[Commlist] CfP - Taylor Swift Companion

Taylor Swift Companion CfP

In 2023 Taylor Swift was recognised as the biggest selling recording 
artist globally; her recent Eras tour was the first to gross more than 
$1 billion. Beyond her music and live performances, she is known for her 
social media content (which has revealed her political viewpoints and, 
opinions on the business of music), merchandise and, other creative 
endeavours including filmmaking.
Academic interest and engagement with the work of Taylor Swift is not 
new, and naturally moves beyond musicology. Although those explorations 
are worth noting especially in relation to post-genre pop music 
aesthetics, which challenges universality and legitimacy in music, 
identity and experience (James 2017).  Whilst often recognised by 
academics as having a role in teenage identity construction especially 
(for example, Frith 1996 and, Tarrant et al 2002), popular music in the 
case of Swift demands further and more nuanced attention. For example, 
Chittenden (2013) notes the role Swift’s lyrics play in identity 
politics particularly in relation to romance: whilst seemingly 
reinforcing social norms and stereotypes, these lyrics also highlight 
the complexity of relationships particularly in the contemporary 
cultural context; and, these discussions about them on online fan forums 
help supports emotional wellbeing. This work arguably having some 
relationship with Jackson’s (2021) research on popular celebrity 
feminism and, the way teenage girls make sense of feminist 
subjectivities. Fan-led music events such as those discussed by Fuller 
(2018) makes it clear that the participatory cultures and practices of 
‘Swifties’ are both personalised and collective, with affective resonance.
Since the early 2010s, academics have sought to understand and 
articulate the social and cultural significance of Swift. It is also 
clear that Swift represents more than a ‘pop princess’. Swift is a 
successful business innovator and leader; a global feminist icon; a 
fashion trend setter; a musical provocateur; a viral sensation; a 
perceived icon and for various reasons, a multiciplicitous and dynamic 
threat.
This companion seeks to understand the complex and often converging 
cultural dialogues and transmedia demonstrations that seek to represent, 
understand and encode Swift. It is not only interested in the positive 
sociocultural outcomes associated with the various aspects of her work 
and life, but also the associated pitfalls, challenges and conflicts. 
Swift provides Cultural Studies academics with the opportunity to 
explore and investigate tensions between her pluralistic cultural 
performances, sites and artefacts.
This companion is particularly interested in, but not limited to the 
following:

•	Extending or challenging the existing musicological cultural analysis 
of Swift’s music (incl. genre and composition), performances (live or on 
screen) and representations; and/ or their psychological, physiological, 
sociological significance and affect. •	Swift’s relationship to the 
music industry and ‘big business’, including her role and status as a 
trailblazing female entrepreneur in the popular music industry; and, 
transmedia business potentialities. •	Swiftie fandoms and Swiftverse 
(sub and anti-)cultures: their behaviours, communications and politics 
(personal and/ or organisational structures, governance and process).
•	Cultural symbolism, authenticity, creativity and ownership, which 
might include relationships with fashion, food, literature, film, 
marketing and advertising and, influence. •	Cultural storytelling, 
narratology and mythologies. •	(New) popular feminism(s) and the 
contemporary cultural zeitgeist.
•	Transmedia futures: music, fandoms, (post)digital cultures, content 
and communications.

We welcome abstracts of 300 words plus a 200 word biography. Please send 
these to: (k.wareham.morris /at/ worc.ac.uk) with “Swift Companion” as the 
subject heading. This call for papers will close on Monday 9th December 
2024 at 4pm, UK time.
This companion is particularly keen to include the work of Cultural 
Studies academics who identify with one or more protected characteristic 
(although we do not expect this to be declared nor proven), as a show of 
commitment to increasing publication opportunities for ‘non-traditional’ 
academics.
The book is intended for the Genre, Fiction and Film Companion Series at 
Peter Lang, Oxford.

References

Chittenden, T. 2013. In My Rearview Mirror in Journal of Children and 
Media, 7:2, pp. 186-200.
Fuller. G. 2018. The #tay4hottest100 new media event: discourse, publics 
and celebrity fandom as connective action in Communication Research and 
Practice, 4:2, pp. 167-182.

Frith, S. 1996. Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music. Oxford: 
Oxford University Press.
Jackson, S. 2021. “A very basic view of feminism”: feminist girls and 
meanings of (celebrity) feminism in Feminist Media Studies, 21:7, 
pp.1072-1090.

James, R. 2017. Is the post- in post-identity the post- in post-genre? 
in Popular Music, 36:1, pp.21-32.

Tarrant, M., North, A .C., and Hargreaves, D. J. 2002. Youth identity 
and music in R. MacDonald, D. Hargreaves, and D. Miell (Eds.), Musical 
Identities. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 134-150.



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