BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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Students at Yale University are about to learn the deep artistry of Beyoncé with a new course led by Professor Daphne Brooks.
The class, titled “Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music,” is set to explore her work from 2013 to 2024, framing her impact on Black history, intellectual discourse, and performance.
Professor Brooks explained to Yale Daily News why the pop icon’s legacy is prime material for academic exploration. “Beyoncé’s innovations, her interweaving of history, politics, and Black cultural life into her performances – there’s just no one like her,” Brooks shared.
This isn’t Brooks’ first academic tribute to Queen Bey either; she previously taught a course on her at Princeton, though that one focused more broadly on cultural impact.
Beyoncé joins an elite group of artists who’ve studied in university courses, including Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, and Drake, highlighting her status as more than just an entertainer.
Her latest album, Cowboy Carter is a bold shootout into country music and the second in a trilogy following Renaissance and topped the Billboard 200 with 407,000 album-equivalent units.
Fans and students alike are on high alert for what’s next in this trilogy.
