In preparation for her major label debut, Feed The Beast, dropping later this month, Vulture’s Jason P. Frank joins Pop Pantheon to discuss a star who is perhaps the first out trans woman to be in the running as a mainstream pop aspirant, Kim Petras. Jason and Louie’s conversation, which kicks off Pop Pantheon’s Pride series, covers Kim’s career, her early attempts to break into the music business, her controversial partnership with the producer Dr. Luke, her cavalcade of sugar bomb singles known as "era1," 2018 and 2019 Halloween mixtape series Turn off the Light and debut album, 2019’s Clarity. Finally, they discuss her major label era, the breakout success of “Unholy”, their hopes for Feed the Beast, and place Kim Petras in the official Pop Pantheon.Stay tuned this June for more Pride episodes.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Kim Petras Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at ResidentGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Jason P. Frank on TwitterFollow Jason P. Frank on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access Episode, friend of the pod Lindsey Weber drops by to talk new songs from Janelle Monáe, Kylie Minogue, G-Flip & more. Subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access to get the rest of this episode, plus at least three bonus installments of the show per month, access to our Discord and lots of other fun perks. 

Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul author Mark Bego joins Pop Pantheon to unpack the life and career of the greatest singer in American history, Aretha Franklin. Louie and Mark follow Aretha’s story from her upbringing as a reverend's daughter to her early gospel recordings and how her cover of Otis Redding’s ‘Respect’ rocketed her to superstardom. From there, they tackle Aretha’s fabled run through the late ‘60s, during which she soundtracked American life through the civil rights movement, women's liberation and the Vietnam War. Then they parse her unlikely 1980s comeback, her latter career, and discuss how she came to be seen as one of the most essential and legendary American pop stars ever. Finally, they place Aretha Franklin in the official Pop Pantheon.Listen to Pop Pantheon's Aretha Franklin Essentials Playlist on Spotify Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at ResidentGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Mark Bego on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

Editor at The Wall Street Journal Myles Tanzer joins DJ Louie to break down 2023 in pop music so far. The two debate the broader state of pop this year, both aesthetically and commercially, and discuss which stars have experienced significant up-levels before each sharing their lists of their three favorite albums and five favorite songs of 2023 (so far). Listen to a Spotify Playlist of Louie & Myles' 2023 FavsJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our New Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreShop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at Gorgeous Gorgeous LA 6/9 at ResidentGrab Tickets to See Louie DJ at the debut of Gorgeous Gorgeous NYC 6/16 at the Sultan Room in BushwickFollow Myles Tanzer on TwitterFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on TwitterFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow Pop Pantheon on Twitter

In a preview of this week's episode of Pop Pantheon: All Access, Fluxblog's Matthew Perpetua & host of the And Introducing podcast Molly Mary O'Brien join DJ Louie to look back on three years of Chromatica: How they absorbed it when it dropped in the context of May 2020, how it sounds to them now, what's happening aesthetically and thematically on the songs, where it stacks up against in Gaga's catalog and what it says about her status in the pop firmament of the 2020s.To hear the rest of the episode, plus gain access to all our bonus content and more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier.