Most of what you love in pop culture didn’t happen the way you think it did. Unfamous goes deep with the people who were actually there.
Hosted by Grammy-nominated hit songwriter Justin Tranter, whose credits include Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and some of the biggest pop songs of the past decade, Unfamous takes you inside the rooms where culture gets made.
Artists, writers, producers, executives and collaborators reveal the decisions, disagreements, false starts, rewrites, rejections and breakthroughs behind the songs, performances, careers and cultural moments you know.
Because the finished product is only part of the story.
New episodes every Wednesday.
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Data updated on 29/10/2026
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The Temper Trap Tried to Recreate “Sweet Disposition.” Here’s What Happened.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 • Duration 59:53
“Sweet Disposition” started with someone practicing scales in a tiny rehearsal room. The music came together almost immediately. The lyrics were finished the next day.
In this episode of Unfamous, The Temper Trap join Justin Tranter to break down how one of their most enduring songs was actually written — and what happened after something created almost entirely on instinct became the song everyone wanted them to recreate.
They talk about reaching a point where, after nearly 15 years of writing, recording and touring, they were spent — creatively, relationally, all of it — and what happened after time apart gave them the opportunity to get back into a room together with no expectations. Within the first hour, they felt a spark again.
The band also gets into what more than two decades of making music, stepping away and finding their way back to the collaboration has taught them about ego, compromise, resentment and trust, including the early “Temper Trap manifesto” that still shapes how they think about the work: it doesn’t matter who comes up with the part. It matters whether it’s the best part for the song.
It’s a conversation about writing a great song — but even more about what it takes to return to a creative partnership with enough perspective to make something new.
Chapters:
0:00 Preview: “Sweet Disposition,” Burnout & the Spark
0:38 Meet The Temper Trap
5:49 Why Being in a Band Is the Ultimate Collaboration
9:01 When a Song Keeps Refusing to Be Finished
9:53 How “Sweet Disposition” Was Written
14:38 Can You Recreate Your Biggest Hit?
16:59 When “Sweet Disposition” Found a New Generation
21:09 What Happens When a Band Runs Out of Fuel?
23:40 What Actually Brought The Temper Trap Back
26:25 How a Solo Song Became a Temper Trap Song
28:38 Compromise, Ego and the Creative Marriage
32:25 Serve the Song, Not Your Ego
33:38 The Temper Trap Manifesto
34:36 Does Great Art Need Conflict?
38:37 From Retail Jobs to Starting The Temper Trap
43:56 The 10-Hour Drives That Built the Band
46:44 The Songs That Made Them Want to Be Musicians
54:03 What They’d Tell Their Younger Selves
56:33 The Skill That Matters Beyond Talent
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, and Lily Golightly.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Songwriting Math Behind "Good Luck, Babe" and "Sorry"
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Duration 26:59
Why do “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Sorry” feel so immediately satisfying?In this Unfamous recap, Justin Tranter breaks down the songwriting math behind both songs — from where each section enters in the phrase to how verse, pre-chorus and chorus are built to feel distinct.
Justin and Unfamous co-creator Morgan Stuart also revisit their conversation with Bongo ByTheWay and Ant Clemons about lyric structure, producer psychology, interpolation, publishing and artist development — including why structure can actually create more freedom for creatives, when an interpolation is worth giving up publishing for, and what artists need to be prepared for beyond making great music.
Plus: Paul McCartney taking 100% of the publishing, why emotional production matters as much as technical production, and the creative decisions behind songs that actually connect.
Chapters
0:00 Paul McCartney, Producer Psychology & the Rules Behind Hits
0:42 Why the Behind-the-Scenes Creators Connected
1:52 Paul McCartney Took 100% of the Publishing
3:24 Sample vs. Interpolation: What You’re Actually Paying For
5:32 When Should You Kill an Interpolation?
7:46 The Producer’s Job Is Emotional, Too
11:58 The Song Map: Who, What, Where, When, Why
14:22 Why Structure Creates More Creative Freedom
15:22 The Melodic Math Behind “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Sorry”
19:26 What Music Is Missing: Artist Development
21:22 Singer-Songwriters Need Development Too
23:33 How Do You Prepare an Artist for Success?
Credits
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, & Cory Jasin.
Chat with the Unfamous team: https://tr.ee/jwPZ3j
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who Gets The Final Say? Inside The Hollywood Reporter
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 • Duration 01:19:25
The best-looking photo can still be the wrong cover. And one bad compromise can turn a bold creative idea beige.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Maer Roshan and Alison Edmond join Justin Tranter to reveal what actually happens behind some of Hollywood’s biggest covers—from Angelina Jolie asking them to redo an entire lighting setup after one shot, to orchestrating The White Lotus cast across two coasts and pulling together a Mikey Madison shoot the morning after her Oscar win.
