Pop music surrounds us, but how often do we really listen to what we’re hearing? Switched on Pop is the podcast that pulls back the curtain on pop music. Each episode, join musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding as they reveal the secret formulas that make pop songs so infectious. By figuring out how pop hits work their magic, you’ll fall in love with songs you didn’t even know you liked.
The band 5 Seconds Of Summer have just released their fourth studio album, CALM.
Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings and bassist Calum Hood join us to talk about some of Australia’s biggest hits.
In the first half of our conversation we discuss the catchy rhythms and vocals in Tame Impala’s song “Borderline”, a song driven more by vibe than conventional structures.
Then on Side B, 5SOS break down their new single single “Wildflower” and its countless 80s references. One sound in particular, the “stab” or “orchestral hit” in "Wildflower's" chorus, truly evokes the 80s. The song’s producer, Rami Yacoub, had used the sound before on Britney Spears “Lucky”, as had 100s of other artists who first got their hands on this sample from an Australian inventor who forever changed the sound of music.
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