The Gay Writing Doesn’t Stop: Taylor Swift’s “Guilty as Sin?” Mariana Vaca, Lake Forest College Swift’s records resonate with the LGBT community, but why? … May 20, 2024
Instant Download or Delayed Gratification: The Dilemma of the Deluxe Album Archie Wagner, University of Iowa In our current era of on-demand downloads, it really must be asked: Is it more fulfilling to have every piece of content at once or to wait?… April 11, 2024
Taylor Swift and the Maritime Superstition of Football Fans Amelie Allen, University of Arizona Taylor Swift’s current media backlash from Chiefs fans dates further back than anyone previously thought.… February 5, 2024
‘Love Story (Taylor’s Version)’ Is a Love Letter to Swifties Everywhere Kieran Benson, Luther College In her re-recordings of several songs from earlier in her career, Taylor Swift reclaims her songs while professing her admiration for her fans.… March 1, 2021
‘In Wonder’ Is Another Documentary Digging Deep Into the Lives of Musicians Arianna Taylor, University of Rochester Concert and other music documentaries give us access to the lives behind the public faces of artists such as Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift and more.… January 25, 2021
As 2021 Starts, Let’s Review Some of 2020’s Cultural Milestones Katherine Bry, Washington University As 2021 gets started, it is important to take a moment to reflect on some of last year's biggest cultural moments.… January 8, 2021
Does the Storytelling on ‘Evermore’ Stack Up To ‘Folklore’? Emma Watts, University of Arizona Taylor Swift surprised fans with a second 2020 album, but is this one as good as her previous release?… December 24, 2020
‘Evermore’ Reflects the Pain of an Isolated 2020, Seeks Hope in 2021 Haven Worley, University of Rochester The effects of COVID-19 can be heard in the somber themes of Taylor Swift's newest album.… December 22, 2020
Should Celebrities Be Pressured To Engage in Politics? Kirtika Sharad, George Washington University It's become expected of the rich and famous to use their massive platforms to tackle social and political issues, but should they be involved at all?… November 18, 2020
Maddie & Tae Are Much More Than ‘Girls in a Country Song’ Olivia Dimond, Bates College The two women have turned the tables on a music genre that's usually dominated by men.… September 23, 2020
Jim Gaffigan Ended His Political Silence To Speak Out Against Trump Audrey Martin, Boston University Usually silent on political issues, the comedian put his family-friendly jokes aside to express his vehement anger toward Donald Trump.… September 5, 2020
Swifties Are Wondering About the Queer Undertones in ‘Folklore’ Audrey Martin, Boston University Since the release of Taylor Swift's eighth studio album, some fans have been speculating about possible double meanings in songs like 'betty.'… August 26, 2020
The Storytelling of Taylor Swift Includes a Rainbow of Colors Julia Greene, Columbia College Chicago The artist’s renowned songwriting has gone from red to monochrome to the full spectrum of colors to create vivid imagery in every line.… August 18, 2020
‘Folklore’ Lets Listeners Enter Taylor Swift’s Mythical Realm of Music Nora Markey, Wesleyan University The singer's latest album, an unexpected surprise from isolation, is an ode to storytelling with empathetic lyrics and mystical sounds.… August 7, 2020
Taylor Swift’s New Album, ‘folklore,’ Is a Testament to Her Artistic Resilience Luke Gair, Sewanee: The University of the South Rather than indulge in empty symbolism and stale motives, Swift's eighth album reminds listeners why they fell in love with her work back in the early 2000s.… August 3, 2020
Zach Bryan Brings Authenticity and Soul to the World of Country Nora Markey, Wesleyan University While country music has grown overproduced and glamorous, this young, gritty musician embodies the traditions that built the genre.… June 17, 2020
Country Music Provides Perfect Examples of Storytelling for Writers Katherine McLaughlin, The New School The genre gets a bad rap, but those willing to dig deeper will find some clever ways of composing tight, compelling stories.… May 10, 2020
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Man’ Is Important, But It’s Not Revolutionary Asha MacKay, Wellesley College Her turn toward social commentary has received praise, but every artist should be taking on these issues — and many already do.… March 25, 2020
What Netflix’s ‘Miss Americana’ Teaches Us About the Price of Celebrity Kali Johnson, Gustavus Adolphus College It’s easy to romanticize Taylor Swift's extremely successful life. What many of us fail to remember is that it can be hard to be famous.… February 23, 2020
Grammy Night 2020 Leaves Audiences Feeling Uneasy Caleb Dukes, Rice University The event was overshadowed by the death of Kobe Bryant and looming allegations about the Recording Academy.… January 30, 2020
How Taylor Swift’s Billboard Woman of the Decade Speech Solidified Her Stardom Caleb Dukes, Rice University From the casual lyric drops to dragging misogynists, the musician took important stands and summed up an influential, storied career (so far).… December 27, 2019
The 2010s Have Been the Decade of Taylor Swift Kristin Auld, St John’s University The pop star's presence was inescapable.… December 12, 2019
Pop Does Christmas: 11 Holiday Mixes That’ll Have You Boppin’ Jake Mauriello, SUNY New Paltz Nothings says 'tis the season like a go-to Christmas track.… December 6, 2019
‘Beautiful Ghosts’ Is a Haunting Piece From Taylor Swift Emma Lichtenstein, Brandeis University The pop star's contribution to the 'Cats' soundtrack parallels her own life in a few ways.… November 29, 2019
Grammy Nominations Are Here and This Is What You Need to Know Caleb Dukes, Rice University Did your favorites make the cut?… November 27, 2019
#IStandWithTaylorSwift Goes Beyond Just Another Internet Feud Vaishnavi Kalyana, College of DuPage Taylor Swift is fighting for the rights of musicians to retain control over their own work.… November 26, 2019
Why Lover Fest Is a Taylor Swift Fan’s Worst Nightmare Emma Lichtenstein, Brandeis University We love her, but she needs to do better.… October 22, 2019
These Are Music’s 8 Best Summer Releases Katelyn Melder, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania From Tyler, the Creator to Taylor Swift, the summer of 2019 was filled to the brim with wonderful albums.… September 3, 2019
Is T-Swift’s New Album, “Lover,” Returning to Her Roots? Lauren Do, Davidson College The more important question ... are we ready for it?… September 3, 2019
Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ Shows Lyrical Maturity Kathryn Milschewski, Carthage College Taylor isn't crying over boys anymore.… August 28, 2019
How Does ‘Lover’ Compare to Taylor Swift’s Other Albums? Caleb Dukes, Rice University Is it really all sunshine and rainbows?… August 28, 2019
A Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s New Song ‘The Archer’ Rebecca McKinley Parsons, Wake Forest University Taylor’s signature cryptic messages are back.… August 12, 2019
All Right, Let’s Talk About ‘Cats’ Veronica Kuffel, University of Wisconsin-Madison Will it be a feat of filmmaking or a cat-tastrophe?… July 29, 2019