At First Listen

It turns out that Americans have been pretty well misinterpreting Smiths songs for quite a long time now. On this episode our guest, comedian and South London native Shem Pennant, leads a seminar on The Smiths and their iconic 1986 album, The Queen Is Dead. Shem offers much needed context to the album, explains why the Smiths' phenomenon was so uniquely British, and why he doesn't let Morrissey's post-Smiths political statements detract from his enjoyment of the band's music.Connect with us via Instagram at @AtFirstListen podcast!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

We have a very serious conversation about gender conformance, surrounding a very unserious song by Detroit-based rapper Rob Apollo.Apollo's song "SHE / THEY" has been circulating on TikTok lately, mainly due to a racy lyric in the chorus that you'd think self-righteous Zoomers would hate. Dominique and Andrew discuss what teens, tweens and queer people find so fun about the song, and why no one is actually as mad about pronouns as you think they are.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with us on @AtFirstListenPodcast on Instagram.

Diamond returns to At First Listen to dig into her favorite album of 2024, Sabrina Carpenter's mega-breakthrough Short n' Sweet. With hits like "Espresso," "Please, Please, Please," "Taste" and "Bed Chem," Short n' Sweet is brimming with personality.Diamond says there are multiple hits on the album that she's yet to tire of, and she doesn't meet much resistance from Andrew and Dominique. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen! Tell us about your first listen to Short n' Sweet via Instagram @AtFirstListen podcast!(Episode 31.)

In this mini episode we're focusing on "The Giver," Chappell Roan's attempt at a lesbian country song that's making waves in the pop music world.Is "The Giver" a legitimate country song or is it a mere novelty — or is it branding? Is any country music legitimate? We also discuss why Chappell Roan is allowed to “go country,” but it was controversial when Beyoncé or Lil Nas X did it.We talk about Chappell's recent SNL performance, and how "The Giver" is makng Dominique more of a fan but Andrew possibly less of a fan?Tell us about your first listen @AtFirstListenpodcast on Instagram!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

We're sorting through Lady Gaga's seventh studio pop album Mayhem with Gaga superfan and iHeartRadio personality Nick Gomez. Nick is an almost lifelong Little Monster, who credits Gaga with inspiring the love of pop music that steered him towards a career in radio, where he can be heard at night on Hot 99.5FM, Washington D.C.'s #1 Hit Music Station, and in the afternoon on Pride Radio. Andrew and Dominique prod Nick about Mayhem's place in Gaga's catalog and he provides all the answers!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast!(Episode 30.)

UCBLK's Justin Catchens joins us to celebrate one of his favorite albums of the '00s, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, the debut album by the Chicago-based rapper-turned-MIT-and-Johns Hopkins University professor!Food & Liquor is as dense with prose as a classic work of literature, and we do our best to wrap our heads around the storytelling and social/political messages in Lupe's lyrics. We also discuss Lupe's connection to the 'conscious rap' genre, why this album was his commercial peak and how hip hop never fully embraced him. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.(Episode 29.)

In the second episode our new cohosts recorded together, Andrew gauges Dominique's taste for the hard stuff with one of his favorite metal albums from last decade, Deftones' 2010 mid-career masterpiece Diamond Eyes — by far the most extreme-sounding record we've discussed on the show.We explore why this album was a turning point for the Deftones, why it was the record that converted Andrew to a fan, its place in the "metal" genre and how excited we are to see Deftones on their first arena headlining tour this spring!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listeni!Connect with us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.(Episode 28.)

New York metal singer and rapper Mizzie from the X introduces us to Doja Cat's debut album, Amala. We explore Doja's complicated persona and reckless online presence. Mizzie explains how Doja's freewheeling art continually inspires her in hip hop, heavy metal and beyond.Mizzie has released two albums with her metal band Dishonest Escape and last year she launched her rap career with the debut single, "Ivy."Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Follow us on Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast.(Episode 27.)

