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[0:00] Jeff Malone: In today's episode, we discussed the new re-record from Taylor Swift's, SPEAK NOW (Taylor's Version), and the new Broadway musical, ONCE UPON a One More Time, featuring the music of Britney Spears.

[0:11] Richie Grasso: This is Half Hour with Jeff and Richie.

[0:17] Jeff Malone: Half hour.

[0:22] Richie Grasso: Hello, everybody. Welcome to Half Hour with Jeff and Richie, the theater and pop music podcast.

[0:28] Jeff Malone: I'm Jeff.

[0:29] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie.

[0:30] Jeff Malone: And we're bringing you our casual conversation on all things theater and pop music.

[0:35] Richie Grasso: And just as a reminder, our theater section may sometimes feature spoilers.

[0:39] Jeff Malone: So as always, you have been warned.

[0:42] Richie Grasso: And we're warning you now, but we are going right to pop first.

[0:45] Jeff Malone: So we're gonna start in the land of pop music.

[0:47] Richie Grasso: We'll get to Broadway a little bit later. And Jeff, tell us what we're kicking off with in our pop music section today.

[0:53] Jeff Malone: Oh, yes. So today we're discussing the new re-record from Taylor Swift's, which is SPEAK NOW. This is Taylor Swift's's third re-record that she's done now. So she's done Fearless, she's done Red, and now she's doing SPEAK NOW. And I kind of wanted to just jump right in here with you, but and kind of discuss what our overall impressions were of this album, and also kind of discuss her growth in the industry and see how that may have worked in favor of this album or not.

[1:29] Richie Grasso: So after listening, what were your initial thoughts of SPEAK NOW (Taylor's Version)?

[1:35] Jeff Malone: I'm kind of more of a like 1989 and onward type of a fan. So anything that I don't know why that album seems so pivotal to me for her career, because her sound really changed at that time. So anything that comes before 1989 to me is a little like okay, and only because I'm just not a country music fan. And it's really twangy still, it's heavy guitar. It's a lot of the songs sound the same. So, like, whether I'm gonna give my opinion on SPEAK NOW or SPEAK NOW (Taylor's Version), like I don't really know.

[2:08] Richie Grasso: Sure.

[2:09] Jeff Malone: Yeah, I understand you. I don't need to be told why she's re-recording it. I understand that. I get it. I just discussed that already.

[2:17] Richie Grasso: Right.

[2:17] Jeff Malone: That's why I'm just like, okay, yeah, sounds good if you like the original. And so well, this was like a very big album for her when it came out because this was the first album that she wrote completely by herself. So it's a monumental album there in her life. The fact that she's putting this one out now is such a big moment. I will say something though, listening to the album. She did keep a lot of her country influence in the album, which is great. Also though, I feel like her growth in the industry, something very different with SPEAK NOW compared to when she did Fearless. There's something missing a little bit from the SPEAK NOW re-record.

[3:01] Richie Grasso: Oh, okay.

[3:02] Jeff Malone: And are you shocked that I'm saying that?

[3:04] Richie Grasso: Kind of a little.

[3:05] Jeff Malone: Well, I'm curious to know what exactly you think is missing.

[3:08] Jeff Malone: So if you listen to the original SPEAK NOW, you had this younger youthful sound to her voice. Her vocals were so raw at that time. And the pain that she was really feeling in those lyrics, you believed it. And she gave it to you. And I think now, you know, this is oh gosh, how many years later? Over over 10, probably 15 years now, or close to that, that she's moved on past these songs. And yes, we know that a catalog lives on, and it's great, but she's 33, right?

[3:47] Richie Grasso: She's 33.

[3:49] Jeff Malone: And the same feelings you felt when you're 16, 17, 18 years old, I don't think you feel those anymore. And that pain seemed to be missing from the re-record of this. And she has said it before like I don't feel a lot of these things anymore. So it's such a great album, but it just seemed like that was lacking in terms of production or vocal expression. It just was missing for the in like the delivery for me. So I'm like, she probably had to know that that was gonna happen no matter what. Like, was it better for her to do this at 33 or 43 or 53? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I guess better to do it now when she had to. I guess though in Fearless, maybe because it was the first one, you know, we had a little bit of that feeling, but the songs were also different, they weren't as personal compared to the SPEAK NOW album.

