Yale is going to have a course on Beyoncé

Starting in January, the cultural impact of Beyoncé will be studied at one of the Ivy League universities, Yale. The course will be taught by professor of African American studies and music, Daphne Brooks, and will be titled "Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics through Music". The syllabus includes a historical and cultural analysis of the career of one of the greatest representatives of American pop music, focusing particularly on how Beyoncé has contributed to art through her music, fashion choices, and visuals since 2013. The goal of the course, according to the independent student newspaper Yale Daily News, is to connect Beyoncé to African American history, exploring how her work reflects and influences the Black radical tradition. Furthermore, the course aims to deepen the understanding of the star's influence on the global perception of African American culture, highlighting how her ability to blend different art forms—from music to film, fashion to choreography—has helped redefine the boundaries of contemporary pop art. Most notably, the iconic Beychella performance, where as a headliner, the artist celebrated and honored the traditions of American HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities).

Beyoncé is not the only artist studied academically in America; Frank Ocean, Kanye West, and Taylor Swift have also had courses dedicated to them at various universities, including NYU and Harvard. With the "Renaissance" of pop culture in recent years, it is worth noting how music often reflects global socio-cultural conditions almost clearly: it is no coincidence that with the return of country music and Americana aesthetics, conservatives won the elections in the United States. In Italy, the only university that seems to pay attention to pop figures in the country seems to be Bocconi, which in several cases has invited influencers and content creators - including Giulia De Lellis - to give guest lectures and talks.. While the world’s most prestigious universities continue to study music stars, on our soil, perhaps a bit of cultural relevance is lacking in pop culture events. Maybe next year, at IULM, they’ll study the marketing of the recent (and brief) dissing between Tony Effe and Fedez, and the butterfly effect of the Pandoro–gate.