When They Popped - A Y2K Pop Culture Podcast
Were you team Backstreet Boys or NSYNC? Britney or Xtina? Simple Life or Newlyweds? With When They Popped, you don’t have to pick a side, because we’re going to mention it all! When They Popped retells the stories of the late 90s and early 2000s biggest celebrities, trends, and phenomena like boy band mania, celebrity-based reality TV, and the rise of “famous for being famous” socialites who ruled the tabloids. Hosts Kelsey and Mary are discussing Y2Ks most impactful cultural moments, icons, and celebrities while chronicling their rise to stardom and discussing when they reached the pinnacle of pop c...
Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together Review
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey recap Nelly and Ashanti’s eight-episode docuserie that follows the iconic Y2K couple’s journey as newlyweds and navigating parenthood. They recap what the critics have to say on the series and their own favorite memorable moments from the show, including the couple shopping for a $300k mattress, Ashanti preparing for his first performance post-baby, and Nelly’ 50th birthday party.
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Clay Aiken on American Idol & When He Popped
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In this episode, Clay Aiken dishes on his American Idol experience during the show’s explosive second season, he reflects on his quick rise to fame, unlikely fan encounters, and his #1 hit 2003 album, "Measure of a Man.” Plus, Clay discusses his spirited fanbase (Claymates rise up!), his enduring friendship with Ruben Studdard, and what's next for our favorite American Idol runner up!
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Backstreet Boys at the Sphere
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Oh my God, we're back again... In this episode, Mary & Kelsey recap their second trip to Vegas to see Backstreet Boys at the Sphere, giving a play-by-play of everything they’ve learned from their four shows including what time to arrive to the venue to get a spot close to the stage, which side of the stage they prefer (after trying out left, center, and right!), and more! Plus, they discuss Max Martin’s new collaboration with Taylor Swift for her recently-announced album, The Life of a Showgirl, and...
Revisiting Disney’s Freaky Friday & Freakier Friday
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey dive into the body-swapping icon of a movie that is 2002’s Freaky Friday (2003) featuring Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Chad Michael Murray. They discuss the behind-the-scenes stories, including the very last-minute musical chairs casting process, its incredible soundtrack, cultural impact, and their take on the brand new film, Freakier Friday!
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Revisiting Jessica Simpson’s “In This Skin”
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In this episode, Mary & Kelsey go back to the days of Juicy tracksuits, colorful Louis Vuitton bags, and flat irons with a deep-dive listening party of Jessica Simpson’s iconic 2003 album, In This Skin. From “With You” and its cheeky self-parodying video to Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, this album feels like a true Y2K-era time capsule.
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GTL Forever: A Jersey Shore Deep Dive
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Cabs are here! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey go back to Seaside Heights in 2009 to chronicle the origins of MTV’s generation-defining series, Jersey Shore. From Snooki’s iconic entrance (party’s here!) to fist-pumping at Karma and working at the Shore Store, they detail their favorite moments from the beginning seasons up to now Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. It’s T-shirt time!
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Catching Up with Visionary Director Joseph Kahn
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey sit down with Grammy-award winner and visionary film and music video director Joseph Kahn. They discuss Joseph’s new 2000s nostalgia-packed horror comedy movie “Ick” which hits theaters for a limited time July 27-29, how he became one of the most sought-after music video directors in the industry, and his work with with the world’s biggest names in music including Backstreet Boys (Everybody, Larger Than Life, Incomplete), Britney Spears (Toxic, Stronger, Womanizer), Taylor Swift (Blank Space, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams, Look What You Made Me...
Answering Backstreet Boys at the Sphere FAQs
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In this episode, Mary & Kelsey answer all of your questions from opening weekend of Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium at the Sphere in Las Vegas. From how they got front row on opening night, to what bags to bring, to merch selection, to the Backstreet Boys pop-up experience at the Venetian, this episode is a must-listen if you’re planning a trip to see the show!
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Live from Backstreet Boys at The Sphere Part 2
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In this episode, Mary & Kelsey share yet another unhinged episode live from Vegas recapping Backstreet Boys residency at the Sphere night two on July 12, 2025. They discuss the When They Popped met up, the official Backstreet Boys After Party at Voltaire, merch FAQs, and more.
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Live from Backstreet Boys at The Sphere Part 1
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In this episode, Mary & Kelsey share their raw and unedited post-show ramblings following opening night of the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere in Las Vegas on July 11, 2025. They share what surprised them most, their favorite moments, and so much more! **MAJOR SPOILERS are included in this episode!
