For the last few months leading up to the release of Taylor Swift’s Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” I was contemplating whether I really wanted to see it or not. While I would say I listen to her music regularly, I was worried that the film would be too focused on resurfaced drama with various celebrities. However, I would say that director Lana Wilson proved me wrong and instead gives an inside look into Swift’s creative process while writing her albums “Reputation” and “Lover.”
This documentary gives viewers a raw look into Swift’s personal life that most haven’t seen, especially focusing on her decision to disappear from the media for a year after the 2016 Kim Kardashian and Kanye West feud. Because she was under fire in the media during this time, I particularly enjoyed how those watching could see her own thoughts and opinions about the stories and allegations.
Mostly avoiding the drama in her life, “Miss Americana” instead shares behind-the-scenes footage of the singer with her friends and family while recording new music. Although many people have strong opinions about Swift, she helps the audience understand the difficulty of being a celebrity and how extreme success can have its drawbacks.
However, Swift didn’t shy away from difficult topics in “Miss Americana.” Throughout this documentary, she opened up about getting through an eating disorder, coping with internet trolls and helping her mom battle cancer.

I applaud Swift for having the bravery to put her emotions out there, especially since these can be heavy conversation topics for some. Her sharing these experiences can help her fans through similar times.
One of the most important things she discussed is her need to break away from her “good girl” image and share more of her political opinions.
For example, the documentary shows the story of how she tried to promote Tennessee senate candidate Phil Bredesen. She even recently released a new song called “Only the Young” about the impact young voters have along with this documentary.
While I enjoyed watching Taylor Swift evolve over the past few years, my absolute favorite part of this documentary was seeing footage of Swift writing the albums “Reputation” and “Lover.” She makes writing a number-one hit look so easy and it’s fascinating to see her songwriting evolve over the course of working on these two albums.
However, I do wish that “Miss Americana” focused a little less on the past few years and included more of her journey from when she started earlier in her career. Throughout the documentary, I was looking for stories behind some of my favorite Taylor Swift songs such as “You Belong With Me” and “Our Song,” but her entire career before “Reputation” was only briefly summarized with home videos instead.
Even if you don’t particularly like Taylor Swift, “Miss Americana” showcases the truths of what it’s like to deal with fame and stardome, something that most people can’t relate to.
Rating: four out of five stars