Taylor Swift: why academics are studying the pop star

Taylor Swift performs in Nashville, May 5 , 2023 Photo: George Walker IV, AP/AAP Photos Taylor Swift, who is about to tour Australia with her much-anticipated Eras concerts, was the subject of a three-day academic conference, known as a Swiftposium, in Melbourne, where academics presented papers on her global impact. Taylor Swift is the biggest pop star in the world and a seemingly unlikely subject of academic study around Australia and the world. The American superstar made Grammys history this month winning Album of the Year for the fourth time, soon after being named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Forbes magazine declared the 34-year-old American the most powerful woman in the entertainment industry and fifth in the world for 2023, stating she is "an advocate for the empowerment of women and a champion for all musicians seeking greater ownership of their work." The conference or Swiftposium - hosted by the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the University of Sydney, RMIT University, Curtin University, Auckland University of Technology and Monash University - highlighted how a single artist has impacted contemporary life, with papers exploring Swift's influence across the intersection of music, economics, business, media studies, health, and societal and cultural impact. Brittany Spanos, New York University (NYU) Adjunct Instructor and senior writer for Rolling Stone opened the conference, delivering a keynote address examining Swift's career in relation to the music industry, musicology, feminism and race.