A follow-up in spirit to Music 141, these notes shift from a mostly Anglo-American chronology toward a wider view of popular music as a global and platform-driven culture. The course examines how styles travel across borders, how recording and distribution technologies reshape listening habits, and how local scenes negotiate identity inside an increasingly international music industry.

These notes survey contemporary popular music through case studies in transnational exchange, fandom, and digital circulation. Topics include J-pop and K-pop idol systems, Cantopop and Mandopop, Afrobeats and amapiano, reggaeton and Latin trap, remix culture, streaming algorithms, online music communities, and current debates about authorship, authenticity, and AI-assisted production.