Talkin' ‘Tok - For the second in our bonus series about viral songs on social media, we get into the newfound popularity of “Lockjaw,” an album cut from Sir Mix-A-Lot's 1992 Mack Daddy album. The song has become a favorite in social media's ‘makeover'/‘glowup' genre of videos, so naturally, the conversation turns to mewing, mogging, maxing out, and other Internet sad boy terms that Andrew has never heard.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Follow us on Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast!

We're taking a special look at one of the greatest singer-songwriters America ever produced: Bill Withers.With ubiquitous hits like "Lean on Me," "Ain't No Sunshine," "Just the Two of Us" and "Lovely Day," so many of Bill's songs are taken for granted because of how ingrained they are in American culture. We take a special look at Bill's second studio album, Still Bill, explore his late start in music and his early retirement from it.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!Follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast!(Episode 26.)

Talkin' ‘Tok - Introducing our new series looking a social media's latest viral songs. In this first edition, we discuss the power of short form user-created social media content and then take a look at the song “Peggy” by viral lesbian financial dominatrix Ceechynaa. Dominique interprets some of the most perplexing British slang in Ceechynaa's lyrics and explains how users are appropriating "Peggy" in their own content, and why they might be relating to the song. Andrew thinks of something nice to say before politely considering Ceechynaa's economic stances: is "Peggy" a metaphor for socialism?Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Follow us on Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast.

From how he swept through the GRAMMYs to his historic performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, everything is coming up Kendrick Lamar.We dig into our favorite moments of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show and review how wrong we were about the GRAMMYs!We also answer important questions like, did the Super Bowl have to be so black? And, is Beyoncé ranked higher in the Illuminati than Sabrina Carpenter?Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!Follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast!(Episode 25.)

Charli xcx's carefree 2024 breakthrough album, BRAT, was one of the defining cultural moments of last year and likely changed Charli's career forever.But was BRAT's GRAMMY-winning success ironic or the result of a genious marketing masterplan?Dominique embraced BRAT over the summer, while Andrew only heard it for the first time in preparation of this episode. We discuss the beginning and end of Brat Summer, how the gay community elevated Charli to bonafide popstar status and attempt to nail down what makes this album so compelling. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with us on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.(Episode 24)

Each year the GRAMMYs sparks a wave of bewilderment when nominees are announced for the 'Album of the Year,' 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year' categories.While the former two categories are self-explanatory, what does the Recording Academy mean by record and who gets that award anyway?!On this episode, Andrew and Dominique explore all eight nominees for 'Record of the Year,' predict who will win and argue about who should win the award.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Follow our show on Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.

The At First Listen podcast returns in 2025 with a big announcement from Diamond, as she hands her cohost reigns over to Dominique Kaplowitz.We'll be putting out weekly episodes this year, launching a YouTube channel and covering tons of music, including new and classic albums, viral artists and pop culture events.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast!

Andrew and Diamond look back at the 10 most recent episodes of the At First Listen podcast and choose their favorite music, moments and guests. After discussing the recent history of the show, we widen the scope and debate which episode was the best. At First Listen will be back in 2025! Subscribe in your podcast feed and follow us on Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast so you don't miss an episode! (Episode 22.)

We listened to Mariah Carey's classic but infamous 1994 Merry Christmas album, so you don't have to! Long before she assumed the Queen of Christmas Mantle, Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" became nearly inescapable around the holidays. But does the album's titanic hit single overshadow an otherwise decent Gospel record?On this episode, Andrew and Diamond explore the endurance of Merry Christmas and highlight some of the its less-heralded hits. Plus, in the final segment, they share their favorite contemporary Christmas songs for your holiday playlisting pleasure.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with the show on Instagram via @AtFirstListen!(Episode 21.)

Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad is one of the seminal albums of the mid-2000s, spawning several gigantic hits, but more importantly, this record helped entertain Diamond while she got her wisdom teeth extracted. On this episode, Andrew and Diamond look back on the album that made Rihanna a bonafide pop superstar with hits like "Umbrella," "Shut Up and Drive," "Don't Stop the Music," "Hate That I Love You" and "Rehab." We explore what made Rihanna so intriguing at the time and how she's maintained such a high approval rating for so long. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!(Episode 20.)

