The liberal arts love her!

Taylor Swift (Debut)

Debut must be a Linguistics major. Linguistics is all about discovery through language,

and the formation of language, which feels like Taylor coming into her own on her debut

album.

Fearless

Fearless is a Music major but specifically interested in ethnomusicology. She would be

very interested in the country music classes at Columbia and learning about the

development of the genre both in the U.S. and abroad. I think Fearless would minor in a

STEM subject, like Biology. She just has that vibe because of how focused Fearless is –

thirteen tracks, same producer, a very clear and concise message, which has the same

ethos as STEM majors.

Speak Now

Speak Now is the album that I feel would most likely major in English. Many of the

insults on the album are scathing, and I think an English major would have enough

poignant anger to write a song like “The Story of Us”. Also, Speak Now was entirely self-

written, something an English major would definitely do.

Red

The prologue of Red reads in part, “There’s an old poem by Neruda that I’ve always been

captivated by, and one of the lines in it has stuck with me ever since the first time I read

it. It says ‘love is so short, forgetting is so long.’” For this reason, I think Red would major

in Comparative Literature. A bit different from English, Comparative Literature compares

texts from different time periods and cultures, and I think Red, with a lot of its historical

charm (“Starlight” or “The Lucky One”) would appreciate that.

1989

Urban Studies feels like the most obvious choice for 1989, but it also makes the most

sense. Urban Studies at Columbia is interested in navigating cities as institutions and

learning how they impact the people engaging with them every day. 1989 is an album

that actively reflects on living in a big city, whilst also being an album that is impacted by

the city even if that is not plainly stated. I also think that 1989 would minor in a foreign

language like Spanish or French. Taylor did say in 2014 that she wishes she could speak

these languages!

Reputation

I think Reputation would major in Art History. I’ve never met an Art History major at

Columbia, and for that reason I feel like it has a cool, reclusive sort of vibe, the same

way reputation is with the whole “there will be no explanation there will just be

reputation” ethos.

Lover

I think Lover would be a Theatre major. Every Theatre major I’ve met is super happy and

expressive, and I think that’s Lover’s vibe. Side note: I feel like every second person I

meet at Columbia is a Theatre major, and I think Lover would enjoy the extensive

community.

folklore

I went back and forth for folklore, but I ultimately decided on Sociology because of how

universal it is, in the same way Taylor details fictional narratives throughout folklore. I do

think there’s a hint of a History minor on this album too.

evermore

To me, evermore is a STEM major. But like humanities STEM. For this reason she’s

Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species. The album is super intricate and woven

with so many specific details, so I think evermore would appreciate this major.

Midnights

Midnights would be interested in American Studies. It’s very interdisciplinary and

incorporates a lot of historical analysis, which I think Taylor does by reflecting on her

past in songs like “Midnight Rain”.

The Tortured Poets Department

I think TTPD would major in Architecture. I think she’s very interested in institutions.

Plus, there was a whole TTPD library built in LA to coincide with the album’s release!

Header image via Bwarchives