Shawn Mendes and the Rhythm of Rhyme
Switched on Pop16 Heinä 2019

Shawn Mendes and the Rhythm of Rhyme

Shawn Mendes’ hit song “If I Can’t Have You” is so ridiculously catchy that Charlie had it stuck in his head after the first chorus. How is that possible?! Declamation, or the way that text is set to music, is a big part of the song’s appeal—every word that Mendes sings is perfectly in rhythm. In this episode we use Mendes’ latest track to explore creative declamation throughout history. How do artists from Whitney Houston to Queen to Taylor Swift keep finding new ways to sing the word “somebody”? Why did the composer Georg Friedrich Handel get in trouble for a bit of awkward text setting in one of the most famous pieces of Baroque music? And, does Beyoncé even know how to pronounce “sandcastles”? Finally, Mendes’ hit leads us to ask: is “incorrect” declamation is something to celebrate, or criticize? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaksot(523)

Naughty or nice? The 2025 holiday music round up

Naughty or nice? The 2025 holiday music round up

Every Christmas season, pop stars far and wide throw their Santa hats into the ring to see who has the next "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and this year is no exception. It's a yearly tradition on...

23 Joulu 202537min

The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025)

The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025)

From big-ticket albums by Taylor and Gaga, to a revival of the stomp-clap revival – 2025 had it all, for better and for worse. Now that the year has come to a close, it's time to take a look back at t...

16 Joulu 202547min

Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen)

Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen)

Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen joins NYU Steinhardt students live to trace her path from early pitch songs to co-writing some of the decade's defining hits. She explains why Halsey's "Without Me"...

12 Joulu 202557min

How Sombr’s bedroom recordings became his biggest hits

How Sombr’s bedroom recordings became his biggest hits

Sombr went from crafting raw, reverb soaked songs alone in his Lower East Side bedroom to finding his life shifting in ways he never could have predicted across 2024 and 2025. His biggest tracks kept ...

9 Joulu 202539min

"It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet)

"It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet)

When it comes to improvisational loop jams, few have gone as viral as Marc Rebillet. From his 2020 lockdown-era video “How to Funk in Two Minutes,” which features him wearing nothing but a bathrobe, t...

2 Joulu 202551min

Quitting Spotify (ft. Deerhoof)

Quitting Spotify (ft. Deerhoof)

In June 2025, indie veterans Deerhoof scrubbed their entire catalog from the world’s dominant streaming platform. The catalyst wasn't low royalties, but Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek’s investment in AI...

25 Marras 202544min

Is there a Disney curse?: Demi, Selena, and Miley

Is there a Disney curse?: Demi, Selena, and Miley

This year, there were a few records that delivered less-than-optimal returns on either the Hot 100 or the Billboard 200 – and they all came from former Disney pop stars.  Demi Lovato’s latest album p...

18 Marras 202548min

Rosalía's 'LUX' brings the symphony to the club

Rosalía's 'LUX' brings the symphony to the club

Spanish pop star Rosalía is back with her new album, Lux. Over eighteen tracks, she trades in the dembow beats that filled her last record Motomami for maximalist orchestral sounds more in line with B...

11 Marras 202544min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

anni-jaajo
tuplakaak
grekovit
hei-baby-3
terveisia-perheesta
the-harlin-show
antin-palautepalvelu
dear-shirly
bella-table
antin-elokuvakerho
nonsensepodi
dear-shirly-ja-arttu
verhon-takaa
get-jassud
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tahtitehdas
hollywood-love-stories-2
everypodi
tervo-halme
rss-wivolinin-viisukevat