What happened to Popcast? It used to be a substantive, professional podcast with a variety of guests who could take part in nuanced discussions about the music industry. Now it feels like we’re tuning in only to hear two bros roast each other nonstop—which isn’t necessarily a bad podcast in concept, but it’s fallen far from what this once purported to be. Joe Coscarelli’s negative energy brings the pod down, he’s not an engaging cohost, and it’s quite honestly painful to hear these two continually discuss issues out of their depth when it comes to race and gender.

Jon and Joe. I used to eat Chester’s Ranch fries every single day in elementary school. Years 2000-2004. I have not thought about those things since at least 2009. Thank you! For reminding me about the delicacy that is Chester’s Ranch Fries. This is especially regarding the Ranch Fries. Not the Hot Fries. The Hot Fries are too spicy for my palette and I remember them turning my fingers red. I’ve loved Popcast since like 2015- thank you for all you do.

If you have to assert that your critiques are valid and demand that people take you seriously, it might be useful to rethink what you’re about to say. Also I can’t take anyone seriously that prefers anything by Lin Manuel Miranda.

Why would you allow to immature young men to review a film which they would rather not view.

Overall great content, smart commentators. John’s ideas although articulated brilliantly are not always that interesting. Joe needs more air time- he deserves to not be constantly interrupted by John to mature this pod. Pop culture should focus squarely on pop, not random tangents like the AI episode. Glad you’re back—

Do more TAYLOR SWIFT stuff please.

Big fan and OG listener of the pod. Please keep doing YouTube videos!! Most of the podcasts I listen to have a video component, so I was excited when you all finally got with the times. If I had to critique, I don’t find the one on one interviews that interesting. And PLEASE, less Taylor Swift. I’m fully convinced she’s got yall on payroll. Her music isn’t interesting enough to warrant all that coverage.

Man, come on. I love this podcast and have been a dedicated listener up to this point, but to disappear for a month and then come back with…this? ANOTHER Taylor Swift episode, and a really boring one at that? I listen because I love all kinds of pop music, and I love hearing people talk about pop music even if I vehemently disagree (like, I couldn’t believe my ears when it was theorized here that Addison Rae, who once very earnestly referred to Fleetwood Mac as “underground,” is playing a particularly clever joke on the music industry, but I had a lot of fun listening all the same). I do NOT listen to hear about Taylor Swift ad hominem, especially when there are so many other things happening in the world of pop. What about everything surrounding Katy Perry’s “Woman’s World” flop? Chappell Roan is blowing up in a way not seen in ages - does that not merit a dedicated episode by now? Why not delve into all the cool things happening in alternative pop this year, like Remi Wolf’s new album? And if you must talk Taylor, why not talk about how she manipulated her latest album into dominating the charts at the expense of less established artists?…kind of how she (through the hosts) dominates this podcast at the expense of more interesting and varied subjects? I would love to rate this higher because I genuinely love music and love listening to people talk about music and the process of music criticism, but by “music” I do not mean a single artist with occasional sidebars thrown in. This show is stale.

John is unlikeable at best.

This podcast was great, but the feed has now been dead for >1 month with absolutely zero explanation from the podcast creators. Disappointing and unprofessional.

It’s so frustrating to listen to lectures without a thesis statement! Please finish a thought and fill us in on exactly what you’re talking about. It’s so inside joke-y it’s painful.

Did you ever think maybe you don’t get it because it wasn’t made for you? You’re not like us fellas. Maybe get a Black expert on Black people the next time you want to discuss Black culture/music.

We need to get a sociologist on popcast to talk about AI. Every conversation is coming from an industry or creative perspective but feels like the angle we’re missing is one that considers what it does to humans—both on an individual and collective level—to engage with technologically mediated art. AI-created music is not a new genre or mode or form. It’s an ethical line we’re being asked to cross.

Its frustrating because I want to hear him finish his thought and you interrupt him constantly. I thought this was supposed to be a conversation and you are not valuing what he has to say!

It’s a decent perspective & podcast overall. People only hate on it b/c of the NYT of it all.

Pretentious white men who are very dismissive of female artists

Jaded, insular opinions and reviews. How did they choose these 2 hosts for a NYTimes podcast??

There has to be a critic less jaded and self-righteous than “I’m old enough to remember…” Jon Caramanica. Please find them and let them lead this podcast.

First time listener. Get some better experts. Google was not born in 2004

Enjoyed listening to Joshunda Sanders - so poised, articulate, intelligent & kind in her commentary. I thank the podcast for bringing her to my attention. I will be on the lookout for whatever she writes/speaks.

So many that it’s hard to listen.

Now I like him. I look forward to popcast deluxe in particular.

