NPR Music’s Sheldon Pearce joins Pop Pantheon for the first in our new five-part series on BadGalRiri herself, Rihanna. Sheldon and Louie dig into Rih’s early life in Barbados and how she was discovered then signed by Jay-Z and L.A. Reid. Then they discuss her breakout with “Pon De Replay” and the Caribbean sounds that defined 2005’s Music of the Sun before tackling her quick return with 2006’s A Girl Like Me, a more genre expansive record that spawned enduring hits like “SOS” and "Unfaithful" and set the stage for her global chart takeover.

Join us next week as we explore the second leg of Rihanna’s 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad and 2009's Rated R.

NOTE: An earlier version of this episode included a minor audio editing error around 12:25-12:40 that has now been fixed. If your podcatcher downloaded the episode, delete it from your library and refresh the feed for the corrected version.

Listen to our Rihanna Essentials Playlist

Tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween on 10/30

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ gather to break down Troye Sivan's 4th studio album, She's the Best, which sensually explores the middle ground between queer lust and longing.

To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

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Julianne Escobedo Shepherd returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the career of a pop star who changed the very notion of what a “pop star” could be: M.I.A. Louis and Julianne dig into M.I.A.’s origins, from England to Sri Lanka, India and back, her first mixtape and breakthrough with 2005’s Arular. Next they discuss 2007’s Kala and “Paper Planes,” the 2010’s Maya, the mess that followed the 2012 and her commercial decline. Finally, they discuss her later era music, recent string of controversies and rank M.I.A. in The Official Pop Pantheon.

Listen to Pop Pantheon's M.I.A. Essentials Playlist

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Mailbag time! Louie and Russ tackle questions from the Mailbag, including one about Taylor Swift invoking her "haters" on record and a question about Rihanna's legacy. Plus we finally find out out: what is Russ' whole deal, anyways?

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Russ shares his belated thoughts on Charli XCX's latest, Music Fashion Film, before he and Louie go track-by-track on 2016's Vroom Vroom, the pivotal Sophie-produced EP that forever changed Charli's sound and career.

To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss their respective experiences seeing Charlie Puth and Charli XCX recently, before going deep on Tinashe's latest album, Popstar.

To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

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From Taylor to Karol, both Olivias, Ella, Ariana, Audrey, and more, hosts of the Like a Virgin podcast, Fran Tirado and Rose Dommu, join Louie and Russ to power rank the Main Pop Girls of the last 12 months.

Tickets to Gorgeous Gorgeous Halloween on 10/30

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Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

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In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ discuss last night's woeful 2026 MTV Music Video Awards, before turning their attention to the deluxe re-issue of Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, going track-by-track.

To hear the rest of the this episode plus receive weekly bonus episodes of Pop Pantheon, gain access to our Discord channel and so much more, subscribe to Pop Pantheon: All Access at the Icon Tier. You can also subscribe for the audio only directly in the Apple Podcasts app.

Note for iOS users: Subscribe using your desktop or mobile browser, not the iOS Patreon app, for cheaper rates on Pop Pantheon: All Access.

Join Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and More

Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's Store

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Follow DJ Louie XIV on Instagram

Follow Russ on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.