"Does she deserve it"- Yale’s Beyoncé Course Sparks Debate as Fans Question the Academic Merit of the Offering

Published 11/09/2024, 7:55 PM EST

Beyoncé has left her mark on almost every corner of popular culture and the music industry. From the way musicians create their songs to how they release them to the world, the pop queen has broken many industry norms and challenged shallow assumptions about her art, by simply doing everything on her own terms. Now, with three decades in the business, Beyoncé’s influence has even expanded into academia.

Beyoncé's music may not be everyone’s favorite, but students at Yale might soon dive into her impact on culture through a course titled, Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics through Music. In this class, students will analyze Beyoncé’s work from 2013 to 2024, which includes millions of record sales and several accolades, as a way to explore Black history, intellectual thought, and performance. The course builds on Professor Brooks’ previous class at Princeton University titled, Black Women in Popular Music Culture.”

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Brooks believes that, after the 2024 election and everything that has happened leading up to it, it is important to recognize Beyoncé’s unmatched contributions to American, pop, and global cultures over the past two decades. The course will mainly focus on Queen Bey's music, fashion, and visual media, starting with her 2013 self-titled album and continuing all the way through to 2024’s ‘Cowboy Carter.’ It will also explore the complex experiences of Black women in media and politics. However, many fans seem to think this idea is ridiculous.

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Fans have taken to X to criticize Yale's decision, as they do not understand what a course on Beyoncé is supposed to accomplish.

Fans find the idea of a Beyoncé course at Yale absurd

In a world where everyone has their own two cents, it is only natural that not everyone is a fan of Beyoncé. The pop star has massive fame and is not afraid to speak up on important issues, which makes her a figure that gets a lot of strong reactions. And while her loyal fans are always cheering her on, and celebrating everything she does, there are also people who are skeptical of her or even dislike her. Recently, some of these critics have come together online to troll Beyoncé after hearing about the Yale course, questioning- "does she deserve it"? 

Not everyone, however, felt the same way. A lot of fans were actually excited about the course and were curious to learn more about it. 

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Beyoncé is currently leading the pack with 11 nods for her album 'Cowboy Carter' and its singles at the Grammys 2025- beating her own record of 10 nominations from 2009. With a total of 99 Grammy nominations, she is officially the most-nominated artist in history. And with more such records likely on her way, it is clear that the 43-year-old's career is showing no signs of slowing down. 

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What do you think about Beyoncé's Yale course? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hriddhi Maitra

1846 articles

Hriddhi Maitra is a Hollywood News reporter at Netflix Junkie. An enthusiastic movie buff, Hriddhi found her true calling when she worked as a Cinema Content Writer at My Cinema Story while analyzing movies objectively, and offering constructive feedback. Coming from a background where she worked in different niches like finance, food, travel, medicines, automobile, and entertainment, we can safely say she is a jack of all trades.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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