Longtime radio voice of the Brooklyn Nets Chris Carrino joins the show to reveal the depths of his obsession with Pearl Jam! Chris was fascinated by Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten, in 1991, but points to the band's second album, Vs. (1993), as what cemented his lifelong fandom. We discuss how on Vs. Pearl Jam tried to distance itself from the riotous success of the debut album, how the band has always put its fans first and Chris points out Pearl Jam's serendipitous connection to the New Jersey Nets. For the last segment, we talk basketball! Chris explains his beef with Carmelo Anthony and his expectations for the 2024-25 Brooklyn Nets i.e. how he will keep his spirits up through what could be one of the worst seasons in Nets franchise history.    Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!(Episode 19.)

In Part 2 of our At First Listen / Ken Dashow's Beatles Revolution crossover episodes, we dig into The Beatles Abbey Road track-by-track! We discuss how the Beatles challenged fans' expectations over the years, the band members' struggles with fame and what ultimately ended the band.  Please subscribe to At First Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get podcasts, so you don't miss an episode!(Episode 18)

In Part 1 of our At First Listen / Ken Dashow's Beatles Revolution crossover episode, our cohost Diamond meets the Beatles! We explore the complicated history of the Beatles' final two albums – Abbey Road and Let It Be — the fraught relationships within the Beatles by the late-‘60s, the extraordinary cultural impact of the band and how Abbey Road comes across in 2024 to a fan of contemporary pop music, like Diamond.  We also spend A LOT of time on the background of the Beatles and the drama behind the scenes, so look out for the rest of this episode in Part 2!Please subscribe to At First Listen on iHeartRadio or wherever you get podcasts, so you don't miss an episode!

Play-by-play announcer and Action Network host Maria Marino joins the show to share one of her favorite albums by The Black Keys — the band's 2010 breakthrough Brothers.The Black Keys' rootsy, blues-influenced Americana sound made the band an indie darling in the mid-'00s, but it was 2010's Grammy-nominated Brothers album, with hits like "Howlin' for You" and "Tighten Up," that drastically changed the band's fortunes and rocketed The Black Keys to mainstream "alternative" success. Brothers found Maria during a formative period in college, and The Black Keys have been with her ever since. But will hearing the album for the first time inspire the same loyalty in Andrew and Diamond? Will Diamond forgive Maria for rooting for the wrong New York baseball team? Listen to find out!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with us via Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast.(Episode 16.)

Andrew and Diamond agree that it's time to explore the blues, so they go straight to the King of the Blues himself, B.B. King, for some education with B.B.'s classic 1964 live album, Live at the Regal.B.B. King is arguably the most famous blues musician of all-time. He began building his following in the early 1940s (!) and continued performing live for his fans for over 70 years (!!). A winner of 15 Grammy Awards (!!!), B.B. is one of the best-selling blues musicians ever and one of the most influential electric guitarists of all-time. Andrew and Diamond discuss how B.B.'s personality shines on Live at the Regal and play two new guessing games — Is he 83? and How much was $10 worth in 1964? Subscribe so you never miss an episode of At First Listen.Connect with the podcast on Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast.(Episode 15.)

Andrew has never heard a Nicki Minaj album, and Diamond is pretty sure he will hate it ... nonetheless, Nicki's debut album Pink Friday (2010) is the topic of today's podcast!There was a time when Diamond considered herself a Barb (a Nicki Minaj fan), and while her support of Nicki has waned in recent years, she wonders if Pink Friday will hold up. We also learn that Diamond's longtime go-to karoke song is on this album. Will Andrew find anything redeeming on Pink Friday? Could it backfire on Diamond and she kinda hates it too? Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen.Connect with the podcast on Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast.(Episode 14.)

One of the faces of Fender's new Player II series, bassist April Kae (Fever 333), joins the podcast to share one of her biggest musical inspirations: British rapper, singer and producer M.I.A.From her visual art to her social media creation to her music, April Kae strives to create intrigue with her own work, and she finds a wealth of inspiration from other powerful women who march to their own beat. April found the Mitangi album through the hit single "Bad Girls" and was immediately struck by how untethered and unconventional it sounded as a complete work.Diamond and Andrew were both surprised that April chose an album with no electric bass on it (!). But did they find the same empowering message on Mitangi as April? Listen to find out!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen.Connect with the podcast on Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast.(Episode 13.)

