Taylor Swift in the classroom: 3 top-notch global universities that turned the pop icon into a serious subject
With 14 Grammys, multiple record-breaking albums and a global fan base that spans generations,
Taylor Swift
is far more than a pop icon. Taylor Swift's influence is no longer confined to the stage or streaming charts, her cultural imprint is now making its way into lecture halls and seminar rooms across top global universities.
From Duke to UC Berkeley, educators are using her lyrics, business strategies and storytelling techniques to teach critical thinking, media literacy and even economic theory.
Here's a look at some of the most unique Taylor Swift-themed academic courses that explore the pop icon through rigorous and interdisciplinary frameworks. If you're a Swiftie who is equally curious about sociology, entrepreneurship or media theory, these offerings could be worth exploring.
Writing 101.46: Taylor's Version – Duke university
At Duke University, Taylor Swift's discography is not just entertainment, but a tool for academic analysis. Taught by Lisa Andres, this course guides students through Swift's 'Eras' using Stuart Hall's theory of encoding and decoding, lyrical interpretation and media narrative analysis. Weekly assignments range from lyrical deep-dives to podcast-style capstone projects, pushing students to engage critically with both Swift's music and her public persona.
Despite its pop culture framing, the course demands active analytical engagement. Students are expected to approach Swift's work through lenses of race, gender, identity and authorship. While prior knowledge of her discography is not required, the coursework goes far beyond casual listening.
The Academic Lore of Taylor Swift – University of Kansas (KU)
Expected to launch in Fall 2025, this interdisciplinary course at KU positions Swift as a gateway into a wide range of academic fields.
From sociology to economics and journalism to music, students are introduced to fundamental concepts through the prism of Swift's career and cultural presence.
Misty Heggeness, associate professor of public affairs and administration, leads the economics module. According to her, using Swift's narrative as a case study makes abstract disciplines more tangible and accessible. The course also explores how Swift's fan culture, particularly parasocial relationships, contributes to social solidarity and collective identity.
Through this approach, students not only gain insights into academic disciplines but also sharpen their understanding of modern celebrity, community formation and audience engagement.
Artistry and Entrepreneurship: Taylor's Version – UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business
At UC Berkeley's Haas School, Taylor Swift is studied as a business leader whose brand has evolved alongside the modern music industry. This 13-week course titled Artistry and Entrepreneurship: Taylor's version examines Swift's success from a business and marketing perspective.
It covers how her artistic choices, branding, and customer loyalty strategies have sustained a global enterprise.
What makes this course stand out is its student-led design. Miaad Madeline Bushala and Crystal Haryanto, both Haas students, helped shape the syllabus. The class encourages students to view Swift not only as an artist, but as a case study in sustained product relevance, market differentiation, and emotional branding. Business students explore themes such as customer acquisition, economic impact, and long-term brand value, all rooted in Swift's multi-faceted career.
Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Indian Express
Jackboys 2 Album Review: Travis Scott needs better music to play at his India concert
Jackboys 2 Album Review: Everyone loves a good hip-hop group. It's quite apparent that the entire genre would never have been so polarising, controversial or iconic if it weren't for groups like the NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, Run DMC, D12 and more. Jackboys is a group consisting of rappers and producers who belong to Travis Scott's record label Cactus Jack, including Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, Chase B, SoFaygo and Scott himself. When the group announced themselves in 2019 with an album of the same name, no one was really hoping for the next hip-hop revolution. But now they have come out with a brand new project, and drumroll please….. it's the same songs they have been making for over a decade, and nothing has changed. One could say that Travis is trying to channel his inner Ice Cube in the sense that his 'art is a reflection of his reality', but if Travis' reality only contains blingy cars, questionable lyrics, money, and cocaine, well then he better start practising his older hits for when he comes to India, because no one wants to listen to this. Now don't get me wrong; the album isn't all trash. Actually, it's much better tied together than the previous Jackboys album. The 2019 album had an idea, but like any great thought that hits you at 1 am in the morning when you have been drinking lean for the past 4 hours, it vanished. The thought was incomplete, and except for that one TikTok trend, nothing truly came out of that entire project. Jackboys 2 starts on a good note though, with Scott relying on his evergreen cadence and tried-and-tested flow that made him successful enough to walk out of the Grammys when he lost to Cardi B. The track number 2, '2000 Excursion', is a direct reference to the car Ford Excursion and how the rap group Three 6 Mafia (who hated flying) actually would only use this huge car to go around the country without having to worry about customs agents asking, 'What's in the cup?' After a confusing first verse by Scott, we hear a very interesting beat switch which is completely botched by Sheck Wes talking about the amount of women he has on his payroll (it was much less civilised than