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Unfamous with Justin Tranter

Justin Tranter + Morgan Stuart 22 Episodes Aug 19, 2026

Unfamous, hosted by Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter, reveals how creative work actually gets made. Each episode pairs a celebrity with the collaborator behind their biggest moments in music, comedy, film, and entertainment. You get honest stories, real insight, and a practical blueprint for building a creative career.

Episodes

Recap | How Artists Rebuild, Find Their Identity + Build the Right Team Aug 19, 2026 2182 Host and co-creator Justin Tranter and co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit their conversation with artist Valencia Grace and manager Kyle Stuart to unpack what it really takes to build an artist from the ground up. They break down why getting dropped can sometimes unlock the artist you were supposed to become, why the right manager needs to be genuinely obsessed with the work, and why virality, a r

Bea Miller | Child Stardom on The X Factor, Depression and the Wild Stories Behind Her Songs Aug 12, 2026 5676 Bea Miller joins longtime collaborator Justin Tranter to unpack growing up as a child star, surviving The X Factor, and finding her confidence as a songwriter. They break down how real conversations about depression, relationships, insecurity and bad decisions became songs like “Feel Something,” “Drunk Enough,” “Depressed on the Internet,” and “Sex for Attention,” plus sexism in writing rooms, P

Recap: Kid Cudi on Creative Trust, Criticism, and the Meaning of "Pursuit of Happiness" Aug 5, 2026 1705 Unfamous host Justin Tranter and his co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit Justin’s conversation with Kid Cudi, unpacking what it reveals about trust, creative risk, criticism, and longevity. From the chaotic first session that helped unlock “Saltwater,” to Cudi pushing himself vocally, to “Pursuit of Happiness” becoming something bigger than its original meaning, this minisode looks at how great artis

Recap: Caleb Hearon + Caitie Delaney on TV Writing, Ego, and Bad Notes Jul 29, 2026 1536 Unfamous host Justin Tranter is joined by his co-creator Morgan Stuart to revisit their episode with comedian, actor, and writer Caleb Hearon and TV writer Caitie Delaney, whose credits include Big Mouth and Rick and Morty. Together, they unpack what Caleb and Caitie’s creative partnership reveals about writer room dynamics, ego, executive notes, knowing when to push back, and why the best colla

Wendy Goldstein | The Art of Building Superstars Jul 22, 2026 4242 Wendy Goldstein, Chairwoman and CCO of Republic Records, joins Justin Tranter for a masterclass on how artists are discovered, careers are built, and hit records are made. From signing The Roots in her first week at Epic Records to helping guide artists like Ariana Grande, Joe Jonas, and DNCE, Wendy shares lessons from decades spent shaping some of the biggest careers and moments in modern music.

Claire + Ragnar Rosinkranz | The Viral Hit, the Health Scare, and the Comeback Jul 15, 2026 3981 Claire Rosinkranz and Ragnar Rosinkranz join Justin Tranter for a funny, intimate, and deeply honest conversation about making music as father and daughter. They look back on the musical home that shaped Claire, the unexpected rise of “Backyard Boy,” and what it felt like to have a viral breakout at 16 before fully understanding the scale of it. But this episode is not just about one song. Cla

Emei + Ricky Reed | How Radical Honesty Builds Great Artists Jul 8, 2026 4497 Singer-songwriter Emei joins Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and Nice Life founder Ricky Reed for a conversation about the creative partnership behind her latest project, Night at the Opera, and what it really takes to build a lasting career. Together with Justin Tranter, they unpack how Ricky discovered Emei, why one radically honest conversation became the foundation of their collaboration,

Nick Jonas | The Rejections Behind His Biggest Breakthroughs Jul 1, 2026 4503 Nick Jonas has spent nearly two decades navigating the highs, lows, and reinventions that come with growing up in public. In this episode of Unfamous, he joins Justin Tranter for an honest conversation about the resilience, creativity, and self-belief that have fueled one of pop culture's most enduring careers. Nick reflects on the pressure of being perceived as a Disney star and Jonas Brother wh

Rose Gray | From Louder, Please to "Club to Your Arms" Jun 24, 2026 4147 Rose Gray joins Justin Tranter for a conversation about songwriting, collaboration, and the creative journey behind her latest single, "Club to Your Arms." A Critics Choice Brit Award nominee and one of the most exciting voices in modern pop, Rose shares how she built a devoted fanbase through relentless touring, emotional honesty, and a clear artistic vision long before any viral breakthrough ar

