Episode 351 - Grammys preview & “No Good Deed” star O-T Fagbenle

·58 min·3 clips

Jamie Beth says Record of the Year is very unlikely to go to anything but “Espresso.”

1. Culture Pop Podcast Episode 351 mixes a Grammys preview with actor O-T Fagbenle’s conversation about Netflix’s “No Good Deed.” 2. Steve Mason and Sue Kalinske host, Jamie Beth joins as the resident music expert, and O-T Fagbenle appears to discuss his current project with Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano. 3. The episode asks what the Grammys and Fagbenle’s new series are actually offering, from award predictions to dark-comedy acting choices. 4. Trevor Noah is named as the Grammys host, and the confirmed performers mentioned are Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charlie XCX. 5. Jamie Beth says the Grammys promo shows Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are “going to be there,” but she notes the promo does not say they will perform. 6. The hosts also discuss Kendrick Lamar, who is nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and is tied to the Super Bowl coming up. 7. On Record of the Year, Jamie Beth says “Espresso” looks most likely to win, and she points to the song being used in Grammys promotion. 8. Sue Kalinske argues for Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” while Steve Mason raises Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em” and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” 9. Jamie Beth explains that “Birds of a Feather” became Billie Eilish’s big pop moment after “What Was I Made For?” and after a performance tied to the LA Olympics preview. 10. On Song of the Year, Jamie Beth says the category may favor Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas because the song has fewer credited writers than Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em.” 11. Sue Kalinske backs Taylor Swift’s songwriting and says her lyrics operate on a higher level than most pop writers. 12. Steve Mason says Shaboozey’s “Tipsy” should win Song of the Year and calls it one of the year’s big songs. 13. In Album of the Year, Sue Kalinske says she is voting for Taylor Swift, but she also praises Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter after doing homework on newer artists. 14. Jamie Beth says she would have picked Beyoncé earlier, then says a late-December shift made her think Charli XCX’s “Brat” could take the category. 15. Jamie Beth cites the green-wrapped Grammy voting materials with the “Brat” logo, Charli XCX’s SNL double duty, and the phrase “brat summer” as campaign signals. 16. O-T Fagbenle says he got into “No Good Deed” after his agent told him Liz Feldman wanted to meet him, and he says the script and lunch meeting sold him on the project. 17. Fagbenle describes his role as being caught between a pregnant newlywed wife and an overbearing mother-in-law, and he says being a people pleaser made the part feel natural. 18. He also says Anna Maria Horsford brought the same sharp energy on camera and off camera, which created what he jokingly calls “method comedy.” 19. The interview is conversational and moves quickly between awards-season opinions, character stories, and acting craft. 20. Listeners who like Grammy predictions, TV fans, and people who enjoy actor craft talk will get the most out of it.

As heard by us

A relaxed pop-culture segment that pairs a Grammys preview with an actor interview.

Culture Pop opens on a steady pop-culture mix, moving from Jamie Beth’s Grammys preview to actor O-T Fagbenle. The exchange stays loose and conversational, and that easy pace helps the guest’s answers land without much strain.

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Why you'd press play

A Grammys preview first, then a relaxed pop-culture actor chat.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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