I love Taylor Swift. Her latest album is her densest yet, and I set out on a journey to see if I could assign a college major to each song based on different nuances within them. The following are just my perceptions and do not reflect any truth- just my guesses!
The 1: Sociology
If “The 1” is your favorite song off Folklore, you’re super into how people interact and connect- and therefore sociology might be your jam. You think human interaction is fascinating, and maybe care and think a lot about people who may not be in your life anymore.
Cardigan: Photography
Hear me out on this one. Cardigan is full of metaphors and figurative language surrounding pretty commonplace phenomena. If you’re swept away in the picturesque world that this song shows, you might be able to see the artistic elements of everyday life and capture it on camera! This song is basically photographs snapped of a relationship at different moments in time.
The Last Great American Dynasty: History
I bet everyone who says history is boring puzzles you to your very core. If this is your favorite song on the album, you recognize how captivating and interesting history can be and how aptly it can connect to present life. You see history not as dull facts and figures, but as stories told through time.
Exile: Pre-Law
If this is your favorite song from folklore, you are interested in hearing both sides of a story. This duet tracks two people who used to be together and how they each think things fell apart, and they each have a unique story to tell. You want to hear them both represented and see the value in hearing both perspectives to see the full picture as if you’re in a courtroom.
My Tears Ricochet: Theater
You live for drama if this is your favorite song. You want to see things exaggerated and focus on making small moments big and impactful. You may tend to be a little overdramatic, but it’s all for your craft. I honestly think that people who identify with this song are icons and super fun to be around.
Mirrorball: Hospitality Management
If you love “Mirrorball”, you probably love helping other people and being there for them. You always want to make people feel at home and you probably also love feeling needed, so I could definitely see you managing a resort or someplace where people rely on you to feel comfortable. You try really hard to help because you care really deeply.
Seven: Social Work
This song is for people who realize the duality that a difficult childhood brings and who can sympathize with that. You want to help children from broken homes while thinking back to your own and picking every detail of it apart. You’re also definitely a helper and someone with a big heart for kids and families in distress.
August: Fine Arts
Similar to Cardigan, you can recognize the precious nature of single moments and small amounts of time. You don’t care about having a stable 9-5 job or a great deal of stability as long as you’re enjoying life and doing what you love and with people you love. You’re probably very creative and just looking to enjoy your time on earth.
This is Me Trying: Engineering
I feel like if this is your favorite song, you’re probably in a competitive major where you’re used to failing before you succeed. You’re going to get very far but for the time being your workload is massive and, especially for women in STEM, you are often underestimated. You feel things deeply and you work really hard to succeed.
Illicit Affairs: Business Management
You know how to plan things to a T and you like to be in charge, most likely. This song has every detail of this affair mapped out and you like to calculate all the risks and make the most efficient plans in your life and in your major. But it’s not calculated in a cold way, you just like things done efficiently and done right.
Invisible String: Astronomy
The idea that there is an invisible string tying lovers to each other is so cosmic that you definitely love thinking about how the universe works in mysterious ways. You are probably very curious and probably also into astrology as well. You believe in the power of the universe and want to learn more about how it works in human lives.
Mad Woman: Finance/Accounting
This song gives me BIG woman in business vibes. This song is for women who kick ass and take names and do not care what people think, especially their male colleagues. You have no patience for mansplainers or sexist guys and you just want to make your way in your field. You’re not afraid to be the only girl in the room and you will make your voice heard.
Epiphany: Nursing
This felt obvious. This song is about WWII doctors and nurses caring for soldiers on the battlefield and it really shows a great amount of appreciation for the medical field. It feels good for you to be appreciated (because you aren’t enough!) and it also reminds you of the weight of your field that you’re about to enter.
Betty: Journalism
You know how to put the spin you want on any story. This song is about a guy who cheated but you still sympathize with him, and that is how perspective matters. You realize how important point of view and bias is and recognize the way that plays out in this song.
Peace: Music
Similarly to “August”, you also don’t want a typical, predictable life. From the bass riff at the beginning of this song to the assurance that a life with you won’t be too peaceful, this screams music major to me. You might have rock star fantasies of traveling the world with screaming fans or at the very least will keep your spouse awake learning a new instrument or jamming out in the basement.
Hoax: (any age) Education
Stay with me here. You’re willing to give a lot of yourself to those who may not return that to you, such as small children or teenagers. You care deeply and put a lot of stake in the people you believe in. You fight a lot of “winless fights” but still push every day to be a helper and someone who drives people to do better.
The Lakes: English
This song is essentially a poem and you’ve probably spent days dissecting it and pulling it apart for meaning. Enough said.