Inside Pop

On this episode, Sean discusses his thoughts and predictions about Westworld Season 2 and shares a helpful NYTimes Season 1 recap to refresh Amita's memory on the sci-fi fantasy series. Then, Amita has an exclusive sit down with Sean about his latest project, the new Viceland follow doc series, My House which chronicles the lives of performers in the NYC vogue ballroom scene. And the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival has started and we had the privilege to watch a couple of music focused documentaries- Howard and Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes. Plus, Sean gives his 2 cents and rates last week's Big Sell, an intimate NPR Tiny Desk Concert from the R&B/pop group, Rhye. version of the song by Prince protege group - The Family   Sinead O'Connor's famous cover   The newly released version of Prince & the Revolution preforming the song at a rehearsal   Visit our site: www.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And of course you can also find us on MaximumFun

This week it's all about Black (Overachieving) Excellence! Beyonce Knowles Carter descended from the uppermost level of Heaven and bestowed us with the gift of her life changing performance at Coachella - or as it shall now be forever known . . .  BEYCHELLA.  We'll share our reactions to the performance and our reactions to the reactions of her performance. Kendrick Lamar made history this week by becoming the first Hip Hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize. We'll discuss why this is a huge deal for hip hop and the culture at large. Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington end the sensational and soapy groundbreaking series, Scandal this week. We'll discuss the relevancy of one of television's most diverse and jaw dropping shows. And the Big Sell shines a light on an amazing music/video/fashion collaboration featuring singers Karen O and Michael Kiwanuka; director Ana Lily Amirpour and fashion house Kenzo. Visit our official site: www.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on 

This week we have a proverbial pop culture hat trick with a trifecta of TV, Film and Music covered in our episode. It may seem like there was not a time before you knew Cardi B existed - but she's just released her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, and we're telling you what we think of it- plus sharing our thoughts on her SNL performance (and her SNL 'announcement'). We review the number one movie of the week, A Quiet Place and the broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God and discuss how each portrays its hearing impaired characters. And Amita talks about the swinging time she had with P!nk at Madison Square Garden. Plus the Big Sell! And we tell you why the time is NOW to become a member of the Maximum Fun podcast network! Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook And of course you can also find us on MaximumFun.org

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. For links and a full list of our Spring Preview recommendations visit us at: www.insidepoppodcast.com and https://www.maximumfun.org/shows/inside-pop  

We have more pop culture stuffed into this episode than RuPaul has catchphrases. Almost! This week we sashay our way into the world of RuPaul's Drag Race. We discuss the show's increasing popularity and shed some light on the surprising demographic that has made the show bigger than ever after ten seasons on the air. Then, we react to the new Deadpool 2 trailer  - Amita's here for the humor and action; Sean's here for the MCU's first openly bisexual hero (and the ensuant fantasies he provokes). Plus, we preview the new Vanity Fair profile of writer/producer/actor Lena Waithe and discuss what her current success says (or doesn't say) about the future of Hollywood. And it's a musical Big Sell as Sean sees Amita's Kali Uchis Sell and raises her one Leon Bridges. Visit our website www.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

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. Visit our official site: www.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

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 a

Inside Pop's annual Oscars wrap up is here! Listen to get our take on the fashion, the snubs, the rightful victories, the highlights and the awkward moments. We'll rate Jimmy Kimmel's performance as host and also discuss our favorite musical performances of the night. Who was the presenter that left Sean speechless? Which acceptance speech made Amita stand-up and cheer? Listen to this special Oscars episode to find out! Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders www.insidepoppodcast.com Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

In this special Producer to Producer episode, we interview friend of Inside Pop James Barker about one of the most popular shows currently on television, Netflix's reboot of Queer Eye. James produced multiple episodes of this season and he gives us a behind the scenes look at the making of this pop culture phenomenon. Listen to hear: How hundreds of hours of footage got edited down into 8 brilliant episodes. The differences between the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and this new version. How producers captured the heartfelt moments that have America sobbing An update on fan favorite AJ And James' tips on a few special things to look for while watching this series. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook Visit our official website: www.insidepoppodcast.com You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

We can't help but discuss Black Panther again- from the shattered box office records to the worldwide reaction- Wakanda Forever! Plus, Christmas came early with the 30 second teaser trailer for Janelle Monae's latest 'emotion picture' Dirty Computer. We speculate on when we'll get new music from Monae, and some of the themes in the trailer. Then, we discuss musicians who became actors- some successfully and some...not so much. And Amita gives her review of the Atlantic article about Black Panther Costume Designer Ruth Carter and sells Sean on a feel good funk album from the band, Vulfpeck. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org www.insidepoppodcast.com  

From the moment the Black Panther cast took a group selfie at Comic Con the anticipation and expectations for this film began to grow; and over the past year the buzz has reached a fever pitch (especially for these two podcast hosts). Well, the film has arrived and Inside Pop is devoting this episode to everything Wakanda! We share our review of the film (just moments after seeing a special screening) and discuss the highlights and the themes that most resonated with us. Then we review the soundtrack for the film which is curated by Kendrick Lamar and features Lamar, Sza, 2 Chains, Jorja Smith and Khalid. The only way we would divert from our Black Panther deep dive is to review last week's Hamilton related Big Sell. And Sean ends this episode with a Black Panther related Big Sell which he hopes will help Amita appreciate the film even more than she already does. Wakanda Forever! Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org www.insidepoppodcast.

