We live in a world creating and consuming more content than ever before. Every minute of every day, the world generates nearly three million Facebook posts, tweets and Instagram photos, and over two hundred million e-mails. There’s a 24-hour news cycle, infinite blog posts, and an entire history of music that you can now stream instantly from your phone. We’ve quickly become a scrolling culture, hurriedly swiping through an infinite swath of content that seems to replenish without end. Dissect was created to counter this cultural shift. After too often feeling exhausted and unfulfilled from binging my daily digital diet, I wanted to create a platform that forced me to think critically, not passively. I wanted to spend hours with one thing, not a few minutes with a zillion things. And I wanted to reward artists who, in the face of our new consumption habits, continue to craft their work with care, complexity and depth.
We begin our season-long examination of Kendrick Lamar‘s To Pimp a Butterfly with the history of Compton, California and Kendrick’s transformation from K Dot, a young mixtape rapper, to Kendrick Lamar, a true artist.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting its predecessor, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Wesley’s Theory."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "For Free?"
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "King Kunta"
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Institutionalized."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "These Walls."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "u."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Alright."
We’re about halfway through Season 1 of Dissect, and I’m taking some time to catch up on research, and to spend a little time with my family, so there’s no new episode today. But I do want to take this opportunity to quickly address a few things. First and foremost, I want to thank all of you who’ve been listening to Dissect. I honestly didn’t expect much of an audience for this little podcast, and I wholeheartedly appreciate all the support, the outreach on social media, and the kind reviews left on iTunes. Seriously, thank you.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "For Sale?"
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Momma."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Hood Politics."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "How Much a Dollar Cost?"
Kendrick, I’ma let you finish, but I just saw one of the strangest concerts of all time. We’re interrupting our regularly scheduled episode of Dissect for a special piece about my experience at the now infamous Kanye West show in my hometown Sacramento, California. This episode was adapted from a print piece I wrote called “What We Missed at the Kanye West Sacramento Exper… It’s a piece about empathy, disguised as a piece about Kanye West. I hope you enjoy. We’ll be back next week to continue our season long examination of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Complexion (A Zulu Love)."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "The Blacker the Berry."
We’re nearing the end of Dissect Season 1, and I need your help for the final episode of the season. Through e-mail, I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with some of you about To Pimp a Butterfly, music, or the podcast itself. I love hearing different points of view, and since you’ve heard my perspective for so long throughout this season, for the finale episode, I’d love to include yours. If you’d like to be featured on the final episode, use the voice memo app on your iPhone or Voice Recorder on Android, and record around 30 seconds or so explaining your biggest takeaway from To Pimp a Butterfly and Season 1. How it’s influenced you, or what you love about it thematically or musically. Tap the share icon and e-mail your clip to dissectpodcast@gmail.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "i."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly by dissecting "Mortal Man."
Our season long examination of To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar concludes with our final thoughts on the album. Then we'll hear directly from Dissect listeners who share their thoughts on the season.
Maybe it’s time we pray for Kendrick Lamar. On his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick undergoes a metamorphosis from self-loathing Compton rapper to self-loving global icon, a transformation he likens to caterpillar turned butterfly. It seemed to function as a blueprint for salvation, aimed especially at the African-American community navigating the racially charged strains of modern America. But rather than end Butterfly on the euphoria of the song “i,” Kendrick instead concludes with the epilogue “Mortal Man.” After spending the majority of the album questioning himself and the world around him, “Mortal Man” asks us, his listeners, to question ourselves, specifically the build-them-up watch-them-fall relationship we have with our leaders. He reminds us that however large his mythos has become, he’s human and he’ll need our loyalty when “shit hits the fan.”
We’re very excited to announce that Dissect Season 2 will premiere on Tuesday, August 1st! You’re probably thinking, “Ok, great, August 1st. But what’s the subject of Season 2?” Well, after much deliberation, I decided that the subject of Season 2 is…. Yeah, sorry, you’re gonna have to wait for the premiere for that. But if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like surprises, there’s a way you can find out the subject of Season 2 right now. More on that in Announcement #3.
We begin our season-long examination of Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with a brief look into Kanye's childhood and his rise to stardom.
We dissect Kanye West‘s Through the Wire to get a better understanding of his sample-based musical style.
We dissect Kanye West's first four albums and pivotal life events that lead to the creation of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
We begin our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with the album’s opening track "Dark Fantasy."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Gorgeous."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "POWER."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "All Of The Lights."
Cole talks about his experience at Kanye West's infamous Sacramento concert.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Monster."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "So Appalled."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Devil In A New Dress."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Runaway."
Dissect needs YOUR voice! We’re featuring listener submitted audio clips on our upcoming Season 2 finale episode. Find submission instructions on our Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (@dissectpodcast). It’s really easy. In lieu of a new episode today, we’re sharing an interview Cole did with the It’s All Dead podcast. They discuss the origins of Dissect, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, concept albums, empathy, and more.
