PhD American Cultural Studies (2017 – expected graduation 2025)
Freie Universität, Berlin
Dissertation: “The Celebrity Feminist in Popular Music (2014-2024)” (tentatively graded summa cum laude, awaiting defense)
Supervisors: Frank Kelleter, Jo Littler, Rosalind Gill
Visiting scholarship at Harvard University under supervision of Robert Reid-Pharr in February 2020
Teaching experience: “Celebrity Feminism in Popular Music” (UG, Winter 2018), “The Art of Monstrous Men” (UG, Winter 2023)

RMA Literary Studies (2013 – 2016)
Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam
Thesis: “Female Sexuality in Popular Music: A comparative analysis of Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus”
Supervisor: Murat Aydemir

MA Comparative Cultural Analysis (2014 – 2016)
Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam
Thesis: “Imagining Beyoncé: A case study in female superstardom”
Supervisor: Jaap Kooijman
Graduated cum laude

BA Literary Studies (2011 – 2013)
Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam
Thesis: “‘All Teddy Bears Are Dead Around Here’: The Second World War in Dutch Youth Literature”
Supervisor: Boris Noordenbos

BSc Political Science (2007 – 2011)
Universiteit Leiden, Leiden

Celebrity Studies
Forum editor (2024-present)

European Taylor Swift Research Network
Cofounder (2024-present)

European Journal of Cultural Studies
Social media editor (2020-present)

Vooys: Tijdschrift voor letteren
Editor and head of public relations (2013-2015)

Conference organization
– The Taylor Swift Unconference, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 2024.
– 5th International Celebrity Studies Conference: Celebrity Crises and Conflicts, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 2024.
– GSNAS Annual Conference: Follow the Yellow Brick Road? Challenging Approaches to Progress in North America, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, June 2018.
– 3rd International Celebrity Studies Conference: Authenticating Celebrity, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 2016.
– International conference on narrative, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 2016.

Peer reviewer for Journal of Fandom Studies, Celebrity Studies, Visual Studies, The American Behavioral Scientist, Bloomsbury Academic and Amsterdam University Press.

Guest lectures, panel debates and roundtables

“‘The old Taylor can’t come to the phone because she’s dead’: Paradoxes of Celebrity Victimhood and the Promise of Post-Feminist Self-Reinvention in Popular Music.” Conference keynote speech. Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany, July 2025.

“Taylor Swift: een diepteanalyse.” Roundtable. Panelists: Annelot Prins, Niels Aalberts, Stefan Raatgever, Roos van Ees, Eva Hofman, Hanna Bervoets. Moderator: Sophie Rutenfrans. De Balie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 2023. In Dutch.

“Celebrity feminisme en Taylor Swift.” Guest lecture. Atria: Institute on gender equality and women’s history, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 2022. In Dutch.

“Het systeem uit: de grote weigering van Herbert Marcuse.” Roundtable. Panelists: Marian Donner, Annelot Prins, Julian Hetzel. Moderator: Sophie Rutenfrans. De Balie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, March 2022. In Dutch.

“Somewhere between safe and brave spaces: fighting sexualized harassment and violence in German academia.” Roundtable. Panelists: Sabina García Peter, Heike Pantelmann, Annelot Prins, Tanja Walty. Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, May 2021. Postponed due to Covid-19.

“Intersectional representation in the industry: what are the experiences behind being a womxn, person of color, LGBTQ+, transgender and/or gender-nonconforming individual in an industry that has been largely managed by white, hetero, cis-gender men marketing artistry for profit in a capitalist, white-supremacist, patriarchal society?” Roundtable. Moderator: Aja Burrell Wood. Panelists: Tonya Butler, Beth Denisch, Jazelynn Goudy and Annelot Prins. International Womxn’s Day Teach-In at Berklee, Berklee, Boston, United States of America, March 2020.

“Analyzing celebrity politics.” Guest lecture. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 2020.

“‘I learn from Beyoncé’: whiteness, wokeness and the cultural work of Black superstardom.” Guest lecture. Ringvorlesung 2019/2020 at the John. F. Kennedy Institute For North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, November 2019.

“The pasts and futures of queer celebrity.” Roundtable. Panelists: Richard Dyer, Dominic Janes and Annelot Prins. University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, June 2019.

“(In)visible colors: Taylor Swift and shifting structures of whiteness.” Guest lecture. University of Maine, Orono, United States, October 2018.

