Harvard University launches a course to study Taylor Swift’s life, career and fan culture: Where do I sign?

Taylor Swift is slowly taking over the world after record breaking sales of her music - she has become the first artist to sell a million copies of their album in the first week and she has done this for all six re-recorded Taylor’s version albums. She has also just been named as Spotify's Global Top Artist 2023. World domination, record breaking music sales, concert tour and box office sales, lyrical genius, and an advocate for artists rights. I think we could all do with a few lessons on Taylor Swift. 

Harvard is a private Ivy League university and one of the most prestigious colleges in America. The university has planned for the Taylor Swift and Her World course to begin in spring. Speaking to TMZ, professor and tutor of the course, Stephanie Burt, said the course will cover her life, career and relationships but won't heavily feature new boyfriend Travis Kelce unless she writes a song about him. 

Over the years Taylor has referenced many historical writers in her songs including William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens. She isn’t the first person to do this; many singers and bands often include literacy references in their songs. Even the Arctic Monkeys mentioned ‘Montagues or Capulets’ in their track ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’. 

And it's not the first time a college has decided to study the singer. The University of Ghent in Belgium previously announced the Literature (Taylor's Version) course, as well as news The Queen Mary University of London will be running a summer school where you can study Taylor Swift and Literature. New York University also has a course on Taylor Swift and the university gave her an honorary degree.

There will be many Swiftie's very happy to know that all their knowledge about their icon can now officially be studied and given a certified qualification for. Can you imagine if you were told in your teenage years you can go to college to study your pop icon you would be over the moon. 

Many people laughed when we heard about the The Meaning of Star Wars, graduate class at Signum University, or that Ohio State University teaches a course titled Fantasy Literature: Harry Potter. But there is actually real depth to these courses and key learning points in the teachings of movies, literacy and cultural moments of our time.

So if you study a course about something you love and are truly passionate about aren’t you automatically setting yourself up to succeed? Maybe it's not that silly of an idea to study Taylor Swift after all.