Breaking Through: Doechii, Mk.gee, Rosé

Breaking Through: Doechii, Mk.gee, Rosé

Author: Vulture December 17, 2024 Duration: 40:41
Three artists quietly reshaped pop music in 2024, though you might not know it from your Spotify Wrapped. As listeners question the accuracy of their year-end streaming stats, we explore the innovative sounds bubbling up just below the algorithmic radar. Tampa's "Swamp Princess" Doechii brings narrative depth back to hip-hop through her chameleonic vocal approach. Bedroom producer Mk.gee discovers entirely new possibilities for the electric guitar by deliberately recording "wrong." And BLACKPINK's ROSÉ challenges K-pop industry constraints while building bridges to Western pop on her revolutionary solo album. These artists point toward an exciting future where pop continues to evolve in unexpected ways, even as streaming platforms try to predict and package our musical tastes. Plus: Our producer Reanna Cruz presents evidence that their Spotify Wrapped might be fibbing, and Nate reveals his most-played track of 2024 was... Jeremy Irons singing "Be Prepared" from The Lion King? The algorithm works in mysterious ways. Songs Discussed Doechii: "Girls," "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake," "NISSAN ALTIMA," "Denial Is A River," "Boom Bap" Mk.gee: "I Know How You Got," "Big Mics," "Are You Looking Up," "Alesis" BLACKPINK"Boombayah," "Kill This Love," "How You Like That," "Pink Venom," ROSÉ: "On The Ground," "APT." (featuring Bruno Mars), "Toxic Till The End" Taylor Swift: "Shake It Off" Avril Lavigne: "Girlfriend" Toni Basil: "Mickey" Tom Petty: "American Girl" Bo Diddley: "Bo Diddley Beat" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder why a certain pop song gets stuck in your head for days, or how a simple chord change can make you feel a specific way? Switched on Pop digs into those questions with a unique blend of expert analysis and genuine curiosity. Hosts Nate Sloan, a musicologist, and Charlie Harding, a songwriter, act as friendly guides through the intricate world of popular music. They don't just review hits; they dissect them, exploring the craft behind the catchiness. In each episode, you'll hear them break down a track's structure, its historical context, and the production techniques that give it its emotional punch. This isn't a dry academic lecture, though. It's a conversation between two people who love music, unpacking everything from timeless classics to today's viral trends to reveal why pop works the way it does. The Switched on Pop podcast, from Vulture, makes the familiar strange again, encouraging you to listen more deeply. You'll start to hear the clever harmonies hidden in a chart-topper, the rhythmic patterns borrowed from decades past, and the lyrical choices that resonate with millions. It's for anyone who has ever tapped a foot to a radio song and then wondered about the mechanics of that reaction. Tune in and you might just find that your favorite songs have layers you've never noticed before.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Switched on Pop
Podcast Episodes
The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
From big-ticket albums by Taylor and Gaga, to a revival of the stomp-clap revival – 2025 had it all, for better and for worse. Now that the year has come to a close, it's time to take a look back at the past twelve month…
Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen joins NYU Steinhardt students live to trace her path from early pitch songs to co-writing some of the decade's defining hits. She explains why Halsey's "Without Me" needed an extended…
How Sombr’s bedroom recordings became his biggest hits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:21
Sombr went from crafting raw, reverb soaked songs alone in his Lower East Side bedroom to finding his life shifting in ways he never could have predicted across 2024 and 2025. His biggest tracks kept their imperfections…
"It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
When it comes to improvisational loop jams, few have gone as viral as Marc Rebillet. From his 2020 lockdown-era video “How to Funk in Two Minutes,” which features him wearing nothing but a bathrobe, to unsuspecting New Y…
Quitting Spotify (ft. Deerhoof) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:12
In June 2025, indie veterans Deerhoof scrubbed their entire catalog from the world’s dominant streaming platform. The catalyst wasn't low royalties, but Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek’s investment in AI military technology…
Is there a Disney curse?: Demi, Selena, and Miley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:06
This year, there were a few records that delivered less-than-optimal returns on either the Hot 100 or the Billboard 200 – and they all came from former Disney pop stars. Demi Lovato’s latest album peaked at number nine o…
Rosalía's 'LUX' brings the symphony to the club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:02
Spanish pop star Rosalía is back with her new album, Lux. Over eighteen tracks, she trades in the dembow beats that filled her last record Motomami for maximalist orchestral sounds more in line with Björk than Bad Bunny.…
Lily Allen and Tate McRae revive the revenge anthem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:50
They say the best revenge is living well, but if you’re a pop star going through a break up, that’s false. The best revenge is releasing a searing scorched-earth revenge banger that calls out your ex and, ideally, rides…
Can “professor” Charlie Puth pass our qualifying exam? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:27
Charlie Puth breaks down his new single "Changes," a maximalist eighties production hiding a melancholy story about drifting friendships. As he prepares for fatherhood, the singer-songwriter reflects on how relationships…
How D'Angelo changed music, in three songs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:05
On October 14th, the visionary musician D’Angelo passed away at 51 years old. Only releasing three albums during his lifetime, he synthesized influences from gospel, jazz, rock, and hip-hop to create a singular and trans…