Podcast
The Sam Sanders Show
Hosted by KCRW & Sam Sanders · EN
The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.
Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.
Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture.
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Episodes
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The Movies You Should Be Watching This Summer (From Prestige Junkie)
2w ago00:31:18Tap to summarizeToday we’re bringing you an episode from our friends at Prestige Junkie. Sam joins host Katey Rich to look ahead at this summer’s stacked box office lineup. From Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' and Spielberg’s 'Disclosure Day' to the movies you shouldn’t sleep on including Aleshea Harris’ directorial debut 'Is God Is' and Hannah Einbinder’s queer slasher film 'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.' Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Will You Be Jimmy O. Yang’s Friend?
3w ago00:53:55Tap to summarizeActor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang is full of contradictions. On stage, he exudes a party guy vibe, always down for a good time. But in actuality, Jimmy is pretty serious. He edits his own stand-up specials and thinks a lot about starting a family. Jimmy works through all of this in his comedy. He tells Sam how he learned English as a teenager, his favorite karaoke song, and how he’s actively trying to make new friends. His latest special ‘Finally Home’ is out now. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Did Whitney Houston Sing Out Of Tune? w/ Wyclef Jean
3w ago00:47:54Tap to summarizeWe’ve got a very special episode for you today, featuring the legendary rapper and musician Wyclef Jean. Sam teamed up with Justin Richmond of the Broken Record podcast for this live conversation recorded at the On Air Fest. Wyclef Jean may just be the most wide-ranging rapper, producer, performer, and composer of his time. As the lead producer and MC of Fugees, he helped craft their 1996 landmark album The Score, one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. The following year he released his debut solo album, The Carnival, which included hits like “Guantanamera” featuring Celia Cruz, and the platinum-certified single “Gone Till November.” As a writer and producer for other artists, Wyclef is behind Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love,” Santana’s chart-dominating “Maria Maria,” Shakira’s global smash “Hips Don’t Lie,” and Destiny’s Child’s breakout single “No, No, No.” They get into what it was really like in the studio with Whitney Houston, how The Fugees shaped their sound while recording The Score, and the wisdom Wyclef would pass on to his younger self about what makes a great creative collaboration. Check out more great interviews from Broken Record. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Trixie Mattel Wants Us To Slow Down
4w ago00:48:04Tap to summarizeTrixie Mattel might be one of the busiest women in show business. Since she made a name for herself on 'RuPaul’s Drag Race,' she's starred in multiple TV shows, created a hit podcast, became a best-selling author, launched a cosmetics line and even opened her own motel. But Trixie says all that work led to burnout. She tells Sam how she learned the importance of slowing down, why there would be no Trixie without 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' and how she’s trying to be more present in gratitude. Plus, Trixie reflects on the pop culture that keeps her grounded, including a favorite country music album and the comfort show she can always turn on. Don’t miss Trixie at KCRW’s Summer Nights! Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Is Mariah Carey the Greatest American Songwriter?
4w ago00:27:59Tap to summarizeMariah Carey has more No. 1 hits than any other American artist to date. “Fantasy,” “Vision of Love,” and “We Belong Together” have all landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Part of the magic is in her voice, but it’s also in her songwriting — a skill that has too often been overlooked. Music journalist Danyel Smith interviewed the artist for The New York Times’ list of “The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters.” Sam caught up with Danyel to talk about Mariah Carey’s songwriting and sampling prowess, the systemic disrespect for Black women in music, and how Mariah cemented her place in music history. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Did the ‘90s Kill Feminism?
May 100:33:23Tap to summarizeDespite everyone’s nostalgic feelings for the ‘90’s, it was undoubtedly a complicated time for women. Feminism was alive and well at the start of the decade, but author Sophie Gilbert explains how the movement’s energy collapsed into a problematic media storm that still lingers today. She chronicles the decline through the ‘90s pop culture that shaped women from the Riot Grrrl movement, to the Spice Girls, and beyond in her book 'Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves.’ “At the beginning of the '90s, third wave feminism was very much alive. Anita Hill was testifying in Congress, it was the ‘Year of the Woman.’ You had Riot Grrrl, you had all this energy and this momentum behind trying to make things better for women,” Sophie explains. “And then over the course of the decade, it just kind of flatlined.” Sophie talks to Sam about her book, how feminism is more fractured than ever, and how the extreme caricatures of women we see today aren’t that different from the tropes of women in the ‘90s. Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Is the Met Gala Still Relevant?
Apr 2800:32:34Tap to summarizeModels, designers, celebrities and Anna Wintour will soon gather for fashion’s biggest night: The Met Gala. But this year’s event has already spawned protests and boycotts. Sam breaks it all down with fashion and culture journalist Amy Odell, host of the 'Back Row' podcast and newsletter. They look at how sponsors Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez could be overshadowing the gala’s purpose and ask if the event is more out-of-touch than ever before. Plus, Amy explains fashion's new 'gilded age.' Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Is Monoculture Back!? A Pop Culture Check-In w/ ‘Lemme Say This’
Apr 2400:50:12Tap to summarizeThere’s no denying 2026 has been chaotic — but what about pop culture? Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix (hosts of Lemme Say This) join Sam to break down the biggest moments of the year so far — and what they reveal about where culture is headed. From reality TV dominating the conversation to debates about monoculture, celebrity overexposure, and what actually breaks through now, they unpack what’s working, what’s not, and why everything feels louder than ever. Plus: Zendaya’s takeover, Timothée Chalamet discourse, Olympic breakout stars like Alysa Liu, and our enduring obsession with ‘Heated Rivalry.’ Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Was Justin Bieber’s Coachella Set Lazy… or Genius?
Apr 2100:22:57Tap to summarizeJustin Bieber headlined Coachella with a stripped down set that quickly divided the internet. While other artists had intricate sets, Justin sang on a mostly empty stage with nothing but a laptop. If you thought his set was lazy, 'The New Yorker' critic Vinson Cunnighman says you’re missing the point. Vinson joins Sam to talk about Bieberchella, what Justin was trying to convey about fame and loneliness, and asks how authentic do fans really want their pop stars to be? Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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Why Do We Still Love the ‘90s?
Apr 1700:44:53Tap to summarizeWe’re so excited to be featured this month by Apple Podcasts’ Society & Culture. This episode, comedian and TikTok star Rob Anderson brings back the '90s! From 'Boy Meets World’ to 'Baywatch', Rob unpacks the most absurd pop culture from the era. He even breaks down an exceptionally unhinged episode of 'Touched By An Angel’ featuring civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Through jokes, songs and recaps, he breaks down why the ‘90s are the perfect moment to look back on. He also explains our enduring need for nostalgia. Rob is currently touring his solo show, ‘Are You Afraid Of The '90s?’ Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week. The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
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