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 culture, or, when they “popped!” The girls will also consider the cultural impact of Y2K on todays society and will look to see where our beloved Y2K stars are now.
Episodes
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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...
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...
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 &...
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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:
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. W...
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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...
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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 ...
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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 perspectiv...
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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.
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 be...
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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 s...
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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 ...
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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 previ...
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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 s...
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In this emergency minisode, Mary and Kelsey share their real-time, unedited thoughts on Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Life Of A Showgirl, which was produced in partnership with Max Martin and Shellback.
Instagram: @whentheypoppedpod
TikTok: @whentheypoppedpod
Email: whentheypoppedy2k@gmail.com
Website: linktree.com/whentheypopped
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The Click Five is back, baby! In this episode, Mary and Kelsey catch up with Kyle and Ethan of The Click Five to reminisce on the band’s explosive rise to the top of the charts with their 2005 hit “Just The Girl,” and what the band is up to now including their first North American tour in 15 years, new music coming soon (!!), and their recent performance with the Jonas Brothers. Get your tickets to th...
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey celebrate the thrilling news that Hilary Duff is coming out of musical retirement and working on new music. They revisit Hilary’s most underrated bops and compiled their top 10 favorite deep cuts spanning her entire discography - Metamorphosis, Hilary Duff, Dignity, Most Wanted, and Breathe In. Breathe Out. - and discuss why these tracks deserve more love!
This epi...
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In this episode, Mary and Kelsey go track by track through Mandy Moore’s debut album, So Real, dishing on everything from bubblegum bangers like “Candy” to the deep cuts you may have forgotten were total Y2K gems. They also discuss how the album was reissued as I Wanna Be With You with four new tracks that make for a perfect time capsule of teen pop magic.
Instagram: @whentheypop...
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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 bi...
Send Mary and Kelsey a Message!
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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