What’s new to listen to
Ximena Smith rounds up what podcasts we’re tuning into.
Archetypes
Meghan Markle’s long-anticipated Spotify podcast has finally started releasing episodes, promising to ‘‘investigate, dissect and subvert the labels that try to hold women back’’ (such as Dragon Lady, Bimbo, Angry Black Woman and Diva), via a lineup of Markle’s famous friends, including Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Constance Wu and Ziwe. Markle and her guests look back at the etymology of each label, for example, in the episode with Mariah Carey, there’s some fascinating history about how negative connotations with the term ‘‘diva’’ have developed relatively recently. Your pre-existing feelings about Markle, pictured, will likely shape how you feel about Archetypes: in other words, if you find it difficult to empathise with powerful women who have millions of dollars at their disposal talking about barriers they’ve faced, then this podcast probably isn’t for you. New episodes on Spotify every Tuesday.
Empire
Empire examines the rise and fall of significant empires in history, and considers how these empires still affect the world we live in today. The first season delves into the British Empire in India, taking listeners from the arrival of the East India Company in 1608, all the way up to India’s independence in 1947. Hosts historian William Dalrymple, pictured, and broadcaster Anita Anand have natural rapport that’s engaging – which is just as well because the podcast is purely conversational with no flashy sound effects, music or guest interviews. While Dalrymple and Anand do a commendable job of making Empire as entertaining and accessible as possible, some knowledge about Britain’s colonisation of India is needed to enjoy this first season, otherwise you might find yourself a little lost in some of the detail. New episodes come out on Tuesdays.
Napoleon
Another new history podcast is one from UK podcast network Noiser and focuses on the 19th century French military leader and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. The series is more highly produced than Empire, with a wide range of expert interviews, dramatic narration and immersive audio design. Host Paul McGann (known for his acting roles in Dr Who, Luther and Withnail and I) paints a vivid picture of this pivotal figure in European history: his childhood on the Mediterranean island of Corsica in the 1770s, his rapid rise within the French military, his bumpy marriage to his first wife Jose´ phine and, of course, his brutal, cut-throat character. The series is told in the same style as Noiser’s award-winning series that McGann, pictured, also hosts called Real Dictators, so if you get through all six episodes of Napoleon and feel like more, have a browse through the plentiful Real Dictators archive. All episodes of Napoleon are available to listen to now on all major podcast platforms.