Refereed Publications by Alyssa Woods
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Video Analysis, 2019
Religious experience and expression are important components of hip-hop music and culture. Histor... more Religious experience and expression are important components of hip-hop music and culture. Historically, rap artists have incorporated references to, and symbols of, their faith in ways that reinforce the norms of hip-hop culture. There has been a recent growing trend of “finding God” within the hip-hop community. This chapter offers a typology for classifying the use of religious imagery in hip-hop videos while also interrogating how conversion experience is referenced within the medium. We argue that hip-hop artists are in a constant process of negotiation between the tensions of the expected patterns of behavior dictated by their religious affiliation and the norms associated with operating within the structures of hip-hop culture. This is illustrated through brief case studies of the work of rappers DMX, Nas, and the Game, all of whom have experienced some form of conversion experience. Our larger case study on the video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” offers insight into how the visual medium of the music video works in concert, and equally, with the musical and lyrical elements of the song to fully communicate Lamar’s struggles with faith.
Rebel Musics Volume 2: Human Rights, Resistant Sounds, and the Politics of Music Making. Edited by Daniel Fischlin and Ajay Heble. Black Rose Books , 2021
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Video Analysis, 2019
Religious experience and expression are important components of hip-hop music and culture. Histor... more Religious experience and expression are important components of hip-hop music and culture. Historically, rap artists have incorporated references to, and symbols of, their faith in ways that reinforce the norms of hip-hop culture. There has been a recent growing trend of “finding God” within the hip-hop community. This chapter offers a typology for classifying the use of religious imagery in hip-hop videos while also interrogating how conversion experience is referenced within the medium. We argue that hip-hop artists are in a constant process of negotiation between the tensions of the expected patterns of behavior dictated by their religious affiliation and the norms associated with operating within the structures of hip-hop culture. This is illustrated through brief case studies of the work of rappers DMX, Nas, and the Game, all of whom have experienced some form of conversion experience. Our larger case study on the video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” offers insight into how the visual medium of the music video works in concert, and equally, with the musical and lyrical elements of the song to fully communicate Lamar’s struggles with faith.
The Beatles Through a Glass Onion. Reconsidering the White Album. Edited by Mark Olsteen. University of Michigan Press, 2019
Adaptations of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by U2 and Tori Amos alyssa woods and lori burns "Happine... more Adaptations of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by U2 and Tori Amos alyssa woods and lori burns "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" has been covered by a host of artists, including Alanis Morissette, the Breeders, Marilyn Manson, Phish, U , and Tori Amos, in a variety of styles and with a range of cultural implications. The diversity of musical responses to the song reflects its inherent potential for expansion in both the lyrical and musical realms. Inspired by a gun magazine (American Rifleman, May) featuring the line "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" (Turner ,), Lennon's allusive lyrics suggest a wide array of meanings involving gun violence, sexuality, and drug use. Musically, the track's shifting patterns pull the listener in multiple stylistic directions that are evocative for expressive development. This chapter focuses on two versions that adapt the original song materials to create pointed political messages. U released their cover version ("The Gun Mix") as the B-side of the single "Last Night on Earth" (Pop,), developing an alternative rock sound for the song. Alternative singer-songwriter Tori Amos featured the song on her covers album, Strange Little Girls, beginning her track with a reference to Lennon's shooting and developing a striking commentary on the US Constitution's Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. The versions in question emerged during the period branded by George Plasketes as the "Cover Age" due to the sheer volume of adaptations produced:
The Pop Palimpsest: Intertextuality in Recorded Popular Music. Edited by Lori Burns and Serge Lacasse. University of Michigan Press, 2018
The Routledge Companion to Popular Music and Humor. Edited by Nicolas Baxter-Moore and Tom Kitts. Routledge Press, 2019
This paper examines a recent trend in the work of female artists to appropriate and parody the hi... more This paper examines a recent trend in the work of female artists to appropriate and parody the hip-hop “booty video” and, in so doing, to address specific modes of female objectification that have their origins in the work of male artists. We interpret Lily Allen’s Hard out Here (2013), Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda (2014), and Beyoncé’s 7/11 (2014) as illustrative of this trend, and we connect each of these videos through intertextual references to the work of mainstream male artists. We suggest that these artists, relying upon an established intertext, adopt strategies of humor, hyperbole, and parody in order to enter and reclaim the discourse of the booty.
Twentieth-Century Music, 2015
Lady Gaga’s work is noted for her references to the work of other artists and is often criticized... more Lady Gaga’s work is noted for her references to the work of other artists and is often criticized for borrowed content that is perceived as exceeding mere generic norms. In this study, we engage closely with the musical and lyrical content of two songs from her extended play release, The Fame Monster (2009), with the goal of identifying
and interpreting the intertextual pathways that led to these works. Relying upon theories of intertextuality, we unearth a network of texts invoked in each of her songs and consider these connections to comprise a musical genealogy, invoking Foucault’s conception of genealogy as the process of revealing historical knowledge.