They break down how a cover goes from an idea to the final image, what happens when talent or publicists push back, why the most beautiful photograph doesn’t always serve the story, and why great creative work can fall apart when too many people get a vote.
It’s a conversation about taste, trust, fighting for an idea, knowing when to defer to someone else’s expertise, and developing enough experience to stop second-guessing your own.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Why the Best Photo Can Still Lose
1:16 Meet The Hollywood Reporter’s Maer Roshan & Alison Edmond
7:31 How a Hollywood Reporter Cover Actually Gets Made
11:08 Why the Most Beautiful Photo Isn’t Always the Right One
13:21 Photographing a Controversial Celebrity Story
17:07 Why Celebrities Care So Much About Their Image
18:03 Angelina Jolie Made Them Change the Entire Lighting Setup
19:44 What Happens When the Talent Has a Bad Idea?
23:15 How Do You Avoid a PR-Controlled Interview?
27:16 The Insane Logistics Behind The White Lotus Cover
30:11 Shooting Mikey Madison the Morning After Her Oscar Win
32:08 How Do You Create an Iconic Image in the iPhone Era?
37:05 The Most Common Way a Great Idea Gets Ruined
38:47 Why Creativity Dies by Committee
40:17 How to Fight for a Great Idea Without Killing the Collaboration
44:39 How Alison Edmond Learned to Stop Doubting Her Taste
49:31 Their First Jobs in the Magazine Business
52:09 How They Spot Talent Before Everyone Else Does
54:16 Why a Print Cover Still Means Something
56:08 “Don’t Be Stupid”: Alison’s Path to British Vogue
59:28 Growing Up With Censored Magazines in Iran
1:00:46 Why “Manifesting” Still Requires an Obscene Amount of Work
1:03:08 The Prince Harry Cover That Got a Letter From the Palace
1:04:38 How The Hollywood Reporter Balances Print, Digital & Social
1:09:01 Gag or Drag: Celebrity Creative Directors, Publicists & Bad Covers
1:14:14 The Career Advice They Wish They’d Learned Earlier
CREDITS:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Luke Burland + 2BEntertainment.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Troye Sivan Refuses to Make the Same Album Twice
Season 1 · Episode 7
Saturday, October 10, 2026 • Duration 01:29:59
An Instagram DM became “Rush.” “Bloom” started with Troye Sivan thinking it wasn’t working. And after more than a decade of writing together, Troye and Leland are still trying to surprise themselves.
On Unfamous, they break down their creative partnership, how Troye keeps evolving without repeating himself, the stories behind “Rush” and “Bloom,” imposter syndrome, writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and what makes the right collaborator click.
Chapters are below so you can jump straight to your favorite parts.
Chapters
0:00 Troye Sivan Introduces Leland
2:09 How Troye Sivan + Leland Met
6:27 Their First Song Together Ended Up With BTS
10:57 Why Troye Never Wants to Make the Same Album Twice
18:43 Why Songwriting Is Mostly Social Skills
22:10 How an Instagram DM Became “Rush”
26:57 Troye + Leland on Imposter Syndrome
29:46 Cirkut, Mark Ronson + Getting Nervous Around Your Heroes
32:34 How “Bloom” Went From “This Isn’t Working” to an Album Title
37:12 What 11 Years of Writing Together Teaches You
43:08 Writing Pop Hits vs. Writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race
47:33 Britney, Janet + the Pop Music That Changed Them
55:55 Why Great Artists Are Secretly Music Geeks
57:01 How Troye Keeps Evolving Without Forcing It
1:03:33 What Troye + Leland Would Tell Their Younger Selves
1:10:42 Gagged or Dragged: TikTok, Gay Icons + Pop Songwriting
1:16:31 The Best Advice for Creative Collaboration
1:18:52 Troye’s Advice to Songwriters: Not Every Collaboration Works
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Sherrae Rucker
Special thanks to Mark Beaven and Jimmy Knehans
Shout out to Leslie Tranter and Chloe Pappas on Patreon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Lost Boys Was “The Hardest Thing We’ve Ever Done”: The Rescues on 60 Songs + Band Therapy
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 01:24:25
The Rescues spent five years writing The Lost Boys for Broadway. They wrote nearly 60 songs, rewrote lyrics again and again, cut a song they loved after watching it stop the show cold in front of an audience, and reached a point where they had to ask whether they could keep working together after it was over.
Justin Tranter reunites with Kyler England, AG and Gabriel Mann to break down what actually went into creating the musical, and what happens when three longtime collaborators with completely different ways of working take on the hardest project they’ve ever made together.
