"Pop music is full of references to denim. From the opening lyrics of Elton John 's "Tiny Dancer" - "Blue jean baby" - to Flo Rida's ode to an Apple Bottoms pair in "Low." One of the exhibition's marquee items is a pair of Levi's 501s once owned by Kurt Cobain. The late Nirvana frontman's jeans set a Guinness World Record in 2023 when they sold for more than $412,750 at a Nashville auction."
"Meanwhile a rhinestone-festooned, western-style denim pants and matching jacket worn by Beyoncé in a recent Levi's advertising campaign highlight Queen Bey's penchant as a performer for upending traditional white, male tropes. "She challenges a pool shark to a shootout," said Panek, describing one of the ads set to Beyoncé's 2024 song "Levii's Jeans." "Of course, she wins hands down, and demands that her rival give up his Levi's.""
"Davis points to Bruce Springsteen's 1984 album Born in the U.S.A., with its songs about the struggles of the working class - and its memorable album cover. It shows Springsteen from behind in worn blue Levi's, a white T-shirt and a red baseball cap stuffed into a back pocket. Davis said the photograph draws a potent line between denim's 19th century workwear roots and the troubadour of late twentieth century labor. "He's making a statement there," Davis said."
Pop music frequently references denim, from Elton John's opening line in "Tiny Dancer" to Flo Rida's mention in "Low." Iconic garments include Kurt Cobain's Levi's 501s, which sold for a record price in 2023, and rhinestone western-style denim worn by Beyoncé in a Levi's campaign that upends traditional male tropes. Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. cover visually connects denim's labor origins to rock-class narratives. Mary Davis, a fashion historian and musicologist, notes that musicians use denim to construct identity and communicate messages. 'Amped: Music Icons in Levi's® Denim' runs through December 18, 2025, at Levi's museum in San Francisco; admission is free.
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