Popcast is hosted by Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic for The New York Times, and Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter for The New York Times. It covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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…
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…
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. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here…
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…
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. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite…
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. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or…
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. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and…
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 here . Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher . For…
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. Subscribe today…
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,…
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. - Watch the episode here .…