A Taylor Swift course will be taught at New York University by the ultimate Swiftie

By Alma Fabiani

Published Feb 4, 2022 at 09:13 AM

Reading time: 1 minute

27118

Yes, you read right. Taylor Swift’s career and cultural impact will now be taught at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, with Rolling Stones staff writer Brittany Spanos (a major Swiftie) teaching the course. That’s how ingrained in popular culture ‘America’s sweetheart’ is.

In an interview with Variety, Spanos shared, “I’ve been covering Taylor Swift since I began my writing career a decade ago and have been a super fan of hers for even longer,” adding it was “such an honour to be able to share my Swiftie expertise” with students. “I hope to help them rethink how to engage with one of the things world’s biggest and sometimes divisive stars,” she continued.

The course commenced on 26 January 2022 and will run through 9 March. Spanos shared the news on Twitter, writing, “My official comment is that my students already rule and I am very excited for the rest of the class xo.”

The class will trace the evolution of Swift’s career as a songwriter and entrepreneur, discuss the exploitation of youth and girlhood within the entertainment industry, examine the politics of race in contemporary pop music, consider the legacy of country and pop music, and more. The course will be chaired by music writer and artist Jason King.

“[Brittany Spanos is] a Taylor fan but she also understands how to contextualise her culturally, and get students to think more deeply about her and her music through the lens of gender, feminism, race, and class, and other categories related to identity, and that deeper thinking is what this program is all about,” King told Variety.

It’s even been said that Swift herself has been invited to speak to the class, although it has not yet been confirmed whether or not she will be available to do so.

Keep On Reading

By Eliza Frost

Vogue has declared boyfriends embarrassing, and the internet agrees

By Eliza Frost

NHS makes morning-after pill free at 10,000 pharmacies across England

By Eliza Frost

Why is everyone saying ‘Six-Seven’? The meaning behind the viral phrase

By Eliza Frost

If everyone has an AI boyfriend, what does that mean for the future of Gen Z dating?

By Eliza Frost

Are you in Group 7? Explaining the latest viral TikTok trend

By Eliza Frost

Jennifer Lawrence weighs in on The Summer I Turned Pretty love triangle, revealing she is Team Jeremiah

By Eliza Frost

Kim Kardashian wants to know how much a carton of milk costs 

By Eliza Frost

Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel defends the couple’s age gap relationship 

By Eliza Frost

Misinformation spread by wellness influencers online is leading to falling contraceptive pill use

By Eliza Frost

Online pornography showing choking to be made illegal, says government 

By Eliza Frost

Louis Tomlinson opens up about Liam Payne’s death and reflects on One Direction’s 15th anniversary

By Eliza Frost

Millie Bobby Brown reportedly accuses Stranger Things co-star David Harbour of harassment and bullying 

By Eliza Frost

Did Katy Perry just confirm relationship with ex-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau?

By Eliza Frost

The swag gap relationship: Does it work when one partner is cooler than the other?

By Eliza Frost

How The Summer I Turned Pretty licensed so much of Taylor Swift’s discography for its soundtrack 

By Eliza Frost

Rina Sawayama calls out Sabrina Carpenter’s SNL performance of Nobody’s Son for cultural insensitivity 

By Eliza Frost

The Life of a Showgirl or The Life of a Tradwife? Unpicking Taylor Swift’s new album

By Eliza Frost

Bad Bunny announced as halftime act for Super Bowl 2026—and conservatives aren’t too happy 

By Eliza Frost

Hailey Bieber just listed all the beauty treatments she swears by

By Eliza Frost

Renters’ Rights Bill becomes law; this is what it means for you