this). Don and Scott give it another attempt and sound like kids who just figured out the auto-tune function on their karaoke set. ALSO READ: Justin Bieber album Swag review: Bieber needs to take notes from Pritam and keep it simple Sir 21 Savage features on the next track, and Scott's first verse on the song is his best contribution to the album till now. Solid similes, strong references and catchy flow all make up for a good first half, but due to that ever-growing obsession with doing something different (while ending up making the same thing), the beat of the song switches again before Savage lays down probably his weakest verse, and you know why? Because he literally keeps repeating his name and three other words. For reasons unbeknownst to this humble listener, Scott just wanted to write 21 Savage as a feature without actually giving him a verse. He is technically from across the pond, but that is a cold-hearted thing to do to Kylie Jenner's fourth favourite rapper who has tattoos on his face. The next track, 'Dumbo', is a reference to whoever decides to listen to this song for the second time, because even when Scott actually starts rapping, by then it's too little and too late. The next track is a solo by Faygo, and it is the musical representation of that one guy who swears he could have been a professional athlete if his parents would have supported him but is always injured to play in the office tournament. 'Velour' is a decent attempt by Toliver and Sheck, but it takes too long to build up for a 'decent' track; I can wait that long for a 'Yosemite' or even an 'Enzo', but the actual verse by the two artistes — not worth the wait. We then move on to 'Contest', where Scott gives Faygo a chance to redeem himself, but it is repetitive bars with no meaning at all. 'ILMB' is a strong car playlist song, and except for the hook of the song, which you can't really play in front of your parents, partner, family members, or anyone else you know, it's fine. Now 'Where Was You' came as a song that was highly recommended to me before I got a chance to listen to this album, and the instrumental of the track is something I can truly back. The Japanese strings, which sound like a shamisen, take the simple and effective beat to a whole new level. For the first time in the album, a song isn't completely dependent on Scott, and if you like Future's style of delivery or Playboi Carti's bars, this is probably the track you should save from the album. Carti raps like someone who knows their last project was bad, and Future just lays back and drops a verse which he probably thought of while walking the stairs to the studio. ALSO READ: Chains & Whips: Kendrick Lamar needs to understand that the Drake beef is over, watch video Toliver gives his best performance of the album on 'No Comments', as he sticks to what he knows and is able to build a pretty catchy track from there. By the time you start reaching the end of this album, you start noticing a very apparent pattern that actually says a lot about the people involved. While the verses are inconsistent, often shallow, and overproduced, the backing tracks of all songs are genuinely good. It's the quality of the backing track that keeps you from skipping some of these songs, and the track 'Beep Beep' is a great example of this. Another problem with this album is that the artistes think that putting voice notes before and after every other song will make this project more profound. People listen to the voice notes on Kendrick or J. Cole's album because the songs are actually good. Paul's Skit is an actual recognisable phenomenon because Eminem is considered to be the greatest rapper of all time. Scott often talks about the rapper Kid Cudi and how he was his biggest inspiration while growing up, and I think that is the root of this problem. Scott listened to Cudi and became a rapper, but the newer artists like Faygo are listening to Scott. While Scott's influence cannot be denied, he isn't the kind of rapper who would release a song like Pac's 'Dear Mama' or Eminem's 'Sing For The Moment'. He isn't really saying anything, and it gives rise to a generation that is listening to rappers talking about only superficial things, the kind of things which have become such damaging stereotypes for the entire genre. A lot of the 'modern-day' rap music is beguiling in nature, because even though some of the sounds are attractive, the lack of substance is harrowing and problematic. But instead of putting the responsibility of changing the world on Scott's shoulders, I think everyone involved with the genre need to have their back up. To give an example of the most 'loved' artist of this generation, Drake, who delivers a 'Churchill Downs' for every 'Hotline Bling', giving the audiences and the budding generation of artistes something to aspire to. Jackboys 2 is a project with a few hits and a lot of misses, but mostly it's an album which doesn't compel you for a revisit. Nothing hits you so hard so that you pause it midway and call your friends to talk about it, the mark of a great album, which Jackboys 2 doesn't achieve. The only thing even more disappointing than the album is the fact that you will have to listen to the songs all over your Instagram for the next 6 months until J Cole decides to make music again and Drake decides to make money again.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson's bathroom decor goes viral after fans connect it to Taylor Swift's 'Clara Bow' song
