600 students at the University of Guelph will participate in a case study on Taylor Swift beginning in 2025.
The case study is a component of the post-secondary institution’s Icons of Music op-ed course.
Alyssa Woods, course co-designer and associate professor at the U of G, said she has wanted to do a first-year introductory course for quite a while that teaches students to think critically about popular music.
“Over the last couple of years, Taylor Swift has really dominated the landscape of popular culture,” Woods said.
The university joins a list of post-secondary schools worldwide studying the pop superstar.
Unlike other universities that study certain aspects of the singer’s career, Woods said this program will take a different approach by examining key issues in pop music.
The case study will foster critical analysis skills and examine areas such as art, literature, sexuality and religion and how they intersect with pop music and pop culture.
She said it seemed like a great opportunity to use Swift as a lens through which to explore larger issues.
Woods created the program with Robert Michael Edwards, a University of Guelph professor of pop culture, politics and religion.
Although it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why the public is fascinated with Swift, Edwards said time will ultimately tell.
But he said Swift’s immediate impact on pop culture is undeniable when you consider the marketing of her concert tours, the ticket sales, and even how a concert tour film might be consumed.
“Whether you love her or hate her, and people tend to fall somewhere along a spectrum on that, you cannot deny the impact,” Edwards said.
He said we’ve seen Swift have a direct impact on everything from trends in fan culture, fashion influence, plus the significant direct economic impact on the cities that she’s visiting.
Woods said the course will include an examination of the Canadian leg of Swift’s The Era’s Tour as well.
The singer is performing the final three shows of The Eras Tour in Toronto, which will conclude in Vancouver with a series of three sold-out shows beginning Dec. 6.
And whether you’re a Swiftie or not, Woods said there’s something in the program for everyone.
“While there’s only so much you can do in a 12-week course, the idea is that they can take these skills and apply them in other analytic contexts,” she said.
The virtual program is already at full capacity. She said students can work at their own pace across the content, too.
Woods said there have been discussions about the course returning in the summer term.
“I’m really excited to see this course being launched and obviously really excited to see so much interest not just in Taylor Swift, but in studying popular music,” she said.
Woods added the program may change in the future potentially, depending on who’s the biggest artist at that time, and revolve around another singer or multiple singers.
The course runs from January to early April.