Music
- The stories behind the world's most recognizable sounds.
CREATORS WE LOVE
The stories behind the world's most recognizable sounds.
- New music and inspiration with Bang Chan and Felix.
NEW SHOW
New music and inspiration with Bang Chan and Felix.
- The life and legacy of Mexican megastar Juan Gabriel.
APPLE ORIGINAL
The life and legacy of Mexican megastar Juan Gabriel.
- A deep dive into album No. 1, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
APPLE ORIGINAL
A deep dive into album No. 1, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
More in Music
The stories behind the songs.
- APR 12Sabrina CarpenterZane talks to Sabrina about her summer SMASH that has everyone sipping their OWN, “me espresso.” Also, in this conversation they talk lunar eclipse's, Coachella and Jack Antonoff! With an Apple Music subscription, you can hear the full interview with music and watch the FaceTime video on Apple Music.
- JUN 6a talk with charli xcx[video available on spotify] today, i’m feeling a little more energized than usual because it's not often that i'm in the presence of a pop star - charli xcx aka charlotte atchison. are you kidding me? she runs her own label, directs music videos, co-manages developing artists, and has collaborated with so many incredible, talented people: blondie, selena gomez, gwen stefani, camila cabello, shawn mendes, benny blanco, david guetta… the list goes on. charli’s latest album, her sixth, is called “brat” and comes out tomorrow. if making music wasn't enough, she'll soon be making her acting debut in the horror film, “faces of death.” i would consider charli a friend, however, i've never talked to her about her work before. so i'm excited to learn more about her creative brain. without further ado, let me bring in the iconic charli xcx. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- JUN 14'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' | Every Single Album: Chappell RoanNora talks about her experience at the Eras Tour in Edinburgh, Scotland (1:00). Then, Nora and Nathan talk about the meteoric rise of Chappell Roan and her 2023 album 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.' They discuss how her career took off this summer after opening for Olivia Rodrigo and performing on NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' (16:05), what happens when an artist with a really passionate fan base breaks into the mainstream (30:59), and how the specificity of her songs turns them into hits (47:43). Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Nathan Hubbard Producer: Kaya McMullen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- APR 12Sabrina CarpenterZane talks to Sabrina about her summer SMASH that has everyone sipping their OWN, “me espresso.” Also, in this conversation they talk lunar eclipse's, Coachella and Jack Antonoff! With an Apple Music subscription, you can hear the full interview with music and watch the FaceTime video on Apple Music.
- JUN 6a talk with charli xcx[video available on spotify] today, i’m feeling a little more energized than usual because it's not often that i'm in the presence of a pop star - charli xcx aka charlotte atchison. are you kidding me? she runs her own label, directs music videos, co-manages developing artists, and has collaborated with so many incredible, talented people: blondie, selena gomez, gwen stefani, camila cabello, shawn mendes, benny blanco, david guetta… the list goes on. charli’s latest album, her sixth, is called “brat” and comes out tomorrow. if making music wasn't enough, she'll soon be making her acting debut in the horror film, “faces of death.” i would consider charli a friend, however, i've never talked to her about her work before. so i'm excited to learn more about her creative brain. without further ado, let me bring in the iconic charli xcx. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- JUN 14'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' | Every Single Album: Chappell RoanNora talks about her experience at the Eras Tour in Edinburgh, Scotland (1:00). Then, Nora and Nathan talk about the meteoric rise of Chappell Roan and her 2023 album 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.' They discuss how her career took off this summer after opening for Olivia Rodrigo and performing on NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' (16:05), what happens when an artist with a really passionate fan base breaks into the mainstream (30:59), and how the specificity of her songs turns them into hits (47:43). Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Nathan Hubbard Producer: Kaya McMullen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The untold stories behind hit songs.
