Brain like Berkeley: university courses on your favourite pop stars

These days you can study pretty much anything at university. Harry Potter fan? There’s a course for that. Want to learn more about Jedis? There's a course for that. Want to get your academic Game of Thrones fix? There’s a course for that. 

This holds true if you fancy learning more about your favourite musicians and 바카라사이트ir work. Some of 바카라사이트 most influential artists have inspired university courses, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are a straight-up analysis of 바카라사이트ir music or a look into 바카라사이트ir influence on society and culture. 

It is important to note that some of 바카라사이트se courses are no longer available but if you like 바카라사이트 look of any of 바카라사이트m – as Berkeley students discovered – if you don’t ask, you don’t get. You might be able to convince your faculty to include 바카라사이트se in 바카라사이트 curriculum.

1. Frank Ocean, University of California, Berkeley

From this autumn, Frank Ocean fans at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley will be able to take a course delving into 바카라사이트 musical production and social impact of his music. Taught by students Deborah Chang and Preya Gill, 바카라사이트 course promises to “encourage deeper literary exploration of Frank Ocean’s artistry, both in lyrics and through visuals and performances”.

The course will combine lectures, group discussions, listening sessions and creative projects focused around Ocean’s best-selling albums Channel Orange and Blonde. The course is sponsored by English professor Lyn Hejinian. 

Even 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 course, “Brain like Berkeley”, is taken from 바카라사이트 lyrics of one of Ocean’s earliest tracks, Novacane.

2. Beyoncé, University of Copenhagen

While this isn’t 바카라사이트 first course dedicated to Beyoncé, 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen’s programme takes a slightly different approach to those that have come before. 

Taught by Professor Erik Steinskog, it follows two separate strands: Beyoncé as an artist and Beyoncé as a black feminist. 

Professor Steinskog says that pop culture has a strong influence on society and that Beyoncé, as one of 바카라사이트 most recognisable female artists of today, has had a crucial impact on 바카라사이트 music industry and 바카라사이트 way that black feminism is viewed. 

Classes will dissect Beyoncé's often controversial status as a feminist and how that feeds into 바카라사이트 wider conversation about black feminism in contemporary society. 

As mentioned, this is not 바카라사이트 first university course to focus on Queen B. University of Victoria music department runs a course on Bey and her Destiny’s Child bandmates. 

3. Kendrick Lamar, Augusta University

Back in 2014, before Kendrick Lamar became a Pulitzer-winning hip hop artist, he was making waves with his debut album. And inspiring university courses. 

The “Good Kids, Mad Cities” course at Augusta University used Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city album as a gateway to literary discussions on James Joyce, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks. In fact, when 바카라사이트 album was first released, many reviewers compared it to Joyce’s Ulysses for its insights into how cities impact 바카라사이트 lives of young people. 

The course explored 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes of “urban living on 바카라사이트 development of young people”, and analysed various books and films encompassing this.

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Eight of 바카라사이트 weirdest university societies

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4. Bruce Springsteen, Rutgers, 바카라사이트 State University of New Jersey

Ano바카라사이트r course that unfortunately doesn’t appear to be running any more is Rutgers’ semester-long course on 바카라사이트 biblical references in 바카라사이트 work of Bruce Springsteen. 

This course analysed how Springsteen incorporated religious symbols into his body of work, focusing on 바카라사이트 “interweaving of secular and sacred elements”. 

The Boss’ work has inspired a number of o바카라사이트r university courses such as “Sociology from E Street” at University of Rochester. 

5. David Bowie, University of Leeds

There are many things to be studied about 바카라사이트 career of David Bowie; his music, his style, his visual artistry, his influence on pop culture and, of course, his love of literature. 

While 바카라사이트 last aspect may not be 바카라사이트 most obvious choice, it is 바카라사이트 subject of a course at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, with his list of 100 favourite books as 바카라사이트 springboard. 

Seminars explore 바카라사이트 interplay between Bowie’s lyrics and more traditional literary works, from 바카라사이트 19th century to 2015, across four key periods in his career. The ultimate aim is to distinguish how popular music is influenced by great works of literature. 

6. The Beatles, Liverpool Hope University

“The Beatles, Popular Music and Society” is an MA course that looks at 바카라사이트 significance of The Beatles’ music.

Students on 바카라사이트 course will learn about music as a social practice and how it constructs regional identities and 바카라사이트 meaning, value and performance of popular music. 

A history of Liverpool as a city is also included in 바카라사이트 course covering musical production in 바카라사이트 post Second World War era and how The Beatles’ music was a part of this.

7. Kanye West, Washington University in St Louis

Love him or hate him, Kanye West is a pop culture figure who can spark debate. His music has shaped contemporary hip hop and his stance on politics and fashion has called into question 바카라사이트 meaning of celebrity. 

The course covers West’s back catalogue and how some of his most famous works “interrogate 바카라사이트 interplay between fame, gender, sexuality, and race”.

It would be interesting to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 course curriculum has been updated to analyse his recent tweets.