But also Red, Red was her segue of like, I'm kind of starting to leave country and then go into pop. So, and she expanded on things that people really wanted her to expand on, especially like the All Too Well 10-minute version, those things which were great. But there was just something from this, and I think the cry around the world with this SPEAK NOW (Taylor's Version) is that a lot of people are feeling the same way. So and people are kind of doing something where they're picking their favorite songs from SPEAK NOW original version that they still want to listen to because they don't think the re-record lives up to the original, and then the new Taylor's Version songs that they do like, they're putting them like in a new order, and how they're gonna start.

[5:28] Jeff Malone: So then I guess that defeats the purpose of like you're trying to be supporting the Taylor's Version from a financial standpoint and a business standpoint. And so there's this like, well, if you're a true diehard fan, and if you truly know what she's going through, then you're only gonna listen to the Taylor's Versions, right? Like I'm trying I'm just asking because I'm just trying to make sure I understand it that way.

[5:47] Richie Grasso: Well, I think she's still proving the point though about owning her own work.

[5:51] Jeff Malone: Yeah, yeah.

[5:51] Richie Grasso: So at the end of the day, this is the version that she owns completely. That's what's important there to the fans.

[5:58] Jeff Malone: Yeah. She did do vault tracks on this album as well.

[6:05] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[6:05] Jeff Malone: And she two of the songs, one features Fall Out Boy, and another features Hayley Williams from Paramore, which was supposed to be the song that everyone was like flocking to and loving. And also Hayley Williams and Paramore are joining her on the European leg of the Eras Tour, so everyone's super excited about that. But there is a new song from the vault called I Can See You. And the music video also came out. She premiered that at the first night in Kansas City, and everyone loved it. It's this cool, fun, like cryptic music video in a way, where Taylor Swift's is like locked away in a vault with all of SPEAK NOW surrounding her, and you know, her past is coming to break her out of it.

[6:53] Richie Grasso: Um, and the music video features Joey King and Presley Cash, who were both in the music video for Mean, which is a SPEAK NOW album song, and also Taylor Lautner, who she used to date at one point, but they no longer did. But I don't know if she ever really had a song about him, but they are good friends in this time. So I loved the music video, but this song is like blowing up. I love the song, and I love the music video. And I also feel like the song doesn't really quite match the album.

[7:26] Richie Grasso: It doesn't match it at all.

[7:27] Jeff Malone: Which is the topic that I wanted to bring up. And this is where I'm starting to feel a little like uh what's happening here? Like, can Taylor Swift's open the phone book if anyone even remembers what that is, and just read it, and people like are like, Great, like she in some ways has this like amazing artistic what an awesome like artistic concept for a video and a song, and like this should have just been on its own. I don't understand the like well, let me put things on the vault and attach it to the other album. It just to me, I'm finding that things are getting a little messy with that end of it.

[8:05] Richie Grasso: Yeah, it just seems out of place to me.

[8:07] Jeff Malone: And I'm like, you're doing so much right now, and everyone's like, Oh, she's probably already writing our new album while she's on the road. And I'm like, but we don't need to be doing that. Like, can you just enjoy your tour and then do your re-records? You have a few more albums to go, and then like I don't know, like it just seems like there's so much going on.

[8:26] Richie Grasso: Listen, some people love working in that way. I like being a mile a minute, you know. Some people love having multiple burners going on the stove, I guess, for lack of a better term.

[8:36] Jeff Malone: But I just, yeah, the song doesn't make sense on the album.

[8:39] Richie Grasso: Doesn't it it's just out of place to me.

[8:41] Jeff Malone: Well, Taylor is going a mile a minute, and it's uh you we can definitely feel that. And I think with the I Can See You music video, is she's taking some of her past from Fearless, because you can hear it in here. She basically samples You Belong With Me in this song, and then she creates this music video, but it's taking back what's hers with SPEAK NOW. But there were so many Easter eggs in this music video already foreshadowing 1989 re-record. There's multiple signs in there. Even the way that this music video was shot, you were like, Oh, she's totally telling us 1989 (Taylor's Version) is next, and you're gonna get it.

