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The New York Times

The New York Times’s weekly pop culture chat show, with interviews and analysis from the critic Jon Caramanica and the reporter Joe Coscarelli.

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 hr 8 min
English

Episodes 21

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#585
Friday · 1 hr 2 min
Karol G on Bringing Latin Culture to the World’s Biggest Stages
The Colombian pop star Karol G sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss her recent stadium run of touring her albums – 2025’s “Tropicoqueta” and 2026’s “No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto” – as well as headlining Coachella 2026. She also discusses representing Latin culture on global stages, turning heartbreak into hits like “BbY WOW,” collaborating with Bruno Mars, teaching Drake Spanish and more.
#584
October 2 · 1 hr 11 min
Miranda Lambert on Mentoring Ella Langley, Reconciling with Kacey Musgraves & Country’s New Era
Miranda Lambert rose as one of country’s true female superstars throughout the 2000s and 2010s — an era when women with her level of success in Nashville were few and far between. Lambert sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss country music’s long-running cold war with female performers having a front-row seat to a new version of success as the co-writer of Ella Langley’s record-setting “Choosin’ Texas.” She also talks about her new country disco album “Crisco” — out Oct. 2. — reconciling with Kac
#583
September 24 · 1 hr 19 min
Jeff Probst Tells All About ‘Survivor’: ‘I Have Nothing to Hide’
Jeff Probst – host, showrunner and executive producer of ‘Survivor’ – sat down with Joe and Jon ahead of the show’s Sep. 23 Season 51 premiere to discuss the new “Open Era”: A cast of rookies are subject to gameplay elements that can be resurrected from past seasons, or abandoned. He also spoke about evolving from host to showrunner; how the show lives alongside, and sometimes in conversation with, its imitators; and finding the hero’s journey within both the show’s competitors and himself.
#582
September 18 · 1 hr 6 min
Audrey Hobert on ‘Sue Me’ Success, Gracie Abrams, Malcolm Todd & Her Next Album
Audrey Hobert has been one of the defining new pop stars of 2026, rising to fame — gradually — with her 2025 album “Who’s the Clown?” after co-writing some of her longtime friend Gracie Abrams’s biggest hits. She sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss the secrets to her songwriting success, navigating her career alongside Gracie Abrams and brother Malcom Todd, using screenwriting and comedy to inform her music and writing her next album.
#581
September 11 · 1 hr 12 min
Kai Cenat on Quitting Streaming at His Peak to Start a Fashion Brand
In his first interview since stepping away from his streaming empire for most of the last year to create the fashion label Vivet, Kai Cenat sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss the challenges of starting a new venture from scratch, hanging out with celebrities like Lebron James and Nicki Minaj, his fear of being boxed in creatively by fame at such a young age and the liberty afforded by that same success. Kai's first Vivet collection will have its runway debut on Sep. 12.
#580
August 21 · 54 min
How Busta Rhymes Turned 300 Unreleased J Dilla Beats Into His New Album
Busta Rhymes sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss his new album, “Dillagence 2,” out Aug. 25 – a project curated from hundreds of unreleased J Dilla beats and featuring D’Angelo, Lil Wayne and Common. He spoke about the emotional weight of creating music with the work of friends who have passed away; his enduring influence on artists like Kendrick Lamar and Doechii; touring across genres ranging from Missy Elliott to David Bowie; and why artists should never stop advocating for themselves, no ma
#579
August 14 · 1 hr 20 min
Stavros Halkias Was Forced to Get Political: ‘I Hate It!’
Comedian Stavros Halkias sat down with Joe and Jon to talk about the state of modern comedy, including how wealth and fame are impacting A-list comedians and why the rightward creep of his peers’ podcasts have “forced” him to get political. The interview also covers how Halkias’ weight has influenced his comedy, as well as his role in the Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony” and his Netflix stand-up special “Uncle Stav.”
#578
August 7 · 1 hr 2 min
The Mindful Punk: Travis Barker on Music, Family & Trauma
Travis Barker, whose new Hulu documentary “Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear” is out August 13, sat down with Joe and Jon to reflect on his music career with Blink-182 and beyond, overcoming the trauma of his 2008 plane crash and family life with Kourtney Kardashian.
#577
July 31 · 51 min
The 8 Biggest Songs of This Summer Face Off
Ella Langley? Drake? A.I.?! Jon and Joe battle through an eight-song bracket of the summer’s biggest hits to determine the Song of the Summer for 2026. Songs featured in bracket: • Tame Impala & JENNIE – “Dracula (JENNIE Remix)” • Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” • Drake – “Janice STFU” • Stella Lefty – “Boston” • Yung Miami – “Spend Dat” • Fenix Flexin and Purps On The Beat – “Rubberz” • Don Toliver – “E85” • Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”
#576
