The Pop Pod

Dua Lipa is back on the charts with ‘Training Season’ getting an unexpected second life which has us thinking about all things Dua. Jono & I decided it was the perfect time to talk about what we expect from her fourth album and revisit whether ‘Radical Optimism’ was a successful era for her. We also ranked the top 10 Dua Lipa songs, discussing everything from her euphoric breakout ‘Be The One’ to an unexpected deep cut from ‘Radical Optimism’ that has stayed with us. What are you expecting from this forthcoming Dua era? Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more.

Hemlocke Springs is the latest guest on The Pop Pod. When I put together a list of artists that I wanted to speak to this week, Hemlocke was top of my mind. Her debut album 'the apple tree under the sea' is one of the projects that made me truly excited this year. It's an oddball pop record, that chews up so many different inspirations and spits it out in Hemlocke's technicolor vision. We sat down to speak about the album and turning a viral moment into something long-lasting. We also discussed plenty of pop classics from Prince, to Katseye's 'Gnarly' to Beyonce & Rihanna. Make sure you follow The Pop Pod on Instagram for all the updates.

A bonus throwback episode for you today. Jono and I went through all the US number one singles of 2010 and bop'd or flop'd them. As it turns out, 2010 was a pretty groundbreaking year for pop. It was a the debut of Kesha, Katy Perry's golden era and a shapeshifting year for Rihanna. On top of that, it was a gloriously silly year for pop music, driven by songs like 'Like A G6'.

A maker of several pop classics joins The Pop Pod. Natasha Bedingfield is behind some of the biggest pop songs of this millennium including 'These Words' and 'Unwritten'. These songs continue to have comebacks and, acting as millennial anthems but they have also now seeped into the psyche of a Gen Z as well - now the generation that listen to her most. On the pod, we discuss the undying success of her early classics, the 'Unwritten' follow-up that was banned by radio and her new chapter as an independent artist with 'Dot Dot Dot'. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram.

At the top of last year, I interviewed Ravyn Lenae briefly right as 'Love Me Not' was beginning to bubble. 1.3 billion streams later, it's a rare ubiquitous hit. Now, she joins me on The Pop Pod with another album in the bag. 'Blue Island' shows that she had no interest in trying to imitate the sound of 'Love Me Not'. It's a wild ride that showcases an artist following her creative impulses in a daring and captivating way. She spoke to me about whether she felt the pressure on this record and what inspired it from Nelly Furtado to Gwen Stefani. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram.

Flo are, in my opinion, the best girl group on the planet right now. I got to sit down with them in London ahead of the release of their second album 'Therapy At The Club' to talk about taking control, music videos, hangover and pop classics. Their second album really sees them step into their own. It's ambitious, charismatic and loud. You'll hear all about it in this chat plus lots more. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram and don't forget to subscribe!

Ariana Grande's new album 'Petal' is good because Ariana is too good to make a bad album. There are, however, some frustrations about how polite it is at times. Jono and I have gone through the album track-by-track to make sense of one of her most divisive albums yet. Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ .

Rose Gray is the next princess of pop. Taking inspiration from the legends like Kylie and Madonna as well as underground dance music, she’s forged a new path off the back of her debut album Louder, Please. That album helped her pick up a whole new audience and now she’s headed towards album number two with ‘Club To Your Arms’ and its experimental sister ‘Bodies’. She joined The Pop Pod to talk about working with pop mastermind Justin Tranter on new music, update us on the progress of the next album and chat Madonna, Lily Allen, Robyn and more. Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ .

It's been a while since Jono and I have checked in on the pod so we though we'd give you an episode on the best and worst of 2026 so far. We talked about what's worked this year and what hasn't as well as listed our top 3 songs and album of the year so far.

Sekou is my favourite new male popstar. He's got the tunes, he's got the look and he's got a superstar mindset. He's just released his debut mixtape 'In A World We Don't Belong' which features 'Catching Bodies' his breakout single. In the past year, he's also featured on Justin Bieber's 'Swag' finding a musical kingship with Biebs. I had the best chat with him touching on the Bieber of it all but also generally what it takes to make it as a new artist in an increasingly frustrating industry.

Well, this is a dream. Charli XCX is the latest guest on The Pop Pod. We met up in London to discuss the new album Music Fashion Film and how she got to this point, once again making a creative pivot in the sort of way only Charli knows how.

