There's often an unspoken (and deeply misogynistic) rule on country music radio: never play two female artists back to back. In this episode of Switched On Pop's country week, we aim to do just that. Looking at two artists on opposite ends of the country music spectrum – traditionalist Lainey Wilson, and genre-bending Jessie Murph – Nate and Charlie try to understand the state of female country through their respective songs "4x4xU" and "Blue Strips."
Songs discussed:
Lainey Wilson – 4x4xU
Jessie Murph – Blue Strips
Lainey Wilson – Country's Cool Again
Lainey Wilson – Heart Like A Truck
HARDY, Lainey Wilson – wait in the truck
Jessie Murph – Gotta Hold
Jessie Murph – Gucci Mane
Jessie Murph, Sexyy Red – Blue Strips (Remix)
Zach Top – I Never Lie
Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats
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28:25
The hick hop renaissance (BigXthaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman)
One of the biggest country hits of the year has been "All The Way," by Texas rapper BigXthaPlug and country rocker Bailey Zimmerman, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is a perfectly mixed cocktail of trap sonics with country melodies, held together by a shared southern drawl between the two artists.
As the genre of "country" expands and morphs to include different sounds, artists, and styles, "All The Way" serves as an exemplary example of the country-rap hybrid done right. But the song isn't the first to feature an unlikely collaboration across the genre aisle. This episode of Switched On Pop, we go deep on this collab and others, to see what works and what doesn't when the gates that keep the country music industry separate are swung wide open.
Songs Discussed:
BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – All The Way
BigXthaPlug – Texas
War – Slipping Into Darkness
BigXthaPlug – The Largest
Bailey Zimmerman – Where It Ends
Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road
Eminem, Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
Nelly – Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
Nelly, Tim McGraw – Over And Over
Florida Georgia Line, Nelly – Cruise - Remix
Ernest, Snoop Dogg – Gettin' Gone
Lil Durk, Morgan Wallen – Broadway Girls
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35:39
Is Morgan Wallen the problem with country music?
Country music stands at a crossroads between tradition and evolution, and no artist embodies this tension better than Morgan Wallen. His song "I'm the Problem" opens with beautiful bluegrass guitar before hitting you with hard-hitting 808 basslines, creating a sonic reflection of country's current identity crisis. Wallen has this uncanny ability to turn his endless personal problems into undeniably catchy hooks that somehow make him more relatable, not less. Despite having every reason to write him off, there's something about his gritty voice and imperfect persona that keeps drawing listeners back. What makes him so compelling, and why his 37-track album dominated the charts, reveals something deeper about what country music is becoming.
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35:50
"Manchild" and other songs about male incompetence
Looking for relationship advice? Skip the self-help books and turn to Sabrina Carpenter's latest single "Manchild" instead. This deep dive into the art of musical insults reveals how pop's newest sensation joins a legendary lineage of women artists who've perfected the craft of calling out incompetent men through song. From Dolly Parton's subversive "Dumb Blonde" to TLC's iconic "No Scrubs," there's an entire musical tradition of witty takedowns that reclaim power through clever wordplay, genre-hopping arrangements, and lyrical traps that expose male vanity.
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Songs discussed
Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild"
Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso"
Olivia Rodrigo "Driver's License"
The Beatles "Get Back"
Heart "Barracuda"
Dolly Parton "Dumb Blonde"
Sabrina Carpenter "Please Please Please"
TLC "No Scrubs"
Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills"
Destiny's Child "Independent Women Part 1"
Shania Twain "That Don't Impress Me Much"
Carly Simon "You're So Vain"
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29:44
Frankly, Sinatra still matters (with Seth MacFarlane)
What if the Chairman of the Board's biggest contribution to music wasn't his voice, but the blueprint he created for modern pop stardom? Frank Sinatra didn't just sing songs: he invented the concept album, injected his full personality into every performance, and created a template for artistic control that today's biggest stars still follow. His influence runs deeper than you think: Amy Winehouse titled her debut Frank as tribute, Jay-Z calls himself "the new Sinatra," and Frank Ocean borrowed his name from both Sinatra and Ocean's Eleven. That influence extends to unexpected places too: Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, has been championing Sinatra's orchestral style for years, and through his friendship with the Sinatra family gained access to over 1,200 boxes of never-recorded arrangements. His new album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements features songs that arranged for Sinatra but never performed, uncovering musical treasures that reveal new insights into how the Chairman of the Board's innovations still shape the sound of pop music today.
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Songs Discussed
Frank Sinatra "Fly Me to the Moon"
Frank Sinatra "All the Way"
Frank Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"
Frank Sinatra "Something" (Beatles cover)
Amy Winehouse "Halftime"
Jay-Z "Empire State Mind"
Frank Sinatra "Strangers in the Night"
Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra "Something Stupid"
Frank Sinatra "New York, New York"
Frank Sinatra "My Way"
Sonny and Cher "I Got You Babe"
Frank Sinatra "Laura"
Seth MacFarlane "How Did She Look"
Seth MacFarlane "Lush Life"
Seth MacFarlane "Give Me the Simple Life"
Seth MacFarlane "Shadows"
Seth MacFarlane "Who's in Your Arms Tonight"
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A podcast all about the making and meaning of popular music. Musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding pull back the curtain on how pop hits work magic on our ears & our culture. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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