International Relations Playlist

I remember some time in the mid-2000s Michael Tierney came to one of my graduate classes at KU. While the focus of the conversation was, if I remember correctly, something about the principal agent model, the conversation eventually moved towards this IR Playlist he had been compiling. I think his visit was very early in this process, since according to Tierney's playlist page the original playlist came from Kate Weaver who was our IOs professor at KU at the time. This was early in my graduate school career (year one or two) but this idea sounded so cool to me that I kept going back to Tierney's website and using those songs when it fit my course schedule.

Fast forward many years, now I teach Intro to IR on a regular basis and Spotify exists. These last two years I have been trying to create a Spotify Playlist for all of my classes, sometimes I am more successful than other times. In last year's Global Gender Issues class I asked each student to share with me their "anthem" and I got introduced to A LOT of Lizzo, which was great for me! We started class with a song from the list and I asked whose song that was and why they chose it. It was not always related to the class, but it was a fun way to get introduced to "what the kids are listening these days" and get to know my students a bit. 

This year I decided to do something more intentional in my Intro to IR, trying to make as many meaningful connections to the material as I could. I relied heavily on Tierney's playlist, but gave my own spin in some areas too. One of my colleagues asked me to share the playlist and the thought process for how the songs connect, so below I share the playlist and some of the rationale. Just like Tierney, I urge you to send me suggestions of other songs to add to the playlist, and other songs to connect to course material related to IR. I will add to this post as I use new songs and will include links to YouTube videos as I go (this is definitely procrastination from grading, so this will be a work in progress-probably forever). 

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 So here are some of the connections (some of these connections are better than others):

• First day, I start with Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changing" mainly because the title fits what's going on these days and because I want to know if students know Bob Dylan. There is, of course, more that can be said given Dylan's own story and his songwriting.
• For globalization, I always play Despacito. It still is YouTube's most viewed video of all time, and is popular way beyond Spanish speaking countries. If I have time, I also show any other Pit Bull video from the early 2000s, mainly to show students how that dude does not age, and it is kinda creepy at this point. I also get a kick that the fourth most viewed video on YouTube is a random episode of ,Masha and the Bear, which I am sure you only know what it is if you have small children and are as lax as we are in our family with screen time. 
• I spend one class playing some songs about patriotism and freedom, and we discuss what they think the song is about before listening and then listen closely to the lyrics.There is always at least one dude that never realized "Born in the USA" is a protest song. Then we play David Hasselfoff's "Looking for Freedom" as we discuss the fall of the Berlin Wall. Then we play back to back Toby Keith's classic "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" (the youtube video is great! no sarcasm, I really mean it) and Team America World Police's "America, Fuck Yeah" (which at this point most students have never seen). Finally, I play Lupe Fiasco and Skylar Grey's "Words I Never Said" which is a very political song that pulls no punches against the US foreign policy establishment. I think about adding Immortal Technique's "Bin Laden" to the list.
• I play two songs from Tierney's playlist a lot before my realism classes, Busta Rhymes's "Anarchy" and Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." 
• For Constructivism, I play Meek Mill's "What's Free." I suggest skipping Rick Ross sexist and homophobic verses (so start the song at around 1:45), but play the rest. This is, of course, a US-centric song, but it sparks good conversations about intersubjective understandings. 
• Normally, there is a discussion about RMA and drones and whatnot, so I like playing Flight of the Concord's "Robots" and Daft Punk's Robot rock. But more importantly, you must show this old SNL skit about robots. 
• I also play Jamala's 1944. This song can fit in different lectures, I think I play this when talking about nationalism and the EU. It is also fun to introduce Eurovision to the students.
• Hickas' "Ye Mosht Sarbaz" (A Bunch of Soldiers) introduces students to Iranian hip-hop, which I connect to globalization but also to discussions of Middle Eastern politics. 
• Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered" is Ban Ki-Moon's favorite happy song! I play this on UN days.
• BREXIT bloc! Mick Jagger's "England Lost" (I liked it), Paul McCartney's "Despite Repeated Warnings" (meh), Fascinating Aida's "So Sorry Scotland" (hilarious), and Breunion Boys "Britain Come Back" (just plain ridiculous). Take your pick, or play them all!
• I always have Rebecca Black's Friday. No relation to IR, just a really catchy song!
• Megadeath "Peace Sells" is a great companion to a discussion of the military industrial complex.
• John Kongos' "He's Gonna Step on You Again" can be played in different contexts. I think I played when talking about ethnic violence.
• 99 Luftbaloons, classic Cold War!
• "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas is surprisingly political, slightly more than Boom Boom Pow. I played this during our discussion of terrorism, especially in the context of 9/11 and post 9/11 dynamics.
• System of a Down's "Holy Mountains" fits the discussion of genocide. It was especially fitting this year when we ended up talking a lot about Congress passing a bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide. I spend some time talking about the band and their activism. 
• I bring Gangham Style again for globalization, since it once was the most watched video on YouTube.
• RATM's "Sleep Now in the Fire" is great when talking about global finance, but it especially interesting because at 1:04 there is a guy holding a Trump for President 2000 sign. 
• Money, please! I play three songs about money, but there are many others: Pink Floyd's "Money" > Cardi B.'s "Money" (but this song is still good tho!). Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M." always a good one too.
• Poverty: Besides having one of the most underrated artists of the 2000s in this song, Kanye West's "The Good Life" has one of the best lines about poverty I have heard. "Whether you broke or rich you gotta get this/Havin' money's not everything, not havin' it is."
• I also play Queen's Live Aid performances when talking about hunger and famine. But then we talk a about how these fundraiser are not enough.
• I could not think of any songs about the environment, so I asked students and they suggested Lil Dicky's "Earth." 

I will update this list as I continue to "refine" my selections. I did not bring any feminist songs this year, but I have previously played various Pussy  Riot songs, I would appreciate any other suggestions.

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