Dr. John Vilanova is a researcher, writer and teacher focusing on the media industries, power and inequality.

He is an assistant professor of Journalism & Communication and Africana Studies at Lehigh University. His major work concerns the GRAMMY Awards and the influence of race and culture on ideas of what “great” music sounds like; generally, he works to advocate for racial responsibility in journalistic and scholarly practice. His vocation is liberation; he works to upend systemic and structural inequalities, with an intersectional emphasis on the work anti-Black racism does to our institutions. #BlackLivesMatter

Published Writing & Coverage

Writing

Roots Routes: Japan, Jamaica, and the Global Flows of Vintage Reggae Vinyl

This article published in the peer-reviewed journal Media Industries looks at the culture and materiality of reggae music in Tokyo and historicizes and contextualizes the relationship between Japan and Jamaica.

Spectacular whiteness: The tactics and mediation of white protests for Black Lives

A new article of peer-reviewed research published in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, on the tactics and mediation of white-presenting protesters in Portland, Oregon, during the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings.

Do the GRAMMYs have a diversity problem?

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Cassie Owens authored an in-depth look at my research in early 2020. This is an outline of the GRAMMYs book project.

Beyoncé's GRAMMY Snub and the Glass Ceiling on Black Art

In the wake of Adele’s three head-to-head wins against Beyoncé in 2017, I argued for a racial glass ceiling.

Kendrick Lamar & the Structural Limits of Black Excellence

The piece that started it all—I ran the numbers after Taylor Swift defeated Kendrick Lamar in 2016.

“Kingston Be Wise”: Jamaica’s Reggae Revival, Musical Livity, and Troubling Temporality in the Modern Global Music Industry

This is a peer-reviewed journal article on creative industries workers in Kingston, Jamaica, and the Reggae Revival. Together they seek a decolonized music industry.

Pepsi’s Idiotic Kendall Jenner Ad Highlights Pop Music’s Protest Problem

This piece critiques a Pepsi advertisement for its racial insensitivity and its use of protest to sell soda.

What it Takes for Black Artists to Win Big at the GRAMMYs

Sometimes Black artists do win against white artists in the GRAMMY General Field. I explored the conditions necessary for that to happen.

Beyoncé’s Homecoming film preserves and reveres Black history

On one of the best films of the century, a celebration of Black music, culture, institutions and people woven through the #Beychella performance.

Why Shouldn’t I Interview Stevie Wonder?

This was my attempt at a methodological provocation for MusiQology, in which I talked about interviewing and why cultural studies scholars need to do it more.

Dr. Vilanova hopes that this website will offer resources for connecting with his writing, teaching, and broader scholarly agenda. He believes in scholarly output that extends outside the academy and encourages you to contact him for any inquiries or opportunities for collaboration or support.

He can be reached via email at JJV319@lehigh.edu or on Twitter @JohnVilanova.

Learn More