Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation: Pop i 2010’erne og den politiske vækkelse (course will be held in Danish) 

Teacher: Nanna Balslev

Contact: Morten Tandrup, mta@rmc.dk

In the 2010s, several of the big stars of the R&B and hip hop scene came into character with (identity) politically explicit lyrics and music videos that focused on racism, police violence, social inequality, gender roles and LGBT rights. While Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ became the theme song for the Black Lives Matter movement, Beyoncé stepped into character as both a feminist and a black activist. Tyler, the Creator came out as bisexual, and Sam Smith “came out” as nonbinary.

In this module, we dive into some of the albums, lyrics, music videos and pop culture moments that made the 2010s a ‘woke’, i.e. politically incurred, decade on the music scene. We will look at how different works challenge, ask questions and point fingers at society’s norms – both in relation to politics and in terms of representation, sexuality and identity. Furthermore, we will look at the threads that the pop cultural political revival draws back in history.

Prerequisites
Interest in modern R&B and hip hop; interest in the political potential of popular music as well as a general desire to analyze songs, music videos and live performances.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, the student will:

• Have challenged their perception of the goals and means of contemporary art
• Have gained insight into the link between modern popular music culture and identity politics
• Have gained new perspectives on the music video as a work of art
• Have gained insight into how music videos and live performances fit into a music historical framework

Contents

We will work with the following areas:

• Music history
• Musicology
• Aesthetics
• Queer theory

Teaching and working methods

– Presentations (for example texts, live performances and music videos)

– Debates

– Group exercises

– Practical exercises

Group formation

Normally 8-9 students per class.

Assessment

A topic of the student’s choice will be presented within the framework of the themes of the module in the form of an essay (5 standard pages).

The essay is turned in through Wiseflow before the deadline that is set by the Study Administration.

Reading and listening lists and references

Relevant literature on music history, the music video as a medium and musicology will be used. In addition, relevant articles from Danish and international written media (magazines and newspapers). Select music videos, live performances and lyrics will be included and analyzed as well.