College Offering A Course Studying Harry Styles
Texas State will soon be offering a college dedicated to studying Harry Styles and his overt expression of identity.
In the music world of education, students learn about famous composers throughout history and study renowned artists through the decades that have shaped the industry into the perpetually evolving machine it is today. But scholars aren’t just studying historical figures, as it’s common for them to focus on modern-day icons as well. In fact, students today can pay to attend a college course revolving around modern-day celebs like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and the most recently announced genre sensation, Harry Styles.
Starting in the spring of 2023, students enrolled at Texas State will be able to sign up for a course revolving entirely around the 28-year-old award-winning musician and gender-bending fashion icon, Harry Styles. The class is officially titled “Harry styles and the Cult of Celebrity: Identity, the Internet, and European Pop Culture.” It is being championed by associate professor of digital history, Louie Dean Valencia, according to reports from CNN.
Harry Styles has remained one of the biggest names in showbiz since he first debuted on The X Factor in 2010 more than a decade ago. From becoming a global pop sensation in the British boyband, One Direction, to breaking out in his solo career, the pop star has dominated the globe everywhere he goes. With no signs of slowing down, his latest album is blowing up on global charts, with his hit single “As It Was” topping 43.8 million streams in its debut week.
For ‘Stylers’ possibly looking to enroll at the university just to fully indulge in their obsession with the British phenomenon, it is wise to consider that this class looks to involve some deep cultural topics, many of which the celeb is famous for breaking the barriers of. To his fans and followers, Harry Styles is celebrated for defying traditional gender stereotypes. He has long touted his eclectic sense of style, which often places him in flowy dresses, and as of late, low-cut tops adorned with high-waisted trousers.
But to many’s dismay, Harry Styles is nonetheless a heterosexual individual. However, his openness and comfortability to express his more feminine side has made him a hot topic for years. Because of this, and his other related success, the singer/songwriter might just be the perfect person to study amid American culture wars that center gender identity and politics around classroom discussions.
To all of his success, professor Valencia appears to credit his concept for the Harry Styles class relating back to past conversations with students about a shared love for the “Watermelon Sugar” singer. Discussing this with CNN, he recalls discussions that started with his music but ultimately would turn into “larger societal questions” about topics like gender, sexuality, race, and other things from the pop icon’s overt artistic expression.
Still, eager fans looking to enroll can rest easy knowing that Valencia will keep parts of the coursework light and focused on what led Harry Styles to this worldly point in his life. Valencia announced that the course will study Styles’ entire career, spanning back to his early boyband days in One Direction. The class will even dive into his budding film career, and much more.
