Katy Perry's latest album 143 lit the internet ablaze for all the wrong reasons when it dropped earlier this year, mostly because of how wrong it got nearly everything and how hard it underperformed as a result. 143 was a capital-F flop in the classic sense of the term. But what exactly does the moniker "flop" mean when it comes to pop music? What constitutes a true flop? How do pop fans use it? Where did it originate and how has it morphed over time into a term of endearment for diehards, especially queer ones? All that and more in this fascinating conversation.

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, America is making it's most critical decision this week: who will be nominated for Grammys! Louie and Russ each share their predictions for which of your favs (and less favs) will get nominated in the Big Four categories ahead of the official announcement this Friday Nov. 8.

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Variety’s Steven J. Horowitz returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the maddeningly underrated Kelis, who spent most of her career ahead of the curve and helped to carve out a new lane for alt-pop stardom in the 2000s. Louie and Steven dig into Kelis' origin story, from meeting The Neptunes as a teenager to her debut, 1999’s futuristic pop fantasia Kaleidoscope. From there, they unpack her success across the pond with 2001’s Wanderland and 2003’s ultra eclectic and masterful Tasty, which produced her biggest US hit and signature song, “Milkshake.” Next, they cover Kelis’s first foray away from The Neptunes with 2006's Kelis Was Here, her dance pop cult classic, 2010's Flesh Tone, and her final album, 2014’s soul-influenced Food. Lastly, Louie and Steven break down Kelis' niche pop legacy and rank her in the Official Pop Pantheon.

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are here to fight about Lady Gaga's new single, "Disease", the first offering from her forthcoming album, "LG7". They then dive into Addison Rae's new single "Aquamarine" and ponder Halsey's latest record, The Great Impersonator, which dropped last Friday.

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We put out a call for our audience's most unpopular pop opinions: hot takes you have that no one else seems to agree with but you know in your heart to be true. And boy, did we get some! Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul joins Louie and Russ to field unpopular pop opinions about I Am... Sasha Fierce, Charli XCX, Glee Cast Versions, Speak Now, Britney's talents, Ed Sheeran and so much more. And in the process, they each reveal some fairly unpopular pop opinions of their own... 

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Shaad D’Souza returns to Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our three-part series on Charli XCX. Shaad and Louie unpack Charli’s 2020 lockdown album, the DIY How I'm Feeling Now, and 2022’s Crash, which ditched the outré experimentation of her PC Music era in favor of open gestures at the pop charts. From there, they discuss Charli’s return to the Hot 100 with “Speed Drive” and her most recent record, brat, which fuelled her unexpected rise from Niche Legend to the most talked about pop star in the world. Finally, they reassess Charli XCX’s place in the Official Pop Pantheon.

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brat Summer becomes Brat Autumn as Charli XCX drops a completely reimagined version of her blockbuster album from earlier this year, Brat and it's Completely Different but Also Still Brat. Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Charli's latest addition to the Bratoverse and how it transcends the pitfalls of the cliche modern pop superstar remix, providing new twists, depth and dimension to the OG material with an all-star lineup from across the music world including Ariana Grande, Lorde, Addison Rae, Bladee, ShyGirl, Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish & more.

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Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our three-part series on Charli XCX. Anna and Louie look back on Charli’s early link-ups with "hyperpop" innovator Sophie, starting with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, which began Charli's pivot from an also-ran on the pop charts into the genre’s savviest alternative auteur. From there, they chart her adventurous new creative direction, her work with frequent creative partner A.G. Cook on her 2017 mixtapes, the sugar-rush Number 1 Angel and the critically-beloved Pop 2. Finally, they discuss Charli's scrapped third studio album, XCX World, her failure to launch commercial singles in the U.S. and her 2019 self-titled album Charli. 

Join us next week for our third and final part in the series, which will cover Charli’s output from 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now through brat.

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga turned heads with her debut film role, her Oscar-nominated turn in 2018's A Star is Born, and many thought she might defy history and become the rare pop diva who successfully pivots to Hollywood. But since then, her track record has been spotty at best. Despite her performance being singled out as a bright spot, her next film, 2021's House of Gucci, got a mixed reaction at best. And now her third effort Joker: Folie à Deux, released last week, is being pegged as one of the biggest comic movie flops of all time, critically and commercially. With more duds than hits in her filmography, what's Gaga's future as a film star? Louie, Russ and Variety's Daniel D'addario discuss.

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For the first in our new three-part series on Charli XCX, i-D’s Owen Myers returns to Pop Pantheon to chart the start of Charli’s iconoclastic and unlikely trail through pop. Owen and Louie trace Charli’s roots in England, starting when she was a teenage songwriter posting demos to MySpace and performing at raves in London. Then they discuss her charmingly DIY unreleased debut album, 14, her first brush with success with the surprise hit “I Love It,” her 2012 mixtapes, Heartbreaks and Earthquakes and Super Ultra, and her 2013 major label debut True Romance. Next they unpack “Fancy,” her first solo success with “Boom Clap” and the snappy pop punk 2014’s Sucker.

Join us next week for Part 2, in which w'ell be talking about Charli’s reinvention as an avant pop futurist beginning with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP and through her self-titled 2019 record, Charli.

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, last night live in Los Angeles, DJ Louie gathered with HeidiWorld's Molly Lambert, And Introducing's Molly Mary O'Brien, The Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood & writer Jaelani Tuner-Williams to break down Katy Perry's new record 143, Lady Gaga's new record Harlequin and just how these two superlative millennial divas are navigating the awkward period of their careers between trend-setter and legacy act.

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