Taylor Swift did not attend college, which is fair considering she started her path towards international music superstardom with her 2006 self-titled debut album, which she released when she was just a teenager. So, today is a big day for her, as she received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from New York University (NYU). She made it clear she was thrilled about the whole thing this morning when she shared a video of herself donning her cap and gown and getting ready for today’s commencement ceremony.
She wasn’t just there to get her honorary doctorate, though, as at the Yankee Stadium graduation, she also delivered a commencement speech (technically, the “Response On Behalf Of The Honorary Degree Recipients,” per the 2022 ceremony program).
During her speech, she noted, “I’d like to thank NYU for making me, technically, on paper, at least, a doctor.” She added she’s not the kind of doctor you’d want around for an emergencies, unless those emergencies were about writing pop songs or naming “over 50 breeds of cats in one minute.” She also offered some nuggets of wisdom, like, “Life can be heavy, especially if you try to carry it all at once.” Elsewhere, she reflected on her own journey through the music industry and her life.
The ceremony program notes of Swift, “Taylor Swift is a trailblazing and influential advocate for artists’ rights in the face of exploitation and a forceful global advocate against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. An 11-time Grammy winner, she is one of the most prolific and celebrated artists of her generation.”
This comes after NYU offered a course about Swift this past semester, which was described, “This course proposes to deconstruct both the appeal and aversions to Taylor Swift through close readings of her music and public discourse as it relates to her own growth as an artist and a celebrity. Through readings, lectures and more, the class delves into analyses of the culture and politics of teen girlhood in pop music, fandom, media studies, whiteness and power as it relates to her image and the images of those who have both preceded and succeeded her. We’ll also consider topics like copyright and ownership, American nationalism, and the ongoing impact of social media on the pop music industry.”
Watch Swift’s speech above.
