August 2019 - Chris Molanphy

No one older than 22 has topped the Hot 100 since April. If singer-slash–nonthreatening boy Shawn Mendes got to choose a day in his life to relive over and over—as a wistful, horny Bill Murray longs to do in Groundhog Day—I’ll bet he would choose Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Mendes’ awesome day climaxed on the MTV [...] Read more

Hit Parade Slate

Hit Parade: We Are Stardust, We Are Gold-Certified Edition

30 August 201921 September 2019

Sure, Woodstock was a legendary festival—but it also turned several performers into chart-topping stars. <audio title="We Are Stardust, We Are Gold-Certified Edition" src="https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SLT3635412610.mp3" class="audio-player" tabindex="0" preload="metadata" controls></audio> <iframe title="We Are Stardust, We Are Gold-Certified Edition" src="https://player.megaphone.fm/SLT3635412610?light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> Listen & Subscribe Choose your preferred player: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts TuneIn Spotify Stitcher Overcast [...] Read more

Slate Why Is This Song No. 1?

How Billie Eilish Brought Lil Nas X to the End of the “Road”

22 August 201921 September 2019

The 17-year-old singer followed the new rules for pop success—and held on till X couldn’t no more. Does anybody remember Jay Sean? Ten years ago, this British singer, born to Sikh parents, blended Bhangra and R&B and topped Billboard’s Hot 100 with a chirpy, Auto-Tuned hip-hop ditty called “Down.” Featuring a bridge rapped by the [...] Read more

Hit Parade Slate

The Bridge: Nostalgic for No. 1s

16 August 201921 September 2019

How soon is too soon to mine pop’s past for a new hit? <audio title="The Bridge: Nostalgic for No. 1s" src="https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SLT3772466174.mp3" class="audio-player" tabindex="0" preload="metadata" controls></audio> <iframe title="The Bridge: Nostalgic for No. 1s" src="https://player.megaphone.fm/SLT3772466174?light=true" frameborder="no" height="200" scrolling="no" width="100%"></iframe> Listen longer Slate Plus members get ad-free versions of all Slate podcasts, plus extra segments, bonus episodes, and [...] Read more