K-POP: A History of Korean Popular Music

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course aims to provide a high-fidelity musical history of Korea’s long 20th century. Starting at the tail end of the Chosŏn Dynasty in the late 19th century with Korean folksongs, we will proceed to catalogue the changing dynamics of Korean popular music as it encountered and remixed Western forms, and examine these different musical genres in their socio-historical context. No musical background or Korean language proficiency is required. All readings will be in English, although students will acquire some familiarity with Korean language through abundant listening selections and lyric analysis.