Episodes
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Ep. 2.09 – Paramore: The Great Orange Hope Goes Blonde
Rock band Paramore broke through with their 2007 single “Misery Business” and lead singer Hayley Williams was once lauded by John Mayer as “The Great Orange Hope.” In 2017, the band released their fifth studio album After Laughter featuring a newish sound with a newish lineup into a pop musical landscape that had grown increasingly unfriendly toward rock music in the preceding decade. Today we’re talking about the lead single from that effort, the disco new wave fantasia, “Hard Times.”
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Ep. 2.08 – Cher: Cher Is Paralyzed
Today, we're talking about Cher's 1982 post-disco flop, "I Paralyze," which didn't just paralyze her music career, it shot it and put it in a five year coma.
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Ep. 2.07 – Mariah Carey: New Year, New Mimi
What does it take to sustain a pop music career for multiple decades? Talent? Charisma? Sheer force of will? Twelve-year-old singer Mariah Carey's attempts to remain in the pop cultural spotlight for over thirty years have given us some of the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Today we're discussing one of those lows, 2012's non-album single "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" and its accompanying Throwback Remix.
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Ep. 2.06 – Jazmine, Whitney and Barbra: Joyful, Joy and Jingle
Today, we're talking three holiday songs that we believe should be on every holiday playlist: "Joyful Joyful" by Jazmine Sullivan (and Pentatonix), "Joy To The World" by Whitney Houston, and Barbra Streisand's chaotic "Jingle Bells?" Happy Holidays!
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Ep. 2.05 – Miranda Cosgrove: iCantBelieveItsNotBetter
In 2007, Actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove rose to stardom on the hit Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly, a show which inspired the youth of America to seek fame by broadcasting themselves on the internet with seemingly little concern over their personal privacy or safety. In 2010 she took an obligatory turn at pop stardom and released her debut album, Sparks Fly. Though a moderate hit, the album may not have reached as many non-iCarly fans as hoped, and by the time iCarly ended in 2012, so too had Miranda Cosgrove’s recording career. Today we’re talking about her 2010 song, “Disgusting.”
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Ep. 2.04 – Brittany Murphy: Somebody To Love Happy Feet
Today we're talking about the actress Brittany Murphy and her cover of Queen's "Somebody to Love" from the 2006 animated penguin film Happy Feet, as well as the fantastic Stevie Wonder cover by Fantasia, Patti LaBelle, and Yolanda Adams on the same soundtrack.
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Ep. 2.03 – Kelly Osbourne: The Os-Bourne Identity Crisis
In 2002, Kelly Osbourne parlayed her role in her family's reality show into a major label record deal and a buzzy pop punk single featured on MTV. In 2005 she debuted an entirely new synthpop sound, and though audiences seemed to be warming up to this new iteration of Kelly, the effort proved to be her swan song. Today we're talking about her final single, "One Word."
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Ep. 2.02 – Whitney Houston: A Million Reasons To Love Million Dollar Bill
Today we're talking about "Million Dollar Bill," Whitney Houston's last single released during her lifetime, which, after more than 25 years topping the charts, hit number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Ep. 2.01 – Jennifer Lopez: Hold It, Don’t Drop This Single
In the 90s, pop singer Jennifer Lopez rode a wave of success, starting as a Fly Girl on TV's "In Living Color" and ending the decade as a certified triple threat. But after a string of hit movies and albums, 2007's Brave proved a threat to no one and its second single "Hold It Don't Drop It' failed to chart.
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Ep. 1.50 – Leona Lewis: No Bleeding Love Lost
Following her win on the third series of The X Factor, this artist dominated worldwide charts in 2007 with the album Spirit and it's breakout single "Bleeding Love," but by 2009 her particular brand of mid-tempo musings were providing diminishing returns and her sophomore effort Echo garnered far fewer accolades. Seeking to reignite her career with a new sound in 2011, she released the up-tempo EDM track “Collide,” intended to be the lead single from her third studio album, Glassheart. But a public feud with an up and coming DJ/Producer and threats of a lawsuit overshadowed the track’s release and it ultimately disappeared from the album’s final track listing. Today we’re talking about Leona Lewis, and her song, “Collide.”