Miss Americana

MISS AMERICANA - NETFLIX

With its debut at the Sundance Film Festival to its NETFLIX drop a week later, Miss Americana is the latest in the subgenre of pop star documentaries. The film encapsulates the meticulous control Taylor Swift has over what aspects of her life she allows the world to see. Constantly living for the approval of strangers is the main theme throughout Miss Americana: when she’s told Reputation failed to be nominated in any of the top categories at the Grammys, Swift responds “I just need to make a better album.”

Directed by Lana Wilson, Miss Americana is a standard talking heads documentary where Taylor Swift reflects back on key moments in her music career. With filming taking place just after wrapping up her Reputation tour and delving into the writing process of her latest album Lover, Swift touches on ongoing criticisms from the media – Taylor Swift dates too many men, she never talks about politics, she always plays the victim. Miss Americana gives the pop star a chance to explain herself.

Miss Americana gives the tiniest glimpse into Swift’s romance with Joe Alwyn, their relationship still kept extremely private. The documentary also touches on her sexual assault case against a Colorado DJ and her speaking out against Tennesse Senator Marsha Blackburn. The feud with Kanye West from its beginnings at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards is well touched upon, as Kim Kardashian-West’s Snapchat reveal of Swift allowing West to use her name in his song ‘Famous’ was the catalyst that pushed Taylor Swift into hiding.Though Swift reveals some new details regarding the aforementioned incidents, most have already been well documented in the media for diehard Swifties and casual viewers alike to already know the stories.

 It’s difficult to figure out why Miss Americana was released now, as the documentary gives no indication as to what Taylor Swift’s next steps are in her career or social life. It also comes at a bizarre point in her timeline – Lover had been released months ago and the documentary does not include her latest battle with Scooter Braun over song licensing rights – it seems filming had concluded before the news broke. The film is less so for an audience and more for Swift herself. What Miss Americana does say is that Taylor Swift is finally in control of her own narrative, she’s found her voice and she’s no longer afraid to speak out for the causes close to her. 

MISS AMERICANA is streaming exclusively on NETFLIX January 31st 2020