I love some of their takes, but I cringe every time I hear a 50 year old man use slang terms like “facts” and “tbh”

Been listening to this podcast since 2016 and can tell you right now that the majority of the one stars are all from BTS stans after an episode about Jung Kook’s solo career. LET ME BE CLEAR that Jung Kook IS my bias but I can at least handle critique and criticism of my fave without losing my mind. Anyway, there are episodes from before 2020 on BTS and K-pop as a genre that John and Joe both have glowing opinions about.

NJ prep school boys Obsessed with middle class Chicago boys larping as thugs.

The host says Justin Bieber (a white Canadian) singing in Spanish is great but a Korean singing English is “a step too far.”

Did not like their opinions about Jungkook and BTS- racist and extremely uninformed.

As an Asian American who’s been a subscriber of NYT since the 90s, I’m beyond disappointed. I’m outright disgusted by the xenophobia and hateful perspective. Everyone’s entitled to have an opinion but coming from the Times is shocking. This show has had a history of questionable perspectives, but this one is making me question my subscription. Do better, NYT

Racism thinly Vailed as critiques. Opinions shouldn’t be spoken as facts.

Thinly-veiled racism and xenophobia. Why are these bigots given such a platform?

Perplexingly bigoted opinions.

If everyone listened to Popcast then nothing bad would ever happen again

Spouting of ignorant and racist nonsense. Who hired these idiots? Really just hitting a new low. I hope they clean house and get rid of these fools.

Came to try it out. Disappointingly narrow perspective and pretty uninteresting. Listen to this if you want to hear stereotypes and limitations of people as global artists to produce things outside of the “norm.”

Never listened but I’m sure these guys are great and informed

It’s really laughable that this podcast had to bring bitter Kpop fans of YG to do a hit piece on BTS. I guess even in music, the NYT can’t find credible commentators, “journalists”, or “critics”. These people that the NYT finds to fill their company should spend more time doing their jobs and learn to research instead of posting antisemitic propaganda.

Literally at a lost, the audacity

Do better NYT, in your music research. Make sure the people you have on podcasts are actually non racist, unbiased reviewers.

Any research will tell you these people are biased and prejudiced.

Truly a terrible and uninformed podcast episode that touts racist ideas as informed commentary.

Disgusting

Proof that just because you have an opinion, doesn’t mean you need to share it

The latest podcast on kpop is super xenophobic and racist.

I don’t think this podcast is for people who actually love music. It exemplifies the tiresome white American Gen X desire to be contrarian and to not embrace what’s popular and mainstream, which is ironic for a podcast about pop music. The episode about Jung Kook of BTS’ solo album and BTS’ chart-topping English songs was racist and xenophobic, under the guise of claiming that their English-language songs are not “forward-thinking pop” or not keeping their “uniqueness as k-pop” or are “a business decision masquerading as a pop hit.” BTS and Jung Kook showed that they can top the American and global pop music charts on their own terms. Why would a pop music podcast disparage that instead of praise it? Not to mention the host mocking Coldplay and disparaging Steve Aoki? I don’t get it. If you’re not familiar with their music, I highly recommend listening to Jung Kook and BTS directly. They are in the top tier of musicians, period, as are the other members of BTS with solo projects (RM, J-Hope, Agust D/SUGA, Jin, Jimin, and V). And K-pop groups like NewJeans, Ive, TXT, Epik High, Black Pink, and Seventeen are excellent, too.

You are a joke, complete trash, racist, xenophobic. A supposed fan of K-pop that disrespects Koreans (I am Korean) and literally has no idea what you’re talking about. Your opinion does not deserve to be heard. You two are disgusting humans who need to lose your livelihood and go live in a trash can where you both belong.

How does one review an album they admitted they didn’t even listen to? Presumptuous drivel and just plain lazy. Just wow, NYT

I wish you had someone on who could intelligently comment on the historical context as to why the English language is so important to the Korean culture and thus k-pop instead of lazily revisiting old racist tropes on how foreign Asians are.

Let me save you some time, don’t bother listening to this.

Just a group of hateful people who don’t know anything about music

The most recent episode of this show was shockingly racist and xenophobic. The host invited on a white American k-pop stan, with no actual musical knowledge or expertise, to serve as a so-called “expert” on k-pop. This person is literally just a typical biased fan pretending to be some kind of journalist and she has a long history on social media of vile attacks on the K-pop artists she is NOT a fan of as well as a history of fetishizing and exoticizing Asians. The guest and host proceeded to trash a Korean artist for singing in English and accused him of losing his Korean roots, as though these two white Americans are somehow the arbiters of Korean musical or cultural authenticity. The guest also made racist comparisons between Korean and white artists, literally stating “why would I listen to a Korean sing like Justin Timberlake when I can listen to Justin Timberlake” while the host laughed. It’s horrifying that this was published under the auspices of the New York Times. You need to do a better job of vetting your guests and take down this vile racist garbage.