[9:21] Richie Grasso: You know, so is that the one you're that you're gonna be most excited for?

[9:24] Jeff Malone: Well, yeah, because I actually still to this day think that 1989 is well, it's my favorite album of hers, and I think it's one of her best, but it's my favorite, so I love it.

[9:34] Richie Grasso: It's my well, it's my favorite too.

[9:36] Jeff Malone: So yeah, well, in that music video, I'll show you them again. I'm gonna be like, I'll point it out to you. But there's a moment on the bridge where you see like 1989 (Taylor's Version) is coming, even the close-up shots of like her lipstick or this or that. It's like there, but some people are also like this is giving you very like um reputation as well. And it's a good song. I just wish it wasn't kind of mixed into this, and so I yeah, yeah.

[10:03] Richie Grasso: But well, at the end of the day, guess what though?

[10:05] Jeff Malone: The fans did stream "SPEAK NOW (Taylor's Version)," it had the highest streaming count of all time on the first day, according to Spotify.

[10:14] Richie Grasso: So, once again, Taylor Swift's breaking all the records, and there we go, and she's still on her tour for a long time now.

[10:21] Jeff Malone: She's gonna be gone for a while, and she had just added 14 more dates to the European leg, so she's gonna be touring all the way through probably 2025.

[10:28] Richie Grasso: Yeah, the Eristola.

[10:30] Jeff Malone: Yeah, all right, nice. Yeah, so we're now gonna move along into Broadway land at this time with a pop flair still, though, because we had the chance to see the new Broadway musical "ONCE UPON a One More Time," which features the music of Britney Spears.

[10:47] Richie Grasso: So, Jeff, tell us more about this show.

[10:50] Jeff Malone: Well, as you know, "Greyhouse" was the first show we saw of this Tony season. We're now on to the next new show of this new Tony season. "ONCE UPON a One More Time," a new musical based on the music performed and recorded by Britney Spears. It's at the Marquis Theater in New York City, booked by John Hartmere. And the creative consultant on this was David Laveau, and director and choreographer team of Kion and Mari Madrid.

[11:15] Richie Grasso: Um yeah, we had a great time at this. Like we really had a lot of fun. We go there, we get wristbands. I always think the Marquis Theater is like being at a non-Broadway theater because you're in a hotel, so you're going upstairs and you're kind of in like a Las Vegas-y kind of a vibe. So whenever there's like a non-traditional Broadway musical there, I'm always like, oh, this is kind of cool, right?

[11:40] Jeff Malone: And we go, we had great seats, we're up in the front, and we dove headfirst into this and didn't really know much about it. We were kind of going in blind. We just knew that this was the Britney music.

[11:51] Richie Grasso: Um, we did go in blind, and I did want to touch on that too. That the Marquis Theater. You always kind of wonder about what show should be in that theater. And I do think that "ONCE UPON a One More Time," like you're saying, is the show.

[12:04] Jeff Malone: Yeah, it gives you that theater is like basically a Las Vegas-style theater.

[12:09] Richie Grasso: Yeah, or like you're at some big casino like Foxwoods, kind of with the theaters there in Atlantic City, kind of, and it's a deal like you escaped to New York for a little bit. Um, here's what I'll say about this. I really did enjoy myself, and I had a really good time.

[12:24] Jeff Malone: And at the end of the day, like, why be mad about that, right? However, there were a couple things I didn't think were perfect. I will highlight by saying the lighting is incredible, the choreography is incredible, like top-notch choreo. The costumes loved, there were some incredible, incredible acting performances, and I was like blown away by that.

[12:50] Richie Grasso: And to talk about acting, we can talk about standouts. Well, I want your initial thoughts too. Those are my initial thoughts. I have some things I and we'll dive into this more, but I will say the book to me, still I'm struggling with the concept and the book and where we went with the script. We'll talk about that later, but tell me your initial reaction.