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Hell Of A Life."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Blame Game."
We continue our serialized analysis of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by dissecting "Lost In The World."
Our season long examination of Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy concludes with our final thoughts on the album. Then we'll hear directly from Dissect listeners who share their thoughts on the season.
Today, I have two exciting announcements about the future of Dissect. First, I’m extremely excited to announce that Dissect has joined the Spotify family and will now be produced as a Spotify Original Podcast. Second, Season 3 of Dissect will be premiering Tuesday, May 15th on Spotify.
Season 3 of Dissect is dedicated entirely to the music of Frank Ocean. Today we begin with Ocean’s upbringing in New Orleans and his move to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina. We’ll then break down his landmark 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra.
Our serialized examination of the music of Frank Ocean continues with a look at the cultural impact of Frank’s open letter that revealed his sexuality days before the release of Channel Orange. Then we dissect Ocean’s biggest hit to date “Thinking About You.”
Our serialized examination of Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE continues with “Super Rich Kids”, a tragic rumination on the effects of wealth disguised as a party anthem.
We dissect Frank Ocean’s 10-minute masterwork “Pyramids” from Channel Orange. Part 1 of 2.
We conclude our two part analysis of Frank Ocean’s contemporary masterwork "Pyramids."
We dissect "Bad Religion" by Frank Ocean, a harrowing ballad expressing the torment of unrequited love.
We dissect the last three tracks from Frank Ocean's Channel Orange before drawing some overall conclusions about the album as a whole. Then we take a look at the events during the 4 years between Channel Orange and Frank's next albums Endless and Blonde.
In this bonus episode, Cole sits down with grammy-award winning producer/songwriter Tricky Stewart. Tricky is responsible for songs like "Single Ladies" by Beyonce and "Umbrella" by Rihanna. He also signed Frank Ocean to Def Jam in 2009 and helped Frank produce his debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra.
Our season long examination of Blonde by Frank Ocean begins with its iconic opening track "Nikes."
We continue our examination of Blonde by Frank Ocean with the heartbreaking song "Ivy."
We dissect "Pink + White" by Frank Ocean, a beautiful, mosaic-like remembrance of childhood.
We dissect "Solo" by Frank Ocean, a series of narrative vignettes expounding on loneliness, freedom, and the heaven and hell within us all.
Today's special double episode dissects "Skyline To" and "Self Control" by Frank Ocean, two songs that reflect deeply on summer romance.
We dissect "Nights" by Frank Ocean, a two-part odyssey whose iconic beat switch divides more than just the song's two halves.
In celebration of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’s 20th year anniversary, Dissect will be honoring this historic album with a special mini-series coming this Fall to Spotify.
We dissect the first four tracks from Blonde's second half: "Solo (Reprise)" feat. Andre 3000, "Pretty Sweet," "Facebook Story," and "Close to You."
We dissect "White Ferrari" by Frank Ocean, an emotionally potent car ride through Frank's memories of a failed relationship.
We dissect "Seigfried" by Frank Ocean, a song expressing Frank's feelings of alienation and isolation, leading to an existential crisis.
We dissect Blonde's closing tracks "Godspeed" and "Futura Free." You're gonna wanna listen to the end on this one.
We conclude our season-long analysis of Blonde by Frank Ocean.
We hear from Dissect listeners sharing their biggest takeaways from Frank Ocean's "Blonde" and Season 3.
Today we begin our 8 episode mini-series on of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. We start with Ms. Hill's upbringing in New Jersey, her rise with The Fugees, and the events leading up to the creation of Miseducation.
Ms. Lauryn Hill begins Miseducation with a dualistic examination of heartbreak. "Lost Ones" is a scathing, venomous assault while "Ex Factor" reveals the pain beneath Ms. Hill's harden exterior.
Ms. Lauryn Hill's timeless ballad "To Zion" tells a powerful story about the birth of her first child. We dive deep into its lyrics and discover how its harmonic structure reflects the song's themes of uncertainty.
Ms. Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" synthesizes hip-hop with 1950s doo wop music. We trace the parallel histories of these two musical genres before our line-by-line analysis of the cautionary message Ms. Hill presents in her chart topping single.
We continue our serialized analysis of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with two songs cut from the same thematic cloth. With both "Superstar" and "Final Hour," Ms. Hill calls out the superficial materialism and ego in hip-hop, frequently citing scripture as she warns her peers about their final day of judgement.
We dissect a trio of songs in which Ms. Lauryn Hill presents a micro-narrative of heartbreak and forgiveness, a turning point in Miseducation's loose narrative. After establishing her pain on "When It Hurts So Bad", Ms. Hill turns her life over to god on "I Used to Love Him" and works toward forgiveness with the song "Forgive Them Father."
