This Must Be Pop
Connecting with a pop group when we're young is often one of the most defining moments of our lives, but why are we so afraid to talk about it?
This podcast is devoted to exploring the importance of pop music, including the music of boybands. It’s also a critique of society looking down on music many genuinely enjoy. Fans of boybands (consisting of mostly women and LGBTQ+ folk) often feel a stigma if they express their admiration for certain groups. Additionally, despite their talent & popularity, no modern boyband has won a Grammy. We explore all this on This Must Be Pop.
Our Editor's Take
This Must Be Pop celebrates pop music, boy bands, and their fans. The music podcast poses vital questions about the genre's history and representation. Even with great fame among the public, artists in the genre have won few prestigious awards. This podcast attempts to answer why this is while enjoying all pop music offers.
Londoner Jessica is the podcast's creator. She works in the music industry and loves helping artists succeed. Jessica started This Must Be Pop as a blog in 2003. She wanted to highlight exciting new bands, singers, and songs. Jessica also aspired to write in a way that appeals to those in the industry and its biggest fans.
Ana, Ceci, and Lizzie host the podcast. They share about their personal boyband obsessions and why they feel stigmatized. In "Boybands 101" the hosts discuss the performers who attract tens of thousands of fans when they get on stage. The hosts and guests also define the music history podcast's key terms, "pop music" and "boyband." Listeners also hear from Madame Daley, who created the show's theme song. Daley is a New Yorker, musician, singer, and songwriter. She argues teen girls "made rock and roll."
The Beatles, One Direction, the Spice Girls, and other groups are lively topics. In one episode, author Erik Didriksen discusses his book of poems, Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favorite Songs. He recites verses based on the Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way" and songs by NSYNC and One Direction. Didriksen and cohost Ana chat about the history of cliché love poetry. Are today's pop songs an ode to the works many now consider high art?
Podcaster James Rodriguez joins to discuss solo artists like Britney Spears and Beyonce. Former Backstreet Boys member JC Chasez reveals how his journey parallels Spear's. Both had complicated relationships with their record labels. They also talk about why Spears never released her album Original Doll.
Fellow pop music fans may enjoy This Must Be Pop's appreciation for the beloved genre. Episodes of the podcast are between 45 to 90 minutes.
Episodes