[13:13] Jeff Malone: I loved this way more than I ever thought I was gonna love this show. I think that they really took something around Britney's music and in the style of "Mamma Mia!" came up with some really cool ideas on feminism in the world, taking pop stars and kind of creating this in like the fairy tale, um, what would you call it?

[13:44] Richie Grasso: Like a facade or some like...

[13:44] Jeff Malone: Well, it's supposed to mimic real world, you know. And I look at this and I say to myself, as a Britney fan and a Britney Stan, I know so much about this pop star's life that there's such a homage to her in the way that this book was written.

[14:05] Richie Grasso: And I kind of wonder if this show has this. If you're a Britney fan, you're gonna get it and you're gonna love it. And if you're a traditional theater-goer, this might not be the perfect show for you. You might be like, well, that was really fun, but I don't get it.

[14:26] Jeff Malone: Well, I wonder if there's this new uncharted waters that we've hit. Because we've seen jukebox musicals in two ways. There's the tell the story of this person, or there's the "Mamma Mia!" example of using the music with a completely different story.

[14:39] Richie Grasso: If I'm following you correctly, if what you're saying is what I'm thinking, is it that we've kind of blended that and we're doing some Britney-esque storytelling, but not with Britney, and yet we're using the music to tell the story in a way.

[14:56] Jeff Malone: And if that's the new, right? Not A or not B, but it's like between A and B, then sure, and I think that's awesome, but I don't think it's fully fleshed out yet. And I think that there's ironing that still needs to be done. Because I shouldn't go to a show and say, oh, well, if you're a Britney Spears fan, you're gonna love it. And if you don't really follow her that much, but you just kind of like her music, you're not gonna get it.

[15:18] Richie Grasso: I don't think that's fair to the theater-goer to say if you're gonna get it and you're not, you know? I don't know. I think it's the way that you would say to yourself, okay, how am I taking in this show?

[15:29] Jeff Malone: So you might not agree with me on this, but I think that I left this musical thinking more about the plot of this show than any other musical recently.

[15:40] Richie Grasso: Oh, interesting.

[15:40] Jeff Malone: Because there was so much that was maybe intended or not intended for the viewer to see and think about after. You know, because we're using traditional fairy tale characters that we all know and creating a story about something, the way that these stories were told to us, and how do these stories change?

[16:02] Richie Grasso: Or in the pop star sense of this, what is the story that is presented to us versus like, oh, what does that person really want to be doing in their life? You know, because when we think about this a little bit more, we're talking about manufactured pop stars here. Britney Spears is a manufactured pop star from start to finish.

[16:24] Jeff Malone: They told her this is what you have to do. But if you go into some of her lyrics, she's been crying for help her whole life. Like, I need to get out of this. I need to, you know, and then being put in the conservatorship and all of these things. And when you go and dive deeper into this story here around these fairy tale characters, you're like, oh, we don't really know anything about these fairy tale characters other than what we've been told.

[16:48] Richie Grasso: And some of them are super dark, or they've been changed over time to be, um, you know, happier or lighter. And that's where I'm connecting the dots of fairy tale world to Britney world. You know, and I see that, and I get that, and I understand that.

[17:05] Jeff Malone: I also feel like there's something to be said about strategically placing the songs in the right places worked. Totally got that. The lyrics lined up nice. I actually think "& Juliet" does that really well too. Not to compare the shows, but it's a similar idea.

[17:19] Richie Grasso: Um, but there's something to be said about... let me say the following. I don't understand why we just revert back to Cinderella at the end of the day. You have these six or seven or eight females up there all playing these different fairy tale characters, and I'm thinking we're gonna get a little bit of everything, and it always, and this is not just for the show, but I don't understand this infatuation with Cinderella.

[17:46] Jeff Malone: I don't understand the pop world, the Broadway world, the world, the Disney world. There is this infatuation with that specific character.

[17:56] Richie Grasso: And I'm gonna be honest with you, and I definitely want you to chime in on this. But about halfway through to two-thirds of the way through, when I was like, oh wow, we really are just gonna be beaten over the head with the Cinderella story.

