If you would have told us ten years ago that we would be happily foregoing mix CDs for podcasts, we probably would have laughed in your face. We never thought our beloved top 40 compilations would be replaced by streamable talk radio, but alas, it looks like we were wrong! These days, there's a podcast for every interest under the sun. Whether you're listening to get a laugh while sitting in traffic, or to get caught up on current events while you get ready in the morning, there's something to satisfy everyone. Read on for our current favorites!
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2 Dope Queens
What started as a stand-up comedy show in Brooklyn has morphed into the highly rated, national treasure of a podcast we know as 2 Dope Queens. Tune in for the musings of Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams, our multi-hyphenate hosts, as they gab about everything from their love lives, to U2 (Robinson is irrationally obsessed with Bono!), to pop culture goings on, to anecdotes on being black women working in the white, male-dominated comedy sphere. Each episode includes a handful of stand-up acts (largely by comics who are females, minorities or members of the LGBTQ community) and plenty of dope queen banter to get you through the week. YQY (translation: Yas Queen Yas!).
Listen here.
The Read
Get caught up on the good, the bad, and the rachet of the latest pop culture news with Kid Fury and Crissle, the co-hosts of The Read who round-up the week's most riveting headlines in a comically shady manner. There's no one who can read you to filth quite as eloquently as these two. Save for Beyonce, of course, who only garners praise and adoration. You'll love the advice segment, where the co-hosts read and weigh in on listener letters about everything from relationship woes to money matters.
Listen here.
Call Your GIrlfriend
If you've ever been separated from your bestie by distance, hectic work schedules or any other inconvenient life circumstances, then you'll appreciate these gab fests between long-distance best friends Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. This conversational podcast covers it all—pop culture, politics, SPF, money, classism, books and the list goes on. You name it, they're talking about it–in a refreshingly femme way!
Listen here.
Making Oprah
Everyone knows Oprah as one of the most powerful media moguls of our time, but this three-part series deep dives into the rise of the daytime talk show that started it all: The Oprah Winfrey Show. Host Jenn White, along with former Oprah show producers and execs and even Oprah herself take listeners on a journey through the show's history. This mini pod is the perfect listen for anyone looking to for some motivation to level up in their career.
Listen here.
Code Switch
Conversations about race and ethnicity aren't just happening behind closed doors anymore—they're taking place on a public stage. For many of us, exploring the intricacies and implications can be overwhelming, especially since race talk still feels a bit taboo. That's where Code Switch comes in. Hosted by a team of NPR journalists, this show helps to unpack it all through honest storytelling that's sometimes funny, often uncomfortable, and always thoughtful.
Listen here.
