USC Launches G-Dragon Course, Cementing His Legacy

The University of Southern California (USC) is set to launch a groundbreaking G-Dragon course, cementing the artist’s status as a global cultural icon. On December 5, 2025, G-Dragon’s agency, Galaxy Corporation, officially confirmed that the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will offer a 4-credit regular course dedicated to the BIGBANG member, scheduled to begin in the spring semester of 2026. This move signifies a major milestone for K-pop studies in Western academia.

A Landmark Moment for K-Pop Academia and the G-Dragon Course

The course, titled “COMM 400: Crooked Studies of K-pop: The Case of G-Dragon,” is the first of its kind to focus solely on a single K-pop artist for regular credit at a major American university. This places G-Dragon in the company of other global music titans like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who have been the subjects of dedicated courses at institutions such as Yale and Harvard. The development highlights the growing recognition of K-pop’s profound cultural and industrial value on a global scale. This academic focus reflects the genre’s explosive growth, a trajectory that has outpaced even the most optimistic K-Pop predictions from previous years.

Beyond the Music: Analyzing G-Dragon’s Cultural Influence

Led by Professor Hye Jin Lee, the curriculum is designed to provide a new and critical perspective on the K-pop phenomenon. The course will delve deeply into G-Dragon’s extensive career, examining his unique status as a “producer-idol” and his expansive cultural influence that transcends music into fashion, art, and global trends. Students will analyze how G-Dragon’s artistry has challenged and reshaped the industry, offering a comprehensive look at his impact. The goal is to move beyond surface-level understandings and explore the intricate layers of his work and legacy.

Official Announcement and Future Plans

The confirmation from Galaxy Corporation CEO Choi Yongho on December 5, 2025, followed recent hints from the USC Annenberg School’s official Instagram account, which had posted a video with the hashtags #GDRAGON and #GD, sparking anticipation among fans. The establishment of this course is particularly meaningful as it comes ahead of G-Dragon’s 20th debut anniversary, serving as a powerful acknowledgment of his long and influential career in the music industry. The course on his cultural influence represents a significant academic validation of his work.

Re-examining K-pop Through the G-Dragon Course

Professor Hye Jin Lee stated that the purpose of the G-Dragon course is to challenge the often narrow framework through which K-pop is viewed, which can sometimes be dismissed as “mechanical” or purely “commercial.” By using G-Dragon as a central case study, the course aims to critically re-examine the structural, cultural, and aesthetic assumptions surrounding the genre. This focused approach within K-pop studies will allow for a nuanced discussion about the evolution of the industry and the role of pioneering artists in shaping its global identity.

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