“Blue Dot Fever” Is A Symptom Of Bigger Problems

“Blue Dot Fever” Is A Symptom Of Bigger Problems

From ICYMI by Slate Podcasts

May 9, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the phenomenon of 'blue dot fever' among musicians and its implications on the music industry.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Pitchfork news director Alex Suskind to talk about why musicians keep coming down with “blue dot fever.” Stars like Meghan Trainor and Post Malone are among many in recent months who have cancelled entire tours, seemingly due to a lack of ticket sales. Has social media changed what it means to be famous, or have things like Ticketmaster finally made concerts too expensive to attend? Or are we, the audience, to blame?  This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Kate Lindsay

Guest: Alex Suskind

Topics covered

  • music industry
  • concert cancellations
  • social media impact
  • ticket sales
  • celebrity culture

Keywords

  • blue dot fever
  • concert cancellations
  • Meghan Trainor
  • Post Malone
  • Ticketmaster
  • social media
  • fame

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pitchfork, Ticketmaster, Slate Podcasts

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