Diva Deep Cuts

Talented entertainer Dua Lipa has once again graced the world with new music. This time we have received an album full of beach vibes and club numbers just in time for summer. While it doesn't reach the highest highs of her past work, it's still a solid album with a lot to offer (and a messy promotional campaign).

As promised, this episode steps through Mariah Carey's 2020 compilation - The Rarities. This album is 100% deep cuts, so how could I not feature it? I also didn't want to overload the main season episode with songs from this collection as both Mariah's album cuts and these recovered rarities deserve their time in the spotlight dahhhlings!

Beyoncé unleashed act ii - Cowboy Carter on the world at the end of March and it blew me away. I had no expectations going into this challenging, amazing artistic statement and it took me several listens to digest and process what I was hearing, but this may be the best album she's ever released!

Come visit the first section of The Tortured Poets Department with me. This confessional, moody album from the one and only Taylor Swift is a triumph because of its imperfections, not in spite of them. She manages to explore new territory without completely abandoning the style and substance she's known for - and this is only Part 1! A video with Part 2 - The Anthology will be coming soon :)

Happy Aries Season!! To celebrate, I am re-relasing my Mariah Carey episode with the music included (only on Spotify). Narrowing Mariah Carey's deep cuts down to *only* a top 10 was no easy task, but I did my best and tried to represent as many albums as possible. Enjoy!

This week on Diva Deep Cuts, we wander through the woods to find a deeper well with Kacey Musgraves' new album. Ms. Musgraves continues to carve a path for herself with earnest, personal lyrics and musings about life, love, and the universe on this new album. A Deeper Well finds her in more folk music territory rather than mainstream country, but the results are dreamy with stunning vocal arrangements and excellent guitar work across all the tracks.

This week we are taking a journey through the brand new Ariana Grande album - eternal sunshine. And let me tell you, it's a VIBE. She is grown, mature, and vulnerable about her divorce and new relationship.

Most know her from her breakout hit "This Is Your Night" which spent nearly a year on the charts and was prominently featured in A Night at The Roxbury.

But Amber is more than a dance diva (even though that is her social media handle) - her catalog is stunning and varied across genre and the spectrum of emotions. Join me as we walk through Amber's catalog to uncover songs tinged with Latin, rock, and acoustic elements among others! There is something in her catalog for every music lover to enjoy.

Janet Jackson has been my #1 pop diva since I was 11 years old (tied with Kylie Minogue), so I thought "what better way to kick off season 2 than with the favorites of my favorite?" Join me for this week's episode as we visit amazing songs from albums across Ms. Jackson's storied career!

Multi-talented non-binary icon Janelle Monae has served music, movies, activism, and looks for over 15 years - so Diva Deep Cuts is celebrating her achievements so far in Episode 4 of Season 2. I hope you'll dance along and get lost in their sensational music as much as I have1

This week we are taking a journey through the catalog of Atlanta's finest - the one and only Monica! She's simultaneously legendary and underrated with hits on hits on hits.

Whether you get sentimental with "Angel of Mine" or get down to "Everytime Tha Beat Drop" - there's certainly something for everyone to love in Monica's diverse catalog.

It's time to travel through the catalog of legendary vocalist and industry badass, P!nk! Her music has soundtracked my life and I hope to showcase some new gems that cover her sonic shifts and artistic evoltion.

This week we are traveling through the catalog of one of the queens of rock! She (and her musical partner and husband) scored many multi-platinum albums and enduring hits in the 80s with their blend of hard rock grit with pop hooks and earworm productions. They have continued to inspire many generations of vocalists and rockstars and were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This week we are traveling through the prolific, personal catalog of The Queen of Hip Hop Soul - Mary J. Blige. Ms. Blige is known for her confessional lyrics and emotive vocals that have forged a close bond between her and her fans for decades. She has always been true to herself and real about her life through her music.

Indie pop icon Robyn is the subject of this week's episode. She has carved her own path without compromising her artistic vision ever since breaking up with major labels is the early 2000s. I am proud to call myself a fan and cannot wait to share some of her best cuts with you.

Our finale of Season 1.5 spotlights skinny legend, multi-industry entrepreneur, and multi-instrumentalist Trixie Mattel!! She is unique among drag queens and queer musicians for recording in the folk and Americana genres (with dashes of mid-century Southern California rock for variety) rather than dance and pop. Join me as we zig zag through these musical styles to uncover the best deep cuts in the catalog of Ms. Mattel!

This week we are stepping through the best deep cuts by winner of Drag Race All-Stars Season 2 and self-proclaimed "rancid psycho b*tch" - Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000. She is one of the few queens who has sustained a successful recording career with a large enough catalog to qualify for Diva Deep Cuts inclusion. Join my in the weird and wonderful world of Alaska.

To celebrate Pride Month and the 30th anniversary of Supermodel of the World, let's journey together through the deep cuts from the one and only RuPaul! She has recorded a dozen albums over her career and there are many fun numbers to discover.

20 years ago Celine Dion released this shimmering acoustic dance pop record to kick off her first Vegas residency. It sold 5 million copies worldwide and proved she's capable of more than just big ballads. Her residency also opened the doors for the wide array of musical residencies in Vegas today.

