Ep. 45 · Hip-hop
Not Like Us
Kendrick Lamar
The diss track that became an anthem. We break down every bar, every reference, and why this one landed differently from the rest.
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One song. Around an hour. New ones land every Tuesday. Search by song, artist, genre or guest.
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10 episodes
Ep. 44 · Pop
Anti-Hero
Taylor Swift
A pop star writes a song about hating herself and it becomes the biggest hit of her career. We unpack why it resonated with everyone.
Ep. 43 · Hip-hop
God's Plan
Drake
Is it a prayer, a flex, or both? We dig into what makes this song so slippery, and why it became inescapable.
Ep. 42 · Soft rock
Africa
Toto
One of the most beloved yet endlessly mocked songs in pop history, and what it reveals about how nostalgia shapes taste.
Ep. 41 · Disco
Good Times
Chic
How a single bassline rewired pop, hip-hop and dance music for the next forty years. We break down every note.
Ep. 40 · Jazz
Strange Fruit
Billie Holiday
1939. A song that wasn't supposed to exist. We look at what it took to make it and why it still hurts.
Ep. 39 · Soul
Respect
Aretha Franklin
A song written one way and claimed another. We follow how Aretha Franklin turned a plea into a demand, and a record into a banner.
Ep. 38 · Pop
Billie Jean
Michael Jackson
A bassline that arrives before the singer does. We look at how a paranoid story became the engine of a pop landmark.
Ep. 37 · Country
Hurt
Johnny Cash
A rock song handed to a country legend near the end of his life. We ask what changes when the same words come from a different voice.
Ep. 36 · Afrobeat
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Afrobeat as satire and as shield. We follow how a long, groove-heavy track pointed straight at power and why it still carries its sting.