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

Sabrina Carpenter says you need to get out more if you think Man’s Best Friend artwork is controversial 

By Eliza Frost

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

By Eliza Frost

How fans manifested Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

By Eliza Frost

We finally know why Conrad and Belly broke up in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2

By Eliza Frost

Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, and wife Rama Duwaji becomes city’s Gen Z first lady 

By Eliza Frost

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

By Eliza Frost

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

By Eliza Frost

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

By Eliza Frost

What is the Gen Z stare, and why are millennials on TikTok so bothered by it?

By Eliza Frost

Bereavement leave to be extended to miscarriages before 24 weeks

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift’s Release Party of a Showgirl is coming to cinemas everywhere, and it’s already made $15M

By Eliza Frost

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

By Eliza Frost

Why is Taylor not Team Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

Misogyny, sexism, and the manosphere: how this year’s Love Island UK has taken a step backwards

By Eliza Frost

Bad timing? Gavin Casalegno’s Dunkin’ ad sparks backlash over actor’s alleged conservative views

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno caught in political drama

By Eliza Frost

Do artists really owe us surprise guests at gigs, or are our expectations out of control?

By Eliza Frost

What is Shrekking? The latest toxic dating trend explained 

By Eliza Frost

Controversial American Apparel owner just opened LA Apparel in NYC and TikTok girlies are flocking to shop

By Eliza Frost

Hailey Bieber’s new hands-free lip tint holder has everyone divided