Advertise on podcast: When They Popped - A Y2K Pop Culture Podcast

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey make their case for why 2026 is *not* the new 2016 - it's the new 2006! The hosts throw it back to their favorite pop culture moments of 2006 including the debuts of 30 Rock, Hannah Montana, chart-topping bops from Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Shakira, and Panic! At The Disco. This episode will have you wishing you still had your Blackberry or LG Chocolate to text your besties during free period. They also share their predictions for Backstreet Boys' upcoming Super Bowl commercial and thoughts on Hilary Duff's new tour. Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  In this episode, Mary and Kelsey welcome nostalgia creator Raissa, the creative powerhouse behind @nostalgiachick, to revisit pop culture highlights from 2004 including A Cinderella Story, the finales of Sex and the City and Friends, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 13 Going on 30, MySpace’s peak, and the debut of the Motorola Razr (you just had to be there). Raissa also shares how she built her community and her ever-growing collection of screen accurate clothing and home goods.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey go back to New Year’s Eve celebrations on the y2k era, discussing the history of the y2k bug hysteria, the history of Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve special, and MTV’s iconic New Year’s Eve countdowns. They also gab about their favorite live performances from O-Town, Jessica Simspon, 98 Degrees, BBMak, Hilary Duff, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, and New Kids On The Block.   Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey look back at their favorite moments of 2025 - from their personal experiences seeing Backstreet Boys at Sphere in Vegas (4x times!!), to Hilary Duff and Ashlee Simspson’s much-anticipated comebacks plus their favorite moments and milestones thanks to their incredible listeners! Episode with Joseph Kahn (Apple & Spotify)  Episode with Andreas Carlsson (Apple & Spotify)  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey discuss their Mount Rushmore of Christmas movies from th 90s and 2000s: The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, and The Holiday. They discuss behind-the-scenes stories - like which lines in Elf were improv and how Nancy Meyers convinced Jack Black to sign on to film (spoiler alert: it has everything to do with Kate Winslet) and more!  Past WTP Holiday Themed Episodes:  Y2K Holiday SongsY2K Holiday MoviesBSB vs, NSYNC Holiday Album Listening PartyBeanie Babies, Furby & Razor Scooters: The Top Holiday Toys of Y2K Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! EMERGENCY EPISODE! Mary and Kelsey spiral over the cryptic clues flooding the Backstreet Boys' social media. What do the Millennium references mean? Why the Homecoming: Live in Orlando throwbacks? What's with the countdown? And most importantly—why Düsseldorf, Germany?! Join us as we dissect each post, analyze every Easter egg, and theorize wildly about what the Boys have up their sleeves. We're connecting dots and fully embracing our Backstreet conspiracy theorist era! Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Remember when we as a nation all collectively believed that Beanie Babies would fund high education and down payments on our future homes? In this episode, Mary and Kelsey go back to their Christmas wish lists of the 90s and 2000s and revisit the most-wanted toys. All of their picks included a hint of drama and they break it all down including how the Beanie Baby bubble burst, why Tamagotchi sent kids to the guidance counselor, the time Furby caused a spy scandal, and the litigation-happy founder behind Razor scooters. This episode will have you feeling nostalgic and ready to mark up a Sharper Image catalogue!  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey rewind to 2003 for a nostalgic deep dive into Britney Spears’ In the Zone, the album that defined an era of frosted lip gloss, chrome eyeshadow, iconic hits and performances. In a track-by-[criminally underrated]-track listening party, this episode unpacks why In the Zone - with hits like Toxic, Me Against the Music, Everytime, Breathe On Me - wasn’t just a moment, it was the future of pop, planting the seeds for Britney’s foray into EDM with her subsequent album, Blackout, and so much more!   