Katy Perry + Christian Breslauer | Watch It Burn, Feminine Fire, and Why It’s Okay to Be Angry Jun 17, 2026 4781 Katy Perry, Christian Breslauer and Justin Tranter make bold, emotionally driven work. But more importantly, they know what it means to feel something fully and still let it be seen. In this episode of Unfamous, Katy sits down with Justin to talk about their songwriting collaboration on “Band-Aids” and “Watch It Burn” (out 6/25), and how those songs came from a place of vulnerability, intention,

Skylar Grey + Elliott Taylor | Eminem Hits, Bubble Grunge and WASTED POTENTIAL Jun 10, 2026 4470 Skylar Grey and Elliott Taylor collaborate on making music. But more importantly, they’ve built a creative life together. In this episode of Unfamous, Skylar opens up about writing Love The Way You Lie for Eminem and Rihanna alone in a cabin in the woods with no internet, how emotional burnout shaped her new album Wasted Potential, and why some of the darkest creative moments often lead to breakth

Bongo ByTheWay + Ant Clemons | Songwriting math, producer psychology + Ye hits Jun 3, 2026 4335 Bongo ByTheWay and Ant Clemons break down the creative chemistry that turned their first session into 11 songs in a single day and eventually led to collaborations with artists like Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and more. The conversation dives into songwriting “math,” artist development, ego-free collaboration, surviving the music industry, and why emotional intelligence matters just a

Linda Perry + Don Hardy | Music, filmmaking, grief, and the power of vulnerability May 27, 2026 4701 Linda Perry, the songwriter and producer behind songs like Christina Aguilera's “Beautiful” and Four Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” joins Unfamous alongside documentary filmmaker Don Hardy to talk about the deeply personal documentary about Linda’s life and creative evolution. The episode explores Linda’s journey through music, collaboration, grief, cancer, vulnerability, and emotional honesty while u

Valencia Grace + Kyle Stuart | Finding your artistic identity and building the right team May 26, 2026 4790 Valencia Grace and manager Kyle Stuart break down what it actually takes to build an artist from the ground up. From getting dropped by a label and rebuilding independently to shaping a theatrical “pop opera” identity in real time, the episode explores the creative and strategic partnership behind an emerging artist’s career. They talk about how to find the right collaborators, what makes artist-

Valencia Grace performs “Picture Frames” live on Unfamous May 20, 2026 334 Valencia Grace performs a live rendition of “Picture Frames” on this special episode of Unfamous. Stripped down to just voice and piano, the performance highlights the theatrical emotion, intimacy, and storytelling at the core of Valencia’s artistry. Follow, subscribe, like and comment if you love to watch and listen. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Mo

Bonus: Valencia Grace performs “Picture Frames” live on Unfamous May 20, 2026 334 Valencia Grace performs a live rendition of “Picture Frames” on this special episode of Unfamous. Stripped down to just voice and piano, the performance highlights the theatrical emotion, intimacy, and storytelling at the core of Valencia’s artistry. Follow, subscribe, like and comment if you love to watch and listen. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Mo

Yadim Carranza + Darian Darling | Building beauty culture from the underground May 13, 2026 4325 Yadim Carranza and Darian Darling shape beauty culture from behind the scenes. But more importantly, they’ve spent years helping each other survive and evolve through nightlife, fashion, addiction, transphobia, and the chaos of creative ambition. In this episode, the longtime friends and collaborators join Justin Tranter to talk about going from MAC counters and tiny New York apartments to influe

Debbie Gibson | Youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a Billboard #1 hit May 6, 2026 6336 On this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with pop icon Debbie Gibson for a candid conversation about songwriting, producing, and building a career before adulthood. Debbie breaks down how she taught herself production, became the youngest artist ever to write, produce, and perform a Billboard Hot 100 #1, and learned to protect her creative vision in an industry that constantly underes

Grace VanderWaal + Eren Cannata | Growing up as a 'Childstar' and processing it through music Apr 29, 2026 3128 Grace VanderWaal and Eren Cannata make work that feels raw but intentional. More importantly, they know how to keep the energy in the room alive long enough for the right idea to land. In this episode of Unfamous, they talk about building Childstar and the creative rhythm Grace and Eren found together. Grace reflects on starting sessions as young as 12 and how writing gave her a way to say things

