Episode
Ranking Pop Culture Divas with Gerrick Kennedy
- Podcast
- Pop Syllabus
- Published
- Jun 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5545
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not_requested- Canonical source
- https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/LLUOO3509791856.mp3
- Audio
- https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/LLUOO3509791856.mp3
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Summary
We’ve been calling women divas for years, but we still can’t agree on what the word actually means or who qualifies. In this episode, Christiana sits down with music journalist Gerrick Kennedy, co-author of Brandy's new memoir, Phases, to do the impossible: rank the greatest divas across the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s and unpack what really earns someone the title. Together, they debate the diva status of icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, while making the case for a few overlooked sleeper divas along the way. By the end, it becomes clear that defining a diva is a lot harder than it sounds. Gerrick’s book with Brandy: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/phases-brandy?variant=44324080779298 Gerrick’s book on Whitney Houston: https://gerrickkennedy.com/whitneyhouston Follow Gerrick on Instagram Follow Pop Syllabus: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Substack Merch available now! Sponsor Pop Syllabus: [email protected] If there’s a topic you’d like us to deconstruct, tell us in the comments. Email: [email protected] 01:18 Meet Gerrick Kennedy 03:20 How Gerrick Built a Career in Music Journalism 06:33 The Time Gerrick Met Joe Jackson 11:18 Diva Ranking Game 13:19 Defining a “diva” 16:46 Ranking 90s divas 18:50 Brandy 27:07 Janet Jackson 29:22 Mariah Carey 34:07 Gerrick on Working With Brandy on Phases 36:16 The Patriarchal Control Behind Pop Divas 40:59 Ranking 2000s divas 42:11 Why Divas Have to Go Solo 48:59 Jennifer Lopez 55:59 Britney Spears 1:00:37 Amy Winehouse 1:05:01 Ranking 2010s divas 1:06:03 Lady Gaga 1:12:54 Rihanna 1:16:29 Tinashe 1:17:52 Beyoncé 1:23:56 Taylor Swift 1:25:39 The Next Generation of Pop Stars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices