“Endless Summer Vacation” by Miley Cyrus finds the singer achieving her biggest hit with “Flowers” and winning Grammys for the first time in her 17-year career. This week, Keith Montena and Carly Giacoio rewind and discuss how prior career moves and projects like She Is Coming & Plastic Hearts led the singer into a rough commercial territory despite being packed with solid material. With a label switch and new management, the pair investigate how her album rollout surrounding a New Years Eve special and fan-driven narrative surrounding Liam Hemsworth sculpted a huge commercial resurgence. Plus, hear about the album’s singles and creative collaborators through a track-by-track discussion.

Lady Gaga's "Joanne" showcases the singer ditching dance-pop in exchange for country and americana. Hear about the creative process behind the 2016 album, as well as the aftermath of 2013's ARTPOP album and how this shift helped the singer recover. The album marked a commercial resurgence for Lady Gaga with performances at The Super Bowl Half Time Show and Coachella, projects like Five Foot Two and A Star Is Born. Plus, discussions on "The Cure" and puzzled fan reception to her new sound. Also, is Lady Gaga releasing a new album this year? Hear about rumored collaborators for her seventh LP, and if Joanne is the best indicator of her next artistic venture.

Sabrina Carpenter's fifth album Emails I Can't Send marked a turning point in the artists career. Even with the eerie start-stop nature of her release campaign, the fifth album prevailed as a success with breakout hit "Nonsense". Rewind to 2021 as Keith Montena and special guest Abbey Velischek break down the infamous love triangle that plagued the star, her response song "Skin", and how the star shifted directions and created a very strong album. Topics include the singer's slot on Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, her videos including "Feather", and the battle stars face when breaking out of the Disney or child-star umbrella.

Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album chronicles her 19th year and journey after achieving such a high level of success with her debut album. Keith Montena returns this week with special guest Carly Giacoio to break down the campaign surrounding GUTS, how Olivia's success rivals other young Disney stars, and the speculation surrounding drama with Taylor Swift. This is also a detailed look into SOUR's success in retrospect and the viral plagiarism accusations. Other topics include Rodrigo's creative process with collaborators like Dan Nigro & Ian Kirkpatrick, Grammy nominations, the VMAs, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes soundtrack single.

Keith Montena returns this week with previous co-host Ashley Tatum to discuss one of the world's best-selling girl groups, The Pussycat Dolls. The groups sophomore (and last) era was helmed by collaborators like Polow Da Don, Timbaland, and Darkchild. The album, interestingly, was sculpted by beginning sessions for Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, "Her Name Is Nicole". Listen to hear about the group's evolving dynamics, why we feel it was always bound to cause drama, and where the girls are now after reuniting in 2020 with "React". While instances of drama at Britney Spears' Circus Tour or the American Music Awards became bait for tabloid culture of the 2000s, the girls still delivered some discography highlights and a huge hit with "When I Grow Up".

Red (Taylor's Version) is the second installment of Taylor Swift's re-recorded albums. Drawing comparisons to the originals and discussing vault tracks, Keith Montena was happy to welcome back Katie Hausler and Hannah Relovsky to the podcast. In Vinyl Drop's first-ever round table, the trio touches on the politics behind the re-recordings, the highlights (and low points) across both versions, and the intricacies of All Too Well's multiple recordings are discussed. Also, is Speak Now (Taylor's Version) next? We'll see.

Keith Montena returns to Vinyl Drop this week with a discussion on "Chromatica" by Lady Gaga. With special guest Logan Powers, the pair dive into Lady Gaga's first dance-pop release in nearly seven years, the rush of "Rain On Me" with Ariana Grande, and how the campaign attached got halted during Covid-19. Diving into every track and video, fan reactions, and how it compares to past efforts like "The Fame", the album still remains a celebration.

 Keith Montena discusses Rihanna's fifth studio album, "Loud". With returning guest Andi Stebbins, the pair talk about the singer's notable singles discography and how the album is jam-packed with only potential hits. Released following "Rated R", an album released a year prior with a much darker edge, Rihanna was in the perfect position to continue her reign in the mainstream. With the red hair carving out a signature look and three number ones, this feels like Rihanna at the height of her powers... Before ANTi of course. Hear Keith and Andi discuss their thoughts on the album. Remember to follow @vinyldropodcast on instagram to keep up with all updates.