[18:08] Jeff Malone: And there was a part of me that was like, ugh, there's Snow White, there's the Princess and the Pea. There's all these people. Give them moments, give them songs, let's hear their stories more, intertwine them all. And of course came about Prince Charming and Cinderella, which they were great actors. Like Justin Guarini was like awesome to see up there.

[18:26] Richie Grasso: But I was just like, why do we always go back to that?

[18:30] Jeff Malone: Right?

[18:31] Richie Grasso: Right, but the biggest thing here is that she literally has a song called "Cinderella."

[18:37] Jeff Malone: I know, I know.

[18:38] Richie Grasso: But like it's just like Disney, Roger and Hammerstein, Amazon Prime just put in the Andrew Lloyd Webber. Do you want me to keep going?

[18:46] Jeff Malone: Like everybody has their version of Cinderella.

[18:50] Richie Grasso: And it should have just been called Cinderella.

[18:56] Jeff Malone: I know, but that's where you don't connect the dots of being a fan and knowing her music a lot.

[19:02] Richie Grasso: I'm not a big enough fan, I guess, of her. I don't know. I'm just looking at this and I'm like, I love the Britney music. I understand roughly her life story.

[19:10] Jeff Malone: Well, and I get that she has a song about this, but I know, but I think my biggest question here to John Hartmere is: did you hear this song? Or when you were brought into the project, did you hear the song?

[19:22] Richie Grasso: Or was this already selected?

[19:24] Jeff Malone: And did you guys create a story around her "Cinderella" song? Because there had to be inspiration somewhere to even come up with this musical. It wasn't like they probably just woke up and said, oh, let's do a fairy tale musical.

[19:39] Richie Grasso: No, it was probably someone looking at, oh, I'm a Britney fan, and I know her music. Oh, wait, and she has this song about Cinderella. Cinderella's a relatable character that we all know and have fallen in love with for the longest time.

[19:53] Jeff Malone: So let's not tell the Britney musical in a biopic style. Let's do this as "Mamma Mia!" style.

[20:01] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[20:02] Jeff Malone: And it was fun, and I had a good time. And I'm not saying it was, you know, I did the jokes that landed in the book were nice. It was nice overall. I just thought there were moments with this Cinderella stuff where all the other characters fell to the wayside with that.

[20:13] Jeff Malone: And I understand this is a very strong feminist piece, and I love that, and I love the message. I will give two shout-outs though to two performances that were really, really stand out for me.

[20:24] Richie Grasso: Are we gonna have the same?

[20:26] Jeff Malone: Well, I didn't remember the same.

[20:29] Richie Grasso: Well, I will first say the OFG, Brooke Dillman, was so funny. I loved just how that character came in and out. I love what she was doing with the child at the end and reading the book, and I loved that. And my oh, I just loved that. And I loved the OFG and how she just appeared and that comedy, and that was just great. So I really, really enjoyed that. That was my theater-y stuff that I was that random character that comes in a couple times, right? Which is fun.

[20:57] Jeff Malone: But to say this woman's name three times, the next person, Jennifer Samard, Jennifer Samard, Jennifer Samard, the woman. Jennifer Samard, I said it the fourth time. The woman can do no wrong in my book. I've seen her now in three or four things. Every single time I see her, she's playing a drastically different role. She is killing it. So it's very clear that she's taking a script and she knows exactly how to make a character. She will say that she's begging for more scenes with her. I love it. I will say something. She keeps it true to who she is, though, as a performer. And she always knows how to bring her Jennifer Samard signature to a character.

[21:35] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[21:35] Jeff Malone: That we all know and fall in love with. So as much as she's being a drastic character, she still knows how to bring her signature self to the role. She is bringing this show together. If you want me to be honest, she is a really strong glue that I don't know what I and this is just my Broadway theater side coming out here. There is a part of me that I don't know what I what this show would have been if she wasn't in it. And she's a small role. She's the evil stepmother, and she only has a few scenes. But her song, let's talk about that. She sings in the second act, which is I'm so sorry, toxic. Which we love that song. She's, I'm like, oh my god, she's getting a whole second act number. Like, okay, now the Tony nomination can come because they gave her a song, and I'm waiting for the song, and I see it.

