'Miss Americana' review: Taylor's documentary captures a 'Swift' rise
"Taylor Swift is the face of the music industry,” says one of the lines in the recently released documentary Miss Americana.
While some may disagree, it’s hard to ignore her songs which play constantly in the backdrop of malls, restaurants, salons and even share cabs.
The 30-year-old who graduated from country music to pop is the representative of millennials and the documentary perfectly captures that.
From winning her first VMA at the age of 17 to bagging several Grammy awards, the film charts her rise and her transformation from an aspiring music artist to a role model for young girls.
Filled with home video montages from her childhood, the film shows the road carved for Swift at the age of 10.
Swift’s parents realised her potential and moved from the state of Pennysylvania to Tennessee to help her climb the ropes of country music.
Soon, record companies signed her on; she also appeared on local radios and went on to do many roadshows before becoming a prominent face in America.
In 2006, with her eponymous first album, she gained rapid success not just because of her talent but Kanye West’s stunt at the VMAs by snatching her mic and praising Beyonce instead.
Celebrity culture across the world is driven by controversy and this in a way helped fuel Swift’s career.
The documentary tries to be neutral on these grounds but does show tabloid snippets where many claimed Swift played the victim card to rise to fame.
It also misses out on how the media stalked her personal life and made a mockery out of it. Due to a legal bond with one of her previous managers, the documentary only plays her recent songs and perhaps that binds the producers to stick to more recent issues Swift has been vocal about.
Her support of a Democrat or LGBTQIA and wanting to be the right role model for teenage girls are lesser known sides of the artist and the documentary deftly brings that forward.
“I want to love glitter and also speak out against the double standards that exist in our society,” says Swift.
She goes on to explain that she isn’t willing to give up her identity for her voice to be heard, but rather she will stand up for herself and her beliefs while continuing to embrace her womanhood.
“I’m trying to be as educated as possible on how to respect people, on how to deprogram the misogyny,” she adds.
The documentary follows her through her unlearning the biases that everyone in America has so that she could be better prepared to step into the role of an influential figure who can drive change.
As an artiste who embraces expectations, criticism and continues to prioritise her family, her friends, and her own well-being, she ends by saying: “I want to still have a sharp pen and a thin skin and an open heart.”
Miss Americana
Platform: Netflix
Directed by: Lana Wilson
Genre: Documentary