I. Let's get it started (ft. Aaron Dessner)

I. Let's get it started (ft. Aaron Dessner)

Author: Vulture July 14, 2026 Duration: 40:33
Research says you judge a song in under half a second. So why write an intro at all? On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate kick off their Netflix launch and probe what an intro means in today's musical landscape, alongside special guests like Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, The National, Gracie Adams), who helps build the case for intros and reveals the surprising sources that form the opening sounds of Taylor Swift's “cardigan.” CREDITSReanna Cruz: ProducerIris Gottlieb: IllustratorCharlie Harding: Host, Executive ProducerDion Lee: Art DirectorBrandon McFarland: Audio EngineerNick Ripps: Video EditorNate Sloan: HostLissa Soep: EditorZach Tenorio & Jocie Adams: Theme ComposersSwitched On Pop is a co-production of Vox Media Podcast Network, Vulture, and Rock Ridge Productions. Links: ⁠Newsletter⁠ Black Eyed Peas, "Let's Get It Started" Shawn Colvin, “Sonny Came Home” Smashing Pumpkins, “Tonight Tonight” The Cranberries, "Zombie" The Cranberries, "Linger" Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe" Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On" Britney Spears, "Toxic" Miles Davis, "Freddie Freeloader" Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend" The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love" Led Zeppelin, "Over the Hills and Far Away" Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable" Deee-Lite, "Groove Is in the Heart" Missy Elliott, "Get Ur Freak On" Missy Elliott, "Work It" Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee, "Despacito" Kendrick Lamar & SZA, "Luther" Mariah Carey, "Fantasy" The Who, "Won't Get Fooled Again" Stevie Wonder, "Superstition" The Temptations, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up" Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black" The Supremes, "Baby Love" The Kinks, "Sweet Lady Genevieve" The Beach Boys, "God Only Knows" Erik Satie, "Je te veux" D'Angelo and the Vanguard, "Back to the Future (Part I)" The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, "Closer" Sabrina Carpenter, "Taste" Benson Boone, "Sorry I'm Here for Someone Else" Stella Lefty, "Boston" Taylor Swift, "Cardigan" The National, "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" Taylor Swift, "So Long, London" Gracie Abrams, "Hit the Wall" Noah Kahan, "End of August" 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: 50

Switched on Pop
Podcast Episodes
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Jacob Collier is a rare musician: an expert in so many musical languages (western harmony, negative harmony, microtonalism) and a phenomenal communicator about music. He's something like an Ambassador for Music, travelin…
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Can Bruno Mars counterprogram his way to another hit album? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:52
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Duration: 48:13
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Duration: 51:04
It's the middle of award season, and Ryan Coogler's ode to the Black music canon Sinners has emerged as the Oscars frontrunner and the most nominated film in Academy Awards history. The love the movie has for the Delta b…
Jazz is A$AP Rocky’s secret weapon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:54
A$AP Rocky’s latest album, Don’t Be Dumb, is a wild ride through a cacophony of sounds — punk, industrial, drum ‘n’ bass, indie rock, and of course, hip hop. But on one track, “Robbery,” he and the rising superstar Doech…
Does humor belong in music? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:19
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And the Grammy goes to… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:12
The ultimate gauntlet of popular music is upon us once again: it's Grammy season, and this year, the competition is pretty tight across the board. Big ticket A-listers like Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, a…