From the time between the release of her 2017 album, “reputation,” and last year’s drop of “Lover,” Taylor Swift largely stayed out of the public spotlight.
Her silence left room for rumors to grow, leaving her fans with questions.
But in her new Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” she provides Swifties with all the answers they’ve been desiring across a wide array of rather personal topics.
Director Lana Wilson and Swift don’t shy away from controversial topics, first addressing the subject the public wants to know about the most: the feud with Kanye West. Or maybe it should be called West’s harassment of Swift.
She retold the 2009 incident in which West infamously interrupted her receiving the MTV Video Music Award for “Best Female Video” to let everyone know that “Beyoncé had one of the best music videos of all time!”
When the crowd started booing, then-20-year-old Swift thought they were booing her, which would understandably be soul-crushing for someone who relies heavily on the approval of her fans.
She explains that the humiliation she felt drove her to do better, ostensibly leading to her receiving the album of the year Grammy for “1989” a few years later. But that drive was unsustainable, especially during her mother’s fight with cancer, giving her a new perspective.
“Do you really care if the Internet doesn’t like you today if your mom is sick from her chemo?” Swift asks.
She builds upon that idea of not caring what the general public thinks, explaining it was a conscious decision to keep her latest relationship private from the world.
And true to her intentions, there are barely any shots of her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, in the documentary, even during the parts where he is being discussed.
As the documentary progresses, she includes snippets of her working with producer Joel Little on different “Lover” tracks, showing their development from her initial lyrics to the final tracks.
In one scene in the studio, Swift reveals a secret that will surprise her Californian fans: she tried her first burrito at age 27.
But once she begins discussing her struggle with an eating disorder, it makes sense that she had never bothered to try one.
“I tend to get triggered by something, whether its a picture where my tummy looks too big or someone said I look pregnant and that will trigger me and starve,” Swift said.
The most intense moment comes when Swift decides to take a stance in the 2018 U.S. Senate race in Tennessee, publicly opposing now-Sen. Marsha Blackburn based on her opposition to equal rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Her father expresses his fear of the backlash Swift would face, saying, “I’m terrified. I’m the guy who went out and bought armored cars.”
There’s a dramatic buildup to the moment Swift publishes her post backing Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen, but it ends up being one of the weaker points of the film.
Swifties that were aware of her Instagram post knew exactly what was going to happen and those out of the loop would be confused as to what to expect.
The film heavily relies on archival footage for flashbacks, providing a more authentic, unscripted feeling.
However it can be difficult at times watching vertical videos that were presumably shot on Swift’s phone.
Not all of the older videos are introduced chronologically, leaving viewers using context clues like Swift’s hairstyle or how pixelated the footage is to figure out when they were recorded.
Swift concludes the documentary by releasing a new single: “Only the Young,” promoting youth activism in the lead-up to the 2020 Presidential election.
Sounding like a generic pop ballad, it feels as if Swift focused more on the concepts rather than developing the music.
By taking such a strong stance in the single and in her political activism in general, Swift is likely to drive away some of her conservative fans, but builds her own strength and confidence.
Being a Swiftie is more than just liking her music though.
It’s about buying into a culture of being true to one’s self, and throughout “Miss Americana,” Taylor Swift doubles down on that ideal.
This well-executed deep dive into Swift’s psyche will endear her more in the hearts of devoted fans, but is unlikely to attract new fans to her following.
Rating: 4/5
