--- description: From a deep dive into the life and career of Selena Quintanilla in 'Anything for Selena' to the stories behind Black Lives Matter protesters in 'Resistance.' title: The Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [podcasts](/tag/podcasts/) ## podcasts Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent May 20, 2021 12:00 PM CUT  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent May 20, 2021 12:00 PM CUT The [podcasting](https://time.com/5524332/best-podcasts-to-listen-to/ "undefined") world is about to change dramatically. Listening is [on the rise](https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2021-2/ "undefined"), and big players are staking their territory in a war for your ears. Both [Apple](https://time.com/5889187/apple-announcements-news/ "undefined") and [Spotify](https://time.com/collection/time100-companies/5950004/spotify-innovators/ "undefined") announced this year that they will roll out premium subscription tools. NPR is [reportedly planning](https://www.vulture.com/2021/04/apple-spotify-paid-podcast-subscriptions.html "undefined") to launch a similar service. The model mirrors the burgeoning businesses of Patreon and Substack, where readers pay to get access to the work of a specific content creator they love. The streaming wars in TV are, similarly, dividing viewers into smaller subgroups of subscribers. While this new way of consuming content will cater to our particular interests, we may continue to lose out on water-cooler experiences, the way everyone used to talk about the same episode of [_Game of Thrones_](https://time.com/game-of-thrones-2017/ "undefined") or a twist in [_Serial_](https://time.com/5434339/making-a-murderer-serial-new-seasons/ "undefined") all at once. But the mainstream podcast isn’t a thing of yesteryear yet, and podcast controversies can still get Twitter chirping. This winter, _Reply All’_s probe into reported racism at _Bon Appetit_ stirred up a firestorm about bias in _Reply All’_s own ranks, resulting in two producers [stepping down](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/style/reply-all-test-kitchen.html "undefined") and a _mea culpa_ from the other hosts. And uber-popular podcaster [Joe Rogan’s](https://time.com/4141439/podcasts-most-popular-year-2015/ "undefined") totally unscientific comments on the [coronavirus vaccine](https://time.com/6049087/biden-vaccine-sharing/ "undefined") this spring solicited an admonishment from [the White House.](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/28/white-house-joe-rogan-podcast-vaccine-484891 "undefined") (Rogan has since apologized). With billion-dollar companies jockeying for position in the forthcoming podcast wars and some of the most famous shows courting controversy, it can be hard to distinguish the truly great shows from the noise. But there’s plenty to love out there. Here are some of the best series we’ve listened to this year (in alphabetical order). ## _Anything for Selena_ There are plenty of great podcasts dedicated to specific [fandoms](https://time.com/5912998/bts-army/ "undefined"), but _Anything for Selena_ aims to be more of a reported show. Host Maria Garcia is a diehard fan of [Selena Quintanilla](https://time.com/5917089/selena-netflix-review/ "undefined"), the pop star who was shot and killed by one of her fans at just 23 years old. I was initially skeptical of the tone, worried that Garcia’s perspective might lead her to pull punches with interviewees. But the host’s love for the singer is an asset, not a distraction—she asks the hard questions. More importantly, she drives home Selena’s impact not just as a performer but a potent political symbol by sharing her own personal story. When Garcia, a Mexican immigrant, felt caught between two worlds, she looked to Selena, a Latina woman conquering the American music scene, as inspiration. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anything-for-selena/id1535265016 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/1aCcf9CN3cunTBdkIzYTvo?si=BTYHh-s-QxiABSqOG88ztQ "undefined") ## _Death at the Wing_ By now you’re familiar with [Adam McKay’s](https://time.com/5492631/dick-cheney-movie-vice-director-adam-mckay/ "undefined") style. His dramedies both explain and cast a critical eye on capitalism, from the 2008 crash in [_The Big Short_](https://time.com/4134370/the-big-short-knows-why-your-rent-is-too-damn-high/ "undefined") to the rise of moguls like Rupert Murdoch in [_Succession_](https://time.com/5646634/succession-season-2-finale-recap/ "undefined")_._ Some critics have judged McKay’s touch