July 24 · 1 hr 12 min
How Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst Came Back From The Brink
In a career-spanning interview following some recent anniversary concerts, Conor Oberst sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss the highs and lows of his 30-year music career, including navigating early indie stardom, overcoming personal struggles, writing political music and more.
#575
July 17 · 1 hr 7 min
The Internet – Steve Lacy! Syd! Matt Martians! – Reunites
The Internet’s Syd, Steve Lacy and Matt Martians sat down with Joe and Jon for their first interview together since "Hive Mind," their 2018 album. The group discussed their new solo projects — Syd’s album “Beard” and Lacy’s “Oh yeah?” are both out July 17 — as well as their Odd Future roots, writing for Beyoncé, TikTok fame and what’s next for the band.
#574
July 10 · 59 min
Which Jay-Z Album Is Better? ‘Reasonable Doubt’ vs. ‘The Blueprint’
Ahead of Jay-Z’s three-night residency at Yankee Stadium celebrating the anniversaries of his classic albums “Reasonable Doubt” (1996) and “The Blueprint” (2001), Jon and Joe sat down to debate which project stands as Jay-Z’s most definitive body of work – breaking down the best bars, skippable tracks, MVP collaborators and more.
#573
July 2 · 30 min
Popcast LIVE! Lizzo Addresses the Backlash
During a special live edition of “Popcast," Lizzo discussed her new album and the public fallout from a series of lawsuits. Then she performed a stripped-down set, which you can watch in full at youtube.com/popcast.
#572
June 26 · 1 hr 16 min
Gracie Abrams on ‘Daughter From Hell,’ Internet Cruelty, Writing With Paul Mescal, & Audrey Hobert
Gracie Abrams sat down with Joe and Jon for an in-depth conversation ahead of her third album, "Daughter From Hell," out July 17. She discusses the inspiration behind the album, her new single "Look At My Life," collaborating with boyfriend Paul Mescal and longtime friend Audrey Hobert, opening for Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, navigating the internet as a young star, and more.
#571
June 18 · 1 hr 15 min
Answering Your Pop Music Questions: Taylor Swift, Geese, The Beatles & More
Summer is upon us, and it’s time for the semiannual Popcast mailbag, in which the most burning questions of viewers and listeners are answered, definitively. This round, the inquiries were sizzling, and on a wide range of topics: whether Geese is the Joe Biden of rock, Maroon 5 as a pop-rap gateway drug, what band had the most transformative decade-long run of albums, Adele’s (purported) laziness, the growing use of artificial intelligence in popular music, and whether a Swiftie and a Twizzy can
#570
June 12 · 1 hr
How Slayyyter Became 2026’s Breakout Pop Star
Slayyyter, who became one of the year's breakout stars with the release of her third studio album “Worst Girl in America” and a viral Coachella set, sat down with Joe and Jon to discuss her slow-simmer career arc, why preexisting pop-star formats didn’t hang well on her shoulders, and how mainstream pop classics and forgotten pop detritus can be equally influential.
#569
June 5 · 1 hr 15 min
M.I.A. on MAGA, the Kid Cudi Tour & Bipartisan Cancellation
Two decades on from the ecstatic electronic pop and rap that made her one of the most significant, ear-opening stars in music, the Sri Lankan-British singer M.I.A. returned in April with “M.I.7,” her seventh album and first in four years, documenting her latest swerve, this time toward born-again Christianity. Last week, she sued Kid Cudi for breach of contract after being removed from his tour in May following her onstage comments about “illegal” immigrants. Before filing her lawsuit, she sat d
#568
June 1 · 1 hr 16 min
RIP ‘Euphoria’: Creator Sam Levinson Explains Why This Is The End
Sam Levinson, the writer, director and creator of “Euphoria,” sat down with Joe and Jon to explain why he felt it was time to end HBO’s juggernaut series. With its third season in seven years, “Euphoria” concluded a thrilling, provocative and tumultuous run with a cast of the defining young actors of the 2020s: Zendaya, who won two Emmys for her portrayal of Rue, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer and more. In this wide-ranging conversation, Levinson, himself a former addict, described
#567
May 29 · 1 hr 28 min
Olivia Rodrigo Interview! New Album Details, Babydoll Dresses & Speaking Out Politically
Olivia Rodrigo sat down with Joe and Jon for her first in-depth conversation about her new album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” out June 12. She discussed the many ways her creative process intersects with the extracurricular noise of pop superstardom, whether its managing relationship drama; being targeted for the way she dresses; accusations of pilfering songwriting gestures from Taylor Swift, her onetime idol; or her willingness to speak up about political and social causes in
#566
May 18 · 1 hr 28 min
Breaking Down Drake's 3 New Albums (LIVE! Reactions)
On this special live episode, Joe and Jon react to Drake's new albums – "Iceman," "Habibti" and "Maid of Honour." They unpack the rapper’s decision to release 43 tracks at once, the bars aimed at Kendrick Lamar and other adversaries and the strongest moments of sonic experimentation across the three projects.

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