Our serialized analysis of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill continues with "Nothing Even Matters" and "Everything is Everything." Having submitted herself to god, Ms. Hill displays the tranquility, acceptance, and maturity she's acquired through the life lessons she learned outside the classroom.
We conclude our eight episode deep dive into The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Want to know the subject of Season 4 of Dissect?
Our season long examination of Flower Boy by Tyler, the Creator begins with a biographical episode on Tyler’s upbringing in Los Angeles, the genesis of Odd Future, and Tyler’s discography leading up to the release of Flower Boy.
We begin our season long analysis of Flower Boy by Tyler the Creator with the album’s opening track “Foreword.” We find Tyler laying out the themes that will be explored throughout Flower Boy as he questions his success, his chronic loneliness, and the nature of life itself.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “Where This Flower Blooms.” Tyler contrasts his childhood roots in poverty with the initial feeling of “making it” as a successful musician. But the song ends with a cliffhanger -- what exactly is Tyler hiding?
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with "See You Again." Tyler describes an idealized partner he only sees in his dreams. But as we'll discover, this fantasy lover is a manifestation of the chronic loneliness Tyler feels in the waking world.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “Who Dat Boy.” Tyler combats his vulnerability through egotism, machismo, and materialism. While still searching for his dream partner revealed in “See You Again”, Tyler seems to be looking in all the wrong places.
In this special BONUS episode, Cole talks to Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop) about Tyler, The Creator's IGOR and where the album fits into Tyler's legacy. Then co-host of Watching The Throne Chris Lambert joins Cole for a song by song dissection of IGOR's narrative and the meaning behind the album's title.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “Pothole.” Tyler takes his mother’s advice to heart and examines the various “potholes” in his life that hinder his personal growth.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the album’s centerpiece “Garden Shed.” In one of the greatest songs of our generation, Tyler acknowledges his attraction to men in the privacy of his garden shed.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “Boredom.” Still in the isolation of his garden shed, Tyler’s boredom reveals an underlying loneliness and aimlessness that triggers his unhealthy defense mechanisms.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “I Ain’t Got Time.” The isolation expressed on the previous song “Boredom” is too much for Tyler to handle. He regresses and gets back into his sports car, using ego and testosterone to mask the loneliness he feels within.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “911/Mr Lonely”. Despite its upbeat tempo and danceability, “911/Mr Lonely” is in Tyler’s own words “the saddest song I’ve ever written.”
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “November.” In terms of the album’s narrative, “November” represents rock bottom, an emotional low point. But after a near death experience, Tyler is inspired to pull over his sports car and seize his moment.
Our season long analysis of Flower Boy continues with the song “Glitter”. It’s that Tyler’s album long journey culminates with him expressing how he feels to the love interest he’s been chasing throughout Flower Boy. But as we’ll discover, this beautiful moment comes with a twist ending.
After a thorough recap of the album’s narrative, we draw some final conclusions about the themes of Flower Boy and dissect the album’s cover art and title. We then hear from you, the Dissect audience, sharing their biggest takeaways from the album.
Today’s special episode dissects Tyler, The Creator’s 2019 album IGOR. After a thorough dissection of the album’s narrative, we hypothesize about thematic and narrative connections between IGOR and Flower Boy.
Season 5 is dedicated entirely to Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer-Prize winning album DAMN. Today’s episode dives into Lamar’s upbringing in Compton and the developing spiritual beliefs encoded in his early discography. As we’ll come to find out, these beliefs become the basis of the underlying question DAMN. serves to answer: Is it wickedness or weakness?
We revisit To Pimp a Butterfly with a special focus on how its ending connects directly with the opening of DAMN.
We begin our season-long analysis of DAMN. with the opening track BLOOD. We unpack the many layers of the wickedness/weakness dichotomy presented as well as the cryptic parable in which Kendrick is shot by a blind lady -- or shall we call her Lady Justice?
DNA. lays the philosophical groundwork for the album DAMN. In the song’s first half, Kendrick defines his genetic makeup as a mixture of biological (family), environmental (Compton), and cultural (hip-hop) inheritances.
In Part 2 of our DNA. analysis, we dissect the song’s dramatic second half. Triggered by the disparaging comments by FOX News, Kendrick goes ballistic in a now icon extended verse. While we may have originally thought DNA. was about Kendrick Lamar, the song ends with the diagnosis that sex, money, and murder are traits shared in each and every human being.
YAH. formally introduces DAMN’s protagonist: Kung Fu Kenny, a prophet who rejects God’s call. Kenny chooses instead to follow his intuition toward sex, money, and murder -- the very traits named on the album’s previous track DNA.
Cole and Femi discuss Kanye West's new album Jesus Is King, including a song-by-song thematic analysis.