They also trace the unlikely path that got them there, from forming for a $500 wedding gig and landing five Grey’s Anatomy placements to building separate creative careers before The Lost Boys unexpectedly brought them back together.
Plus: why they needed “band therapy,” how they learned which creative battles actually mattered, why a great song still might need to be cut, and what five years of rewrites taught them about trust, ego and letting the audience tell you what isn’t working.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Wayne Wolfe, Hannah Wallace, and Nicolette Carcaldi.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When "Pushing Through" Stops Working: Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Reinvention
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • Duration 58:10
What happens when pushing through stops making you stronger and starts getting in the way of the art?
Justin Tranter sits down with Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer/songwriter Ela Melo and her partner and movement director Cat Cogliandro to unpack how movement, trust and recovery changed the way Ela and the band perform.
They trace “Devil Like Me” from a homemade recording built with cardboard-box stomp claps to its live reinvention, revisit the 2022 Red Rocks performance that forced Ela to confront how far she had pushed herself, and talk honestly about sobriety, creative conflict and knowing when to ask for help.
It’s a conversation about building a better show, but also a more sustainable way to keep making art without buying into the idea that suffering is what makes an artist great.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bailey Katler and 2BEntertainment.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inside Pop Songwriting: Hits, Failure, Fear + What Actually Makes a Song Work
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 01:28:56
What makes a great song when everyone is trying to reverse-engineer hits, virality and the “right” way to be an artist?
Justin Tranter sits down with friends and collaborators Sasha Alex Sloan and Amelia Moore, two artist-songwriters whose careers keep proving that some of the best creative decisions are the ones that look wrong on paper.
They unpack how an imperfect choice became one of the most memorable parts of Camila Cabello’s “Never Be the Same,” why the “too complicated” riff in Amelia’s “See Through” became a TikTok singing challenge and helped lead to her second record deal, and what getting dropped taught both of them about failure, freedom and trying again.
Plus: writing for other artists, the very different mechanics of K-pop, how to say no without killing a writing session, and why neither industry rejection nor industry praise can tell you who you are.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Shaina Botwin, Sam French and Mady Davis.
Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Some Songs Work Onscreen and Others Don’t: Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada + Wednesday
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 01:03:28
What makes one song perfect for a scene while another, even a great one, just doesn’t work?
Justin Tranter sits down with music supervisor Julia Michels and songwriter, producer and arranger Alana Da Fonseca to break down the judgment behind the music in Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada, Wednesday, Off Campus and more.
They get into testing whether “Toxic” would still connect with a younger audience, knowing instantly that KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” belonged in The Devil Wears Prada, reinventing “Paint It Black” for cello, and why writing for screen means serving the story instead of protecting your song.
Along the way, they unpack taking notes without ego, navigating directors and creative politics, and why the best song you’ve ever written can still be completely wrong for the moment.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Music Gets Into Hit TV Shows | The Hidden Process Behind Prime's "Off Campus" + More
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 01:04:16
How does a song actually make it into a hit TV show, and what makes the right placement capable of changing an artist’s career?
Live from the GMS Conference, Justin Tranter sits down with Emmy-nominated music supervisors Amanda Krieg Thomas and Anna Romanoff to reveal the hidden process behind the music you hear on screen. They break down how Off Campus on Prime built its musical world from the scripts up, how artists like G Flip and The Beaches landed major moments, what it really takes to clear an iconic song, and why you can’t simply manufacture a viral soundtrack.
They also share what songwriters need to understand about writing for film and TV, why the business side of creativity matters, and practical advice for anyone trying to break into music supervision: get close to the work, learn the craft, build your community, and don’t rush the process.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors.
Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bella Kay + Alexis Idarose Kesselman | “iloveitiloveitiloveit”+ How Great Collaborators Disagree
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 01:06:39
Bella Kay and songwriter-producer Alexis Idarose Kesselman break down the creative partnership behind Bella’s debut album, from meeting during one of Bella’s first-ever writing sessions to making “I Love It, I Love It, I Love It,” “Stop,” “Blur,” and “Karaoke.”
They talk about learning the rules without losing what makes an artist unique, fighting for ideas, turning messy relationships into songs, handling criticism, and why the best collaborators make you feel even more like yourself.
Credits:
Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
Director: Morgan T. Stuart
Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Lizbeth Alvarez, Priscilla Felten, Justin Frazier, Mandy Weiss, Cyndi Williams, Adam Mersel, Tracy Wasserman and Deborah Radel.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Unfamous with Justin Tranter, a podcast by Justin Tranter + Morgan Stuart - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data