taylor swift and her aesthetic failing (and some nye reflections)
Release Date: 01/01/2024
january 2025 grab bag aka no one else is podcasting about both adam brody and doechii
black bubblegum
happy new year! i recorded this episode january 2nd and it’ll probably be dated upon posting, but c’est la vie. i wanted to start the year with a casual grab bag of thoughts about a range of topics including: mariah carey’s rainbow 25 (0:48) destiny’s child - destiny fulfilled (6:05) flo (9:03) jade (11:10) ashlee simpson’s autiobiography (12:43) kelly clarkson’s breakaway (16:36) gwen stefani discourse (18:38) nelly furtado’s latest album (20:36) lady gaga’s recent output (21:37) ariana grande (23:44) blake lively...
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jojo: the perks and perils of precocity
black bubblegum
happy sagittarius season! in this episode, i’m diving into joanna “jojo” levesque’s nyt bestselling memoir, “over the influence.” the book describes: her childhood in new england and on the talent show circuit, her ascension to teen pop stardom and the racial politics animating her career, the extenuating forces that stalled her trajectory, the personal challenges she faced with substance abuse and mental health, conflicts with colleagues, family, and boyfriends, the effort to resurrect her career from the ashes of mismanagement and incompetence, and the journey to...
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the triumphs and tribulations of megan thee stallion
black bubblegum
email me: this one’s for hot girls only!! diving into megan thee stallion’s storied life and career including: early mixtape era ascent to mainstream success hot girl summer ongoing label disputes collaborations with beyoncé and cardi b t*ry l*nez saga the deluge of music she released between 2020 and 2023 dr*ke & n*cki m*naj interpersonal conflicts megan’s independent era and documentary —- megan’s label disputes: —- implicating t*ry: —- girly fun:
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beyoncé and the conflicts of cowboy carter
black bubblegum
let’s strike a match and light up this juke joint. before the block gets too hot again during grammy season, i am going deep into beyoncé’s eighth studio album, cowboy carter. intro cmas backlash (0:37) yeehaw agenda, priscilla renea, lil nas x, mickey guyton (17:19) first rumblings of a beyonce country project (19:53) launching cowboy carter, jay-z’s grammy’s speech, verizon commercial, 16 carriages, texas hold em, rhiannon giddens, linda martell (21:30) track by track album thoughts, overall takeaways, critical response (34:21) brittney spencer, tiera kennedy,...
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summer 2024 pop culture reflections
black bubblegum
this episode finds me gabbing about some of the trending stories of summer 2024: kendrick v. drake, shaboozey (0:30) diddy - (12:32) camila cabello’s c, xoxo album (13:35) charli xcx and brat summer (17:10) backlashes: katy perry (21:20) chappell roan (24:28) blake lively (31:36) movie thoughts: trap (lady raven supremacy) (37:04) the substance (38:16) janet jackson (39:55) concert experiences: olivia rodrigo, concert logistics (43:10) megan thee stallion, glorilla (48:30) justin timberlake (50:17) my departure from social media, outro...
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ciara, princess of crunk and consistency
black bubblegum
in 2004, ciara burst onto the scene with one of the greatest debut runs of all time -- "goodies", "one two step" and "oh." her career has taken an interesting trajectory after her initial golden era. this episode delves into all of her albums, the socio-cultural shifts that occurred in the aughts, her string of romantic relationships, the label politics she's faced, vitriol from social media, and more.
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the tenacity of tinashe
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in this episode, i dive into tinashe’s career trajectory, describe the various social media backlashes she’s faced, and ponder the racialized challenges of black artists. please match my freak, thank you.
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normani and her long-awaited debut
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in this episode, i describe the long and winding road towards normani's debut album, "dopamine." from fifth harmony to "i have my album title, y'all" to "where's the damn album?" and beyond.
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trl throwback: june 7, 1999
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i'm reliving the golden era of pop music nostalgia by way of the june 7, 1999 trl countdown. this episode covers boy bands, britney, the latin explosion, nu metal, the triumphant return of tlc, and more!
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misconceptions of mariah carey
black bubblegum
in thinking about why mariah carey, one of the most commercially successful artists of all time, doesn't receive the recognition someone of her stature deserves, i honed in on the flurry of misconceptions that have been present throughout the 30-plus years of her career, including her racial identity and the myriad implications and complications that arose, payola and industry plant allegations, songwriting, and diva allegations. mariah interview recommendations:
info_outlinesome quick high-level musings about taylor swift and the allegations she's never beating about her lack of style. then i conclude the episode with some reflections spurred by recording this on the night of new year's eve.