The Women of R&B: From Erykah Badu to Qveen Herby

In this course we will be looking at the various women who have shaped the R&B genre and gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of their legacy. Each week will focus on a specific artist but will be centered around a larger theme (ex. R&B groups, afrofuturism) and supplemented with videos and readings about similar artists. We will tackle theoretical issues of race, gender, sexuality, capitalism, and nationality. We will begin our journey with the R&B of the 1990s and work our way up to contemporary R&B. Our hope is for students to learn about the critical theories but perhaps more importantly to walk away from the course with an appreciation for the incredible music and strides women, especially women of color, have made in R&B and more broadly music today.