It is my pleasure to welcome to the podcast Bebe Rexha - a pop music titan who is responsible for some of the biggest hits of the last decade. Freshly independent and with a new record 'Dirty Blonde' in the bag, we talked about her journey to this point and her most cohesive album to date. As always, we also talked pop classics touching on everything from dancefloor bangers to Miley Cyrus. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram for more.

Olivia Rodrigo released her third album 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love' to AOTY allegations last week. I had to get Jono on the line to discuss. We went track-by-track through the songs and reviewed it along the way.

Madeon has long been one of the most exciting producers in the game. He broke through as a teenager with a pop music mash-up and turned that into a consistently evolving career. He’s collaborated with Porter Robinson, Lady Gaga and more recently Slayyyter and so he feels like the perfect person to join us to chat Pop Classics. This was such a pleasure for me personally. I’ve been a longtime fan of Madeon and always admired how he’s been able to show great admiration for the producers that came before him while also being a trailblazer. We had a great conversation talking about his work with Lady Gaga and Slayyyter and also his forthcoming album ‘Victory’. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram.

HorsegiirL is the first horse to ever appear on The Pop Pod but also one of the most fascinating. The German producer and DJ has transcended her meme-ish origins to become one of the most important figures in electronic music right now. In this episode, we talked about pop classics from Kylie to Usher but also what makes pop so fascinating. The ability to make the complex universally snackable. HorsegiirL's debut album 'Nature Is Healing' is out next week.

In July, Ariana Grande will release her eighth album ‘Petal’ so we thought it was the opportune time to roll out the definitive ranking of Ariana albums. From ‘Yours Truly’ to ‘Eternal Sunshine’, Ariana has one of the most interesting and personal discographies in pop music tracking personal triumphs and tragedies. We can update this ranking in July when ‘Petal’ finally arrives but for now, join PopSamCam for the current Ariana Grande albums ranking. What’s your ranking? Follow us on Instagram .

It's time for another rankinig episode and this time we're turning our attention to Charli XCX who just returned with 'Rock Music'. For the past decade plus Charli has been a pop visionary, always operating ahead of the game and churning out some of the most thought-provoking pop music along the way. She's amassed an impressive discography that actually proved quite difficult to rank. That being said, there were 4 songs that really stood out. On this episode of The Pop Pod, Sam & Jono rank the best Charli XCX songs. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.poppod/

Swedish duo Icona Pop are behind one of the most monumental club-pop songs of the 2010s 'I Love It' but since then they have kept the dancefloor alive. Icona Pop are best friends on and off the dancefloor and have spent their career crafting high-energy songs for the club that also go for maximum emotional effect. With a new album, 'Ritual' on the way, Icona Pop joined The Pop Pod to talk about Sweden's reputation for perfect pop as well as those who contribute from ABBA to Robyn. Plus we got into what makes a crying on the dancefloor song so good. Follow The Pop Pod on Instagram for more.

This week on The Pop Pod, Sam & Jono dig into exactly that question. We start with Confessions on a Dance Floor , the Madonna masterpiece that turns 21 this year and still sounds like the future, and we talk about what it means that she and producer Stuart Price are finally returning with a sequel, Confessions II , out this summer. From there we get into the records that have carried that torch in the years since: Robyn's Body Talk , Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia , Charli XCX's Brat , and so much more. What separates a great dance album from an all-time one? Is it the sequencing, the production, the emotional honesty underneath all that euphoria? We get into all of it, with plenty of detours along the way. Follow us on Instagram.

Jessie Ware has spent the last six years quietly building one of the great runs in modern pop . From What's Your Pleasure? to That! Feels Good! and now her sixth album Superbloom , out this week, she's carved out a lane that's entirely her own: disco-inflected, deeply felt, and allergic to cheap shortcuts. Superbloom pushes deeper than its predecessors, trading pure escapism for something more grounded in real love, real relationships, and the fear of losing them, without sacrificing a single beat. This week on The Pop Pod, I sit down with Jessie to talk through the new album, the creative instincts that have guided her since What's Your Pleasure? changed everything, and the pop songs that have meant the most to her. We get into Chappell Roan, Robyn, Rihanna, and more: the records that defined what a perfect pop moment can be, and what Jessie thinks separates a good song from an unforgettable one.