Switched on Pop

Taylor Swift’s The Encore has split critics and fans, from the country-leaning hit “Patient Zero” to “Cleveland!” Charlie Harding and Nate Sloan argue the tracks may revive earlier Swift songwriting while asking what it means to release music as the biggest artist in the world.

Carly Rae Jepsen joins Switched on Pop to talk about Day and Night, a double album shaped by Swedish disco, big emotion, and major life changes. The conversation also looks at her songwriting process, the show’s origins, and her role as a devoted champion of pop music.

Tove Lo joins Switched on Pop to unpack ESTRUS, an album built on contradiction: feral and fragile, horny and sensitive, messy and controlled. Charlie and Nate explore how she aims for music that feels out of control while still being carefully crafted.

Lizzy McAlpine discusses her fourth album Angel with collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall in a live session at Power Station at Berklee NYC. The episode connects her new songs with touchstones like Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, and Adam Guettel.

Vocal harmony is the focus here, from its central role in pop history to its decline around the 1980s and its return through groups like Tiny Habits. The episode connects classic harmony traditions to modern pop shifts and makes a case for singing together again.