What Beyonce’s Album Means for Country Music + Problematic Red Carpet Reporting

This week on Name 3 Songs… ⚡ Fangirl Nonsense: We can’t stop thinking about Royel Otis’s cover of “Linger” by the Cranberries and neither can every 30 year-old man. Harry Styles’ Pleasing is doing a pop-up in Austin, Texas! Sara saw Quarters of Change in Washington DC.  ⚡ On April 19, Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department *and* The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology with a total of 31 tracks. In a big surprise to all of us, this album is mostly about Matty Healy, rather than Joe Alwyn. One year after Taylor and Matty’s whirl-wind and highly criticized relationship, Taylor is telling her side of the story and possibly calling out fans in the process. All of this begs the question – who is the album for? And did we need to know all of this? We explore the significance of this album in the context of Taylor’s fame and power, her music choices on the record, and her relationship to fans and music critics. Enjoy this episode? Join our Patreon community or leave us a tip on PayPal!  Want to talk more? Find us: @name3songs | @sara_feigin | @jenna_million Check out all the sources for this episode at name3songs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re Getting Candid with The Vices about the importance of performing live and learning how to replicate that energy in the studio, how they’ve drawn influence from rock bands across the decades, and their decision to sing in English. Plus, we talk about how they recorded a live performance of their debut album on boat during covid, and how they built their own music festival with bands from around the world. The Vices are a four-piece rock band from The Netherlands formed in 2019. Their second album ‘Unknown Affairs’, early 2023, and reached over 1.5M streams within a month. Their very first show ever was supporting YUNGBLUD. They’ve since toured with Nothing But Thieves, opened stadium shows in Europe, and hosted their own festival called Vice Fest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Name 3 Songs… ⚡ Fangirl Nonsense: Dua Lipa is maybe a boring pop star? Chappell Roan owned Coachella. Barry Keoghan is spotted being a supportive boyfriend to Sabrina Carpenter.  ⚡  Orville Peck and Willie Nelson teamed up for a gay cowboy anthem. Orville Peck is one of the few openly gay country singers. Willie Nelson is a grandfather of the genre. The two teamed up for a cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” – making a statement that country is for the LGBTQIA+ community despite what the country industry tries to make people believe.  ⚡ Jojo Siwa faces backlash from netizens after claiming she wanted to make a new genre – “gay pop.” This is coupled with the release of her new song “Karma” and the accompanying music video that sees Siwa leaning into the sexual pop star trope for the first time in her career. We discuss how the 20 year-old dancer-turned-singer is using sexual imagery to distance herself from her child star image and how this decision compares to Disney stars like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.  Enjoy this episode? Join our Patreon community or leave us a tip on PayPal!  Want to talk more? Find us: @name3songs | @sara_feigin | @jenna_million Check out all the sources for this episode at name3songs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re getting candid in our interview with Girl and Girl. We talk with Girl and Girl about how being theatrical helps singer Kai share difficult topic in his lyrics, how the band works together as a unit on stage to support Kai’s exuberant stage presence, and the way the band relates to Kai’s personal lyrics. Girl and Girl are a four-piece jangly garage rock band from Brisbane Australia. Notably, the band includes singer Kai James and his Aunty Liss on drums, along with – Jayden Williams on guitar and Fraser Bell on bass. The band just attended South By Southwest Music Fest in Austin, Texas and they are back in the US this spring supporting Royel Otis before they release their debut album Call A Doctor on May 24.  Listen to the full interview with Girl and Girl on Name 3 Songs podcast and find a transcribed excerpt at name3songs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been exactly a year since Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's breakup hit the newsstands. Jenna's out sick this week so we're revisiting our discussion from April of 2023 to look back at the media and the world's reaction to Taylor and Joe parting ways. Also in this episode we were in the midst of a public feud between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, so we'll be revisiting that too. We'll be back next week with our regularly scheduled programming! https://name3songs.com/2023/04/16/taylor-swifts-breakup-selena-gomez-calls-to-end-hate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re Getting Candid with Jordan Suaste about how he found his voice while growing up as one of the only queer kids in his school, connecting with fans after having his song “Body” go viral on TikTok, and using visuals and fashion as a form of self-expression. LA-based pop singer/songwriter Jordan Suaste, released his new single “Love Who You Want To” last month. The song encapsulates his yearning for genuine connections crafted as a personal reminder to Jordan and his LGBTQ+ forward community. 