Britney Themed Epis:  Catching up With  Director Joseph Kahn - Spotify + Apple Songwriter Lauren Christy on Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Jason Mraz  - Spotify + Apple Tania Baron on Dancing with Britney Spears  - Spotify + Apple Andreas Carlsson on Writing I Want It That Way & Shaping the Pop Landscape - Spotify + Apple Britney Spears "The Woman In Me" Emergency Episode Pt 1 - Spotify + Apple 16 Years of Britney Spears' Blackout with Jesse Chambliss - Spotify + Apple  Catching up with Kelly Clinger, former Britney Spears Backup Singer on all things Britney - Spotify + Apple Best of MTV VMA Performances Part 1 - Spotify + AppleBritney Spears' Oops!...I Did It Again Turns 23 ft Troy McEady - Spotify + AppleSupport the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey sit down with Carmit Bachar, one of the powerhouses behind The Pussycat Dolls, to talk about her wild ride through pop culture history. From dancing beside Beyoncé and Michael Jackson to shaking up the world at Janet Jackson’s legendary Super Bowl halftime show, Carmit spills the tea on the choreography, chaos, and charm of the early 2000s. Carmit shares her perspective on the rise of The Pussycat Dolls, the making of chart-topping hits like “Don’t Cha” and “Buttons,” and what it was really like behind the glam, gloss, and low-rise jeans of the era that defined a generation. Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Before Waiting on the World to Change, Gravity, and Say, , there was Room for Squares - John Mayer’s smooth, suburban soundtrack to every early-2000s crush and quarter-life crisis. In this episode, Mary and Kelsey dive track by track into the album that made acoustic pop cool, unpacking its Y2K charm, lyrical angst, and why “No Such Thing” still hits as your go-to AIM away message. Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!  In this episode, Mary and Kelsey celebrate the anniversary of Backstreet Boys’ 2007 album Unbreakable. This track-by-track listening party celebrates one of the Boys’ most underrated eras: post–boy band frenzy, pre–Sphere/Millennium 2.0 TikTok dominance. From the soaring harmonies of “Inconsolable” to the criminally underrated pop banger “Something That I Already Know,” this episode revisits every beat, bridge, and beautiful BSB harmony that made Unbreakable such a confident comeback in their first album sans Kevin Richardson.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! Bring It On. New York Minute. Freaks and Geeks. Motocrossed. True Detective. Not Another Teen Movie. 24. These are just a few iconic films and tv shows that Riley Smith has starred in. In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with *the* Dean Talon himself to discuss Riley’s decades-long career, behind-the-scenes stories from these cultural heavyweights, and his current projects including his newest startup that aims to keep the things you love safe.  Follow Riley on Instagram at @rileysmithofficial and check out the Pocket Buddy here: https://getpocketbuddy.com Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Rochelle McLean, the mastermind behind the Backstreet Boys Millennium 2.0 album. Rochelle talks about the genesis of this genius concept from back in 2014, to watching it take shape 10+ years later alongside BSB’s Sphere Vegas residency, and how the iconic pop group is finally getting their well-deserved flowers. They also talk about Taylor's latest album and so much more! Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! It’s football season, so WTP is holding a fantasy draft - a boy band draft, that is! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by the OG boyband influencer, Boyband Stacy, and Kelli Williams of Beyond the Blinds podcast and @laguna_biotch to draft their dream boy bands. The judge? Real life boy bander, Trevor Penick of O-Town! Plus, another boy bander makes a surprise appearance.  Check out our previous episodes with our esteemed guests:  Kelli Williams celebrates 20 years of Backstreet Boys’ Never Gone:  Listen on Apple and Spotify. Follow Kelli on Instagram @laguna_biotch.  Boyband Stacy joins WTP: Listen on Apple and Spotify  Follow Stacy on Instagram @boybandstacy. Trevor talks Pop2000s tour, his solo show, and LFO’s legacy in two episodes:  Episode 1  on Pop2000s Tour and solo Trev: Listen on Apple and SpotifyEpisode 2 with Brad Fischetti: Listen on Apple and Spotify Follow Trevor on Instagram @trevorpenick24 Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411

Send Mary and Kelsey a Message! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey chat with 3Quency, the three-woman group consisting of Brianna Mazzola, Nori Moore, and Wennely Quezada, who won Netflix’s “Building The Band.” 3Quency scored a record deal with RECORDS/Columbia Records and is managed by music industry legend Johnny Wright who helped spark the careers of Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears. They share stories from filming the show that viewers at home didn’t get to see, what it was like working with host of the show, Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean, and iconic panelists including Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger, Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland and the late Liam Payne of One Direction. They also share about their new single, Top Down, and what’s to come in the upcoming Bandemonium Tour with Soulidified.  Support the show Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod Email: [email protected] Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=85610411