“The Beyoncé Debate.” Roundtable. Panelists: Louise St Guillaume, Annelot Prins, Jackie Raphael, Celia Lam and Samita Nandy. Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies, Barcelona, Spain, July 2016.

“Celebrity feminism.” Guest lecture. Mark Our Words, Utrecht, the Netherlands, January 2016.

Research presentations

“The problematic fave: on the audiences of immoral artists.” 5th International Celebrity Studies Conference: Celebrity Crises and Conflicts, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 2024.

“Analyzing the star text in the digital era: shared ways of reading Taylor Swift.” The NECS 2022 Conference: Epistemic Media, Politechnica University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, June 2022.

“‘They said speak now’: Taylor Swift and the politics of (anti-)fandom” Taylor Swift Study Day: Eras, Narrative, Digital Music and Media. Oklahoma City University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, online. July 2021.

“Beyond the star text: researching contemporary celebrity as an affective assembly.” 13th Biennial Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, University of Lisbon, Portugal, July 2020. Postponed due to Covid-19.

“Keep the critique, bring in the audience: a case for the analysis of celebrity as an affective assembly.” 5th International Celebrity Studies Conference: Transformations in Celebrity Culture, Winchester University, United Kingdom, June 2020. Postponed due to Covid-19.

“Woke white girls make some noise! The performance of popular white millennial womanhood.” 5th International Celebrity Studies Conference: Transformations in Celebrity Culture, Winchester University, United Kingdom, June 2020. Postponed due to Covid-19.

“‘I follow her work a lot more because of her story’: Kesha in the #MeToo era of ‘no-choice feminism’.” Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Annual Conference,Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, United States, April 2020. Postponed due to Covid-19.

“Is your favorite celebrity an intersectional feminist?” Poster Presentation. Doing Gender/Intersectional Research in International Contexts, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, June 2019.

“‘I learn from Beyoncé’: white millennial women’s investment in the persona of Beyoncé.” Persona Studies Conference, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, June 2019.

“‘This is why we can’t have nice things’: the alt-right audiences of Taylor Swift.” The German Association for American Studies, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, June 2019.

“Songs to hold on to: affective experiences of musical empowerment in popular feminism.” Gender and Affect, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, May 2019.

“‘Look what you made me do!’ Aspirational work in Taylor Swift’s online fandom.” Young Women’s Digital Lives, The Open University, London, United Kingdom, March 2019.

“How much do you want to meet Taylor Swift? The cruel optimism of online fan labor.” Affect and Social Media #4, University of East London, London, United Kingdom, October 2018.

“Pop feminism and feminist feelings: theorizing the experience of empowerment through music.” Fan Studies Network Conference, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom, June 2018.

“From awkward teen girl to aryan goddess meme: Taylor Swift and white womanhood.” 4th International Celebrity Studies Conference: Desecrating Celebrity, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, June 2018.

“‘Now let’s get in formation’: the deformed musical forms of Beyoncé’s celebrity activism.” Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Annual Conference, J.W. Marriott, Indianapolis, United States, March 2018.

“‘Now let’s get in formation’: the deformed musical forms of Beyoncé’s celebrity activism” Southwest Popular / American Culture Association Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel and Conference Center, Albuquerque, United States, February 2018.

“Beyoncé feminism.” Bridging Gaps: What are the media, publicists and celebrities selling?, Center for Media and Celebrity Studies, Barcelona, Spain, July 2016.

“Celebrity feminism: a case study of Beyoncé.” 3rd International Celebrity Studies Conference: Authenticating Celebrity, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 2016.

“‘Who run the world?’ Feminism and commodification in Beyoncé’s star text.” 22nd American Studies Day, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 2016.

“Performing feminisms: a case study of Beyoncé.” 21st Century Feminist Praxes, Ontologies and Materialities, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary, May 2016.

“Beyoncé feminisms?” (In)visible Lines: The Sibéal Annual Conference, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland, November 2015.

“The queen Bey of independent women – bow down bitches. A case study of celebrity feminism.” Feminist Theory and Music 13: Feminism and Black Critical Praxis in an Age of Scarcity, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, the United States of America, August 2015.

November 2024. The Taylor Swift Effect. Director: Aaron Thiesen. Arte.

