New Books in Popular Culture Triauna Carey, "The Revolution Will Be Spotified: Music As a Rhetorical Mode of Resistance" (Lexington Books, 2024)
Jul 19, 2025
Triauna Carey, author of 'The Revolution Will Be Spotified', dives into how popular music serves as a powerful rhetorical tool for social resistance. She discusses the impact of songs like Childish Gambino's "This Is America" on cultural issues and activism. Carey shares insights from her decade-long research on music's evolution and its role in shaping artist-fan dynamics. Topics include body positivity in music, the unique resistance found in rap and hip-hop, and the interplay between music and visuals in conveying complex societal messages.
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Research Journey into Music Rhetoric
- Triauna Carey began researching music and rhetoric during her graduate studies, combining her love for lyrics and academic interests.
- She tracked how technology and social media evolved as tools for rhetorical expression in music over a decade.
Redefining Rhetoric for Today
- Carey redefines rhetoric beyond Aristotle to include modern means of persuasion influenced by technology and algorithms.
- Rhetoric today encompasses new digital spaces where persuasion happens continuously in more complex ways.
Technology Shapes Music's Rhetoric
- Technology plays a profound role in how music communicates and impacts listeners, shaping perceptions often without full awareness.
- Artists actively engage parasocial feedback loops with fans, enabled by new tech, changing rhetorical dynamics.
