Switched On Pop
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Play S1 E1Songwriter Charlie Harding and musicologist Nate Sloan, a professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music, break down musical ideas and production choices behind today’s biggest hits, pulling songs apart to understand how they work and why they matter.
Cast: Charlie Harding, Nate Sloan
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Season 1
8 episodes
- 1. Let's Get It Started (ft. Aaron Dessner)Research says you judge a song in under half a second. So why write an intro at all? On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate kick off their Netflix launch and probe what an intro means in today's musical landscape, alongside special guests like Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, The National, Gracie Adams), who helps build the case for intros and reveals the surprising sources that form the opening sounds of Taylor Swift's “cardigan.”TV-14CC38minJul 14, 2026
- 2. Justice for the Verse (ft. Audrey Hobert)Everybody sings the chorus, but superfans quote the verse. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie and Nate trace the verse from Shakespeare through opera to TikTok, and songwriter Audrey Hobert shares her philosophy of specific verses and anthemic choruses: you can't have the payoff without the setup.TV-14CC31minJul 21, 2026
- 3. Preaching to the Chorus (ft. B-Real & Trevor Horn)The chorus was once the part of the song that brought us together, the place we gathered to sing. Now it's the most engineered thirty seconds in music. Legendary producer Trevor Horn and hip-hop icon B-Real of Cypress Hill help Charlie and Nate answer the question on their minds: when everything's a hook, is anything a chorus?TV-14CC47minJul 28, 2026
- 4. Take It to the Bridge (ft. Tayla Parx)Bridges open up the world of a song: they're a breath of fresh air and a point of contrast, typically delivered right before the final chorus. But sometimes they accomplish even more, changing the whole meaning of a song by introducing a note of doubt, or even defiance. This is what the best artists do, from Beyoncé to the Beatles to Taylor Swift, but some critics are concerned that the bridge is in danger of being demolished. On this episode, Charlie and Nate speak to songwriter and artist Tayla Parx, who's worked with everyone from Ariana Grande to Panic! At the Disco, to learn why the bridge matters more than ever — and why an artist might still want to skip it altogether.TV-14CC39minAug 4, 2026
- 5. A piano lesson that will change how you listen (ft. Lang Lang)For many people – including Charlie and Nate – studying classical piano as a child always felt like a chore. Now, as adults, there’s a newfound appreciation for classical music, but the art form isn’t always accessible. One of the people trying to change that is the world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, classical piano’s greatest interpreter. On this episode of Switched on Pop, Charlie sits down with Lang Lang at the Steinway showroom in New York City to see how taste changes over time, the different ways a master pianist can interpret a work, and ultimately, why classical music is still important.TV-14CC34minAug 11, 2026
- 6. Episode 6No synopsis available yet.TV-14CCAug 18, 2026
- 7. Episode 7No synopsis available yet.TV-14CCAug 25, 2026
- 8. Episode 8No synopsis available yet.TV-14CCSep 1, 2026
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Switched On Pop
20261 season2 episodesReturning Series
Songwriter Charlie Harding and musicologist Nate Sloan, a professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music, break down musical ideas and production choices behind today’s biggest hits, pulling songs apart to understand how they work and why they matter.
Creators and cast
- Studio
- Vox Media Podcast Network
Maturity rating
TV-14Check the rating before watching with younger viewers.
Audio languages
English
Where to watch
Not currently listed on any streaming, rental or purchase service.
