Spotify didn’t just change how we listen to music — it changed what a genre even is. In this episode, producer and rapper Quinn reflects on being thrust into the spotlight at age 15 as one of the breakout faces of Spotify’s meteoric Hyperpop playlist.. Then, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds breaks down how Spotify’s made-up micro-genres—like Goblincore, Anime Drill, and Bubblegrunge—are reshaping music discovery and putting pressure on artists to conform.
Guests:
Quinn, independent producer and rapper
Kieran Press-Reynolds, independent reporter covering music and internet culture
Further reading:
How to break free of Spotify's algorithm — Tiffany Ng, MIT Technology Review
The Lost Promises of Hyperpoptimism — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork
Read the transcript here
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
You can also follow us on Instagram
Credits:
This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Theme and credits music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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36:16
Elon's Great Crash-Out / Unmasked in LA
Elon Musk and President Trump breaking up? LA protesters clashing with law enforcement? Waymos on fire (again)? Things have been moving fast the last few days — and like you, our feeds are on overload. Today, we’re bringing you a quick reaction episode to catch you up on a couple stories we’ve covered before that are suddenly back in the news. Close All Tabs producer Maya Cueva joins Morgan to break it all down.
We’ve talked about a few of these stories before — if you want to go deeper, here are some past episodes to check out:
The Broligarchy Pt 1: Chronicles of the PayPal Mafia | KQED
The Surveillance Machine, Pt. 1: How We Got Here | KQED
Waymo Robotaxis - Uneasiness and Vandalism | KQED
Further reading:
A timeline of the twists and turns in the Trump-Musk relationship — Nnamdi Egwuonwu, NBC News
Immigration Protests Threaten to Boil Over in Los Angeles — E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker
ICE raids tried to split LA apart, but might have made it stronger — Michael Lozano, LA Public Press
How Waymo got caught in the crossfire of Los Angeles ICE protests —
Joe Berkowitz, Fast Company
Read the transcript here
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
You can also follow us on Instagram
Credits:
This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Maya Cueva, Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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27:03
The Spotify Effect, Pt 1: Ghosts in the Playlist
Spotify has morphed from a straightforward music library and search engine into a data-driven system built to feed you songs to match your mood and optimize your time on the platform.
In this episode, Morgan is joined by music journalist and author Liz Pelly to break down how Spotify built its playlist empire, the rise of so-called “ghost artists” on the platform, and how its algorithmic approach is changing our relationship to music, artists, and the culture around them. Plus, Morgan tries to solve a personal mystery: “Am I being haunted by Sabrina Carpenter?”
Guests:
Liz Pelly, independent music journalist and author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
Further reading:
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist — Liz Pelly
The Spotify conspiracy theories about “Espresso,” explained — Rebecca Jennings, Vox
‘Algorithm fatigue:’ Spotify Fans Say It’s Going Downhill. Company Insiders Agree. — John Paul Titlow, Business Insider
Read the transcript here
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
You can also follow us on Instagram
Credits:
This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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34:53
Do You Hear What I Hear? Audio Illusions and Misinformation
Are you old enough to remember the “Magic Eye” optical illusion mania that gripped the nation in the 90’s—random patterns that you had to squint at just right for the 3D image to pop out? It turns out it's not just our eyes that can be fooled. Our ears can play tricks on us too. There's a whole world of auditory illusions that seem to say one thing when they're really saying something else, and that matters, especially in our age of digital misinformation.
In today’s episode, Morgan talks to KQED Digital Community Producer Francesca Fenzi about why we hear what we think we hear, and how understanding the limits of our perception might actually make us better at spotting dis- and misinformation online.
Guest:
Francesa Fenzi, KQED Digital Community Producer
Read the transcript here
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
You can also follow us on Instagram
Credits:
This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Sound Design by Maya Cueva. Original music by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Katherine Monahan and Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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33:07
Why Can’t Hentai Go Legit?
Hentai, sexually explicit Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga), is a genre that’s been criticized for depicting violent or ethically questionable scenarios. But some fans also see it as a space for expanding the boundaries of art, culture, and sexuality in a way that reverberates beyond its status as a niche subculture.
In this episode, Morgan talks with anime marketer Drea Ramirez about how discovering hentai helped her explore her own sexual identity — and how today’s streaming platforms are stifling weirder, more experimental forms of animation. We’ll also hear from Jacob Grady, CEO of the hentai manga site Fakku, about the challenges of running a licensed and legal business in the face of content piracy, and how anti-trafficking laws like SESTA and FOSTA can make it harder forhentai artists to make a living.
This episode is part of a collaboration with our friends at the podcast Never Post. While we’re digging into the culture and industry behind hentai, they’re coming at it from a completely different angle. Give it a listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Guests:
Drea Ramirez, social media marketing manager at Azuki
Jacob Grady, founder and CEO of FAKKU
Mike Rugnetta, host of Never Post
Further reading:
The Hentai Platform Streaming Wars — Aurélie Petit, Porn Studies
Why "The Crunchyroll of Hentai" Failed to Take Off — Jay Allen, Unseen Japan
Hentai Sites Go To War, Leaving Animated Porn's Future In Doubt — Cecilia D’Anastasio, Kotaku
FOSTA-SESTA was supposed to thwart sex trafficking. Instead, it’s sparked a movement — Liz Tung, WHYY
Read the transcript here
Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at CloseAllTabs@KQED.org
You can also follow us on Instagram
Credits:
This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Jen Chien. Original music and sound design by Chris Egusa, with additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad and Alana Walker. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Holly Kernan is our Chief Content Officer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ever wonder where the internet stops and IRL begins? Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor. From internet trends to AI slop to the politics of memes, Close All Tabs covers it all.
How will AI change our jobs and lives? Is the government watching what I post? Is there life beyond TikTok? Host Morgan Sung pulls from experts, the audience, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living.
Morgan Sung is a tech journalist whose work covers the range of absurdity and brilliance that is the internet. Her beat has evolved into an exploration of social platforms and how they shape real-world culture. She has written for TechCrunch, NBC News, Mashable, BuzzFeed News and more.
We love listening to shows about technology and culture like Power User with Taylor Lorenz, ICYMI, Wow If True, Hard Fork, There Are No Girls On the Internet, Endless Thread, Uncanny Valley from Wired, It’s Been a Minute, and You’re Wrong About. If you like them too, then trust us–you’ll like Close All Tabs.