ELEMENT. is a brutal meditation on Kung Fu Kenny’s intuition toward preemptive violence. But upon analysis we realize that beneath Kenny’s aggression is an underlying fear of his family going back to a life of poverty. In this way, the track exemplifies how self-preservational pride tilts toward death and destruction.
Kung Fu Kenny’s pursuit of sex, money, and murder comes to a head in FEEL. In a violent storm of emotions, Kenny reveals the underlying isolation and suffering caused by his self-centered way of life.
Kung Fu Kenny teams with Bad Girl RiRi for a meditation on the concept of LOYALTY. What begins as a self-serving demand for absolute devotion eventually unfolds into a recognition that one’s highest degree of loyalty should be shown to God.
Kung Fu Kenny takes a big step forward by admitting his imperfections and humbling himself. As track 7 of 14, we hypothesize about PRIDE. being a micro-resolution to DAMN’s first half.
We continue our season-long analysis of DAMN. with the album’s hit single HUMBLE. Coming off the heels of PRIDE. in which Kung Fu Kenny admitted his imperfections, we are puzzled to find Kenny egotistically lifting himself up by putting down others. But as we’ll hear, this mentality embodies the central biblical theme that powerful rulers and nations often become corrupted by pride.
When DAMN. released just months after Donald Trump was elected president, many were anticipating the moment Kendrick Lamar -- the greatest rapper of our generation -- addressed the election on the album. LUST. presents that moment, but not in a way many people were expecting…
Coming off the heels of LUST., LOVE. presents the flipside of the coin as Kung Fu Kenny explores the youthful, romantic love he felt as a teenager. As we’ll discover, this isn’t the first time Kendrick has explored the love/lust dichotomy in his music: it was actually the basis for his major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
XXX. is a multipart suite that begins to reveal the deep-rooted themes of DAMN. We find Kung Fu Kenny seemingly under demonic influence as he portrays himself as a heartless, bloodthirsty killer. By the song’s second half, we discover the event that triggered such ruthlessness.
In part two of our analysis of XXX., we discover the dramatic twist in the narrative of DAMN.
FEAR. is the pivotal track in the narrative of DAMN. We begin our two part analysis by dissecting the song’s virtuosic use of samples before digging into the appearance of Kendrick Lamar’s two real life cousins: Carl and Charles. Finally, we unpack the song’s first verse, which is rapped from the perspective of Kendrick’s mother.
In part two of our analysis of FEAR., we come to understand how fear has been the primary motivating factor in Kung Fu Kenny’s life. Kenny consolidates the album’s major themes into one extremely dense final verse, which unlocks many of the album’s mysteries. Finally, we dissect Cousin Carl’s voicemail that explains the reasons behind Kenny’s tumultuous emotional journey over the course of DAMN.
After receiving guidance from Cousin Carl on FEAR., Kung Fu Kenny expresses the joyous feeling of being filled with the spirit of GOD.
DUCKWORTH. tells the remarkable true story of the chance encounter between Kendrick’s father Kenny Duckworth and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith. Kendrick uses this story to illustrate the album’s central message: the (unpredictable) blessings that come from choosing weakness.
We conclude our season on DAMN. by recapping the album’s narrative in standard track order before speculating on an alternative narrative when listening in reverse track order. Finally, we present a new theory about the album’s track listing (did someone say “chiasm”?).
Today, we dissect another serialized podcast we love: Mogul, a show about the stories behind hip hop's most iconic moments. Mogul's host, Brandon Jenkins, joins Cole to discuss the show's highlights and walks us through Mogul's production process. Stream Mogul now on Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Surprise! Season 6 is dedicated to Beyoncé’s masterwork Lemonade. Through in-depth, highly researched analysis, we follow Beyoncé on her transcendent journey from subjugation to freedom. Today we unpack the visual album’s opening chapter “Intuition,” which features the song “Pray You Catch Me.” We’ll come to understand the curse that looms over Beyoncé and how she must take a leap of faith to overcome this curse for the sake of her family.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting it’s second chapter “Denial,” which features the song “Hold Up.” After unsuccessfully attempting to change for her husband’s sake, Beyoncé channels the Yoruba water goddess Oshun to deliver a spiteful message. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
Hear S6 co-host Titi and Cole in conversation about their experience traveling together to the Louisiana sugar plantations seen throughout the visuals of Lemonade. We’ll also learn more about Titi, her educational background, and both Cole and Titi’s history with Beyoncé’s music.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its third chapter “Anger,” which features the song “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” Beyoncé flips stereotypical gender roles to command the respect of her partner and reclaim her agency. But how long can her anger sustain? A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its fourth chapter “Apathy,” which features the song “Sorry.” The inside of the Madewood Plantation big house in Louisiana becomes the backdrop for Beyoncé’s apathetic dismissal of her partner. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its fifth chapter “Emptiness,” which features the song “6 Inch.” We find Beyoncé wielding her sexuality for profit in a powerful anthem for working girls. But is there something else beneath her external show of dominance? A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its sixth chapter “Accountability,” which features the song “Daddy Lessons.” Beyoncé looks to her past to better understand the history of broken male-female relationships in her family. She realizes that the “gun” she inherited from her father must be disarmed if she wishes to reconcile with her partner. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
