This week, you will read and comment on two short popular media articles that present popular music examples that emphasize ETHNIC or NATIONAL identity in different ways. The first of these is an article by Buzzfeed (yes, that Buzzfeed. No, we’re not going to make this a habit) about the immensely popular Eurovision Song Contest: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiejones/eurovision-explainer-post. How do elements of the Eurovision song performances reflect beliefs about each nation’s identity? How do concepts of national identity influence the voting and the audience response to different songs? Is it possible for a platform like Eurovision to CHANGE a nation’s sense of identity, rather than simply reflecting it? If the United States were to somehow start participating in Eurovision, which artists/songs might we send to represent our nation? The second article you will read is about a Mongolian heavy metal band: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/01/05/680528912/how-a-mongolian-heavy-metal-band-got-millions-of-youtube-views?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20190105. that has recently surged in popularity. Think about how this band, The Hu, is negotiating ideas of “Mongolian” culture, sound, and identity vs. “Global” culture, sound, and identity in its music. In what ways do The Hu’s songs draw from traditional music? In what ways do they break tradition? If you knew nothing about Mongolian culture before watching the music videos linked in the article, what impressions of it did you have after watching them?
