Mike Posner has written hits for himself like "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," and for stars from Justin Bieber ("Boyfriend") to Maroon 5 ("Sugar"), so he has insights for days on what makes a pop song work. We dig into Mike's excellent new track "Song About You," which leads to an exploration of songs that reuse the same melody for verse and chorus—from Prince to The Boss to Post Malone. Last, we consider "beard phase": a moment of artistic reinvention that every artist has in their career, whether you're Mike Posner, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Taylor Swift. Featuring: Mike Posner - Song About You Jean Ritchie - Barbary Allen Original Sacred Harp Singers - New Britain (Amazing Grace) Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover Prince - Let's Go Crazy Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. Post Malone - Rockstar Beethoven - String Quartet No 1 Op. 18/1 Beethoven - String Quartet No 10 Op. 74/III Beethoven - String Quartet "Grosse Fuge" Taylor Swift - Teardrops on My Guitar Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It? Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever Dennis Wilson - River Song Peaches ft. Iggy Pop - Kick It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.