Spoke Media and iHeartPodcasts have announced the launch of HIGHKEY!, a new podcast and video series premiering May 30 on iHeartMedia’s Outspoken Podcast Network. Hosted by political strategist and Oscar-shortlisted producer Ben O’Keefe, cultural critic Ryan Mitchell, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11 winner Yvie Oddly, HIGHKEY! aims to bring unfiltered commentary and fearless storytelling to the forefront of pop culture and politics.
Billed as “a joyful, unfiltered conversation with your smartest and funniest friends,” HIGHKEY! promises to be a culture podcast where “nothing’s off-limits, and everything’s on the table.” Weekly episodes will feature surprising interviews, deep dives into identity and politics, and discussions on the absurdities of internet culture – all delivered with brains, banter, and a bit of drama.
“I’m excited about having the conversations I love with people – with two pretty remarkable human beings – and getting to talk to interesting folks about whatever the hell we feel like,” said Oddly. “And people think they know me from TV, but it’s my turn. My turn to really introduce you to where I’m at now – so you can kill any old ideas you had.”
Mitchell described the podcast as “the show we’ve always wanted. It’s bold, it’s honest, and it’s ours,” adding, “My superpower has always been showing up – and shining – in spaces that were never built with me in mind, while creating platforms for others who’ve felt the same.”
O’Keefe shared the inspiration behind co-creating the show: “I was tired of not feeling like there were spaces to have the conversations that me and my friends were already having. What if we had a microphone there to really capture that?” He added, “I’m a truth-teller. I have hot takes, and sometimes they burn – but that’s what I’ve built my reputation on and that’s what listeners can expect.”
The podcast is co-produced and distributed as part of iHeartMedia’s Outspoken Podcast Network, which aims to “amplify, elevate and reflect the diversity, richness and humanity of voices throughout the LGBTQ community.”
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