Pop Conference 2027 announces call for proposals
Pop Conference 2027 (PopCon) has announced its call for proposals under the theme “Reflections: Looking Back, Listening Again, Writing about Music.” The annual conference explores popular music through papers, roundtables, conversations and performances featuring scholars, journalists, writers and musicians.
The USC Thornton School of Music welcomes the 25th annual Pop Conference to USC’s University Park Campus March 11–13, 2027.
Under this year’s theme, PopCon invites proposals reflecting on popular music’s past and persistence, as well as the histories and futures of writing, criticism, journalism, scholarship and storytelling about popular music.
The anniversary also offers PopCon an occasion to reflect on its own intellectual history. Since 2002, the conference has explored subjects ranging from music history, technology and politics to gender, race, borders, archives and mayhem.
PopCon especially welcomes proposals that revisit earlier conference themes, presentations, arguments or debates to consider what has changed, what persists and which ideas still illuminate popular music.
The proposal submission deadline is Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. Visit the PopCon 2027 website for complete submission guidelines and proposal requirements.