From Abba Voyage to Lennon’s childhood home: Professor’s fresh look at music autobiographies
Musicians’ autobiographies have always been associated with words on a page, but a new book suggests that song lyrics, graphic memoirs and even digital avatars can just as effectively represent the genre.
Professor Kirsty Fairclough’s landmark Popular Music Autobiographies: Rereading Musicians and Their Audiences explores how Taylor Swift’s Instagram posts, Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run audiobook and the reimaginings of Lennon and McCartney’s childhood homes can all be considered as autobiographies.
Co-edited by Prof Fairclough alongside Dr Tom Attah and Dr Christian Lloyd, the new collection of case study chapters examines the surge in autobiographical storytelling by musicians and fans, revealing how new experimental narratives challenge stereotypes, amplify diverse voices, and reshape cultural memory.
It explores how pop stars and their fans are reshaping the art of life writing in the digital age, including via online presence as illustrated by Taylor Swift, sonic personas as used by Bruce Springsteen, and in the recreation of the historical homes of members of The Beatles.
Kirsty Fairclough, Professor of Screen Studies at Manchester Met’s School of Digital Art (SODA), said: “Musicians’ autobiographies are no longer confined to print. This book considers autobiography as an expanded genre, now including digital platforms, graphic memoirs and ‘confessional’ song lyrics.
“The most innovative recent example is Abba Voyage, where the group’s digital avatars are essentially telling an autobiographical story. This concept, as well as many others, are explored and interrogated in the book, as are associated themes of identity and authenticity.”
Introduced and co-edited by Prof Fairclough and published by Bloomsbury Academic, the book includes contributions by leading scholars in music, media, and cultural studies. The chapters span global perspectives, featuring stories from punk pioneers, hip-hop icons, Latino pop stars and feminist trailblazers.
Prof Fairclough has written widely on popular culture and is the co-editor of titles including Prince and Popular Music (Bloomsbury), The Music Documentary: Acid Rock to Electropop (Routledge), and The Arena Concert: Music, Media and Mass Entertainment (Bloomsbury). She is a regular commentator on news such as Taylor Swift’s new album and her enduring influence.
Prof Fairclough added: “The way musicians tell their stories has shifted – it’s no longer the preserve of white rock stars who produce written memoirs about their musical legacy. Popular music autobiographies are cultural artefacts that do more than entertain. They challenge norms, celebrate identity, and invite readers to rethink the relationship between music and memory.”
Popular Music Autobiographies: Rereading Musicians and Their Audiences, published by Bloomsbury Academic,is out now.
