Pop Could Never Save Us

Holly and critic Dave Moore (https://www.otherdavemoore.com) talk about the 2018 pop movie Vox Lux, directed by Brady Corbet (director of the Oscar-winning The Brutalist), and why its nihilistic interpretation of manufactured Millennial teenpop is incoherent, wrong, and - worst of all - boring.This is Part 1 - Part 2 will follow shortly.A full list of songs and audio clips used in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/79vvk88cAll audio clips are used for the purposes of criticism.

In the first of a series of bonus episodes around pop music movies, Holly and James investigate the moral panic over the 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle, and try and understand why Bill Haley had those theatre seats ripped.

Holly and James discuss revenge, cunnilingus and warmly welcome a once featured guest to Valhalla. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Taste - Sabrina Carpenter 2) BACKBONE - Chase and Status and Stormzy 3) Die With A Smile - Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga 4) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis 5) HOT TO GO! - Chappell Roan A full list of all songs featured in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/uqipcosa

In a chilled out bonus ep edited by James, he and Holly discuss the movie Kneecap (2024) featuring the republican Irish rap group Kneecap, and the coke-dusted evil of the Oasis reunion tour. They also try unsuccessfully not to get cancelled.

Holly and James talk about underwear. An odyssey through the changing in the role of gender and irony since the 2000s. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) Guess - Charli XCX feat. Billie Eilish 2) Good Luck, Babe! - Chappell Roan 3) Stargazing - Myles Smith 4) Austin - Dasha 5) Kisses - Bl3ss feat. bbyclose Bye Bye Bye - 'NSYNC 7) Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen A full list of the songs used in the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/bq8f6y76

Tell a friend. Holly and James are back. Songs featured in the episode: Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter Please Please Please - Sabrina Carpenter A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey Houdini - Eminem BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar A full list of all songs featured on the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/r5f5es36

Holly sits down for a long chat with Monia Ali of the Fandom Exile Substack to discuss stan culture, online platforms, the industry's hand in shaping our current media landscape, and how Louis Tomlinson's career was kneecapped to ensure the success of Harry Styles. Monia's Fandom Exile newsletter can be found here: https://exiledfan.substack.com A list of all songs and video clips played in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/42ko2dru

Holly and James continue watching Taylor Swift's Eras tour. Holly geeks out over songwriting, while James endures it. And this episode ends with a good moral for the kids! A full list of songs played in the episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/s6fx6fhv

If you haven't heard enough people talking about Taylor Swift yet, have we got a show for you! Holly and James sit down at their moss-covered podcasting desks to talk about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie and her surprising lack of chart megastardom until the pando. A full list of songs used in this episode can be found here: https://rentry.co/vz277mym

It's the final episode of Pop Could Never Save Us, and Holly and James finish off their time in 2018 by picking through the dust of the mumble rap debate and Eminem's kamikaze attack on the game. SONGS DISCUSSED: 1) I Love It - Lil Pump & Kanye West 2) FEFE - 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj 3) Lucky You - Joyner Lucas & Eminem 4) RAP DEVIL - Machine Gun Kelly 5) Killshot - Eminem A full list of all songs featured on the episode is available here: https://rentry.co/uyrqa The Pick of the Week playlist is available here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tc2ZHF8JGfdlA7wdm74lK?si=8fb096655979462c