a bit too light when it comes to serious material. But he strikes the right balance of somberness and entertainment as host and executive producer of _Death at the Wing_. In the miniseries, McKay argues that Reagan policies led directly to gun violence, drug addiction and mental health crises, particularly in the Black community, and inevitably to the deaths of a generation of rising NBA stars. One episode chronicles the story of Len Bias, a young man with [Michael Jordan](https://time.com/5820473/michael-jordan-the-last-dance-espn/ "undefined")\-level talent who died of a cocaine overdose in 1986\. McKay contextualizes the overdose in the “greed is good” ethos of the era and explains how Bias became, as a _Boston Globe_ writer put it at the time, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the war on drugs. If you expected an apolitical sports podcast from McKay, well, know that he [recently called](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/12/magazine/adam-mckay-interview.html "undefined") Aaron Sorkin—the scribe behind liberal fantasy show _The West Wing—_a “right-wing version” of himself. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-at-the-wing/id1558869948 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/1QKT33DWcGVWiDZvtkWdyf?si=e0gJDPlPRuyfpqQdALgObA "undefined") ## _The Ezra Klein Show_ Ezra Klein has moved his interview podcast from his old home at Vox to the New York _Times_, and his early guests since the show relaunched in January have been spectacular. Yes, he snags interviews with the likes of Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer. But Klein’s best episodes revolve less around people than topics. Among the highlights: what’s good and bad about [cancel culture](https://time.com/5735403/cancel-culture-is-not-real/ "undefined"), according to journalists who have been canceled; how a Brown psychiatry professor believes we can unlearn anxious behavior as we emerge from [anxiety-producing times](https://time.com/5808278/coronavirus-anxiety/ "undefined"); and what options are left if politicians fail to slow climate change. Klein’s conversations leave room for nuance in a Twitter-driven media environment that often refuses to permit shades of gray. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/3oB5noYIwEB2dMAREj2F7S?si=1c1mNDrITOuSYe019xoZ-g "undefined") ## _ICYMI_ In Slate’s new show, hosts Madison Malone Kircher and Rachelle Hampton tackle Internet culture. For those of us who would prefer to spend a little less time on our phones trying to figure out what the heck the latest [TikTok dance](https://time.com/5880779/best-tiktok-dances-2020/ "undefined") controversy is about or why the far right is up in arms about a [Lil Nas X music video](https://time.com/5950756/lil-nas-x-montero-interview/ "undefined"), this show is a godsend. (They’ve helped this millennial understand TikTok at least a little better.) But the best episodes explain what the latest viral trends and online blow-ups say about the culture at large. Their conversations on why the phrase “body positivity” has lost all real meaning, or why the latest [_Bachelor_ drama](https://time.com/5926330/the-bachelor-diversity-matt-james/ "undefined") is all an engine for the spon-con bubble on Instagram, elucidate the commercial and political interests that capitalize on our Internet obsessions—for better or, usually, worse. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/icymi/id1554115325 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/6bo1EK9sElQV8DqzO0HLac?si=UzNQ3yM6RVq502vvMKcX-g "undefined") [_Sign up for More to the Story_](https://ti.me/3vGrkXz "undefined"), _TIME’s weekly entertainment newsletter, to get the context you need for the pop culture you love._ ## _Lolita Podcast_ Jamie Loftus of _My Year in Mensa_ fame tackles another controversial topic in her latest podcast: Vladimir Nabokov’s beautiful and disturbing novel [_Lolita_](https://time.com/3961443/review-lolita-1958/ "undefined"). Some critics hail the book as a masterpiece, others outright dismiss the story, which is told from the point of view of a pedophile. Often lost in the conversation—and the film adaptations of the book—is the fact that the predator Humbert Humbert is a notoriously unreliable narrator: the book often contradicts his descriptions of his captive Dolores as a nubile seductress to remind the audience that she is, in fact, a vulnerable child. Alongside Nabokov scholars, Loftus scrutinizes the work, its many onscreen adaptations and Nabokov’s fascinating life story. She rejects reductive analyses for a rich debate that will engross any avid reader. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lolita-podcast/id1536839859 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/4dvc06zTAaAylzdTrsgKzp?si=l8Z0JY36SqOuJUdFy3A5WA "undefined") ## _Resistance_ Poet turned podcast host Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. set out to explore the human stories behind the [Black Lives Matter protests](https://time.com/5849721/how-to-help-black-lives-matter-protests/ "undefined") last year: the people he interviews didn’t start out as activists, and most reporting on the movement doesn’t dive into their lives beyond the protests. One episode centers on a woman who was reunited with an old flame, only to suddenly find herself the supportive partner of a man shot and arrested by police. The storytelling balances moments of tragedy with romance and unexpected humor. In another episode, titled “F Your Fountain,” Tejan-Thomas’ team turns its attention on a forebear of today’s protesters, tracking down the now-adult man featured in an iconic image of a Black teenager drinking at a “Whites Only” fountain. This episode, and other vignettes about civil rights activists, give way to many more fascinating tales of resistance. The stories are intimate and sometimes personal for the host: Tejan-Thomas lost a friend to [police violence](https://time.com/6046645/police-killings-2021/ "undefined") and explores his own feelings on the topic. In a podcast landscape that’s still overwhelmingly white, _Resistance_ offers a crucial alternative to similar stories told through a white lens. The podcast proves an instant classic. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/resistance/id1533129901 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/02JzQLXpqTtViFUGQjRkj3?si=EpYEiGSJTAqwoTa2fDXtSQ "undefined") ## _Spectacle_ Puzzlingly, even though we recently watched a man [most famous for his reality television series](https://time.com/4596770/donald-trump-reality-tv/ "undefined") ascend to the presidency, it feels as if the culture still doesn’t take reality TV—and its [impact on America](https://time.com/5943838/real-world-homecoming-review/ "undefined")—seriously. _Spectacle_ host and _Cut_ columnist Mariah Smith offers a 10-episode brief history of the genre and argues that reality TV has reflected and shaped some of the biggest cultural shifts in our country, from an HIV-positive _Real World_ star jumpstarting a more public conversation about the AIDS crisis to [_Survivor_](https://time.com/5752011/survivor-cbs-guidelines-sexual-harassment/ "undefined") dividing tribes by ethnicity on a controversial season. It’s also just good fun to relive some of the greatest and most shocking moments in TV history, from the groundbreaking 1970s docuseries _American Family_ to familiar favorites of our own era like _Keeping Up With the Kardashians_ and [_The Circle_](https://time.com/5820838/the-circle-online/ "undefined")_._ _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spectacle-an-unscripted-history-of-reality-tv/id1551181322 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/769sp7ZpXgwmITnBsz2Rls?si=q2QOkDjzSaOEYQpyEZbwmg "undefined") ## _Still Processing_ Look, sometimes the best is just the best. I’ve recommended _Still Processing_ before. I will probably recommend it again. Spending time listening to New York _Times Magazine_ writers Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris talk about the capital-C “Culture” continues to be a privilege, like eavesdropping on your smartest friends. They kicked off the new season with a serious reflection on internal strife at the _Times_, grappling with their own feelings about the “_N_ Word_.”_ They’ve been responding real-time to [anti-Asian hate](https://time.com/5938482/asian-american-attacks/ "undefined") in their conversations. And even the smallest, poppiest topics are fertile ground for a larger cultural conversation, like how a recent discussion about Olivia Rodrigo’s hit song “Drivers License” allowed Morris to analyze the mysterious disappearance of bridges from songs and gave Wortham the chance to analyze how [TikTok is shaping music](https://time.com/5594374/tiktok-artists-money/ "undefined"). A dive into how Disney took over the culture evolves into an examination of the company’s checkered past with [racist tropes](https://entertainment.time.com/2009/12/09/top-10-disney-controversies/slide/song-of-the-south/ "undefined") and their attempts to atone for their sins. Thank goodness they’re back. We need their sage podcast now more than ever. