USC puts G-Dragon on the syllabus — K-pop goes academic

WorldMusic
5 Dec 2025 • 4:30 PM MYT
Malay Mail
Malay Mail

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PETALING JAYA, Dec 5 — Move over Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, G-Dragon is heading to class. The University of Southern California (USC) has announced the first ever four-credit course in the United States dedicated to a K-pop artist. And the honour goes to the Big Bang frontman himself.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the module, ‘COMM 400: Crooked Studies of K-pop: The Case of G-Dragon’, will launch in spring 2026 at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where it promises to dissect the “G-Dragon universe”.

Galaxy Corporation, the singer’s agency, says the course is a nod to K-pop as a global cultural heavyweight. Professor Lee Hye-jin will lead the class, which coincides neatly with the 20th anniversary of G-Dragon’s debut.

“It’s deeply meaningful,” Galaxy’s CEO Choi Yong-ho said, “that a prestigious university is recognising his cultural impact.”