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 Ballad of Lainey Wilson and Jessie Murph [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:25
There's often an unspoken (and deeply misogynistic) rule on country music radio: never play two female artists back to back. In this episode of Switched On Pop's country week, we aim to do just that. Looking at two artis…
The hick hop renaissance (BigXthaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:39
One of the biggest country hits of the year has been "All The Way," by Texas rapper BigXthaPlug and country rocker Bailey Zimmerman, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is a perfectly mixed cocktail of…
Is Morgan Wallen the problem with country music? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:50
Country music stands at a crossroads between tradition and evolution, and no artist embodies this tension better than Morgan Wallen. His song "I'm the Problem" opens with beautiful bluegrass guitar before hitting you wit…
"Manchild" and other songs about male incompetence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:44
Looking for relationship advice? Skip the self-help books and turn to Sabrina Carpenter's latest single "Manchild" instead. This deep dive into the art of musical insults reveals how pop's newest sensation joins a legend…
Frankly, Sinatra still matters (with Seth MacFarlane) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:26
What if the Chairman of the Board's biggest contribution to music wasn't his voice, but the blueprint he created for modern pop stardom? Frank Sinatra didn't just sing songs: he invented the concept album, injected his f…
Is the future of pop...heavy metal?! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:59
The UK outfit Sleep Token has done what we once thought impossible: Found commercial success playing heavy metal music in 2025 AD. Their fourth studio album, Even in Arcadia, went to number one on the Billboard 200 upon…
Charli XCX threw this party 4 us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:38
Five years ago, Charli XCX released the track "party 4 u," a melancholic ode to throwing a function for that one specific person. Now, in 2025, the song has gotten a renewed life – motivated by a foolproof cocktail of Ti…
‘Sinners’ summons the demons of American music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:53
We rarely cover movies here at Switched On Pop. But after seeing Ryan Coogler's new vampire musical Sinners, we knew we had to make an exception. The movie is an ode to Black music. Throughout its over two hour runtime,…