Alright Venice Bitches, it’s time to put down the vape and rise & grind: a class all about Lana Del Rey is heading to NYU. Titled “Topics in Recorded Music: Lana Del Rey,” journalist and author Kathy Iandoli will dive into Del Rey’s impact on the modern musical landscape, as well as her (often problematic) connections to social issues.
Per Variety, the coursework with “examine Del Rey’s contributions to 21st Century pop stardom, her relationship to feminism, her musical influences and artists she has influenced, and her connection to social justice movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo and #TimesUp.”
The latter subject has been a sore one for LDR, so it will be interesting how the instructor plans on encroaching on these topics, but it does not seem like professor Iandoli plans on shying away from the controversial.
“In so many ways, I feel like Lana Del Rey is both a blueprint and a cautionary tale, a complicated pop star who resonates so much with her fans, not because of how she makes them feel about her, but rather how she makes them feel about themselves,” Iandoli tells Variety. “She has changed the parameters of baroque pop and now more specifically ‘sad girl pop’ through her music, by expanding the subject matter which at times is controversial and challenging. There are so many pieces in this mosaic that we have now come to know as Lana Del Rey, and this course examines every dimension of it.”
A suggested lesson plan from this writer include:
1. Money Is The Anthem Of Success: How To Secure A Sugar Daddy
2. The Art Of Improving Upon A Sublime Cover
3. Lolita
4. The Symbolism Of Red, White, And Blue
6. How To Not Be Jealous Of Black Womens’ Success
8. Don’t Let Nerves Get The Best Of You: A SNL Story
Classes on pop musicians’ cultural impact are nothing new (this writer took a course called “Beyoncé Feminism/Rihanna Womanism” during undergrad), and the Clive Davis Institute implemented a course on Taylor Swift this spring. These courses join the ranks of classes on artists such as Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, Nirvana, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Kendrick Lamar, and many more taught at Clive Davis. “Topics in Recorded Music: Lana Del Rey” will run from October 20 to December 8.