MUNA | Evolving Together, Creative Tension and Making Dancing On The Wall Apr 22, 2026 4779 MUNA makes emotionally sharp, collaborative work that holds because they know how to stay in it long enough to figure out what a song actually needs. In this episode of Unfamous, host Justin Tranter sits down with MUNA to talk about building a band as a long-term collaboration and what it’s taken to evolve together while working on their upcoming album, which Justin also co-wrote on. They get int

Kid Cudi | Trusting Collaborators, Taking Vocal Risks, and Taking Free on Tour Apr 15, 2026 4377 Kid Cudi and Justin Tranter make emotionally expansive, genre-shifting work. But more importantly, they know how to stay open long enough to actually find something new. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin sits down with Cudi to talk about their collaboration on Free and what it meant for him to move from writing alone into a shared process. They get into trust, pushing past limits, and letting o

Troye Sivan + Leland | A Look Inside Their Creative Partnership + How “Rush” Started With a DM Apr 8, 2026 5399 Troye Sivan and Leland make emotional, euphoric, deeply honest pop. But more importantly? They know how to build a creative partnership that blurs the line between friendship and songwriting. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with the longtime collaborators to talk about how their relationship fuels their music, from their first chaotic session to crafting songs like “Rush” a

King Princess | Girl Violence, Nicole Kidman and a Demon Named Cherry Apr 1, 2026 2712 King Princess makes bold, chaotic, deeply self-aware pop. But more importantly? She knows how to build art through collaboration, trust, and a healthy amount of beautifully unhinged creativity. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with longtime collaborator and pop provocateur King Princess to talk about songwriting, acting, queer storytelling, and what it actually takes to surv

Melanie Martinez + CJ Baran | Building Worlds Through Intuition, Trust, and Experimentation Mar 25, 2026 4702 Melanie Martinez and CJ Baran make dark, beautiful, deeply specific art. But more importantly? They know how to build a universe together. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with the longtime collaborators behind Cry Baby, Portals, and Melanie’s upcoming double-album world to talk about storytelling, trust, experimentation, intuition, and what it takes to make something both wil

Trixie + Fena | If The Wig Stays On, The Zipper Closes + No One Cries, It's No Accident. It's Fena. Mar 18, 2026 4342 Trixie Mattel and Fena Barbitall know drag is never just the person in front of the camera. It takes trust, instinct, taste, stamina, and someone behind the scenes who knows how to keep the whole illusion alive. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with the longtime collaborators to talk about drag as a craft, creative assistance, building looks under pressure, touring, ego, ins

Amy Allen + Gabz Landman | The Songwriter–Manager Partnership That Built a Hitmaking Career Mar 11, 2026 4602 Amy Allen is one of the biggest songwriters in pop. Gabz Landman is one of the sharpest managers in music. But more importantly? They know how to build a career together. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with the longtime collaborators to talk about instinct, trust, advocacy, career-building, and what it really takes to make a songwriter-manager relationship work over the lo

Solo Session with Ink | From Street Performer to writing Beyonce's “16 Carriages” and performing at Stagecoach Mar 4, 2026 3007 Ink is a hitmaking songwriter with main-character energy. But more importantly? She understands collaboration like it’s a spiritual practice and a contact sport. In this Unfamous minisode, Justin Tranter sits down with Ink (Beyoncé’s “16 Carriages,” Lil Nas X’s “Star Walkin’,” Kendrick Lamar's "Luther", and a résumé she will absolutely read out loud and proud) to talk about freestyling melodies,

Caleb Hearon + Caitie Delaney | How to Be Funny, Employed, and Only Mildly Traumatized About It Mar 4, 2026 5905 Caleb Hearon and Caitie Delaney are hilarious. But more importantly? They know how to collaborate. In this episode of Unfamous, Justin Tranter sits down with two of comedy’s sharpest minds to talk about writing rooms, pitching to sell, ego deaths, executive notes, financial insecurity, and the very specific horror of saying “sure” to Caleb Hearon. It’s chaotic, smart, honest and it’s a real tak

Introducing: Unfamous with Justin Tranter Feb 25, 2026 145 Most of what you love in pop culture didn't happen the way you think it did. Unfamous pairs a celebrity with the collaborator who helped build their biggest moments and lets you hear how it actually went down. It’s funny, honest, occasionally chaotic, and full of real insight about collaboration, ego, ambition, and making something that lasts. You know the moments. You don't know the stories.

Unfamous with Justin Tranter

Episodes

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