Madonna: Part 4 With Caryn Ganz

Bandsplain

The Ringer

Music

4.4 • 582 Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2026

⏱️ 221 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Yasi is joined by journalist and critic Caryn Ganz as the Madonna series enters the modern era. They discuss the glittering revival of 'Confessions on a Dance Floor,' the superstar collaborations and pop maximalism of 'Hard Candy,' the spectacle and chaos of 'MDNA,' the leaks, vulnerability, and often misunderstood ambition of 'Rebel Heart,' and the globetrotting experimentation of 'Madame X.' Plus: The Super Bowl, the ageism, the collaborators, and the globe-spanning Celebration Tour that celebrated 40 years of Madonna, along with what they feel is coming next as 'Confessions 2' looms on the horizon. Episode PlaylistListen to the Madonna: Part 4 playlist here. CREDITS:Host: Yasi Salek @yasisalekGuests: Caryn Ganz @mehpatrolProducer: Rob SundermannEditor: Adrian BridgesAdditional Production Supervision: Justin SaylesTheme Song: Bethany Cosentino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What's with this band anyway?
0:07.0	I don't get it, can you please explain?
0:12.0	Wait, like, bands played.
0:16.0	Never heard this band in my life.
0:20.0	Oh, you haven't? I love that. Really? Why?
0:23.6	Yeah, I love this song. Oh, I don't know that one.
0:27.6	Bansplain, Bansplain, Bansplain.
0:30.6	I really hate this band!
0:32.6	Whatever, I'm their biggest fan.
0:34.6	Bansplain, Bansplain, Bansplain, Bansplain, Bansplain. biggest fan band splain band splain band explain band playing band playing band explain
0:39.3	bandplain
0:42.4	hello and welcome to bandsplain i am your host yassie salink this is a show where i invite
0:50.3	an expert guest on to help me explain a cult band or iconic artist. Today's episode is part
0:55.9	four of four about, again, maybe the most iconic artist of all time, Madonna. You guys,
1:03.3	my guest today is the one, the only, Karen Gans, the former pop music editor of the New York
1:10.5	Times, their loss. On her very first day of freedom, she's joining us. I basically, I quit my job to become a full-time Madonnaologist with you, Yassie. Karen was like, I'm not going on vacation. I'm going straight to my new job as Madonna scholar on the Bandpl podcast. I do so appreciate it.
1:29.5	Thank you.
1:30.2	How are you feeling?
1:30.9	I feel good.
1:31.6	This is like exactly where I would want to be right now.
1:33.7	It's actually, it's just like it's all happening.
1:35.4	Yeah.
	...

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