Taylor's Version

An original exploration and celebration of Taylor Swift, the world's biggest music star, as taught by the world's most prestigious university. Arguably the biggest star in the world, Taylor Swift's meteoric rise to fame has marked her out as a phenomenon of the music industry. Award-winning literary critic and Harvard Professor Stephanie Burt offers the first serious study of Swift that pays close attention to her talent as a songwriter first and foremost. Based on one of the world's first university courses on Taylor Swift taught at Harvard University which has garnered international attention, Burt charts the extraordinary journey from Swift's teen country debut to her most recent record-breaking achievement as the highest-grossing touring artist in the world. Drawing from musical and cultural criticism, poetry, economic theory, American history, as well as personal experience, Burt offers an insightful critical appreciation of Swift that delves into her life, her celebrity and her artistry. She explores how Swift's music and public persona are highly intentional and reward scrutiny, how her career illuminates structures of privilege, and ultimately, what makes her body of work so important across styles, eras and generations. Taylor's Version is a literary deep-dive into Swift as a music icon, revealing the remarkable impact of her career and how her songs - and music in general - can change lives.