August 2024. “Taylor Swift: van muziekicoon naar politieke macht.” Goed Ingelichte Kring. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

July 2024. “Taylor Swift is ‘koningin van de aandacht’ en dat vinden wetenschappers interessant.” Nieuwsuur. NOS. In Dutch.

July 2024. “Het culturele fenomeen Taylor Swift: wat maakt de zangeres en The Eras Tour uniek?” Nu.nl. In Dutch.

July 2024. “Fans staan in de startblokken voor zangeres Taylor Swift: ‘Ze is een fenomeen’.” Hart van Nederland. In Dutch.

July 2024. “Taylor Swift drie keer in de arena: experts of haar succes.” Het Algemeen Dagblad. In Dutch.

July 2024. “De filosofie van Taylor Swift.” Filosofie Magazine. In Dutch.

July 2024. “Waarom Taylor Swift zo intens geliefd is. ‘Ze zet zichzelf neer als het doelwit van een grote boze wolf’.” Brandpunt +NPO 3. In Dutch.

July 2024. “De mediastrategie van Taylor Swift.” Rewind. NPO Radio 1. Human. In Dutch.

June 2024. “Uitgezocht: Wat is het geheim van Taylor Swift?” Jeugdjournaal. In Dutch.

March 2024. “The rise and rise of girl culture: ‘When grown women flock to unicorns or glitter pens, it shows they desperately crave more moments to destress’.” The Irish Independent.

December 2023. “This Video Isn’t Just About Taylor Swift. It’s About You.” YouTube.

December 2023. “Taylor Swift: de grootste popster op aarde wil kwetsbaar blijven.” NRC Handelsblad.

November 2023. “De geschiedenis van de Makeover movie.” OVT. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

July 2023. “Kaartje kopen voor Taylor Swift gaat anders en dat is niet voor niets.” NOS Nieuws. In Dutch.

July 2023. “Taylor Swift, zakenvrouw en rolmodel.” De Dag. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

February 2023. “Hoe Taylor Swift 86 miljoen euro verdiende in 1 jaar.” Het Jeugdjournaal. In Dutch.

January 2023. “Taylor Swift heeft ook invloed op jou.” NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

January 2023. “Popfeminisme en de sociale functies van celebrities.” Goed Ingelichte Kring. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

July 2021. “Beyoncé lost niks op, het is een quick fix.” Focus. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

February 2021. “Britney Spears als ritueel offer.” OVT. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

July 2020. “Taylor Swift’s New Album Has A Haunting Song About Coronavirus Healthcare Workers And People Are Extremely Moved By It.” Buzzfeed.

February 2020. “Feminisme van Swift verdient ook argwaan.” Het Parool. In Dutch.

November 2019. “Hulpkreet Taylor Swift krijgt veel steun, label spreekt van valse informatie.” NOS.nl. In Dutch.

November 2019. “Taylor Swift doet hulpkreet om eigen muziek in handen te krijgen.” NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

November 2019. “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: was unleashing the Swifties the right way to get justice?” The Telegraph.

August 2019. “Never tweet your heroes: Ariana Grande and the hidden dangers of fan/celebrity interactions.” The Telegraph.

September 2018. “De Kavanaugh protesten en Me Too beweging in de VS.” NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

August 2018. “Madonna en popfeminisme.” NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

June 2018. “Beyoncé en Jay-Z grijpen spotlight als kunststukken in leeg Louvre.” NOS. In Dutch.

December 2017. “Dit jaar leek ‘feminisme’ bij het takenpakket van vrouwelijke popsterren te horen.” Vice Nederland. In Dutch.

August 2017. “Celebrity’s en feminisme: marketingstunt of uit het hart?” NOS op 3. In Dutch.

August 2017. “Steeds meer vrouwelijke sterren claimen het feminisme.” Radio 1 journaal. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch. 

August 2016. “De erfenis van de Spice Girls: girlpower verpakt in glitter.” Het Parool. In Dutch.

April 2016. “What Would Beyoncé?”, Felix Meritis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Roundtable. In Dutch.

April 2016. Radio interview about Beyoncé research. BNR Nieuwsradio. In Dutch.

April 2016. Radio interview about Beyoncé research. Nieuws en Co. NPO Radio 1. In Dutch.

2016: Horizonfonds (travel grant)

2016: Graeve Franckenfonds (travel grant)

2017-2022: DAAD scholarship (scholarship)