Her accent change Taylor Swift during her two-decade career she was the subject of academic study.

Researchers at the University of Chester examined how the performance of songs of different genres, from country to pop, affected the way speech was delivered.

When she was singing country songs early in her career, fans noticed how the 34-year-old had a Southern or Tennessee accent, but in her latest hits, Taylor Swift has a Northern accent, according to the published work.

Dr. Helen West, senior lecturer in English language/linguistics, and graduate student Esther Humphries investigated this vocal shift in Swift’s songs.

“Taylor’s accent changes from the country music period to the pop era have attracted public attention but have not been analyzed,” said Dr. West.

The researchers analyzed words and endings from Taylor Swift interviews from 2006 and 2012 and 20 songs from four of her albums that show the singer’s accent change

In the conclusions they point out that Swift has not changed her accent just for her music, but it is a form of bilingualism, with some linguistic awareness.

“The changes could be attributed to a number of factors, including her linguistic immersion in Nashville’s South American English-speaking community after moving to the city at age 14, and could also have some social meaning about the ‘province “, youth culture and the lack of pretense.”

The research findings were presented at the Swiftposium scientific symposium held recently in Melbourne, Australia, and posted on the University of Chester website.