Jordon Hudson, Bill Belichick's girlfriend, recently revealed a unique bathroom design featuring vintage newspaper wallpaper (Getty Images) Jordon Hudson may have just given Swifties a delightful surprise from an unexpected source—her bathroom wall. The 24-year-old former cheerleader and girlfriend of legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at their home, and fans were quick to spot a hidden connection to Taylor Swift . The vintage newspaper wall includes a Clara Bow clipping—referenced in Taylor Swift's 2024 song In an Instagram Story posted on July 17, Hudson revealed that the wallpaper in their bathroom isn't store-bought—it's made from vintage newspapers Belichick salvaged from the original structure of their home before its renovation. Among the historical clippings is an article featuring silent film star Clara Bow, the inspiration behind the final track on Taylor Swift's 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department. Jordon Hudson's Instagram story (SS via Instagram) One newspaper headline on their wall reads: 'Camera thriller was quite too thrilling' and discusses Bow's real-life rescue from a drowning incident. Hudson didn't miss the Swift connection, soundtracking her post with Swift's song 'Clara Bow' and writing, 'I just now noticed this dazzling face.' Jordon Hudson promotes eco-conscious decor while spotlighting the Swift 'Easter egg' In a follow-up post, Hudson zoomed out to show more of the newspaper-covered bathroom, proudly noting the environmentally friendly nature of their interior design. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 4BHK+Family Lounge+Utility room at 4.49Cr (All Incl)* ATS Triumph, Gurgaon Book Now Undo 'P.S. Recycling is cool,' she added, subtly promoting sustainable living while giving fans a peek into her private life with Belichick. What started as a design choice turned into an unintentional tribute to one of music's biggest stars—and Swift fans immediately took notice. Relationship continues to capture attention with age-gap and social media moments Hudson and Belichick, who went public with their relationship in June 2024 after being first linked in 2023, continue to intrigue the public with their unlikely romance. She often shares humorous, lighthearted posts about their day-to-day life, including a recent Instagram joke: 'Old Bay with my old bae,' captioned under a sunset dinner shot featuring chicken wings and a can of seasoning. Whether it's fashion, football, or now folklore, Hudson's posts keep fans—and headlines—coming. And now, thanks to a well-placed newspaper clipping, she's unexpectedly bridged the worlds of NFL coaching and Taylor Swift fandom in one perfectly vintage bathroom. Also Read: 'Ridiculously nice and warm': Adam Sandler praises Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift while teasing Happy Gilmore 2 comeback on Netflix Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
'LIX my b*lls': Did C.J. Gardner-Johnson go too far? Taylor Swift feud reignites over NSFW shirt and Kayla Nicole jab
C.J. Gardner-Johnson is stirring the pot again with Taylor Swift's fanbase (Getty Images) C.J. Gardner-Johnson isn't backing down from his headline-grabbing feud with Taylor Swift and her devoted fanbase. From mocking Travis Kelce's ex to wearing a vulgar anti-Swiftie shirt at the Super Bowl parade, the NFL star reignited the drama on The Pivot Podcast—and fans are once again debating whether he went too far for attention. From Super Bowl shade to Swiftie backlash: C.J. Gardner-Johnson reignites pop culture war Months after the Super Bowl parade confetti settled, NFL safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back in headlines—and once again, it involves Taylor Swift and her fiercely loyal fanbase. During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the former Eagles and current Super Bowl champion revisited the viral controversy that pitted him against the pop icon's followers, the Swifties. — MySportsUpdate (@MySportsUpdate) What started as a locker room joke turned into a full-blown cultural clash between the NFL world and Swift's global fan empire. At the center of the storm? An NSFW shirt, a post aimed at Travis Kelce's ex Kayla Nicole, and a wave of backlash that spilled far beyond social media. From trash talk to Target run-ins: the feud that won't fade The controversy began when Gardner-Johnson took to Instagram after Super Bowl LIX, seemingly mocking Kelce for dating Swift by suggesting he'd have won a ring had he stayed with Kayla Nicole. Just days later, he amped up the feud by wearing a sweatshirt at the Eagles' parade that read, 'Swifties can LIX my b----.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More Undo According to the safety, the shirt wasn't his idea. 'It was left in my locker by one of Big Dom DiSandro's friends,' he explained, describing it as a locker room joke that unfortunately made its way to national headlines. The fallout was swift—literally. Taylor Swift's fans didn't just unfollow or unfavor him; they review-bombed his mother's Florida restaurant on Yelp, unleashing waves of one-star ratings and snide remarks. C.J. Gardner-Johnson sets record straight on his behavior after Eagles trade to Houston | The Pivot Surprisingly warm encounters with Swifties off the field Despite the chaos, Gardner-Johnson said some fans of Swift later approached him with a mix of criticism and kindness. 'We don't like what you did, but I'm a fan of you,' he recalled one Swiftie saying during a surprisingly pleasant chat in a Target aisle. Even amid controversy, moments of unexpected civility surfaced—hinting that not all fandom feuds are beyond repair. Still, the incident reignites conversations about boundaries between pop culture and sports trash talk. Taylor Swift herself has never commented publicly on the feud, though she did receive boos from some NFL fans during her Jumbotron appearance at Caesars Superdome on February 9. Also Read: 'NFL Season (Taylor's Version)': Taylor Swift's lucky number 13 has fans convinced Travis Kelce is destined for NFL glory in 2025 As for C.J., he seems ready to own the narrative—without backing down. While tensions may have eased, his podcast remarks prove that the line between jest and disrespect remains razor-thin when Swifties are involved. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
