Taylor Swift: From Pop Music to Music History Class

There’s a lot to learn from polarizing pop star Taylor Swift. I speak to two Swifties who have infiltrated academia, teaching two very different college courses based around Swift — her catalog, her business savvy and what she represents.

Senior Rolling Stone writer Brittany Spanos, who says “Taylor Swift is a loaded phrase,” created and teaches Topics in Music: Taylor Swift at NYU’s Clive Davis School of Music at the Tisch School of the Arts. She speaks to what Taylor represents, her fandom, and how and why Taylor has been dismissed and discredited over the years. 

Dr. Elly McCausland teaches Literature: Taylor’s Version, which draws parallels between Taylor’s lyrics and some of the literary greats. She speaks to the backlash she’s received after her course was announced.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices