PAWDCAST S02 E07: Earworms, Anthems, and the Breakout Beats of 2025

Sofia Rodriguez and Allison Chun • December 19, 2025

Hosts Sophia Rodriguez (’26) and Alison Chun (’28) reflect on the music industry in 2025. They discuss how social media platforms, especially TikTok, were instrumental in launching artists like Benson Boone and Sabrina Carpenter to fame; the industry’s shift towards favoring short, viral “soundbites” and the resulting fast-paced cycle of artists rising and falling in popularity; and how this new landscape challenges established artists like Taylor Swift, while creating opportunities for genre diversification.

Co-Hosts: Sofia Rodriguez (’26) and Allison Chun (’28)

Producer: Evelyn Nethers (’29)

Music: “Mystical Magical” (Benson Boone), “Beautiful Things” (Benson Boone), “House Tour” (Sabrina Carpenter), “When Did You Get Hot” (Sabrina Carpenter), “Golden” (HUNTR/X), “Back to Friends” (Sombr), “12 to 12” (Sombr), “Cancelled” (Taylor Swift)

Sound Effect: Mauricio Póvoa from Pixabay

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About the Contributors

Sofia Rodriguez, Staff Writer

When not poring over paragraphs with a coffee in hand, you’ll find her screaming her favorite lyrics at local indie concerts or laying out pages for a new Inkwell Literary Magazine issue. With endless love for creative writing, she’ll never pass up a chance to drag her friends to a Night Owl poetry open mic or start a new fiction project. She also advances her passion in medicine through the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) program, the National Honors Society of Sports Medicine (NHSSM), and volunteering at Providence St. Jude Medical Center. She spends the rest of her time raising her Minecraft wolves or adventuring with her friends, and hopes to bring the expertise and collaboration skills from the Wildcat into her future endeavors.

Allison Chun, News Co-Editor

Serving the Wildcat as co-News Editor, Allison Chun (’28) is excited to engage the community through her articles. Outside of the newsroom, Allison serves as a competition director for Mock Trial, vice president of Red Cross and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and is an active member of the BOHS tennis team. Passionate about serving the community (and shelter cats), she is also an avid volunteer. Interested in art, Allison also attends classes with the Ryman Arts program at California State University, Fullerton. When she isn’t caught up in her extracurriculars, you might find her playing with her pudgy pet chinchilla, tending to her garden, or in the kitchen testing out new recipes. Over the next few years, Allison hopes to improve her storytelling — whether it be in writing articles for the Wildcat or an opening statement for the courtroom — and achieve her dream of attending law school in her home state of Illinois.