On Friday, January 31st, the Netflix documentary Miss Americana debuted. The film follows Taylor Swift's life and career, specifically from the end of the Reputation Tour and through the recording of her latest album Lover. It offers a much more personal view of her relationship with her boyfriend and family, her political opinions, and songwriting process.
The documentary starts with Taylor looking through her old journals, reflecting on when she was a teenager dreaming of stardom, and shows briefly how she got her start through home videos and chronicles her meteoric rise to fame, first in country music, then mainstream music.
The first moment I found incredibly poignant was when she addressed the infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech. When she explains the impact that moment had on her, you can tell that it sparked a drive in her, but at the same time it was to win over public opinion. The film also addresses the backlash she started to face as she became more mainstream, and the incessant commentary on everything from her relationships to songwriting to her weight.
One moment that I found especially striking was when she opened up about her struggles with disordered eating and the constant search for approval. It becomes clear that since ending the 1989 era and stepping away from the public eye, she also became surrounded by fewer people, but at the same time, the connections she maintains are better for her well being.
As a fan of Taylor's, I remember being surprised but proud when she made her first specific political statement before the 2018 midterm elections. The scenes where her entire team was trying to keep her from speaking out, but she decided to do it anyway was very important and ties back to a recurring theme of her career up until the last few years: she was trying to please everyone, while not being completely true to what she believed at the instruction of the people running her career.
It's clear she has now taken charge of her career and the direction it will go. She will stand up for what she believes, and I believe ultimately end up on the right side of history. It's a beautiful look at someone who despite being one of the most well known celebrities, she is ultimately relatable as a person in a way that makes you want to cheer for her even more than before.
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