8 minutes and 46 seconds. The amount of time Officer Derek Chauvin's knee was pressed into George Floyd's neck. We encourage our listeners to use this time of silence to remember the Black lives lost to police brutality, reflect on the Black lives affected every day by systemic injustice and discrimination, and how we can individually and collectively fill this silence with sustained action. Visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co to get started.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its seventh chapter “Reformation,” which features the song “Love Drought.” Beyoncé extends an olive branch to her husband, expresses the potential of the love they share, and entertains the idea of reconciliation. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its eighth chapter “Forgiveness,” which features the song “Sandcastles.” Beyoncé finally opens herself up completely, requires her husband to do the same, and forgives. As a result, Beyoncé breaks the curse of broken male-female relationships in her family. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its ninth chapter “Resurrection,” which features the song “Forward.” Having restored her relationship, Beyoncé turns her attention to social action and communal healing, beginning with a moving portrait of the Mothers of the Movement. Support the ongoing fight of systemic racism and equality for all by visiting these links: trayvonmartinfoundation.org, colorofchange.org, joincampaignzero.org, and 8cantwait.org. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its tenth chapter “Hope,” which features the song “Freedom.” Beyoncé gathers her sisterhood at a former slave plantation to deliver an empowering message of hope and transcendence over oppressive forces. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its eleventh and final chapter “Redemption,” which features the song “All Night.” Beyoncé marks the conclusion of her personal journey and the redemption of her marriage. She has triumphed over the curse that plagued her and her family throughout the film, and she celebrates having turned lemons into lemonade. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
We continue our serialized analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade by dissecting its final song and video “Formation.” The track is Beyoncé’s clarion call to the sisterhood of black women we’ve seen throughout Lemonade. She encourages them to “get in formation” -- to unite and take a stand against injustice and discrimination through unity, excellence, and harnessing Black Girl Magic. A visual guide for this episode can be found at dissectpodcast.com.
The Season 6 team answers listener submitted questions about Beyoncé, Lemonade, and more.
We conclude our season-long analysis of Beyoncé’s Lemonade. We begin with a sweeping summary of the album’s narrative, followed by a detailed investigation of its major themes and recurring symbols. Finally, we hear from YOU - Dissect listeners -- sharing their biggest takeaways from the album and season.
We follow up our season long analysis of Lemonade by examining Jay-Z’s 4:44 and The Carter’s Everything is Love. With 4:44, Jay-Z offers his perspective on the couple’s marriage crisis while Everything is Love celebrates the restoration of their marriage. When taken in totality, the three albums create a narrative trilogy, an extremely unique musical offering.
Our season-long analysis of Because The Internet by Childish Gambino begins with a brief overview of Donald Glover’s rise to fame and his debut album Camp. Then we cover some of the main ancillary components of the transmedia world of Because The Internet before dissecting the connection between the end of Camp and the beginning of BTI.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with the album’s opening song “Crawl.” Here we meet the album’s protagonist The Boy - a Black, rich internet troll who lives in a glass-walled mansion on top of a hill.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Worldstar” -- a song with more than a few hidden secrets and surprises. We reveal all of them.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “The Worst Guys” and “Shadows.” Since witnessing the murder outside a nightclub, Gambino begins questioning everything in his life, including his friends and his past girlfriends. He’s coming to realize his life so far has been one long meaningless party.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Telegraph Ave.” Gambino takes a long drive from LA to Oakland to visit a past girlfriend, only to be rejected immediately upon arrival.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Sweatpants.” After being rejected by a past girlfriend, Gambino’s defense mechanisms kick-in, triggering an ego-fueled barrage of boasts and brags. But by the song’s end, Gambino breaks down, revealing the chinks in his armor.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “3005.” Commonly mistaken as a love song, “3005” is a desperate plea for connection amidst an overwhelming feeling of existential loneliness. View our 3005 music video analysis on YouTube or Instagram.
In one of the more creative pieces of the Because The Internet world, Donald Glover created a secret track that fans had to assemble by connecting various pieces of the world together, including passwords, computer coding, acapella tracks, and more. We unpack this process and examine the song itself. This episode is part of our larger dissection of “3005” that includes an analysis video, web guide, and standard episode.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “The Party” and “No Exit.” Here Gambino’s existential crisis comes to a head. After going berserk at a party at his house and kicking everyone out, he goes on a late-night drive to clear his head and gain clarity. Stuck in a loop and unable to break free, he attempts to take his own life at the end of Act 3.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Death by Numbers” and “Flight of the Navigator.” After attempting to take his own life, Gambino’s drug overdose sends him to a dreamy, intermediate world where he flies over everything and sees the connection and unity among all life on earth.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Zealots of Stockholm.” After waking up from a drug overdose, Gambino is told that his father died. Lost and alone, he travels to Stockholm, Sweden to collect his remains, and attempts to connect with one of his online followers.
