Spring 2018 Pop Culture Preview, Max Fun Drive – IP 117

April 4, 2018April 3, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

In honor of the Max Fun Drive- we are proud to present our Spring Pop Culture Preview! We’ll share some inside info on the highly anticipated TV, Film and Music due out this Spring. And to help us out- our special guests – the hosts of Long Distance POPcast and JoJCast also share their picks!

Spring is no longer the season to bide your time while you await the big summer blockbusters and concert tours. Some of the most innovative and surprising pieces of pop culture are about to slide into your earbuds and onto your television and movie screens and we’ll tell you what cannot be missed!

Spring is also the time to support your favorite podcasts by becoming a member of Maximum Fun! We’ll tell you the glory (and gifts) that await you if you decide to become a member or renew your membership.

Take a look below at all of the upcoming pop culture packed into this special podcast!

Music

Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer

Elton John Revamp

Lake Street Dive

Movies

Tully

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami

Television

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Atlanta Season 2, Avengers: Infinity War trailer, Saturday Night Live, Wolverine Podcast – IP 115

March 21, 2018March 20, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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This episode is the ultimate pop culture to do list for the week!

DO listen to our review of the second season of Donald Glover’s series, Atlanta. We discuss whether the show overcomes the dreaded sophomore season slump.

DO hear our reaction to the latest trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Who will live and who will die? We share our guesses and also estimate how much screen time Doctor Strange will get since he is sharing the screen with 8,000 other heroes.

DO NOT feel any jealousy as Sean tells you what it was like to attend a taping of Saturday Night Live.

DO wonder whether Amita will enjoy Sean’s Big Sell from last week – the new podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night. And also find out which heroes they think should be next to have their own podcast. The inspiration for Sean’s answer can be found in this amazing comic written by Greg Pak.

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A Wrinkle in Time, Jessica Jones, Sade, Meshell Ndegeocello, Carousel, Vulfpeck – IP 114

March 14, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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This week’s episode of Inside Pop has the following Inclusion Rider: Our 114th episode must celebrate the creativity and diversity of women in film, music and television.

The show begins with a review of Ava DuVernay’s epic adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. Amita discusses what she most loves about the film and Sean questions whether the film’s box office performance and overall reception was affected by the phenomenon that is Black Panther. Amita also shares some of the insight she got from Ava herself at DuVernay’s Times Talk last week.

Then, Amita and Sean rejoice over Sade’s new song, ‘Flowers of the Universe’ (Amita loves this remix of the song).

Next, the Pop Insiders move on to TV and Sean provides a spoiler free review of the second season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Will he convince Amita to give the show a try? Stay tuned.

The co-hosts also review Meshell Ndegeocello’s new new album of covers, Ventriloquism, which touches their Gen-X hearts with innovative and emotional covers of songs from the 80’s and 90’s including Prince’s “Sometimes it Snows in April”, Force MD’s “Tender Love” and Janet Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)”.

Plus, Sean talks about seeing the new revival of the musical Carousel on Broadway starring Renée Fleming and Joshua Henry (his Instagram is a must follow if you love soulful acoustic versions of songs from Hamilton and of course you love that) and discusses the challenges of enjoying a musical from the 50’s that has domestic abuse as a main plot point.

And the Big Sell returns from its month long sabbatical with a bang! Hear Sean’s review of Vulfpeck. And guess which new podcast he’s selling to Amita? The answer will NOT surprise you!

As promised – Sean’s favorite Mama tribute song.

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#TimesUp, Golden Globes, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Cardi B, Bruno Mars – IP 107

January 10, 2018January 9, 2018 | insidepoppodcast

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This week, Hollywood flexed its social justice muscle once again when it turned the 75th Golden Globes ceremony into a rally for gender equality. We’ll debate the effectiveness of the black clad ceremony and revel in the glory of Oprah Winfrey’s memorable speech.

Then, we’ll review new songs by some of the biggest stars in music including Bruno Mars and Cardi B’s “Finesse (Remix),” Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s collaboration, “All the Stars,” from the upcoming Black Panther film and Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl appetizer, “Filthy.”

Plus, Amita reviews last week’s Big Sell, the uplifting new age song by Laraaji, “I Can Only Bliss Out (F’ Days)” and then Big Sells Sean on a new song by Kelela.

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Best Music of 2017 – IP 104

December 13, 2017December 12, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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This year we’ve listened to countless hours of new albums and songs and attended dozens of concerts and are now ready to declare our favorite music of 2017! Listen to this very special year-end episode to hear us discuss the artists who delivered music that inspired us, informed us, entertained us, made us want to dance and put us in that special mood!

We also discuss our favorite singles of the year, our most memorable concerts and the new music we’re craving in 2018.

Our favorite albums list includes:

Kendrick Lamar – DAMN

Jay-Z – 4:44

Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room

Jamila Woods – HEAVN (Check out her video for Blk Girl Soldier )

Khalid – American Teen (Check out his video for Location)

Gorillaz – Humanz

Miguel – War X Leisure (Check out his video for Told You So)

Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black

Earl St. Clair – My Name Is Earl

Sampha – Process (Check out his video for (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano)

SZA – CTRL

Lorde – Melodrama (Listen to Liability)

Valerie June – Order of Time (Watch her live performance of Order of Time)

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Life Defining Music, National African American Museum – IP 102

November 29, 2017November 28, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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This is our final regular episode of the year and we are both sharing AND caring!

