie Wonder - "Girl Blue"
• Stevie Wonder - "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)"
• Stevie Wonder - "Superstition"
• Stevie Wonder - "Golden Lady"
• Stevie Wonder - "Isn't She Lovely"
• Stevie Wonder - "I Wish"
• Stevie Wonder - "Sir Duke"
• Stevie Wonder - "As"

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We celebrate Switched On Pop's 10th anniversary by taking a deep dive into the last decade of pop music. From bubblegum pop to EDM, trap, and K-pop, we explore how the sound of pop has continually evolved—even when it feels like it’s all the same. Plus, we pull back the curtain on the show with a special interview: Sean Rameswaram, host of Vox's Today Explained, puts Nate and Charlie in the hot seat to reveal their best—and most cringe-worthy—moments from the past decade.

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Coldplay is one of the biggest musical acts in the world, ranking #6 on Spotify and boasting one of the highest-grossing tours of all time. Yet, despite their global success, they've often been a critical punching bag. The New York Times once branded them “the most insufferable band of the decade.” The Independent described them as “pompous, mawkish, and unbearably smug.” But Coldplay has never claimed to be the hardest rock band—they’ve instead built a legacy on their softer sound and uplifting message. With the release of their 10th studio album, Moon Music, we dive deep into their catalog and ask the question: can we learn to love Coldplay?

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Marianne Eloise has had the same Fall Out Boy song stuck in her head for over three years. "It’s Hard to Say 'I Do,' When I Don’t," an relatively obscure cut from the band's 2007 album Infinity on High has taken up permanent residence in her brain as the ultimate earworm. Everybody has had a riff or a melody stuck in their head, but not at this . Eloise, a journalist and music writer, decided to turn her malady into a story. Her pursuit of the science behind "stuck songs" led her to our unique bureau of forensic musicology.

On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate talk about earworms: what they are, why are they so catchy, and how we might get rid of them. Then, Nate confronts his own stuck song: The Lemon Twigs's "In My Head," and in talking to the two brothers behind the group, finds a novel approach to giving an unwanted musical guest the boot.

Songs Discussed

• Fall Out Boy - It’s Hard to Say “I Do,” When I Don’t
• The Lemon Twigs - In My Head
• Kylie Minogue - Can’t Get You Out of My Head
• Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination
• Dave Harrington Group - Pure Imagination

More

• Read Marianne Eloise’s Vulture article, “My Quest to Exterminate an Earworm”
• Catch the Lemon Twigs on Tour (at your own peril)

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Last month, our producer Reanna Cruz had the opportunity to attend Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Mexico, a three-day Latin music festival set on the Mexican coastline. While they were there, they got the chance to tap into what's happening in the world of Mexican music – from romantic tumbados and lovesick R&B to multi-language crossovers and genre experimentation. This episode, Reanna takes us through the newest gems of the Mexican pop scene, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Songs discussed:

• Xavi – La Diabla
• Xavi – La Victima
• LATIN MAFIA – Julieta
• LATIN MAFIA – Julietota
• Peso Pluma, DJ Snake – TEKA
• Peso Pluma, Cardi B – PUT EM IN THE FRIDGE
• Tito Double P – MARAVILLA
• Son Rompe Pera – Cumbia is the New Punk
• Ivan Cornejo – Aquí Te Espero

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"Mamushi," the fourth single from Megan the Stallion’s album Megan, was not supposed to be a huge hit. But thanks to a viral dance, the song has become the first song on the Billboard Hot 100 to feature Japanese lyrics since 1963. With a feature from rapper Yuki Chiba and a beat from producer Koshy, "Mamushi" creates the kind of cross-cultural musical collaboration that helps correct a long record of U.S. pop stars appropriating Japanese culture.

Songs Discussed

Megan Thee Stallion (feat. Yuki Chiba) - Mamushi

Megan Thee Stallion - Hiss, Boa, Cobra, Savage, Megan's Piano, Otaku Hot Girl

Kyu Sakomoto - Sukiyaki

A Taste of Honey - Sukiyaki

Selena - Sukiyaki

Pikotaro - PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)

Hikaru Utada, Skrillex - Face My Fears

Gwen Stefani - Harujuku Girls

Avril Lavigne - Hello Kitty

More

Hannah Lee of the Japan Society

NPR on the story of "Sukiyaki"

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Oasis, the Manchester band led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, conquered the charts in the 1990s with rock anthems like "Wonderwall." This month, they did something no one saw coming: Announced a reunion. In 2025, the band will play 19 dates in five cities across the UK and Ireland, their first shows with both brothers in the lineup since breaking up in 2009 due to long-simmering tensions between them.

Formed in 1991 with Noel as chief songwriter and guitarist and Liam as lead vocalist, the band helped define the sound of Britpop alongside peers like Blur, Suede, and Pulp. Noel’s and Liam’s feuding made it seem like the band would never reunite, so this upcoming tour has generated a minor frenzy, resulting in insane ticket prices, the band’s songs surging in popularity on streaming services, and countless diehard fans zipping up their parkas in anticipation. 

As two casual listeners to the band, we want to understand the hype behind this long-awaited reunion, so we went through the band’s catalog to uncover what makes this working-class Mancunian outfit so beloved, and see whether we can learn to love Oasis.

Songs Discussed

Oasis - Wonderwall, Supersonic, Shakermaker, Don't Look Back In Anger, Champagne Supernova, All Around The World, Go Let It Out, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Little By Little, The Turning

The New Seekers - I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

John Lennon - Gimme Some Truth, #9 Dream

Sheryl Crow - If It Makes You Happy

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Porter Robinson has a unique relationship with being famous. With his new record SMILE! :D, the 32 year old producer and DJ steps front and center into the spotlight for the first time in his career, working through his thoughts on fame in the process — something he says he’s “addicted” to.

The first track on the record, “Knock Yourself Out XD,” is a hook-laden radio pop hit destined to sit on a neon green iPod shuffle, filled with chiptuned synth textures and tongue-in-cheek lyrics about what it means to contend with nuclear levels of celebrity. Robinson’s voice is also front and center, unencumbered by the vocal manipulation and heavy production defining his two previous albums. “”Knock Yourself Out XD” was me indulging that fantasy of like, This is so not a Porter Robinson song. Everyone's gonna hate this,” he said. “But this is what seems really fun to me right now.”

The rest of SMILE! :D juggles two truths about Robinson: his innate desire for a positive relationship with the culture that surrounds him, and his dark, introspective nature, highlighted on tracks with stark names like “Is There Really No Happiness?”. But “Knock Yourself Out XD” is deeply silly – filled with cheeky lyrics like the line “Bitch, I’m Taylor Swift.”

It’s new territory for him, but Robinson’s inclinations are, always, to “burn everything down and start fresh.” 

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