Ain't I a Diva?: Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy

A fascinating and original book, Ain't I A Diva? is the final product of Professor Kevin Allred's interdisciplinary investigation of Beyoncé's music. Using media studies, critical race studies, and history as lenses, Allred interrogates our assumptions about the surface meanings of Beyoncé's lyrics and takes us one step deeper below the surface, parsing songs like "Run the World (Girls)" with theory from Kimberlé Crenshaw or writings from Sojourner Truth. Allred reveals to us that pop culture is so much more than just a guilty pleasure or an escape, and instead represents, examines, and critiques political and historical realities as one of its essential dimensions. A heady and intellectual look at one of America's most beloved pop singers.