- 06/01/2022Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You UpRick Astley is a singer and songwriter from England, whose debut single, "Never Gonna Give You Up," became an international smash hit. The song came out in July 1987 and won the BRIT Award for “British Single of the Year.” It hit number one in 25 countries, and Rick Astley was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist. And then, 20 years after the song came out, it became a new kind of phenomenon, when the meme Rickrolling was born. Last year, the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" passed a billion streams on YouTube. The song was written and produced by the production team Stock Aitken Waterman, who became hitmakers for artists like Kylie Minogue, Dead or Alive, and others. For this episode, I spoke to Rick Astley, and songwriter and producer Mike Stock, and the two of them tell the story of how "Never Gonna Give You Up" was made. For more, visit songexploder.net/rick-astley.
- 03/22/2023Seal - Kiss from a RoseSeal is a multi-Grammy-winning singer and songwriter from England. His song “Kiss from a Rose” was first released in 1994, on his second album. It was a huge hit, thanks in part to being featured in the movie Batman Forever. It landed on the top ten charts in multiple countries, and eventually went quadruple platinum in the US. At the 1996 Grammys, it won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. But "Kiss from a Rose" becoming a hit was not a foregone conclusion. Seal almost didn’t record it. And when it was first released, it didn’t make much of a splash. But for this episode, the 250th episode of Song Exploder, Seal and his longtime collaborator, producer Trevor Horn, told me the story of what it took to bring "Kiss from a Rose" to life. For more, visit songexploder.net/seal.
- 11/17/2021Hans Zimmer - DuneThe movie Dune was released on October 21. It's the most recent adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic science fiction novel from 1965. The film was directed by Denis Villeneuve, and the score was written by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer has scored over 200 films, been nominated for Oscars eleven times. He and Denis Villeneuve first worked together on the film Blade Runner 2049. Dune tells the story of the Atreides family as they relocate from their home world to the desert planet Arrakis. When Hans Zimmer first started working on the music, he made what he calls a "sketchbook" – creating motifs and themes that might occur in the film. And in this episode, he takes us through the first sketch he did for Dune. It’s called "Paul's Dream." For more, visit songexploder.net/dune.
- JAN 24The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (Deluxe Anniversary Edition)The first episode of Song Exploder, about The Postal Service song "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," came out 10 years ago, in January 2014. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the podcast, we're doing what bands do, and putting out a deluxe, expanded edition of our very first release: this version features a new interview, new insights, and new pieces of the song and demo. The Postal Service formed in 2001. Their debut album came out in 2003, and it was a game changer. Their combination of electronic music and indie rock not only sold over a million copies; their songs were everywhere on TV and in film, and influenced a generation of artists. Last year, they played sold-out concerts across the US in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the album, and there are more shows to come in 2024. A few weeks ago, I spoke to Ben Gibbard, and I combined that with my original interview from 2013 with Jimmy Tamborello. And here, together, the two of them tell the story of how they made their song “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.” For more, visit songexploder.net/postal-service-deluxe.
- 10/07/2020Dua Lipa - LevitatingDua Lipa is a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter from London. Her second album, Future Nostalgia, came out in March 2020. It hit #1 on the charts in thirteen countries, and it was shortlisted for the UK’s Mercury Prize. Dua co-wrote the song "Levitating" with some of her closest collaborators, including producer Stephen Kozmeniuk, AKA Koz. In this episode, Dua and Koz break down “Levitating” and how Dua’s childhood memories shaped its sound. songexploder.net/dua-lipa
- FEB 7Green Day - Basket CaseGreen Day is a punk band from the East Bay in California. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have been playing music together since 1987. They’ve sold over 90 million records. They’ve won four Grammys, including twice for Best Rock Album. They put out their first album in 1990, and their second album, Kerplunk!, in 1991. And then, they moved to a major label and in 1994 they put out their third album, Dookie, which was huge. It helped bring punk into the mainstream. And this month is its 30th anniversary. So for this episode, I talked to Billie Joe Armstrong about the making of one of Green Day’s biggest hits of all time: “Basket Case." Coming up, you’ll also hear from Rob Cavallo, who produced the album. Plus, you’ll hear two different demo versions of “Basket Case,” the first of which is basically a totally different song. Billie Joe Amstrong traces the history of “Basket Case,” from its origins as a cassette recording in a punk basement, all the way to becoming a song that helped define an era of music. For more, visit songexploder.net/green-day.