First Sean shares his experience visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He describes what it likes to visit this incredible new museum and discusses some of the amazing pop culture featured in the exhibits.

Then Amita and Sean revisit one of their favorite segments of the past year and share their discussion of the music by some of their favorite female singers that has defined pivotal moments in their lives. Whether grappling with life in the closet, coping with feeling like an outsider, celebrating the joy of a new found independence or discovering a strengthening friendship we highlight the music that has provided an essential soundtrack to our lives. Our “Defining Divas” include Mary J. Blige, Annie Lennox, Mariah Carey, Lauren Hill and BOTH Knowles sisters – Beyonce and Solange.

And then Sean rates the final big sell of the year – the single “Underdog” by singer/songwriter Banks.

And finally Amita and Sean preview their upcoming year end specials! We’re preparing our lists for the best TV, Music and Film of the year and have a few surprising choices in store!

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Cover Songs, Fall TV Mid-Season Check, #BigSell30 – IP 96

October 18, 2017October 17, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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Why not take a break from re-watching the Black Panther trailer and listen to this brand new episode of Inside Pop!

First up, we discuss some of our favorite cover songs. What makes a great cover song and what are some of the best? We discuss covers and originals performed by Prince, Adele, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox and more!

Remember the sense of optimism you felt at the beginning of the TV season? That belief that you’d be bowled over by a ton of new amazing shows and that all of your favorite returning shows would continue to be your favorites? Well, we felt that way too and now it’s time to face the music (or the should we say ‘the flat screen’). We’re doing a mid-season check in to see which shows are must-see and which are about to be deleted from the DVR. We discuss This is Us, The Deuce, Queen Sugar, The Defenders, The Exorcist, Wisdom of the Crowd and more!

And we’ll also check in on the #BigSell30 Challenge and discuss how our lives have improved while experiencing one new piece of pop culture every day this month.

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Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall, The Defenders Ep 1 Review, Bosco – IP 88

August 23, 2017August 22, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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Faster than you can sail from Dragonstone to Winterfell – another week has gone by, and another epic Game of Thrones episode has arrived that can NOT be overlooked! We discuss the penultimate episode, Beyond the Wall, of this fast paced season and talk Dragons and Zombie Polar Bears and White Walkers and oh so much more! Be warned again – spoilers ahead!

Then, Sean shares his initial thoughts on Netflix’s The Defenders – and you may be surprised to hear his reaction.

And of course, there is no Inside Pop without the Big Sell. Sean reviews last week’s ‘soft ball’ musical recommendation from Amita (a song by Bosco featuring St. Beauty) and recommends a politically charged Big Sell that involves Kal Penn, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chuck Close and ‘he who shall not be named’ (but who SHALL be protested).

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Game of Thrones “Eastwatch” recap; Marvel’s Luke Cage Executive Producer Cheo Hodari Coker interview – IP 87

August 16, 2017August 15, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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We look forward and backward and completely nerd out this week!

First up, we recap the latest Game of Thrones episode, “Eastwatch” and look ahead to how these tangled plot lines may play out. Is Cersei Lannister with child? Will Lord Baelish put his little finger between the recently reunited Stark sister act?

Then Amita completely surprises Sean with a Game of Thrones Inside Pop Quiz! Does Sean know a Tully from a Tarly? Can he name all three of Daenerys’ dragons? Listen to find out!

Then, in anticipation of this week’s premiere of The Defenders on Netflix, we revisit our conversation with Marvel’s Luke Cage Creator and Executive Producer Cheo Hodari Coker who discusses his future plans for the Luke Cage character.

And in the Big Sell, Amita shares her reaction to an Afropunk 2017 playlist and she big sells Sean a new song by BOSCO featuring St. Beauty.

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Links:

HBO Viewers Guide

For our full interview with Cheo Hodari Coker- check out Inside Pop Episode 54

New Music Videos; South Asian Interracial Relationships in TV & Film – IP 85

August 2, 2017August 1, 2017 | insidepoppodcast

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This week we discuss the film, television, music AND music videos that have grabbed our attention!

First up, we highlight some of our favorite new music videos from Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Grimes featuring Janelle Monae. These artists are creating work that’s thought provoking and gorgeous.

Then, we discuss the depiction of South Asian interracial relationships on television and in film. Our conversation is inspired by a recent article that critiques the lack of Asian love interests in the works of South Asian creators like Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Kumail Nanjiani and Hasan Minhaj. We tackle the issues of personal expression, cultural responsibility and the need to see Brown Love on the screen.

Finally in The Big Sell, Amita rates Sam Dew’s cover of the Bill Withers song “Use Me” and then she gives what Sean calls, “the greatest big sell in the history of the show!” It’s not because of what she sells – but how she sells it. Let’s just say Sean likes it when Amita shares personal info.

Links:

Jay-Z – The Story of OJ

Jay-Z – 4:44

Kendrick Lamar – ELEMENT

Kendrick Lamar ft Rihanna – LOYALTY

Images in ELEMENT pay homage photographer Gordon Parks.