Live From Mars

• Predicting the 2026 Grammy Nominations: Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish & More

  Watch my full unedited 2026 Grammy Awards nominations reaction exclusively on Substack when it goes live this Friday: https://vinylbymars.substack.comWe’re just two days away from the 2026 Grammy Awards nominations, and I’m putting my full predictions on the line. In this episode of Live From Mars, I break down who I think will get nominated across the Big Four categories — Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist — plus all the major pop fields.We cover everything:Full predictions for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New ArtistPop Solo Performance, Pop Duo/Group Performance, Pop Vocal Album, and Dance Pop Recording predictionsWhy Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar could lead the 2026 nominationsWhich K-pop acts could break through this yearThe biggest snubs, surprises, and dark horses to watchHow Grammy eligibility actually works and what songs qualify this yearFollow Alex:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymarsTo provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Reacting to Your Taylor Swift "The Life of A Showgirl" Hot Takes (with Steven Sullivan)

  Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has officially made history, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. and 5.5 million worldwide. But did it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by fellow Swiftie and friend of the pod, Steven Sullivan (@stevensully1), to unpack your burning questions and hot takes about Taylor’s record-breaking twelfth studio album. Together, they revisit their original predictions, debate if the “showgirl” concept worked, and discuss where Taylor goes next.We cover everything:First impressions and how opinions have evolvedWhether Showgirl delivered on its conceptThe highs and lows of the tracklistThe “Canceled” and “Eldest Daughter” discourseIf “Wood” deserves a single and Sabrina Carpenter remixGrammy predictions and what’s next for TaylorChapters:00:00 - Intro03:48 - Steven returns04:18 - Did we actually like Showgirl?10:20 - Album highs and lows17:50 - The “Showgirl” concept debate25:30 - Writing and production discussion36:10 - Did it come too soon or too late?47:20 - “Wood” and Sabrina Carpenter50:20 - Grammy predictions53:59 - Final thoughtsFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymarsTo provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Breaking Down Taylor Swift's "The Life of A Showgirl" Track by Track (with Seth Betzler)

  Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is finally here, and it’s already breaking every record in sight. But does it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by a friend of the pod and resident Swiftie, Seth (@dramakingbooks), to unpack Taylor’s twelfth studio album in full. Together, they break down how Showgirl stacks up against past eras, if the reunion with Max Martin and Shellback delivers, and why fans are so divided over the album.We cover everything:Track-by-track reactions and one-word reviewsWhether the “Showgirl” concept was successfulTaylor’s record-shattering first-week sales and beating Adele's decade-long recordThe most controversial lyrics and production choicesWhy “Eldest Daughter” might be her weakest Track 5 yetBest, Worst, and Fav songs from The Life of a ShowgirlChapters:00:00 - Intro04:00 - First impressions and expectations09:30 - Marketing vs. album reality17:00 - Track-by-track: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” and more55:00 - Final rankings and where Taylor goes nextFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymarsTo provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Road to Taylor Swift's "The Life of A Showgirl" (with Steven Sullivan)

  I’m now live on Substack! Every week, I’m sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/.Taylor Swift’s twelfth album The Life of a Showgirl is days away. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Swiftie creator Steven Sullivan to map out Taylor’s road to this era, what the Max Martin and Shellback reunion could mean, and why this release feels pivotal after The Tortured Poets Department.We cover everything: • Why Showgirl feels like a true reset after the Eras Tour and TTPD • What to expect from the Max Martin and Shellback partnership • Our hopes, fears, and bold predictions for the album • Vinyl variants, rollout choices, and how fans are reacting • First-week sales projections and awards outlook • What success looks like for the lead single and the album overallIf you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you don’t want to miss this conversation.Chapters: 00:00 — Intro + why this era feels pivotal 02:41 — Meet the guest: Steven Sullivan 05:40 — Post-Eras context and how TTPD shaped expectations 11:30 — Max Martin & Shellback: what the reunion signals 18:30 — Rollout talk: variants, promo, and strategy 34:20 — Fanbase sentiment and expectations 35:50 — Hopes, fears, bold predictions 43:50 — First-week sales projections 46:20 — Final thoughts + what comes nextTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: http://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsLFM: https://linktr.ee/livefrommarspodSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.com/To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Did Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend" Stick the Landing? (with Nick Palmai)

  I'm now live on Substack! Every week, I'm sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/.Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh album Man’s Best Friend is here — just one year after Short n’ Sweet. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Sabrina superfan and resident expert Nick Palmai to break down the album track-by-track.We cover everything:• How Man’s Best Friend compares to Short n’ Sweet• Our first reactions and favorite tracks (“Tears,” “House Tour,” “When Did You Get Hot?”)• The hits, misses, and standout lyrics• Whether this album came too soon after Sabrina’s breakout era• Predictions for first-week numbers, surprise singles, and what comes nextIf you’re a Sabrina Carpenter fan, you don’t want to miss this deep dive.TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: http://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsLFM: https://linktr.ee/livefrommarspodSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.com/To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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