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In seemingly every crevice of the 97th Academy Awards, there was music, or a reminder of it. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivered one of their “Wicked” duets; Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye performed James Bond themes; Daniel Blumberg, a onetime indie-rock hero now on a second musical act, won best score; the host Conan O’Brien worked tunes into his stand-up bits.

And even when there was no music performed, there was music in the air. Timothée Chalamet, who did not take the stage, was nominated for the role of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown”; there were nods to how music functioned in the night’s big winner, “Anora,” and in the polarizing nominee “Emilia Pérez”; and Mick Jagger appeared, gamely making an age joke at his own expense.

On this week’s Popcast, a conversation about how the Oscars incorporated music into this year’s ceremony, in manners both smooth and bumpy; whether music made for movies can ever be cool; and whether O’Brien should be making jokes about Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

Guests:

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