And this crazy, crazy note comes out at the end, and I'm like, this is she people stood. I don't know if you saw that. I looked around, people stood up and gave her a mid-show ovation because the woman knows exactly what she's doing. She was out of control, incredible for me in this. But that is how you are a supporting character and you have your moment. So if you are a supporting character and you can find that moment and you can go there and you can slay it, you will do fine.

[22:48] Richie Grasso: Yep.

[22:49] Jeff Malone: You know, and uh, my I have a second person because I have to give Aisha Jackson a standing O there too, playing Snow White, because the chops on her the vocals are incredible for her absolutely incredible. And I wanted more Snow White, I wanted more. That's what bothered me so much. It's like they I just wanted more from the others. Oh you know, I just I just I get certain parts. I actually, if there was any critique I was going to give this show, I thought there could have been bigger direction moments. Um I thought the choreography was so solid. I loved so much of the ode to Britney, even doing some of the original oops, I did it again. Choreography in there was a great. I loved the vocals. I loved almost all of the casting choices, the set, the costumes, all of that. We've said it all. The lighting, the whole experience, even the lighting up bracelets at the end and turning the whole show into a dance party. It was super fun.

[23:46] Richie Grasso: Yeah, you know, I think that people will be pleasantly surprised at this show if they go and see it. I know some people hate it are not gonna love it. I think the older generation and probably some of the younger generation who have not really grown up with Britney or really have fallen in love with Britney, are not really gonna like the show. And I'm just gonna be quite frank on that. Like, I don't think they're gonna get it, and they're not gonna try to get it, they're just gonna think that this is a bad jukebox thing or a Las Vegas show, like Patti LuPone says. So, you know, yeah. I mean, it's it's definitely leader. There has to be theater for everyone and experiences. I didn't hate it, I just wasn't obsessed with it. But I love but I had a good time. I did really have a good time the whole night.

[24:32] Jeff Malone: Do you want to know a little fun fact that I found out while researching for the show?

[24:37] Richie Grasso: Yeah, John Hartnir, the book writer, and Adam Godley, who plays the narrator, are married.

[24:46] Jeff Malone: Yes, I knew that.

[24:47] Richie Grasso: Their husbands. Kind of cool.

[24:49] Jeff Malone: That was cool, right? Putting the show together like that's probably fun for that. So yeah, very cool. Husbands working together. I love it.

[24:56] Richie Grasso: Who would think? Husbands working together? Like, oh my gosh.

[25:01] Jeff Malone: Alright. So we're getting ready to uh wrap up here with a few. We have some few pop news announcements coming up.

[25:06] Richie Grasso: Yeah, some pop news announcement announcements. Uh Barbie movie is coming out soon, and we're slowly getting some of the soundtrack songs, but two of the artists were unannounced for a while that are on this soundtrack. And Billie Eilish had just announced that she has created a song for the Barbie movie. So that is one of them. And we have one more that we are waiting on. So can't wait to hear that Billie Eilish song. We know you are super excited for that.

[25:34] Jeff Malone: And we'll keep moving forward with our news topics. Can't wait to hear that.

[25:40] Richie Grasso: Whoa. Wait, let me should I do my Billie Eilish impression or should I say that? Because uh I can do a whisper into the microphone and make a song.

[25:51] Jeff Malone: You should you could go into ASMR.

[25:55] Richie Grasso: I do. Y'all know. I've talked about Billie plenty of times, that there's a lot of whispering into the microphone, but hey, that's her thing. That's fine. I actually will be looking at a new song.

[26:06] Jeff Malone: Great. You didn't go to the concert, so I didn't go to the concert. Also, Carly Rae Jepsen announced that she is releasing B sides to the Loneliest Time.

[26:16] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[26:16] Jeff Malone: Which the Jepsies all know that this is basically a thing that Carly does now. Um, and usually the B sides are better than the actual albums. So can't wait to hear that.

[26:27] Richie Grasso: Well, we love Carly. We're going in in August to see her for a third time. And I'll just always keep going back to her. I love her concerts. I have said the best time. It's gonna be so much fun.