Let's finish out the first season of Diva Deep Cuts with a conversation about this album!

The sparkling new album from Miley Cyrus is here!!! Let's share our first listen together to these sounds of summertime.

This one is for all my current and former emo kids!
20 years ago Evanescence took the world by storm with their debut single "Bring Me To Life" and subsequent album Fallen. Let's lay down in a field of paper flowers together under the purple sky and step through this album together.

Touring legend P!nk has gifted us a brand new studio album on this side of the pandemic! Let's take a listen together.

Ava Max' sophomore album has been unleashed upon the world!!! Let's go to the club together and dance the night away with this club-ready record.

Shania Twain has finally graced the world with a new album!!!! Let's experience it for the first time together.

Heartthrob by Tegan and Sara came out 10 years ago this week. This album was a massive shift sonically and visually from their previous work and was jarring to many long time fans. But it also opened them up to new audiences across the globe. Let's journey back through this record together.

Non-binary blue-eyed soul icon Sam Smith released their fourth studio album (Gloria) yesterday! Join me for a first listen through this diverse yet cohesive body of work!

Ten years ago, Welsh alternative band The Joy Formidable released their second studio album to critical acclaim and commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic. I happened to come to know them when a friend asked if I wanted to attend their show, music unheard. And I have loved this album ever since! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

It's been 40 years since Eurythmics took the world by storm with their seminal hit "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Let's celebrate this musical milestone by stepping through the album of the same name together! It's especially fitting since Eurythmics were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past year.

Take a moment to journey through Tove Lo's fifth studio album with me. It's also her first independent release. Tove Lo shows the world that Sweden is still on the cutting edge of pop and electronic music with innovative production choices and deep, emotive lyrics.

20 years ago this week, Whitney Houston released her fifth studio album and first (and only) without mentor Clive Davis. It is a soulful mix of smooth R&B, danceable numbers, and clap backs at the press. It's a fascinating snapshot of one of the greatest voices of all time, on her own terms, and one of the most tumultuous points in her career.

SZA's long-anticipated second album SOS is finally here!! Let's have our first listen together.

20...months...ago Mariah Carey's only album with no hits came out, but that doesn't mean it's bad! It is a lyrical triumph where she was free to create the songs she most wanted to while healing herself and her public image in the wake of a turbulent 2001. Put on your rain boots and join me as we make it through the rain together with this forgotten gem.

Toni Braxton released her 4th studio album 20 years ago...and almost no one knew about it. This is an ultimate deep cut experience to revisit some turn-of-the-millenium R&B by one of the greatest Adult R&B artists of all time. I can't wait to share this album with you since I've been one of the few jamming to it for the past two decades.

Legendary singer-songwriter-pianist and long-time Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie passed away suddenly on November 30th. Join me as I pay tribute to her life and catalog with her recently released compilation of deep cuts - Songbird: A Solo Collection.

Prolific DJ and producer Honey Dijon just released her third studio album Black Girl Magic. Let's go clubbing together!!!

Dipping our toes into Country music for the first time on this podcast, this episode takes us through Shania Twain's third Diamond album - Up! - just in time for its 20th anniversary.

Carly Rae Jepsen has blessed the world with her fifth studio album entitled The Loneliest Time.
Let's dance around our apartments together to keep warm in the crisp Fall and Winter air to the thumping 80s throwback sounds of this energetic record full of questionable relationship decisions.

"You need some ginseng for you pinky!!!" Come celebrate the 20th anniversary of TLC's fourth studio album - 3D. It was released just in time for the holidays in Fall 2002 and was the group's first record after the passing of Lisa 'Left-Eye' Lopes. T-Boz and Chilli decided to continue with the recording sessions and compiled a collection of slick R&B numbers that were a blend of the sounds of the times and their distinctive TLC style.

Swifties!!! Let's travel through Taylor Swift's brand new album Midnights! This is my second time through the record (first with good headphones) and I hope to provide a fair review of this gorgeous late-night body of work. As a bonus, I'll be reacting to the 3AM Edition extra tracks for the first time. So let's get cozy and meet each other at midnight!

Turn the volume up!! Episode 3 takes us back in the day to the peak of Missy Elliott's commercial prowess! Under Construction spawned her biggest hit "Work It" and went on to become her best selling album. Let's travel together back through this modern classic in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary.

Tegan and Sara released their 10th studio album Crybaby recently and what better way to kick off the Diva Deep Cuts: New Music Saturday series! Tegan and Sara have been a staple in the queer music scene for over two decades and broke through to mainstream (i.e. straight) audiences in the early 2010s. This album sees them on an independent label again after over a decade of working with major labels. Let's see what journeys of heartbreak and catharsis the Quin Twins take us on with this musical outing!!

A Journey with Dita - the first ever episode of Diva Deep Cuts explores the intimate sounds of Madonna's most controversial album following its 30th anniversary: Erotica. Join me as Madonna takes us on a journey through complicated feelings and deep, lush basslines in the club and in the bedroom.