When Alexandra Cooper's hit podcast Call Her Daddy ranked as Spotify's second-biggest podcast of 2023 and named the top podcast for female listeners, its host could never have imagined what her choice to host an episode with Vice President Kamala Harris would signify.
Harris' episode, which aired on October 6, spoke to the US' political battleground of abortion rights and reproductive healthcare, but more than that, it spoke to the media territory now considered friendly for political candidates: podcasts.
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In 2024, there were 546.7 million podcast listeners worldwide, a 7.85% increase from the previous year. By 2027, the number of podcast listeners is expected to reach 651.7 million. Cooper's podcast, which is the most-listened to podcast by women on Spotify, features frank and candid conversations on the subjects of mental health, relationships and sex. Why does this matter? Because Call Her Daddy, which is aimed at a female audience, averages 5 million weekly listeners and with nearly 89 million women registered to vote in this year's presidential election, women make up the largest, and arguably the most influential, voting bloc in the US. Harris' interview with Cooper is her way of attempting to ensure that women feel heard, seen and represented.
'I care about making sure that people are entitled to and receive the freedoms that they are due,' Harris said, ending the episode. 'I care about lifting people up and making sure that you are protected from harm. I care about tapping into the ambitions and the aspirations of people knowing that we are capable of so much.'
The Vice President may have been criticised for prioritising scripted public appearances so far in her campaign, but the non-scripted interviews she's engaged in have shouted, rather than whispered, as to where the dial sits in appealing to the electorate in this election. Not only were women credited with electing President Joe Biden in 2020, but younger voters, many of whom are digital natives, are also said to be a crucial voting bloc that both candidates are targeting in this election. A 2023 report by Oxford University's Reuters Institute noted that 41% of 18 to 24-year-olds say social media is their main source of news, up from 18% in 2015. The report noted that TikTok, where one in five 18-24 year olds admitted sourcing their news from, ‘is the fastest growing social network in our survey’. A teaser video posted to the Call Her Daddy's TikTok account of Harris' interview was viewed more than 1.5 million times and was 'liked' by more than 140,000 people within 14 hours of it being posted.
It's not only Harris, but her political opponent, Donald Trump, too, who's attempting to elbow his way back into the news cycle by also appearing on podcasts that are typically more sympathetic to Republican values. He has so far appeared on podcasts that are popular with young men in the US, including This Past Weekend w/Theo Von and the Lex Fridman Podcast.
In less than a month, Americans will have taken to the polls to cast their votes in this year's presidential election. While we might not know officially who has won the election in 28 days' time — each state has its own timeline for certifying election results — we will (hopefully) have a clear idea of who will have secured the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.
This is crunch time; this is the home run of both candidates making their last pleas to the American people of who they, as candidates, are and what they will do for their country. Make no mistake: the revolution will be recorded. Just be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
