MARCH 13-16, 2025
USC THORNTON
LOS ANGELES, CA
Archives
PopCon is generously supported by Critical Minded, a granting and learning initiative cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and The Ford Foundation to support cultural critics of color in the United States, where they are underrepresented in the coverage of all artistic disciplines.
POPCON 2025 | MAR 13-16 | LOS ANGELES
Baby, It's a Look: Pop Music, Fashion, and Style at the Edge. Hosted by the USC Thornton School of Music for the second year in a row, this time in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM-US) and with partial support from the grantmaking initiative Critical Minded. Featuring Ravyn Lenae, Justin Tranter and Arianne Phillips with Ann Powers.
POPCON 2024 | MAR 7 - 9 | LOS ANGELES
Legacy! Legacy! Music Collections and Archives. Conference west coast debut hosted by the USC Thornton School of Music in collaboration with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, featuring: George Clinton, Wendy & Lisa, dream hampton and Danyel Smith. Generous support by Critical Minded and Billboard. Image credit: Sharolyn Hagen. Design by Unincorporated.
POPCON 2023 | APR 27 - 30 | NEW YORK
Let's Get it Together: Gatherings, Club Cultures, Parties, and Beyond. The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University returned as the host of an in-person Pop Conference, the first Pop Conference to be held in person since 2019. Produced by Jason King and Eddy Francisco Alvarez Jr., with support by Critical Minded.
POPCON 2022 | APR 21 - 24 | NEW YORK
When I Think of Home: Race and Borders in Popular Music. NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music hosted the 2022 Pop Conference featuring Grammy winners Youssou N’Dour, Arooj Aftab, and Lido Pimienta, Jamila Woods, and Aurelio Martinez. Presented by the The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Produced by RJ Smith and Jason King in collaboration with Billboard and with generous support by Critical Minded.
POPCON 2021 | APR 22 - 25 | NEW YORK
Turn and Face the Change: A Pop Convergence On Music and Flux. NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music hosts the conference’s 20th anniversary edition featuring Devonté Hynes, Róisín Murphy, Rostam, Tamara Lindeman (The Weather Station), D-Nice, and more. Taking place virtually owing to to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference events explored pop music’s role in mirroring and shaping one of the most chaotic and disruptive moments in modern global history.