Some super fans spend so much time keeping up to date with their favorite musician’s news that they are de facto experts. Now there is a way for certain college students to be graded on their knowledge of a particular pop artist. A new course at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute gives students the opportunity to earn college credit to learn more about Taylor Swift. Last week, the school launched Swift’s career-focused course — and as you can imagine, there’s a very long waiting list to join.
The course is delivered by rolling stone Staff writer Brittany Spanos and will teach students about Swift’s rise to success, the legacy of pop and country songwriters, and the politics of race in music today. According to Variety, the course description notes that students will “deconstruct both likes and dislikes” of Swift’s music by analyzing close readings as well as public discourse. The class will also delve “into analyzes of teen culture and politics in pop music, fandom, media studies, whiteness and power as it relates to its image and the images of those who both preceded and succeeded”. Those who choose to take the course will also discuss topics such as “copyright and ownership, American nationalism, and the ongoing impact of social media on the pop music industry.”
If that didn’t appeal to students, an NYU representative said Variety that they even invited Swift to join the class as a guest speaker. Swift’s appearance has not been confirmed, but would certainly make for an interesting talk.
This isn’t the first time NYU has held classes centered around music and pop culture. In the past, courses have been given by Questlove, Q-Tip, producer-engineer Bob Power and many others.
