black bubblegum

black bubblegum offers an analytical and appreciative perspective on nostalgic and contemporary pop culture.

january 2025 grab bag aka no one else is podcasting about both adam brody and doechii 01/05/2025

january 2025 grab bag aka no one else is podcasting about both adam brody and doechii 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 (25:51) sabrina carpenter (29:42) adam brody renaissance (30:59) kendrick lamar, main pop girl (32:50) drake’s legal actions (34:34) doechii (36:49) /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/34730210

jojo: the perks and perils of precocity 12/19/2024

jojo: the perks and perils of precocity 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 trusting herself and her own vision. plus i speculate about the dancehall artist who creeped on her when she was 14, which producer she was reenacting the weeknd music videos with, and which boyfriend she cheated on with a professional athlete. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/34525585

the triumphs and tribulations of megan thee stallion 11/26/2024

the triumphs and tribulations of megan thee stallion 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: /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/34169445

beyoncé and the conflicts of cowboy carter 10/31/2024

beyoncé and the conflicts of cowboy carter 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, reyna roberts, tanner adell (01:04:38) willie jones, shaboozey (01:10:00) vinyls scam (01:15:24) post album promotion (01:17:20) whisky, hair care. perfume (01:22:04) awards (01:24:28) conclusion (01:31:12) a few links: b’s 2024 interviews and statements: /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/33698677

summer 2024 pop culture reflections 09/29/2024

summer 2024 pop culture reflections 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 (51:30) /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/33250752

ciara, princess of crunk and consistency 09/01/2024

ciara, princess of crunk and consistency 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. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/32855917

the tenacity of tinashe 08/01/2024

the tenacity of tinashe 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. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/32377967

normani and her long-awaited debut 07/09/2024

normani and her long-awaited debut 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. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/32057987

trl throwback: june 7, 1999 06/21/2024

trl throwback: june 7, 1999 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! /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/31836427

misconceptions of mariah carey 05/30/2024

misconceptions of mariah carey 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: /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/31524967

revisiting rihanna, fefe dobson, ice spice, and megan thee stallion 03/09/2024

revisiting rihanna, fefe dobson, ice spice, and megan thee stallion normally i don't condone spinning the block but i'll make an exception for myself. in celebration of one year of black bubblegum, i wanted to circle back to a few of the women i discussed last year. in this episode, i discuss: rihanna's continued streaming relevance the whole she has left in the pop music space fefe dobson's new music ice spice's whirlwind of a year, from taylor swift to dunkin the continuation of the ice spive v. latto feud megan thee stallion's "cobra" and a few asides! /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/30302438

janet jackson and her post superbowl resilience 02/16/2024

janet jackson and her post superbowl resilience this is a story about resilience! what did janet do after the super bowl? a lot. albums, movies, tours, a book, a marriage, a late in life baby, a documentary and more! i also address the state of her legacy as i see it. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/29984873

a critical look at janet jackson's 2004 halftime show 01/31/2024

a critical look at janet jackson's 2004 halftime show in this episode, i look back at janet jackson's 2004 halftime show and offer some thoughts on the performance itself, the infamous reveal, the aftermath, and the cultural reassessment of the last few years. follow me on /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/29727103

taylor swift and her aesthetic failing (and some nye reflections) 01/01/2024

taylor swift and her aesthetic failing (and some nye reflections) some 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. /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/29291908

chris brown and the limits of cancel culture 12/26/2023

chris brown and the limits of cancel culture catch me on the jesse's girls podcast chatting/giggling about mariah carey! () () my first episode centered around a man (but really, it's about women). in this episode, i cover: chris brown's trajectory and his road to being a golden boy the inflection point that changed it all his attempted redemption arc an abridged rundown of his legal troubles highlights/lowlights of his interpersonal skirmishes the contours of his support - from different parts of the industry as well as his fans follow me on /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/29222503

from janelle monáe to sexyy red: exploring sexual presentation in music 11/01/2023

from janelle monáe to sexyy red: exploring sexual presentation in music in this episode, we are talking about black women's sexuality as it's represented in the media. specifically, i talk about the responses and the psychosis that has been directed at janelle monáe, chloe bailey, megan thee stallion, and sexyy red. i get into capitalism, colorism, the male gaze, and in general, try to untangle the many cultural forces that inform sexual expression and our reactions to it. follow me on instagram at /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/28491218

the manufactured rivalry between beyoncé and ashanti 09/05/2023

the manufactured rivalry between beyoncé and ashanti a cute look at a moment in time! this episode was inspired by the 2003 new york times article . i discuss: the musical landscape of the early aughts the impact of aaliyah's death ashanti's whirlwind trajectoryashanti's underrated traits beyonce's shaky transition the key argument of the new york times review why comparing beyoncé and ashanti is silly /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/27951507

a meditation on blu cantrell 05/22/2023

a meditation on blu cantrell instagram: @blackbubblegumpod this episode is all about the life and times of blu cantrell, including: her journey to acquiring a record deal how her career unfolded as a major label artist between 2001 and 2004 the jay-z and beyonce connection her transition to being an independent artist her relationships (confirmed and rumored) her stint on celebrity circus in 2008 her musical outut in the 2010s the myth of meritocracy in entertainment /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/26919672

ice spice, the people's princess 04/24/2023

ice spice, the people's princess this episode is for the baddies and their baddie friends! i felt cosmically called to dedicate space to ice spice, including: her upbringing her career trajectory how the cultural context created an environment for her to thrive industry plant allegations the drake of it all what makes ice spice stand out colorism and more! /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/26634681

christina milian, pop&b princess 04/02/2023

christina milian, pop&b princess this episode is about all the life and times of christina milian, including: triumphs and setbacks relationships christina's impact on early 2000s music misogynistic double standards the importance of recognizing the girls who don't make it and more! /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/26415807

fefe dobson, pop-rock princess 03/10/2023

fefe dobson, pop-rock princess in this black bubblegum episode, i dive into the following: • fefe’s upbringing • her “brandy spears” nickname • her moment as an mtv darling • record label drama derailing her momentum • fefe’s connections to jordin sparks, miley cyrus, and selena gomez • what she’s been up to for the last decade • how her influence reverberates through the music industry /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/26188680

a meditation on rihanna 02/22/2023

a meditation on rihanna the black bubblegum podcast offers an analytical and appreciative look at nostalgic and contemporary pop culture from a black millennial's perspective. "a meditation on rihanna" is a reflection and vibe check on rihanna's trajectory, impact, influence, and controversies as of february 2023. includes the following topics: auditioning in barbados thinly veiled threats from jay-z teairra mari intertwining with beyonce ascencion to pop superstar chris brown her rejection of respectability politics defense of rihanna's artistry twitter antics anti being overrated the kelis and fefe dobson of it all fenty beauty and more! /episode/index/show/blackbubblegumpod/id/26006718

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