Although Diamond loves the song "Enter Sandman," she's always been too dubious of heavy metal to venture further into Metallica's catalog. But we face our fears here on At First Listen, and challenge ourselves (we are so brave). So on this episode of the podcast, we're digging into Metallica's seminal 1991 self-titled album — affectionately referred to as the Black Album.Does Diamond deem Metallica a one-hit-wonder or will she find some sleeper standouts on the Black Album? Will Andrew's masterplan of turning Diamond into a metalhead begin to take shape or will it blow up in his face?

After 10 episodes (and 11 albums), Andrew and Diamond take this week to recap some of their favorite music from their At First Listen podcast era. If you're weighing what episodes to listen to or where to start with our show, this should put you on track with our highest recommendations (and hottest takes) so far. Also, Andrew tried to get some real music on the show with a combination of an unplugged electric guitar and hours of frustrating production at home.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!Connect with our podcast via Instagram @AtFirstListenpodcast

AppleMusic recently named The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill the greatest album OF ALL TIME, and while we're dubious, Miseducation received glowing reviews from critics at the time of its release and it is still viewed as a touchstone recording in hip-hip and R&B.Diamond grew up listening to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, while Andrew knows very little about Ms. Hill's work beyond the Fugees. We're also joined by guitarist and educator Alex Goldenthal, who gave Ms. Hill private guitar lessons at her New Jersey home for over a year. Alex shares his insight into the kind of musician, student and peerless talent he saw in Ms. Hill during their work together.Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with the show via Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.

Our guest Andrew Pugliese from Elvis Duran and the Morning Show brings in one of his favorite albums ever, Lana Del Rey's celebrated 2019 album Norman F---ing Rockwell!, to the show.Despite impressive record sales, luminary status with critics and a ravenous fanbase, Lana's music has for most of her career remained on the fringes of mainstream culture.NFR! is widely considered a turning point in Lana's career, but will our cohosts appreciate the record's supposedly refined lyrics and soft/psych balladry? Listen to find out!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with the show via Instagram @AtFirstListenPodcast.

Andrew and Diamond finally get to an album they've been looking forward to since launching the podcast, Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. Everyone knows at least a few of the numerous hits from Songs in the Key of Life — "Isn't She Lovely," "I Wish," "Sir Duke," "As" — but as Andrew and Diamond learn, Stevie Wonder's 1976 opus is packed with funk, soul, jazz and salient social commentary from track 1 to track 21. Just 26 years old at the time of its release, Songs was the 18th (!) studio album of Stevie's recording career, and he was as inspired as ever. Andrew and Diamond discuss why the album is so vital and how they each wish they found it sooner!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!Connect with the show via Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast.

We have a wide-ranging conversation with CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota about the Ramones, her intimate history with punk rock, her career in news, Prince (!) and especially her must-read memoir, Combat Love.  The Ramones are undoubtedly one of the most important punk bands of all-time and their career remains a crucial chapter in the history of American music. The band's third studio album, 1977's Rocket to Russia, was not the Ramones' biggest commercial success, but it did include several iconic Ramones tracks like "Rockaway Beach," "Cretin Hop" and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." Moreover, it was a crucial album in the life of a young Alisyn Camerota!  After living with Rocket to Russia and Alisyn's memoir, are Andrew and Diamond hoppin' down to Rockaway Beach … or will they have to break news to their guest that they are still square as ever?Listen to find out! Subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Get Combat Love wherever you get books!Connect with At First Listen via Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast.