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Hayden Panettiere
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey deep dive into the career of Hayden Panettiere from her soap opera start to Disney Channel star (Tiger Cruise and Disneymania 5, hullo) and leading lady of appointment television series including Heroes and Nashville.
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Songwriter Lauren Christy on Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Jason Mraz and more
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with Lauren Christy, songwriter, singer, and 1/3 of legendary production trio The Matrix, to discuss writing Avril Lavigne’s breakthrough hit album, Let Go, and other hits for Hilary Duff, Jason Mraz, Liz Phair, and more.
Follow Lauren at @thelaurenchristy on IG and TikTok
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In the Spotlight: Tania Baron on Dancing with Britney Spears & More!
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by dancer Tania Baron to discuss Tania’s professional dancing journey including touring with Britney Spears and appearing in her iconic music videos including Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, and Oops!… I Did It Again. Tania shares how she got into dancing, what it was like to perform with the princess of pop as she experienced a meteoric rise to fame, behind-the-scenes of auditioning and landing roles (like RENT the movie), and so much more.
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American Idol Season 1 Memorable Moments
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey rewind all the way to 2002 to dive into the dazzling debut of American Idol Season 1 — the show that turned everyday dreamers into pop royalty and gave us unforgettable gems like Kelly Clarkson, Simon Cowell’s savage zingers, and memorable if not cringe-worthy auditions. This episode sheds light on the show’s British origins, its American makeover, and the iconic chemistry between Simon, Paula, and Randy. Plus, remember how season one had two hosts? You will after tuning in!
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20 Years of BSB’s Never Gone with Kelli Williams
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Beyond the Blinds co-host Kelli Williams (aka Laguna Biotch!!) to celebrate two decades of Backstreet Boys’ Never Gone album. They go track by track and dive deep on bops like Incomplete, I Still…, Crawling Back To You, Just Want You To Know, Siberia (a song that continues to be criminally underrated, if you ask us) and more!
Follow Kelli at @laguna_biotch and @beyondtheblindspod
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Howie Dorough Dishes On His New Restaurant, The Sphere, Millennium 2.0 & More!
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In this episode, recorded live from the shores of Cocoa Beach, Mary and Kelsey pull up a chair at Coa, the new restaurant from Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys, for a flavor-packed convo. Howie dishes on Coa, spills tea on the upcoming BSB residency at the Sphere in Vegas, and gives a taste of Millennium 2.0. Plus, he reveals who’d snag an invite to his dream dinner party and the most memorable moments from his 30+ year career. Huge thanks to Howie and the team at Coa for hosting us fo...
Ke$ha’s Animal + Cannibal 15 Years Later
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey celebrate 15 years of Ke$ha’s debut album Animal and sister EP, Cannibal. This listening party is a track-by-track dissertation on Ke$ha’s hits from TiK ToK, Blow, Your Love Is My Drug, We R Who We R and other songs you may have forgotten about like Dancing with Tears in My Eyes, Dinosaur, and Boots and Boys.
Hey, I like your beard.
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Dream Street’s Greg Raposo on 25 Years of Dream Street
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey discuss all things Dream Street with original founding member, Greg Raposo! Greg shares how he ended up performing at Graceland after a call from Priscilla Presley, when he knew Dream Street popped off, his solo career and upcoming performances with Matt Ballinger this summer! Follow Greg at @gregraposomusic
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The Anatomy of a BSB Marketing Campaign with Jade Driver and Cassie Petrey
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Jade Driver and Cassie Petrey, co-founders of Crowd Surf digital marketing agency. Crowd Surf has an all-star client roster including Backstreet Boys, and Jade and Cassie shared behind the scenes of the latest campaign from the best-selling boy band of all time - the announcement of their Millennium 2.0 album and their upcoming Sphere residency - including what it was like to be with the group in NYC on announcement day, the nostalgic elements they advocated for on behalf of all of us...
How Good Charlotte Helped Emo Go Mainstream
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey discuss Good Charlotte’s monster hit album, The Young & The Hopeless, which took them from Maryland-based punk rockers to internationally-known household names. They discuss the history of emo music, how MySpace and social media brought the movement to the masses and popularized the genre, and the impact music had on bringing conversations of mental health to light.
TW: This episode mentions self-harm. There is also mentions of suicide at the 29:40-38:36 mark.
