Pop Conference 2022 - "When I Think of Home: Race and Borders in Popular Music"

For our musical breaks between the daytime sessions, we've curated/created short bits of "bonus beats" of original music videos from students and recent alumni of The Clive Davis Institute at New York University—videos that connect, in some way, to this year's conference themes of race, borders and/or home. Plus: we've worked with acclaimed singer-songwriter-educator Jamila Woods (this year's Clive Davis Institute Artist-in-Residence and a first-time Pop Conference presenter) to curate a suite of her music videos as "bonus beats." Jamila Woods will conduct a special writing mentorship session on Sunday at 4 pm ET.

For this section we have:

1. "Buy u something nice," a 2021 music video by Golder. Golder describes it as: "a love letter to my adopted home of downtown Manhattan. It amplifies the freneticism and diversity of an area where five blocks can take you through three cultures, and one that's becoming ever more awash in glitzy, tacky-sparkly consumerism. In the middle of the chaos, a rooftop DIY show is still able to bring community that transcends race, culture, and socioeconomic status."

2. "Dublin" by Claire Hawkins, a 2020 music video. "As a traveling musician, I spend very little time at "home," in the traditional sense of the word. I wrote 'Dublin' about my first experience living abroad in 2017. I had the opportunity to spend Christmas with my dad's cousins in Ireland instead of returning home to New York. Celebrating the holidays, as well as my 21st birthday, in my grandmother's hometown surrounded by family I was just getting to know was bittersweet. While I missed my father and my family back in New York, this time in Ireland gave me a new feeling of connection to my dad's side of the family. Because of this, my definition of "home" has expanded."

3. "Pulpit," by Rodney Chrome, a 2021 music video. "Pulpit is a music video that was created off of the stereotypes of masculinity within the black community. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas I was always told that my femininity was deemed un-lovable and unattractive to the world. When I began to conceptualize the video for Pulpit I knew that I wanted to portray a message to other black & queer listeners that no matter what your identity is, you are deserving of a love that is boundless."

4. "Ignore Facts," a 2021 music video by Computerwife. "The song and video are about a time when I suddenly was completely alone in New York, depressed, working a difficult job, and slowly turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms that destroyed me very quickly. I ended up having a come down that was so intense that I finally had to call my parents and ask to come home, giving up everything I'd worked for because I couldn't handle the way I felt....The song and video are about the most intense change I've ever had. It's about my first time experiencing real darkness and learning how to control that, use it, and become stronger and more well rounded because of it."