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Urn” and “Pink Toes.” Gambino continues to grapple with the loss of his father and spreads his ashes in Stockholm. Then after returning home, he meets a girl and falls in love. But how long can this euphoric bliss last?
We continue our season-long examination of Because The Internet with “Earth: The Oldest Computer.” Gambino and The Boy grapple with the meaning of life and our time on Earth at The Boy’s moment of death in the BTI screenplay.
Because The Internet concludes with a retrospective wherein Gambino and Glover look back at the world’s main narrative and provide insights with a newfound freedom and clarity. After expressing the inherent irony of life -- that we’re all dying from the day we are born -- Gambino’s plea at the end of the album expresses his ultimate call to action and leap of faith.
Cole and S7 co-writer Camden Ostrander have a conversation about Childish Gambino, Because The Internet, 3.15.20, Glover as an artist, and more. Then they answer a handful of questions submitted by Dissect listeners (yes, they address those mysterious alien videos).
We conclude our season long analysis of Because The Internet with a sweeping recap of the album and script’s central narrative. We then outline and analyze the world’s main themes and symbols before hearing from Dissect listeners directly.
Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING is a love letter to Africa, and we’re dissecting its story, music, and many visual symbols in a special seven part mini-series. We begin with the film’s opening two songs “Bigger” and “Find Your Way Back,” where we meet the film’s central protagonist, Simba, and his ancestral spirit guide played by Beyonce.
Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING continues with an examination of “Don’t Jealous Me,” “Scar,” and “Nile.” After Mufasa is murdered by Scar’s henchmen, Simba flees his home to live in denial of his true royal identity, setting off his journey outside the Pride Lands.
Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING continues with an examination of “MOOD 4 EVA,” “Ja Ara E,” and “Already.” After fleeing the Pride Lands, Simba is rudely awakened from his fantasy of the American Dream by the nightmare of his past. His ancestral guides encourage Simba to remember his true royal identity and reclaim his throne.
Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING continues with an examination of “Water,” “Brown Skin Girl,” and “Keys to the Kingdom.” This act of the film introduces the divine feminine, Nala, who heals Simba through her loving affirmation. Simba learns to give all of himself in marriage, symbolizing the ideal balance between divine masculine and feminine energy.
Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING continues with an examination of “Otherside,” “My Power,” and “Spirit.” Simba returns to the river to be reborn, reclaims his royal identity, and reunites with his father in heaven. Assisted by powerful women, Simba defeats Scar and reclaims his throne. Simba then raises his own child into the air, just as his father before him, completing his journey and fulfilling the circle of life.
Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING concludes with an examination of “BLACK PARADE.” Released on Juneteenth 2020, “BLACK PARADE” is Beyonce’s final call to action and a prideful celebration of the African motherland.
Our season-long dissection of Yeezus by Kanye West begins now! After revisiting the album’s polarizing impact in 2013, we set up our song by song analysis of Yeezus with a brief discussion of how Kanye uses his albums to tell larger stories about his life. We then document the real life events that inspired the creation of Yeezus, including Kanye’s struggles breaking into the fashion industry, his new relationship with Kim Kardashian, and the many classic interviews that accompanied the Yeezus era.
Our song by song analysis of Yeezus begins with its opening track “On Sight.” We meet the crude Yeezus character in his natural habitat at a nightclub, living an indulgent life fueled by drugs and women. But midway through the song there’s an unexpected sample of a gospel choir that foreshadows the fact that while Yeezus may be getting everything he wants, it’s not what he needs.
We continue our track by track analysis of Yeezus with “Black Skinhead.” Produced by Daft Punk, “Black Skinhead” is our first indication that Yeezus has ambitions outside of his celebrity lifestyle of sex and money. He channels the spirit of Malcolm X to rally his troops to rebel against the systemic injustice he sees in society. But is anyone listening?
Our serialized examination of Yeezus continues with “I Am A God.” Written after being rejected entry into a Paris fashion show, “I Am A God” finds Kanye supercharging his ego and recklessly demanding a threesome, a massage, and….croissants. But why isn’t anyone taking him seriously?
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with “New Slaves.” Over menacing, pulsating dissonance, Kanye expresses his belief that our cultural addiction to material things makes us “new slaves” to the handful of white billionaires who control the majority of the country’s wealth. But the song takes a dramatic 180 near its end as a man singing in Hungarian provides one of the biggest keys to unlocking the album’s narrative.
