Podcast: The curious phenomena of Olivia Rodrigo, Sea Shanties & music at political rallies

On this week’s podcast, Niall and Andrea, we are looking at the biggest stories in music this January.

We’ll be talking about two trends are about the immediacy of current pop songs – the emergence of sea shanties and the most viral song in many years in Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Driver’s License’. With Trump finally gone, we’ll be talking about how political rallies and music do and do not mix making note of the balanced music used by different US politicians contrasted with Trump’s unsubtle choices.

We also share our favourite songs and album of the month we recommend.

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Andrea has a Substack!

Running Order:

02:30 – Olivia Rodrigo released her debut single ‘Drivers License’ on January 8, and it quickly became the biggest song in many years breaking all kinds of chart and streaming records.

It’s an artful teenage drama sadgirl song wearing a coat of power ballads of yore

It took off faster than any song in recent memory. Why?

20:40 – Political rallies and music – Trump and the unsubtle music he played at his public events from Laura Branigan, YMCA, and Neil Young, and what it says about Trump, particularly his final goodbye where he left in a sulk of macho petulance.

37:30 – Why are Sea Shanty songs everywhere?
Thank to Tik-Tok, old-timey a cappella sailor songs have become a thing and they are about to become huge global chart hits. The 26-year-old musician Scottish postman Nathan Evans from Ardrie, near Glasgow signed to Polydor this month and his cover of the sea shanty ‘Wellerman‘* is poised to take over at the top of the singles charts.

*’Wellerman’ is a sea shanty about whalers awaiting a resupply ship owned by the Weller Brothers in the mid 1800s.

52:00 – New music we love:

Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Anna B Savage – A Common Turn LP
The Weather Station – Atlantic
FKA Twigs – Don’t Judge Me with Headie One
Tune-Yards — Hold Yourself
Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death (Soulwax remix)

Any other business.

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Previous podcasts in this series are listed here.

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