[26:37] Jeff Malone: Um we also want to let you everyone know that we had a chance to interview Grammy winning producer, composer, and music director Dominic Falakaro. Dominic's most uh recent work can be seen in Broadway Musical and Juliet as the music director and co-arranger. And we did an interview with him. We had the best time, and that interview comes out on Wednesday, July 12th. So make sure you check back in a couple days and listen to that interview. That's coming up in a couple days for you.

[26:59] Richie Grasso: Yes, that was a super fun one. So we can't wait to see what you all think.

[27:02] Jeff Malone: Yes. But now it's time for the pop music drop.

[27:04] Richie Grasso: Yay! Bob or flop time.

[27:07] Jeff Malone: Yeah, so I picked six tracks this week, which it was kind of hard this week because I think people were scared of Taylor Swift's and didn't release anything.

[27:16] Richie Grasso: Okay, okay, okay. I did some diving and I found my top six.

[27:20] Jeff Malone: Alright. So coming in at number six, we have from the Barbie soundtrack 5050 with the song Barbie Dreams featuring Kali.

[27:31] Richie Grasso: Bob Love It. Is there a sample in this?

[27:34] Jeff Malone: If not, it sounds very similar to some like 90s song.

[27:40] Richie Grasso: There is a sample in it, and I'm drawing a blank now. I should have written it down. I should have written it down. But yes, I loved this. And it's just getting me so excited for that movie. Like, I don't know if I'm like excited for the movie or not, but like the music's making me excited. So yeah. And I think this is uh the credits. The song, it's the last song on the album, so I'm thinking it's the credits.

[27:58] Jeff Malone: Oh, okay, cool, cool, cool.

[27:59] Richie Grasso: Yeah. Uh then number five, Anne-Marie train wreck. This was nice. I'm I'm a little on the fence about it still. I I think it's Bobby. Um I have to listen to a few more times. I kind of liked it. There was some nice moments.

[28:11] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[28:11] Richie Grasso: Um, then we have UK Girl Group, a flow control freak. Loved this. This was Bop for me. This was really Bop. I did really like it. I really hope Flo kind of breaks into the American scene because they are very underrated right now.

[28:28] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[28:29] Richie Grasso: Uh then we have Bentley Robles, Hope You Cry. Love it. Bop. I did like this.

[28:33] Jeff Malone: Bop, right?

[28:34] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I did really enjoy this song. We should check Bentley out. He has a lot of great, great tracks there. Um then we have uh Gia Wood's Gia Wood. I don't know about this. I have to give it a few more listens. The first 30 seconds, I was like, what's happening? Uh it was it was whatever. It was fun. I listened to it a few more times.

[28:58] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[28:59] Richie Grasso: I do like the name and then the title and the play on words there with that. That was cool. But last but not least, coming in at number one, Taylor Swift's, I can see you. Bop should have been released as a single.

[29:12] Jeff Malone: Well, it is.

[29:13] Richie Grasso: I mean on its own, on its own day and time in its own world.

[29:18] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[29:18] Richie Grasso: But that's the point.

[29:21] Jeff Malone: And even with it. Yeah, even with our theater news, I feel like we had so much pop to talk about with the Britney stuff, too. So it was a very popular.

[29:27] Richie Grasso: No, this is a very popular day.

[29:30] Jeff Malone: So oh my gosh. Wow, we are just about out of time here. Ah, what a day. This was wonderful. We have, like I said earlier, an interview coming out. We got more Broadway coming up, got some shows, new shows coming up to see, and some new music and some concerts, some summer concerts coming up to talk about too, which is exciting. Gonna be so much fun.

[29:49] Richie Grasso: Um, gimme.

[29:53] Jeff Malone: So we hope you enjoyed our conversation today. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future episodes, we'd love to hear from you. You can connect with us on Instagram and TikTok at Half Hour Podcast. And don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and leave us a rating and review. And we'll see you all on the next episode. Because I'm Jeff.

[30:10] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie saying ta-ta for now.

[30:13] Jeff Malone: Bye.