23-year-old Utah native Jordan Suaste began posting his original songs on Instagram after dropping out of school at the age of 16. The arrival of his self-penned debut single “Body,” now with over 70 million streams on Spotify, marked an ignition point for Suaste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Name 3 Songs… ⚡ Jenna’s in NYC! In recent months Sara’s been digging into New York City’s alternative rock scene, which just might be at the precipice of Meet Me In The Bathroom 2.0. Since we’re both in the big apple, we’ve been experiencing music nightlife together, and want to bring you all in on the journey. Two bands in particular that we’ve seen: The Gasoline at Bowery Electric and Pan Arcadia at Mercury Lounge.  ⚡ Then we’re revisiting “Reclaiming 30: A Pop Star Renaissance” featuring guest journalist Hannah Ewens. At some point, the patriarchy decided that being a 30-year-old woman meant you were past your prime. For pop music fans, it meant you had no music left to relate to, while pop music stars were shunned from the spotlight. Tabloids called them washed up, and questioned their choices, hating them whether they listened to their biological clock or not. We’re joined by a long time fave of the pod Hannah Ewens to discuss how millennial women are reclaiming turning 30 and viewing it as more of a renaissance age rather than an expiration date. Join us for a look into how this generation of 30 year olds has grasped it as a second coming of age & made this big ole age feel like the start of something new. Enjoy this episode? Join our Patreon community or leave us a tip on PayPal!  Want to talk more? Find us: @name3songs | @sara_feigin | @jenna_million Check out all the sources for this episode at name3songs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re reporting from SXSW Music Fest in Austin, Texas! Coming from around the world, we talked to: Chloe Tang, Lulú, and Bones and Jones.  This episode includes a snippet of each interview. Visit name3songs.com to read the full Q&As with each artist.  More about today’s guests: Chloe Tang is an alternative pop and R&B artist based between Los Angeles and Arizona who makes anthems for the baddie in all of us. We talk to Chloe about making a name for herself as an independent artist, owning her sexuality, and the importance of celebrating her Chinese heritage. Lulú is a Mexican pop and R&B singer who uses music to express her deepest emotions. We talk to Lulú about finding her singing voice at a young age, building a community of supportive artists, and the importance of taking care of your mental health.  Bones and Jones are a five-piece band that live together in an apple orchard just outside of Melbourne, Australia. Their music blends elements of country and rock in a fresh light that’s landed them touring spots with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Twin Peaks and more. We talk to Jasper, Finn and Bailey from Bones and Jones about their unique songwriting process that allows them to trade off singing parts, and what drew them to bring country elements into their songwriting.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Name 3 Songs… ⚡ Fangirl Nonsense: It’s been 9 years since Zayn Malik left one Direction. We’re getting more teasers and interviews for The Idea of You starring Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway since the premiere of the film at SXSW. Dua Lipa and Callum Turner are the hottest new couple. Olivia Rodrigo’s extended edition songs are the perfect love song about her new boyfriend Louis Partridge.  ⚡ Kate Middleton recently announced her diagnosis of cancer amid media and public speculation about her absence from the public eye over the last three months. Kate seemingly disappeared from any public appearances or photo opportunities after a surgery in January. In early March, a heavily edited photo was posted to Kate’s Instagram account causing more public outrage and speculation. We break down this series of events including the way that the media and public responded, and how this all compares to female figures being treated in the limelight.  Enjoy this episode? Join our Patreon community or leave us a tip on PayPal!  Want to talk more? Find us: @name3songs | @sara_feigin | @jenna_million Check out all the sources for this episode at name3songs.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re reporting from SXSW Music Fest in Austin, Texas! Coming from around the world, we talked to: Elle Shimada, Bathe Alone, ASHY, and Ada Oda. This episode includes a snippet of each interview. Visit name3songs.com to read the full Q&As with each artist.  More about today’s guests: Elle Shimada is a violinist, producer, DJ from Tokyo and based in Melbourne, Australia. We talk to Elle about making a space for herself in a heavily white and male music environment, and how she uses music as a tool for activism to make people think.  Bathe Alone is the dream-pop moniker of multi-instrumentalist Bailey Crone who works alongside producer Damon Moon to create indie rock through a sound design approach. We talk to Bailey and Damon about using sound design as a playground for infinite expression, and how they’ve translated this to the stage with a 6-piece band. ASHY is a pop artist and songwriter hailing from New Zealand. We talk to ASHY about finding the best writers to hone in her pure-pop sound, and why she incorporates dancing into her live performances. Ada Oda are a colorful and energetic pop rock band based in Brussels. We talk to Victoria and Clément about why they write their music in French but sing in Italian, and what it means to be the first band Belgium has sent to SXSW in 7 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices