Yale University will launch a course on Beyoncé’s cultural influence next spring, titled “Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music.” Offered through the humanities and arts department, the course will cover Beyoncé’s albums from her self-titled debut to her latest, *Cowboy Carter*, examining her impact on music and performance politics.
Taught by writer and Black studies scholar Daphne Brooks, the course will explore Black intellectualism, activism, and themes in Beyoncé’s work through lenses like Black feminist theory, philosophy, performance studies, and musicology. Brooks, co-founder of Yale’s Black Sound & the Archive Working Group, aims to analyze how Beyoncé’s performances address Black liberation, memory, and feminist politics.
Beyoncé’s *Cowboy Carter* recently earned 11 Grammy nominations, marking her 99th overall and securing her title as the most Grammy-nominated artist in history.
Similar courses on Beyoncé’s influence have been offered at Rutgers University, Cornell University, Arizona State University, and more. Other pop icons, including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Lana Del Rey, have also inspired university courses in recent years, highlighting the growing academic interest in studying popular music figures.
