Short Assignment #2 - Genre Analysis

In this course, we've covered how to approach a rhetorical situation, and how to analyze the broader rhetorical contexts. We've also looked at a variety of mediums and texts, analyzing how the medium can affect the broader portrayal of genres as a whole. 

As such, this assignment will focus more closely on the genre holistically. For this assignment, I'm giving you two options: an album review, or a curated playlist. 

For the album review, you'll be conducting a formal genre analysis of an album of your choice. For the sake of consistency, please only focus on one album, but please mention other albums produced by your specific artist that may have shaped the creation of the album of your choice (collecting samples step of genre analysis).

The goal of this assignment is centered around Outcome 2: Incorporate multiple types of evidence in order to generate and support our writing

• reading, analyzing, and synthesizing a diverse range of texts and understanding the situations in which those texts are participating
• gathering, evaluating, and making purposeful use of sources appropriate for the writing goals, audience, and context
• using reading and observation to craft research questions that explore and respond to complex ideas and situations

By exploring an album of your choice, you should be able to work strategically with complex information. As a formal genre analysis, it’s important to still keep in mind the rhetorical situation, as well as any commonalities you observe in the genre.

Try to balance both the little things and the big picture; essentially, this analysis should be an observation of the “moves” employed within your chosen album. Think of it as analyzing the album in the attempt to answer the question of why it is the way it is. For example, when listening to Blonde by Frank Ocean, what aspects of the album (thematic and musical) form it as an R&B album? What aspects reinforce this, and what aspects deviate from the genre's normal tropes?

Here are some guiding questions you can use to begin formulating your thoughts:

1) Listen to the album holistically. What are some noteworthy moments (songs, transitions, etc.) that signify the album as conforming to the given genre? For example, what songs and instruments featured construct the album as rock, pop, hip hop, classical, etc.

2) Similarly, what moments deviate from the tropes mentioned? In those deviations, what other genres does the album blend with (rap/jazz, for example). How does your perception of the album change when coming across those deviations? 

In terms of what a structure might look like, begin with a brief rhetorical analysis of the album (when it came out, the artist(s) behind it, other larger artistic influences, etc.) before moving into a technical, genre analysis of specific songs, instruments, and overall conclusions you can draw as to what makes the album conform, or deviate, from its expected genre. Be sure to include a photo of the album cover, and dedicate a section to the part the "visual" aspect of the record interacts with the sonic element. Conclude with a brief thematic analysis, but you can also pepper these moments in throughout your broader genre analysis when citing lyrics and songs, for example. I'm much less concerned with the thematic, and want you guys to hone in on the questions of genre, tropes, and expectations. Refer to the Clairo review for general structure guides. 

If you choose to do the second option, you'll be curating a playlist on your chosen music streaming platform that fits a certain genre. For example, you can create a playlist of your favorite indie pop songs/artists. Simple enough, right? Aside from just creating a playlist, you'll be writing a writer's memo that explains the choices and intent behind why you chose each song, and how each song fits into the larger genre of the curated playlist. Consider these questions:

1) Why did you choose those specific songs? How well do they "fit," or not, into the genre you're going for? Again, think of the instrumentation, lyrics, transitions, etc.

2) Also consider where you might be listening to this playlist. Is it a light, moody collection for a cozy Sunday morning? Or is it an upbeat, motivational series of songs to blast at the gym? This aspect highlights tying together genre both in music and space, much like your Sidequest activity. 

Format

• 2-3 pages
• 12pt. Times New Roman
• MLA format
• Submitted as a PDF or Word Doc