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How Pitbull Became Mr. Worldwide
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Mary and Kelsey dive into the deep discography of global chart-topping sensation Pitull aka Mr. 305 aka Mr. Worldwide. They discuss how Pitbull has charmed the world with his signature catchphrases, iconic interpolations and guest features, and uplifting lyrics that have inspired arenas of women to don baldcaps and suits in his honor during his summer tour. Dale!
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“The Carters: Hurts To Love You” Documentary Recap
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In this unedited episode, Mary and Kelsey recap the new two-part documentary from Angel Carter Conrad examining the family dynamics of the Carter family and tragic deaths of her and Nick Carter’s three siblings Aaron, Leslie, and Bobbie Jean. They share the biggest revelations and reactions from the documentary which is now available on Paramount+.
TW: This episode contains references to violence, addiction.
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Celebrity Feuds of the 00s with Fluently Forward’s Shannon McNamara
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In this episode Mary and Kelsey are joined by Shannon McNamara of Fluently Forward podcast to discuss the biggest feuds of y2k: Mariah Carey vs, Eminem, Sarah Jessica Parker vs. Kim Cattrall, and Miley & Mandy vs. Selena & Demi. Whose side were you on?
Thanks to Shannon for joining us! Make sure to follow Shannon at @fluentlyforward and make sure to listen to Fluently Forward wherever you get your podcasts!
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Christian Burns on 25 Years of BBMak, his solo music, upcoming tour and more!
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with Christian Burns. Christian is 1/3 of multi-platinum-selling British pop group BBMak, and he's been featured on Grammy-nominated electronic music albums and performed his EDM hits to tens of thousands of people. Christian shares how he got into the electronic music space through an unlikely DM from Tiesto, his new EP "Evolution," how BBMak is celebrating 25 years of "Back Here," their upcoming Pop2000 shows, new solo music and more!
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Dax Holt on TMZ, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears & More Y2K Tabloid Headlines
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Dax Holt, former TMZ correspondent, pop culture expert, and Hollywood Raw podcast co-host to discuss y2k’s biggest tabloid headlines. Dax shares what life was like behind the scenes at TMZ during the early 2000s and his favorite celebrities to cover like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, and more. They discuss the height of celeb post-clubbing photos, why it seemed like every celebrity was always shopping at Kitson or eating at The Ivy, and other tricks of th...
Tyler Hilton Talks One Tree Hill, Songwriting, Touring & New Children’s Book!
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with singer, songwriter, actor, and author Tyler Hilton. Tyler shared his experiences playing the guy you love to hate - Chris Keller - in One Tree Hill, his upcoming tour, and how he wrote his top 40 hit, When It Comes, as a high school student. He also shared how Taylor Swift asked him to star in her Teardrops On My Guitar music video, his bromance with Chad Michael Murray, and how a fortuitous run-in with Joaquin Phoenix led him to accept the role...
Andreas Carlsson On Writing I Want It That Way, Bye Bye Bye & Shaping the Pop Landscape
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by legendary pop songwriter, producer, Grammy and Emmy nominee, Andreas Carlsson. Andreas’ incredible body of work work has been streamed more than 1 billion times and sold 150M+ albums with credits including pop anthems we all know and love like BSB’s I Want It That Way and Drowning, *NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye, Britney Spears’ Born To Make You Happy and Can’t Make You Love Me, Celine Dion’s That’s The Way It Is, and more. Andreas shared his stories from his time at Ch...
Backstreet Boys Millennium 2.0 XL Episode
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In this XL-sized episode, Mary and Kelsey dive deep into Backstreet Boys' Millennium with a track-by-track analysis of the multi-platinum record. Including quotes from interviews with Millennium writers, producers, and record execs, and their own memories from this era to bring, this nostalgic dissertation explains why I Want It That Way lyrics don't make sense, the controversy behind The One becoming a single over Don't Want You Back, and the personal tragedies the band endured in the lead-up of the album's release. Plus, they share their predictions for what's to come...
Leighton Meester’s Underrated Music Career
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey dive deep into Leighton Meester’s criminally underrated discography including bops like Good Girls Go Bad, Somebody to Love, Your Love’s A Drug, and her first and only album to date, Heartstrings. They also touch on her lost iconic roles and her love story with husband Adam Brody (Seth + Blair 4ever). Justice for Leighton’s music!
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When Disney Channel Popped w/ “Disney High” Author Ashley Spencer
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Ashley Spencer, reporter and author of "Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire” to dive into the shows, movies, and franchises that shaped their childhoods. From Hilary Duff to the Jonas Brothers to High School Musical, Ashley's book uncovers the real stories behind how Disney Channel created a cultural phenomenon that defined a generation (and what was really happening behind those iconic Disney-ears-wand commercials!).
