CfP: Taylor Swift Companion
CfP: Taylor Swift Companion
Deadline: 9th December 2024
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[dot]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.