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/still-processing/id1151436460 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/1wr19EefQb1OLldzfOR1KH?si=PEB1AYp-QW-B4UwOzWGd6Q "undefined") ## _Under the Influence_ At the beginning of _Under the Influence_, host and journalist Jo Piazza argues that mainstream media and business reporting has ignored the rise of mommy influencers largely because they are women and thus not worthy of being taken seriously. She has a point. The mommy influencer space is worth billions of dollars. Moms who Instagram their well-coiffed children in bright white and inexplicably spotless homes, patiently waiting for their home-blended baby food, can make a living posting just one photo a day. In some cases, their husbands have quit their jobs to support their wives’ Instagramming endeavors. The space is empowering women—after all, the ones who succeed can become work-from-home entrepreneurs. But it’s also driving many more mothers on the receiving end of their social media posts, trying to replicate the often staged and unrealistic lifestyles they promote by buying the products they shill, insane. In a funny and fascinating show, Piazza digs into who is really benefitting from these sponcon deals and dips her own toe into mommy influencing to see if she can achieve a #blessed life. _Listen on_ [_Apple_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/6k4w68qxiUAC8dbPSwOlzC?si=qVjePMXsTbS-PwkJ6cXpMA "undefined") ## _Welcome to Your Fantasy_ Remember Chippendales? The male strip club franchise that maybe, possibly, probably inspired _Magic Mike_ and one of the most beloved (and [c](https://ew.com/tv/snl-writer-robert-smigel-defends-chris-farley-chippendales-sketch/ "undefined")[ontroversial](https://ew.com/tv/snl-writer-robert-smigel-defends-chris-farley-chippendales-sketch/ "undefined")) _SNL_ sketches of all time? Well, turns out the story of Chippendales is bonkers and totally enthralling. This podcast operates kind of like a murder mystery—one of Chippendales’ founders was killed—and will scratch that [true crime](https://time.com/5825475/true-crime-victim-families/ "undefined") itch for listeners. But really it’s a [history podcast](https://time.com/5622795/best-history-podcasts/ "undefined"): hosted by historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, _Welcome to Your Fantasy_ is more interested in Chippendales as a prism for an era defined by excess and evolving sexual mores than it is in stripping in particular. Though, don’t worry, there are plenty of laugh-out-loud stories of men stumbling their way through early routines before the founders of Chippendales figured out what women wanted. And listeners who finish the podcast wanting more can look forward to a recently announced TV version of the Chippendales saga starring [Kumail Nanjiani](https://time.com/4825536/kumail-nanjiani-the-big-sick-profile/ "undefined") as the sordid strip club’s founder. _Listen on_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/3peO5EoD0YeRh7xcFMncDM?si=EwEknbP0TBqf8pmvRfyczA "undefined") ### Read the rest of TIME’s best-of 2021 so far coverage: * [The Best Movies of 2021 So Far](https://time.com/6050312/best-movies-2021-so-far/=roundup&campaign=bestof2021sofar "undefined") * [The Best TV Shows of 2021 So Far](https://time.com/6049981/best-tv-shows-2021-so-far/=roundup&campaign=bestof2021sofar "undefined") * [The Best Albums of 2021 So Far](https://time.com/6049946/best-albums-2021-so-far/=roundup&campaign=bestof2021sofar "undefined") * [The Best Songs of 2021 So Far](https://time.com/6049945/best-songs-2021-so-far/=roundup&campaign=bestof2021sofar "undefined") * [The Best Books of 2021 So Far](https://time.com/6050302/best-books-2021-so-far/=roundup&campaign=bestof2021sofar "undefined") Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5960527/best-podcasts-2021-so-far/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5960527/best-podcasts-2021-so-far/"},"headline":"The Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far","datePublished":"2021-05-20T12:00:26.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:55:14.527Z","description":"From a deep dive into the life and career of Selena Quintanilla in 'Anything for Selena' to the stories behind Black Lives Matter protesters in 'Resistance'","url":"https://time.com/5960527/best-podcasts-2021-so-far/","keywords":["podcasts","list"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/podcasts/","name":"podcasts"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5960527/best-podcasts-2021-so-far/","name":"The Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far"}}]}] ```