Q104.3 New York's Maria Milito joins the podcast to continue Diamond's introduction to rock 'n' roll with an exploration of one of the most influential rock records of all-time, Led Zeppelin II. Led Zeppelin's early career was such a whirlwind that much of the band's second album was written during rehearsals and in-between roadtrips. The LP was recorded and mixed quickly at a number of different studios yet still holds up today as an iconic album that foreshadowed generations of hard rock virtuosity to come.Even after her improbable enjoyment of the White Stripes Elephant, Diamond has no idea what to expect. Heavy metal horror or bluesy bliss?Listen to find out! Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!Connect with At First Listen via Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast!

For At First Listen's first true rock album, Andrew picked The White Stripes hit 2003 LP, Elephant.The band's fourth album overall, Elephant contains the most iconic rock anthem of its generation in "Seven Nation Army" and earned the band a Grammy award for 'Best Alternative Music' album. But Elephant contains no other bonafide hits, and is on the whole kind of an odd record.While Diamond was nervous about listening to an album with punk and blues roots, Andrew completely forgot just how quirky Elephant really is. Listen to hear the conversation! Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!Connect with us on Instagram at @AtFirstListenPodcast!

On March 29, 2024, Beyoncé released her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, to worldwide acclaim. After taking a week to listen, Beyoncé superfan Diamond and Beyoncé ambivalent Andrew jumped into a studio to record a bonus episode on At First Listen and to find out whether or not they agreed on anything about the new album.(Note: We curse many times on this episode.)Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!  Follow @AtFirstListenPodcast on Instagram!

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Songwriters Hall of Famer Nile Rodgers is our inaugural guest on the At First Listen podcast!On this episode, Andrew and Diamond dive into Chic's 1978 sophomore album, C'est Chic, with Nile himself as their guide. Nile offers recollections from creating legendary hits like "Le Freak," "I Want Your Love," "Chic Cheer" and others, as well as memories of his close relationship with fellow Chic co-founder and producer late-bassist Bernard Edwards, as well as music icons Jimi Hendrix and Prince.Nile is arguably the most successful record producer in music history, and his fingerprints are all over generations of music from the 1970s to present day. He's been so successful that his favorite white Fender Stratocaster earned the name Hitmaker, and he still uses the guitar to this day. Chic is one of the best-selling musical acts of the '70s, with grooves and melodies that have taken on new life in hip-hop and R&B, and as a producer Nile has created countless hits, including records by Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, Daft Punk, Daddy Yankee, LE SSERAFIM, Beyoncé and many others. Listen and let us know who should be on the show next!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen!

Diamond invites Andrew to visit her childhood with Usher's most iconic studio album, Confessions. One of the best-selling albums of the 2000s, Confessions contains a parade of classic Usher singles, including "Yeah!," "Burn," "Caught Up" and "My Boo." It's also one of the most gossiped about albums of all-time, as its revealing concept and scandalous lyrics had fans asking questions for years after it was released.What will Andrew recognize from Confessions? Will Diamond love it just as much after all this time? Will Andrew say YEAH or (my) BOO to Diamond's first official album choice for the podcast? Listen to find out!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of At First Listen with Andrew and Diamond!

Andrew introduces Diamond to Elton John with one of Elton's classic albums from the '70s, Honky Chateau.While Elton and collaborator Bernie Taupin were widely regarded as hitmakers prior to 1972, Chateau marked a turning point in the duo's career, as the first of seven consecutive U.S. number one albums they co-authored from '72 - '75.But more than 50 years after it hit number 1 on the pop charts, will Honky Chateau strike a chord with Diamond? Can Andrew pronounce Chateau without humiliating himself? Will "Rocketman" head back into orbit? Will we get a reasonable explanation for a song called "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself"?Listen to find out!Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of 'At First Listen' with Andrew and Diamond!

Dearly beloved, Andrew and Diamond thought they knew 'Purple Rain,' but did listening to the album in its entirety for the first time raise more questions than answers?On the first episode of 'At First Listen,' our cohosts grapple with one of the most iconic albums of the 1980s, 40 years after it became a global phenomenon that made Prince legend. But does 'Purple Rain' hold up? Do Andrew and Diamond dare critique the Purple One? Is there a great song on 'Purple Rain' that people have forgotten about?Subscribe so you don't miss an episode of 'At First Listen' with Andrew and Diamond!