I’m a New Yorker and these ding-dongs are SO pretentious it hurts.

They come off very misogynistic and uninformed

Ok fine, you’re the pop critic, if you don’t wanna engage with the folkier side of Americana that’s fine, it’s not that popular. but if you make me listen to 30 minutes about Oliver Anthony’s MAGA hat, disguised as a viral YouTube song, then I’ve heard enough. Did you only discover singer songwriters with Zac Bryan? Because if that’s the gateway singer that leads you to Oliver Anthony, my dude, did you know John Prine exists! Iris Dement, Nancy Griffith, Dar Williams, Will Oldham, etc. I don’t need a pop music critic to cover the folk music scene, but I do expect them to be able to tell the difference between the background music from a republican campaign ad and a actual country song.

Not afraid to go deeper than consensus opinion

This is how music podcasts should be done. Its hosts and guests are very intelligent and know and understand the current music landscape and all its layers, but their conversations are anything but dry and dull. Don’t pay attention to the negative reviews, which dismiss any critical view of things they like (like the recent Jason Aldean episode.) Ignorance hates analysis. Learn, get different perspectives and have fun at the same time with people in the know.

I’m sorry, but ya’ll sound like New Yorkers talking about country music. 😂 Wash off your woke. The best country is composed of “three chords and the truth.” You seem to pick absurd caricatures, and rely on hip hop and pop music as counterpoints. Both of these genres could be stereotyped, and yet there are other examples of artists that capture truth, magic, and melody. All genres of music have influences from other genres and cultures. This conversation is why the song has sold more….. come on NY Times. Do better. Where is Sturgill Simpson? Margo Price? ……. Dolly?

Ch you are so sweet to be there with us I really do love your company I hope you’re having fun with the boys I miss them I love

Popcast is a must-listen. Thoughtful, layered conversations with very knowledgeable guests. Deluxe is more light-hearted and fun, my go-to for trending topics. It’s like hanging out with your music critic friends. Awesome vibes

Just as two women wouldn’t be taken seriously to critique a movie on GI Joe, two men shouldn’t be trusted to give a solid review on Barbie. The “winks” were layered symbolism of the complexities of gender roles, sexism and misogyny. I’d give a longer, more detailed review but I couldn’t listen to the whole episode. Wink, wink.

It kind of sounds like bro sportscasters discussing pop music in between their takes on snack food… it’s like listening to my dad and uncles discussing Taylor Swift and Drake while the football game is on commercial break. It’s a rarely heard viewpoint and I don’t think it’s for me, but I gotta believe it’s for someone.

In what way could The Idol is better then Succession…automatically makes me question the hosts choices. Way to ignore the way the way Levison treats women.

This is a great round table music show, discussing current topics about musical artists, genres, and current events. The guests featured are relaxed and casual, while still having valid and unique viewpoints. The host definitely possesses a somewhat dominating demeanor (interjecting personal jokes that are hard to understand), and the opinions occasionally seem deliberately obscure and out-there. other than that, Popcast is an up-to-date music show that is interesting and educational.

More research and varied viewpoints please! I don’t mind a strong opinion but it’s tough when they make a bold claim with no evidence or criteria/framework for their criticism.

If you take a look at the negative reviews, many of them are, “I’m angry the host doesn’t like something I love.” Bold opinions, even ones you don’t agree with, should be embraced.

I love the takes from Jon and his guests (even when they are very different from my own). I love the numbers of new new artists I am exposed to because of this podcast. Keep up the great work!

These people are not fun to listen to and VERY rude

This white man needs to stop having a voice. Nobody cares about you and your father’s musician. Stop. Just stop. You hate Taylor, we get it. We also don’t care about your opionion anymore. Please retire and let others take the reigns, preferably people of color.