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Perez Hilton Dishes on Y2K Celebs, His Career, & More!
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by “the queen of all media” and original influencer, Perez Hilton! Perez started his revolutionary blog, PerezHilton.com, 21 years ago from a coffee shop in LA and quickly gained traction as a global media personality. Perez talks about his career, the celebrity interaction that stands out to him most, when he popped off, and so much more.
For more hot takes, follow Perez at @theperezhilton and listen to his podcast, The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris...
AnnaLynne McCord - Part 2
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In part two, AnnaLynne gets vulnerable and discusses her organization, The Love Storm, which raises awareness of human trafficking, her experience getting diagnosed and healing from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), her global meditation retreats, and more. We are so grateful to AnnaLynne for her vulnerability and openness in sharing these personal stories with us.
TW: This episode contains references to sexual assault.
You can follow AnnaLynne at @theannalynnemccord and support her advocacy work at @thelovestorm and www.thelovestorm.com...
Catching Up with AnnaLynne McCord - Part 1
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In part one of this interview, Mary catches up with queen of the millennial it girls AnnaLynne McCord of Nip/Tuck, 90210, and so many more cultural cornerstones of the 00s. AnnaLynne discusses leaving home at 15 to model, how she begrudgingly landed the role of Naomi on 90210 (after declining the role THREE times), her on-set rivalry with Shenae Grimes (they love each other now!!) and her advocacy work.
You can follow AnnaLynne at @theannalynnemccord and support her advocacy work at @thelovestorm
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2001 Pop Culture Moments with @ilovethe00s
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey are joined by Dabney, creator of the incredibly successful nostalgia-fueled social platform @ilovethe00s. They recall Dabney’s top movies, TV shows, music, and celebrity moments that made 2001 a year to remember including Aaron Carter bops, Legally Blonde, Disney Channel Original Movies, and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
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Catching Up With LFO’s Brad Fischetti & O-Town’s Trevor Penick
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey chat with not just one but TWO boy band legends - LFO’s Brad Fischetti and O-Town’s Trevor Penick! Brad shares what to expect for his upcoming Honor The Boys solo tour where he'll be joined by Trevor, their unique VIP experiences, reminiscences on their early 00s days, and more. You may want to get a tissue ready, because parts of this interview get emotional!
Get your tickets to the tour at www.lfo.me/tix...
Our Favorite Movies from 2000
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey share their favorite movies celebrating their 25th anniversaries this year: Meet The Parents, Bring It On, Miss Congeniality, and Cast Away. You'll learn behind-the-scenes facts (like why April 25th was selected as the perfect date - and it's not just because it's not too hot and not cold, and all you need is a light jacket) and the cultural impact of these iconic films.
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Lindsay Lohan’s Speak Turns 20
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In this episode Mary and Kelsey go track by track of Lindsay Lohan’s debut album, Speak, in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary. You’ll be brought back to 2004 and the toxic tabloids of the early aughts with bops like Rumors, Over, and more.
Subscribe to our Patreon for a sister episode which dives into the lore of Lindsay and the circumstances surrounding this album.
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Top 5 Y2K Moments in 2024
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In this episode Mary and Kelsey discuss their favorite moments of Y2K resurgence from the year. From Nelly and Ashanti taking their rekindled 00’s romance to new heights and starting a family, to Pop2000 shows with O-Town, BBmak, Chris Kirkpatrick, Ryan Cabrera and LFO, to Backstreet’s Back at the Beach 30th anniversary celebration, 2024 proved that nostalgia ain’t going anywhere! ~And that’s the way we like it~ (Yes, this is a Backstreet Boys reference. Google it.) Plus, Mary shares a recap of the Pop2000 show in Cincinnati which inc...
Paris & Nicole: The Encore Reactions
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey recap the three-episode Simple Life reunion special Paris & Nicole: The Encore in which the dynamic duo relive their most iconic moments from the show to put on the best opera this town has ever seen. Warm up your vocal chords because you will be singing along to the sweet musical stylings of “sanasa” throughout this episode!
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Backstreet Boys vs. *NSYNC Holiday Albums Listening Party
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey host a doubleheader listening party with two iconic boy band albums: *NSYNC’s 1998 sophomore album, Home For Christmas and Backstreet Boys’ 2022 holiday album debut, A Very Backstreet Christmas. Track by track, they rate who takes the Christmas cake for the best holiday boy band album - who will win?
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