Formation/Cours

This course examines the complex relations between music and politics. This is an exercise in political theory/philosophy, an attempt to see how political theorists/philosophers can think seriously about music. What kind of political object is music? How can music be genuinely political? Is there a specific relation between music and liberal-democratic ideals? What are the implications of the rise of a “cultural industry” for music? Is the distinction between elitist and popular forms of music still politically relevant? Can music be a source of political transformations? Are Beyoncé and Taylor Swift politically relevant and if so, how? Why does the right hate Taylor Swift?
More broadly, this course will ask the following question: what happened to the way that we think about popular culture since Adorno’s radical critique of it as a form of mass standardization?

Themes covered will include: the relevance of protest songs; music and identity politics: propaganda; the politics of punk; rap and the politics of race; cultural industry and mass culture; contestation, resistance and marginality; cooptation and authenticity; art and political engagement; political emotions.

Session outline:
1.Introduction
2.Adorno hates everything: music, markets and social criticism
3.Habermas meets Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé : music and emancipatory politics
4.The politics of hating Taylor Swift
5.Music and Masculinities: Don’t you know that you’re toxic?
6.F*ck tha polis (Shelby’s account): Domination, contestation and resistance I The Politics of rap
7.F*ck tha polis (Shelby’s account): Domination, contestation and resistance II: The Politics of rap
8.Rebel all! Music and trumpism
9.Authenticity: the politics of keeping it real