I am often surprised by Jon C’s takes, and that is refreshing

I want to love it. Occasionally I kinda don’t mind it! Jon’s a GREAT writer. But there’s no getting around that he likes to flex his “down with the kids” card (which makes me want to throw my body in front him, to save Jon from himself, as a fellow 40ish guy), and some guests’ vocal fry is just unbearable (you’d jump out the window if you ever sat behind these people on a bus). With some editing , a shorter run-time, and a tighter focus, this show could be approximately 100% stronger.

It is amazing to listen to music lovers who take the music seriously in discussion and engagement. Always interesting and entertaining, with many thanks to the joyful Jon Caramanica.

I normally love discussions about pop music but after trying to like multiple episodes of this one, this one is my least favorite. Part of this is that Jon Caramanica has a very dominating, arrogant personality - positioning his own opinions as the right answer. I’d rather listen to the other guests on the show. What results is an overall smug pretentious vibe on the podcast - like you’re listening to kids who think they are cool but not. They need to lighten this up and not take themselves so seriously - it’s a pop culture podcast!

This is why Swift fans don’t care about criticism from people who don’t care about the artist. The condescension and tone of this podcast is on another level. The audacity that you all have, to assume you know anything about songwriting and music is really aparent. How about doing a little bit more research before dedicating an entire episode to something you have no idea about. Mia is the Gaylor Authority✌🏽

Nothing like a pop culture / pop music deep dive!

This is like listening to a group of friends who think they’re funny and cool but have nothing of value to say.

John’s flagrant ignorance is at times unbearable.

I’ve enjoyed listening to a few of these in no particular order. Whether I agree or disagree w the critics opinions, I find their passion for debating and critiquing music to be energizing. Lots of great guest critics sprinkled in to various episodes and there is always at least one interesting takeaway from an episodes analysis.

Listening to these cornballs talk about Zack and Rage debating if they are vaccinated and what Zack has done with his money. Oh, but the shows are good. Ben trying to rip Zack is comical. Ben, trust me, Zack is living better than you.

These meatballs think that Rage Against The Machine is corny.

After listening to your criticism about Mr. Morale and Kendrick, I wondered if we were listening to the same album. I think looking for more of the same from Kendrick is where you err. Mr. Morale is complex, and I feel Kendrick continues to evolve. More of the same would be boring. I’m glad I didn’t listen to your podcast before I decided to buy concert tickets and thoroughly enjoy his amazing performance! LCutler1

I expect a certain level of pretension in music critics; I used to work with them all the time and most thought it was about them rather than about the music. But Caramanica is Arcade Fire level pretension and is insufferable. I love the topics but just can’t listen any further.

Once you start listening to this podcast you won’t be able to stop.

Arrogant, uninformed, and smug, I agree that Caramanaca disrespects listeners, co-hosts, and musicians. His misses the point completely most of the time, mansplaining things to cohosts and listeners that he doesn’t understand. Hard to enjoy. Some of the guests are great; when there are more than one at once they can usually help steer as well as slightly push back, but rarely enough, leaving me feeling gaslit and unsatisfied.

i need to be a host on this podcast because we think exactly the same!!

Listened only to one so far the one one Harry Styles and I learned a big lesson. The only thing worse then reading a review of music id listening to a podcast on it. Yawn.

This host sounds like Seth Rogen, but is somehow more annoying and even less funny.

Please don’t talk down to your listeners. It’s incredibly annoying.

I love my NYTimes podcasts, tried this one again and I just could not get through anymore. I agree with comments about the male host. The production is good though. The most recent podcast, as of today, was without the regular host and instead, two female hosts (great!) But, good god, the gentleman guest should have been reminded to refrain from saying “like” as a place filler, and “ya know, like” constantly. Follow the female hosts’ lead! Slow down. Stop and think about what is being said or just let there be a break in words. I was fluent in “valley girl” growing up in 80s SFV and I knew /know when to tone it down. Thankfully there was no vocal fry and inappropriate “upward inflection” at the end of statements. I didn’t expect a guest host fail from a NYTimes podcast.