Refereed Publications - Popular Music Studies by Alyssa Woods
Kanye West's challenge to the conventions of contemporary hip-hop is nowhere more apparent than o... more Kanye West's challenge to the conventions of contemporary hip-hop is nowhere more apparent than on his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak (2008). A most intriguing object of enquiry for scholars of popular music, the album sets itself apart from many others in the world of mainstream rap for a number of reasons: the lyrics are emotionally expressive and exposed, the music is sung rather than rapped, and the videos represent the lived experiences of pain and hardship that the album's title so clearly communicates. That said, West's challenge to the conventions of contemporary hip-hop is made manifest in other ways as well. Indeed, we argue that 808s & Heartbreak can be seen as a critical reflection on the politics of black masculinity within the context of American celebrity culture. More specifically, we claim that the album is constituted by two key themes: first, sadness and vulnerability in the face of loss; and second, emptiness and isolation as a consequence of stardom. Paying close attention to how these themes are brought into being by the album, we show that West complicates the hypermasculine representations of black males that pervade the world of mainstream popular music.
Numerous scholars have identified hip-hop as rooted in the practice of storytelling. 1 Nelson Geo... more Numerous scholars have identified hip-hop as rooted in the practice of storytelling. 1 Nelson George describes rap 'as a showcase for the art of verbal dexterity and storytelling,' while Tricia Rose has discussed its 'ability to use the powerful tradition of black oration and storytelling to render stylistically compelling music.' 2 We hope to contribute to an understanding of the hip-hop singer-songwriter by revealing Kanye West's lyrical and musical strategies as aligned with the characteristics of the singer-songwriter genre: hence, we consider how he communicates about life experiences and delivers social commentaries; we trace numerous social themes and concerns at the core of his lyrical expression throughout his work; we examine how he creates an intimate space through his musical expression and recording practices; and we discuss how he uses technology as his instrument in order to develop innovative vocal and sonic expressive strategies.
Papers by Alyssa Woods
Music theory online, Jun 1, 2004
Recent studies in popular music explore the problematic attribution of "authenticity" to an artis... more Recent studies in popular music explore the problematic attribution of "authenticity" to an artist's musical work. (1) Such an attribution might be an evaluation of the sincerity of the artist, or a judgment concerning purity of musical style. Sometimes an entire genre is evaluated on the basis of its authenticity, for instance, when folk is associated with the authentic and pop with the synthetic. The concept of "authenticity" becomes ever more germane when the analyst is considering an artist's borrowing of another artist's original material. In a simplistic evaluation of such "cover" songs, the original material might be described as authentic and the cover an appropriation, yet the interpretive process ought never to be that simple. [2] The evaluation of an artist's authenticity relies heavily upon the subjective perspective of both artist and listener. Allan Moore identifies three possible perspectives on musical authenticity-the perspective of originator (the unmediated expression), that of appropriator (the borrowing of another artist's material), and that of listener (the reception of the expression as genuine). (2) Moore recognizes intersections among these three categories, for instance, an appropriation of another artist's work may still be considered "authentic" as long as the borrowed material is presented with "sincerity." Such attributions of genuineness, honesty, authenticity, suggest a unified statement, perhaps one could even say single-voiced
Journal of popular music education, Aug 1, 2018
This article examines the critical pedagogy of Lupe Fiasco’s music video ‘Bitch Bad’ (2012). Situ... more This article examines the critical pedagogy of Lupe Fiasco’s music video ‘Bitch Bad’ (2012). Situating Fiasco’s work as an instance of hip hop teaching, we propose an analytic model to facilitate the interpretation of genre conventions evident in the multimodal music video text. We place genre theory into dialogue with critical discourse analysis in order to bring forward the ideologies, social values and cultural norms invoked in Fiasco’s portrayal of hip hop video actors and spectators. The analysis reveals Lupe Fiasco’s and videographer Gil Green’s critique of racist and misogynist stereotypes perpetuated in the music industry. Fiasco and Green present the hip hop performer as a labourer who is asked to portray specific conventions of gender, race and class. They explore the impact of the genre conventions upon children who grow up in the context of these cultural norms; they situate Fiasco as a cultural critic and teacher; and they demonstrate the potential of the music video to function as a pedagogical text.
The Routledge Companion to Popular Music and Humor, 2019
The Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music Video Analysis, 2019
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Refereed Publications by Alyssa Woods
and interpreting the intertextual pathways that led to these works. Relying upon theories of intertextuality, we unearth a network of texts invoked in each of her songs and consider these connections to comprise a musical genealogy, invoking Foucault’s conception of genealogy as the process of revealing historical knowledge.
Refereed Publications - Popular Music Studies by Alyssa Woods
Papers by Alyssa Woods
and interpreting the intertextual pathways that led to these works. Relying upon theories of intertextuality, we unearth a network of texts invoked in each of her songs and consider these connections to comprise a musical genealogy, invoking Foucault’s conception of genealogy as the process of revealing historical knowledge.