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with “Hold My Liquor.” After failing to overthrow the powers that be, Yeezus retreats into a haze of alcohol and drugs, drunkenly visiting an ex-girlfriend who rejects him. How will his ego take this blow?
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with “I’m In It.” After being rejected by an ex-girlfriend, Yeezus uses his celebrity status and escapes into a world of sex to mend his bruised ego. He conflates his political ambitions with sexual dominance before the song’s final verse reveals that Yeezus is reaching his breaking point.
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with the epic “Blood on the Leaves.” Here Yeezus reveals that a woman he once loved was stolen by the limelight, leaving an open wound that he’s been unable to heal. We break down the song’s many samples, references, and interpolations in what is undoubtedly one Kanye West’s greatest musical achievements.
In this special episode, Cole sits down with Shea Serrano & Brandon 'Jinx' Jenkins to talk about their new music show No Skips, their thoughts on Yeezus, and J Cole's new album The Off Season.
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with “Guilt Trip.” After the catharsis and breakthrough of “Blood on the Leaves, ” Yeezus seems ready to move on and leave the heartbreak behind him, a task that proves easier said than done.
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with its penultimate track “Send It Up.” After the emotional journey we’ve witnessed on the album, why is Yeezus back in the club indulging in all the things we know are problematic for him? The answer to this question is found in the song’s brilliant use of samples.
Our serialized analysis of Yeezus continues with its final track “Bound 2,” a song that resolves the album both musically and narratively. Back in the club on a Thursday, Yeezus finally meets the one girl worth a thousand of the others he’s been sleeping with. But why is it the over-the-top player Jerome who gets the final word on the album?
Cole sits down with S8 co-writers Travis Bean and Chris Lambert for a first ever "Song Draft" -- an NBA-style draft of the songs on Kanye West's Yeezus.
In our Season 8 finale, we dissect the narrative and stage design of Kanye West's 2013 Yeezus Tour. In this five act show, Kanye uses songs from his entire catalog to mythologize his life.
Yeezus brought Kanye to the church steps with his divine woman. But what happened after the vows were exchanged? That's the journey of The Life of Pablo.
Cole sits down with Femi Olutade and Chris Lambert to share first impressions to Kanye West's Donda. They talk about the album's prolonged rollout, its many features, some early themes and symbols, share their favorite tracks, and more. Recorded live from Spotify Greenroom.
We begin our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s conceptual double album Swimming In Circles. This season includes discussion of substance misuse and addiction. For resources on these topics, visit .
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its second track, “Hurt Feelings.” Produced by J Cole, the song finds Mac establishing one of the central themes of the album: the multiplicity of emotions -- how we can feel one way one minute, and another way the next.
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its third track, “What’s The Use?” It’s here that Mac at once asks the fundamental existential question (“what’s the use?”) and dismisses the need to ask questions at all (“what’s the use?”).
S9 co-writer Camden Ostrander joins Cole to discuss their approach to Swimming In Circles before dissecting Faces, Mac's 2014 mixtape that recently hit streaming services.
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its fourth track, “Perfecto.”
Cole and Cam sit down with Donna-Claire Chesman to talk about her new book "The Book of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller."
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its fifth track, “Self Care.”
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its sixth track, “Wings.”
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its seventh track, “Ladders.”
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with its eighth track, “Small Worlds.”
In this bonus episode, Cole and Cam talk through Mac Miller’s “Conversations Pt. 1.” While the song feels like one big flex, as always, there’s layers beneath Mac’s bravado, including guilt, confusion, and paranoia.
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with two tracks united by clouds: “Dunno” and “Jet Fuel.”
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with the album’s crown jewel: 2009.
We continue our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming with it’s final track “So It Goes.” Among the many revelations made in this episode is how “So It Goes” intentionally sets up Swimming’s companion album, Circles.
Cole is joined by co-writer Camden Ostrander to discuss their favorite music of 2021. Then Charles Holmes from the The Ringer Music Show joins to do the same.
We resume our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming In Circles with the opening track of his posthumous album Circles.
We resume our analysis of Mac Miller’s Circles with its beautiful lead single “Good News.”
We resume our analysis of Mac Miller’s Circles with “Woods,” a gorgeous song that finds Mac speaking intimately about love and love lost.
We continue our analysis of Mac Miller’s Circles with “Hand Me Downs,” an gentle anthem dedicated to those who hold us down when we lose our grip.
Australian artist Baro Sura joins the show to talk about meeting Mac Miller for the first time and making the song “Hand Me Downs” with him just 72 hours later.
We continue our analysis of Mac Miller’s Circles with “Surf.”
We continue our analysis of Mac Miller’s Circles with its final track “Once a Day” – one of the most intimate, honest, and heartfelt expression in Mac’s entire catalog.