Very smug, limited in his topics of interest, eager to interrupt everyone, and just annoying. Would love to see other critics at the NYT take over his chair.

I’ve followed this show several times, and have unfollowed again each time. The hosts just can’t restrain themselves from being gatekeepers for pop music — the insufferable insiders for whom good music is too good for the masses. The height of their pomposity is revealed when they discuss Latin pop or rock: at the same time they misstate song titles and lyrics in Spanish, and joke about rolling their r’s, they pretend that their familiarity with obscure artists and producers elevates their tastes above mere fans. Ugh.

The first Popcast episode I listened to was the roundtable discussion on Betty Davis, which I enjoyed. Then I listened to the episode about Big Thief, and unfortunately I found the host for this episode (Jon Caramanica) extremely off-putting. The two guests were great but the host needs to dial it back and stop trying to dominate the conversation. Also, the constant trying-too-hard affectations and AAVE are very cringeworthy.

I like reading Jon so gave a listen...it’s like listening to someone do a parody of a stereotypical, stuck-in-his-ways, defiantly Gen-X music nerd. He’s often speaking and reacting to a very contained circle of music critics, without seemingly any inclusivity or self-awareness.

Unsubscribing after realizing i simply hold no respect for the opinions held by the smug, audibly unhealthy charlatan of a host.

I love this podcast and look forward to listening to new episodes. I wish they would cover Latin American pop queen, Shakira!!!

i’m shocked by some of the negative reviews here. jon caramonica is truly a gift — wildly intelligent, critically prescient, and clearly an empathetic and kind. he is a phenomenal thinker and interviewer and i do not miss an episode of pop cast. it is a special/sacred thing!

This podcast has great topics but a very low substance-to-word ratio. It’s pretentious & torturous. Find different and better hosts/guests. (John and Lindsay esp - ugh). Poor quality for the NYT.

Half of this podcast is the host talking about how old he is but creepily always on TikTok and other forms of social media. If he and the guests didn’t constantly draw attention to the fact that they are older than most of artists they review, spending half the time trying to prove their points of view are relevant because though they’re old they’re on social media… well, it would likely be more of a discussion of the music, like it purports to be. The other half is the actual discussion of the music. Generally the discussion half is worth listening to but riddled with issues. Though the criticism is often on point, there is a reluctance to just accept something more mainstream as good without qualification. At other points they veer off into reviews of music I’m not sure anyone else is listening to. I don’t have an issue with that per se—after all part of the point of listening is to be exposed to new music—but with all the unnecessary banter about the hosts rather than the music itself, one is left wishing they’d prioritize covering a broader range of actual musical releases that people would like to hear about. Instead of big mainstream releases and whatever random music the hosts and guests feel like promoting from TikTok.

Love topics and questions asked, looove all the guests, just wish the host didn’t so often come across as biased, pretentious, and at times quite frankly mysogynistic.

I go through dozens of podcasts weekly and have never given a + or - review but their coverage of the 2nd half of Adele’s album bothered me a lot. It was pushing on racist. What about Adele or 30 makes you think she’s been listening to Drake (mentioned twice lol) or Future? Future?????? “Sing sing hip hop”??????? What is “traditional” music?? because that isn’t a genre. What about Adele being friends with Skepta is weird and why was that followed by the “Adele’s outside!” Aren’t y’all music analysts? Not to mention the endless interrupting by the host.

Also the host has such bad energy. Agree with others. The podcast would probably have much better listenership if he was replaced.

here to join the many people who have taken the time to review this podcast and note the clear as day gen x misogyny just oozing from the pores of blaccent perpetrator jon caramanica. his vast music knowledge takes a backseat to his obvious and crippling biases, most clearly displayed recently when he went out of his way to make light of a female popstar using her work to process the fact that she had been groomed by a grown man/predator. humiliating that the times cannot see what a liability this clown is and how perfectly capable the many women he brings on as guests could be at taking the reins. fingers crossed higher ups become aware of this soon because without him, this show could really be something special.