Taylor Swift Set To Become A Course Of Study In Harvard By 2024

Good news for Swifties! The opportunity to study Taylor Swift in schools has expanded!

New reports suggest the pop star is set to make an academic impact in 2024 as both Harvard and the University of Florida announced upcoming courses dedicated to studying her at Cambridge and Gainesville, respectively.

The highly sought-after schools are the latest among various institutions delving into the examination of pop culture, focusing on the "Look What You Made Me Do" singer.

Harvard's offering, titled "Taylor Swift and Her World," will be led by poet and critic Stephanie Burt. The professor's course will explore the intersection of Swift's work with the literary canon, with the curriculum also involving readings from William Wordsworth to Willa Cather.

Speaking on the upcoming classes, Burt stated during an interview, "We are lucky enough to be living in a time when one of our major artists is also one of the most famous people on the planet. Why would you not have a course on that?"

Meanwhile, at the University of Florida, Melina Jimenez will teach "Musical storytelling with Taylor Swift and other iconic female artists." This course at Florida will delve into Swift's discography, explore her enduring songwriting, and examine other iconic musical powerhouses such as Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, and Dolly Parton.

As mentioned, these academic institutions are not the pioneers in dissecting the "Lovers" hitmaker's lyrics and cultural influence. Others include Ghent University in Belgium, Berklee College of Music, the University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, New York University, the University of California at Berkeley, Arizona State University, and Stanford University.

According to EW, the reason for the recent course studies is not hard to see as the Grammy Awards winner is one of the most influential contemporary musicians, whose impact has gone beyond chart-topping songs and albums. 

This year alone, Swift has set box office records, impacted multiple economies through her ongoing Eras Tour, and even attracted new fans to the National Football League. She had also excited Swifties when news of her jumping into the billionaire's club hit the headlines after her tour brought her net worth to a whopping $1.1 billion.

One Swifty had reacted via X, writing, "Me: Billionaires shouldn't exist. *TAYLOR SWIFT OFFICIALLY A BILLIONAIRE *Also me," above a meme that read, "I say, 'That's my baby and I'm really proud.'"

Another Swifty exclaimed, "YES ! My fave artist Taylor Swift is now a BILLIONAIRE. I'm inspired to work harder."

Back in July, Swift garnered recognition in the US central bank's "Beige Book," an eight-times-a-year summary detailing the economic conditions across various regions of the nation.

Within the pages, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve officials highlighted the substantial uplift to the local tourism sector resulting from the "Valentine's Day" actress' concerts. They pointed out:

"Despite the slowing recovery in tourism in the region overall, one contact highlighted that May was the strongest month for hotel revenue in Philadelphia since the onset of the pandemic, largely due to an influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city."

Previous reports, citing officials, indicated that Swift's Eras Tour had significantly bolstered the local economy in Cincinnati. Additionally, data from research company QuestionPro suggested that the "All Too Well" artist's tour could generate approximately $4.6 billion in consumer spending in the United States alone. 

Over in Asia, there was a substantial demand for the "Anti-Hero" performer's concert tickets, particularly in Singapore. Numerous Swifties faced challenges securing tickets, partly attributed to a post-pandemic surge in demand for concerts and entertainment. 

Notably, the Economic Times reported that holders of United Overseas Bank [UOB] credit cards were granted preferred access to ticket bookings for the Singapore concert. 

The action subsequently prompted a significant increase in daily credit card applications in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia during the week when Swift announced her concert dates.