Introduction: Music in a Globalizing Region

This chapter introduces new analytical framings of popular music in the Nordic countries and the implications therefore for broader discussions of the region’s uniqueness and global presence. The introduction first develops a broad interpretative narrative a broad interpretative narrative grounded in social science and considers its implications for existing cultural and disciplinary narratives. The second part closes in on more detailed issues of musical knowledge, drawing from the intellectual history of music, particularly musicology, while also integrating lessons from other disciplines such as geography. The specific focal points of the second part are the three thematic dimensions of the handbook-geography, history, and identity. Moreover, the literatures on Nordic popular music are discussed in detail. The final section introduces the individual chapter contributions.