It's the day when Pop Culture fans and Sports fans join forces to create what feels like a national holiday! In this episode, we dive into the Superbowl and discuss: The pre game turn up in Philly that Sean experienced first hand Justin Timberlake's Halftime performance (guess which Inside Pop co-host couldn't even bring himself to watch the entire thing) The Prince tribute that should've happened Then, we seamlessly segue into a review of Timberlake's latest release, Man of the Woods. Plus, Amita reviews one of the most heartbreaking hours on television, the post Super Bowl episode of This Is Us. And finally in the Big Sell, Amita reviews an essay on Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri. And speaking of sports - she pitches a softball to Sean with a Hamilton inspired Big Sell. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

It's been a long, strange, sometimes underwhelming trip to the Oscar Nominations but we're here to share our immediate reactions. We give you our thoughts on why certain movies are heading to the red carpet and others got snubbed and we also try to make sense of why the film Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri has become a frontrunner. We celebrate nominations for Get Out, The Big Sick, Logan, Mudbound and Lady Bird and share our gratitude to whomever was genius enough to book Tiffany Haddish to announce the nominations. Plus Sean makes his case for why Black Panther should have received an Oscar nomination THIS year! He's not joking! And we end the show with The Big Sell. Sean rates Amita's Big Sell from last time, Kelela's "Frontline," and then Big Sells Amita an article by Alissa Wilkinson (one of his favorite culture critics) on the backlash against Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri. Read it HERE   Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders www.insidepopodcast.com Like us on Fa

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. WWW.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

Did you resolve to put more time and energy into staying on top of the best pop culture stories of the week? Lucky for you, The Pop Insiders are here to help you keep that resolution with our brand new episode! First, we give our spoiler free reviews of the new Lena Waithe Showtime drama - The Chi (please feel free to listen and then correct our pronunciation of the title of this show) and the first episode of the new season of Black Mirror. Then we speak with IMDb special correspondent and frequent Today Show awards commentator - Dave Karger - about the movies of 2017 that may not be front-runners for the big awards, but are definitely worthy of your attention. From Detroit to Wonderstruck to Downsizing, Dave will tell you why you should give these flicks a second - or maybe first chance. We also share our pop culture resolutions for the new year and hold each other accountable for how successful we were in keeping our 2017 resolutions. And the Big Sell returns - Sean recommends (wait for it) a new new age s

We have spent hours upon hours sitting in dark theaters watching some of the most talked about films of the year and are ready to share our final "Best of" list of 2017! This year, we're focusing on the performances that captivated us, made us laugh, cry and gave us all the feels. From Daniel Kaluuya's portrayal as a boyfriend slowly awakening to the horrors of his girlfriend's family in Get Out to Saoirse Ronan playing a emotional teenager in Lady Bird, to the complex relationship between Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in Logan, 2017 has gifted us with some incredible performances by some of our favorite actors and a few new faces as well. Amita's Favorite Performances: Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri  Michael Stuhlbarg in Call Me By Your Name Read how Michael Stuhlbarg and Director Luca Guadagnino crafted this pivotal scene here Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq

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 p

The time has come...we've watched countless hours of television and have narrowed them down to our top 10 favorite TV shows of the year! And to kick things up a notch- we are sharing the scenes from the exceptional shows that inspired us, made us laugh out loud, brought us to tears and made our hearts flutter. From network to cable to streaming platforms, horror to comedy to sci-fi, this year has given us unique story lines, captivating visuals and incredible characters. We also take time to mention the TV shows we wished we checked out and the ones we regret watching. Check out our 10 Best TV of 2017 below along with links to some of the scenes we discuss in this episode. Visit our site at www.insidepoppodcast.com for our full lists plus links to many of the scenes we discuss. Let us know which shows made it to the top of your list! Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org

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. A

This week, we bask in the glow of seeing the one and only Janet Jackson (Ms. Jackson if you're Nasty) in Brooklyn on her State of the World Tour. Find out which one of us puts this show in their Top 3 Concerts of all time. Then, we discuss our Top Female Friendships in Pop Culture featuring The Golden Girls, Lucy & Ethel, Meredith & Cristina, the women of Living Single and more. We share how their bonds inspire us and why they're their relationships are everlasting. And Amita rates and reviews last week's Big Sell from Sean, John Legend's cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" and also shares the origin of this song as part of a collection of covers for the new Ken Burns documentary about The Vietnam War. You can find all of the songs and their originals here. And then Amita sells the single "Underdog" by new artist- Banks. www.insidepoppodcast.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @PopInsiders Like us on Facebook You can also find us on MaximumFun.org