Recorded live on Greenroom, Cole and Cam end Season 9 by choosing their favorite 9 Mac Miller songs followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Then we hear the remaining listener submissions sharing their biggest takeaways from Swimming In Circles.
We conclude our season-long analysis of Mac Miller’s Swimming In Circles. We examine the albums’ artwork, discuss its most prominent thematic motifs, and draw some final conclusions about Mac’s parting musical statement. Then we hear from Dissect listeners around the world sharing their biggest takeaways from the albums.
After Cole reveals the subject of the upcoming mini-series of Dissect, comedian Hasan Minhaj joins the show to talk about the arts of music and comedy, tells us why his favorite album of all time is Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and dissects his new special The King's Jester.
We begin our 7 part analysis of the music, skits, and themes of Bo Burnham's INSIDE, a music comedy special that captures what it feels like to be alive in the 21st Century. Today's episode explains how INSIDE's opening scene connects directly to Bo's previous comedy special, before examining the opening song "Content."
Our song by song, scene by scene analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with "Comedy" and "FaceTime With My Mom."
Our song by song, scene by scene analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with "How The World Works" and "White Woman's Instagram."
Cole sits down with Femi Olutade (Dissect S5 co-writer) and Charles Holmes (The Ringer Music Show) to discuss their first impressions of Kendrick Lamar's new album Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.
Our song by song, scene by scene analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with "Unpaid Intern," "Bezos 1," and "Sexting."
Our series long analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with "Look Who's Inside Again," "Problematic," and "30" - a sequence of songs that mark the special's definitive turn inward.
Our serialized analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with "Don't Wanna Know," "Shit," "All Time Low," and "Welcome to the Internet."
We continue our series long analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE with "That Funny Feeling."
Our analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE continues with the special's climactic song "All Eyes On Me."
We conclude our analysis of Bo Burnham's INSIDE with its final song "Goodbye." We'll also discuss the rich symbolism of its final scenes as well as draw some final conclusion about the film.
Premiering this Thursday on the Dissect feed, LAST SONG STANDING is a new show from Cole Cuchna (Dissect) & Charles Holmes (The Ringer) where they attempt to determine your favorite artist's greatest song of all time. First up: KENDRICK LAMAR. Over 7 episodes, Cole and Charles will debate their way through Kendrick's ENTIRE catalog in order to crown the last song standing: Kendrick's best song of all time.
In the premiere of LAST SONG STANDING, Cole and Charles debate Kendrick Lamar's good kid, mAAd city in order to determine the single best song on the album. LAST SONG STANDING is a new show from Dissect and The Ringer. Each season focuses on one artist in attempt to determine their greatest song of all time by debating through their ENTIRE catalog.
The LSS Boyz aren't your saviors, but they are here to debate Kendrick Lamar's latest project in order to determine its best song, the last song standing.
The LSS Boyz take on their biggest challenge to date as they are forced to crown the best song on Kendrick Lamar's DAMN.
Cole and Charles gather around the campfire to debate Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 and pick its best song. Will Charles continue his streak of normie picks? Will Cole once again choose a deep cut?
Get the LSS Boyz on the phone! Our journey to crown Kendrick Lamar's best song ever continues with every track NOT on one of Kendrick's main releases. We're talking untitled, unmastered, Overly Dedicated, The Heart series, the K Dot mixtapes, The Black Panther soundtrack, and more.
These takes ain't freeeeee! In the penultimate episode of Last Song Standing Season 1, the LSS Boyz finally take on what some consider to be Kendrick Lamar's magnum opus, To Pimp A Butterfly. While this is Cole's favorite album of all time, Charles is...not as impressed.
Season finale! The moment is here. The LSS Boyz have been debating Kendrick Lamar's discography for six contentious episodes. Now it's time Cole and Charles are forced to crown the last song standing: the greatest Kendrick Lamar song of all time.
Dissect returns with a new season on Tuesday, October 18th, right here on Spotify. Then comedian Hasan Minhaj returns to the show to dissect his new special The King's Jester, available now on Netflix. Cole and Hasan talk meaningfully about its themes of family, fame, and freedom of speech. Hasan also reveals his process converting the live show to a taped special, discusses the theme music by Ludwig Göransson, and the inspiration behind the set, lighting, and even his outfit, designed by Fear of God's Jerry Lorenzo.
Welcome to our season long examination of Tyler, The Creator's 2019 album IGOR, where we dissect the music, lyrics, and meaning of one song per episode. We begin with the album's first track "IGOR'S THEME," a mostly instrumental composition full of musical surprises, showcasing Tyler's skills as composer, producer, and arranger. And while subtle, the song's minimal lyrics actually foreshadow the album's narrative.
Our season-long analysis of Tyler, The Creator's IGOR continues with his biggest song to date, EARFQUAKE.
Our season-long analysis of Tyler, The Creator's IGOR continues with its third track I THINK.