Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia · Slate Podcasts

The Bridge: Slate’s Music Club 2025

·40 min·3 clips

Julianne explains how Bad Bunny's album blends Puerto Rican sounds with anti-colonial lyrics, giving her chills.

This special episode of Hit Parade, titled "The Bridge: Slate's Music Club 2025," recaps the year in music with host Chris Molanphy and critics Carl Wilson, Lindsay Zoladz, and Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. The panel discusses their favorite albums and the broader cultural trends defining the musical zeitgeist. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd highlights Cleo Sol's *Country* as a "Cowboy Carter for leftists" and Lido Pimienta's symphonic *La Belleza*. Lindsay Zoladz champions the rock band Geese and their divisive album *Getting Killed*, as well as Water From Your Eyes' *It's a Beautiful Place*. Chris Molanphy points to Rosalía's orchestral, multilingual *LUX* and Bad Bunny's Puerto Rican-centric *DÉBITIR A MÁS FOTOS*. Carl Wilson names Wednesday's *Bleeds* and Cécile McLorin Salvant's *Oh Snap!* as his top picks. Bad Bunny's album is analyzed as a political "love letter" to Puerto Rico that blends salsa, bomba, and plena, while his upcoming Super Bowl performance is noted as a historic moment for a Latin artist. Rosalía's *LUX*, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and lyrics in 14 languages, is presented as a radical departure from mainstream pop. The conversation explores critic Dave Moore's concept of "A-pop," suggesting Anglo-American pop may be becoming just one category among many like K-pop. The panel examines the K-pop landscape in a post-BTS hiatus year, noting Stray Kids' eight straight number-one albums and the hybrid success of the Netflix film *K-pop Demon Hunters*. A significant debate centers on Geese, whose frontman Cameron Winter's distinctive voice polarizes listeners, with some comparing it to cilantro or a Muppet. The band's rapid rise, including a filmed Carnegie Hall solo show by Cameron Winter, is framed as a potential generational rock phenomenon. The state of hip-hop is described as being in a "slump," with the genre overshadowed by Latin music and still dominated by older stars like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Doechii's mixtape is cited as a hopeful sign, while Cardi B's long-awaited album is noted for its relatively muted impact. The critics observe a trend where genre distinctions are melting away, exemplified by omnivorous albums from Bad Bunny and Rosalía. The tone is conversational, analytical, and debate-driven, reflecting the format of a critics' roundtable. This episode is ideal for listeners interested in critical, in-depth discussions about 2025's defining albums and musical trends. It may be less appealing to those seeking a straightforward, non-critical review of popular hits.

As heard by us

A brisk year-end roundtable that uses chart talk to unpack pop's shifting labels.

Hit Parade's 2025 Bridge special works best as a year-end music roundtable with a steady focus: pop is getting harder to pin down, and the chart talk makes that clear.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want 2025 music argued through charts, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia