Topics in Recorded Music: Beyonce

Catalog description

The career of Beyoncé is unprecedented. Though she stands squarely in a long lineage of pop superstars, the degree of her success, the centrality of her presence, her ability to cross genres, and the length of her dominion in the pop landscape far surpasses that of any Black female progenitor, and rivals that of predecessors like Madonna and peers like Taylor Swift. That path, from a middle-class home in Houston to stages at the Super Bowl and presidential inaugurations, was certainly enabled by a shift toward multiracialism in American and global pop culture. But perhaps in greater measure it was made possible by the talent, ambition, and savvy of Beyoncé Giselle Knowles herself. This 7-week course examines the rise and reign of Beyoncé in all its aspects — as a child performer; a girl-group member; a songwriter; a singer; a dancer; an entrepreneur; an advocate and activist; a multi-genre genius; and a master of persona, provocation, and public imaging. We contextualize these roles within the larger sweep of cultural changes in the 21st Century, and also shaped by enduring dysfunctions like colorism, white supremacy, and patriarchy. In so doing, we look at Beyoncé's relationship to different audiences, including her sometimes fanatical online "Beyhive," and most recently the release of her defiant album, Cowboy Carter; and ultimately what her ascendancy teaches us about our collective values.