The Popcast is hosted by Jon Caramanica, a pop music critic for The New York Times. It covers the latest in pop music criticism, trends and news.

This past weekend, following comments by President Donald J. Trump suggesting that athletes who protest the national anthem should be fired, the players of the N.F.L. responded in force. Some took a knee, following the example of Colin Kaepernick; others raised a fist; some stayed in the locker room. And the protests extended to those performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” as well: In Detroit and Nashville, singers dropped to one knee at the end of their renditions.