Entertainment
Over the past few years, it's become quite fashionable for huge pop stars to give fans more access to their lives than ever before by taking part in behind-the-scenes documentaries. We've seen Katy Perry: Part of Me, Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two, and Beyoncé's Homecoming, among others. Now, Taylor Swift is getting into the game with her own documentary, and fans are learning some shocking revelations from Taylor Swift: Miss Americana.
The movie is a Netflix original film, like Homecoming and Five Foot Two before it, and it had its official premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Ostensibly, the film is about the making of Swift's latest album, Lover, which was released in 2019. Indeed, the movie's title is even taken from one of the album's songs. But in actuality, the movie — the filming of which took place over a couple of years — is about a major transitional period in Swift's life and career. For most of the star's music career, Swift existed only in the public space. Whatever personal thoughts and beliefs she held were a mystery, as she didn't allow anyone to see the real her — beyond what she wrote in her songs, of course. But over the past few years, that changed. Swift began to openly discuss her political beliefs in 2018, a watershed moment for her, and since then the floodgates have opened. Miss Americana documents the thought process that went into that decision, along with many other aspects of Swift's hidden life.
So take a look below at the most shocking revelations from Taylor Swift: Miss Americana.
1
Her Songwriting Process
Since Miss Americana covers in great detail the production of a Taylor Swift album, the film naturally includes extended looks at how the artist writes her songs. And fans may be shocked to learn that a lot of the work happens on her iPhone. From writing lyrics in her Notes app to working out melodies with her producers while reading from her phone, the process is considerably more casual than you'd expect.
2
Her Eating Disorder
Swift addresses her struggles with an eating disorder quite bluntly, giving fans an inside look at one of her most personal and little-known challenges. In the doc, she reveals how she previously didn't eat enough and thought that it was normal to feel like she was on the brink of collapse during her performances.
3
Her Feminist Beliefs
Over the course of Swift's 15-year career, she has progressed from a carefully molded and inoffensive girl-next-door to an empowered woman who speaks her mind, and that progression has yielded some feminist beliefs that are stronger than fans may think. At one point in the film, Swift argues that there is "no such thing as a bitch or slut," taking a powerful stand against a culture that habitually degrades women.
4
Why She Waited So Long To Voice Her Politics
Swift came out as a progressive prior to the 2018 midterm elections when she publicly opposed the reelection of Tennessee republican senator Marsha Blackburn. The film reveals why it took so long for Swift to make her beliefs public — she was infamously silent during the 2016 presidential election — and it comes down to an ingrained belief from when she was young that country artists, particularly women, were punished for their political beliefs. She cites the Dixie Chicks, who were ostracized from the industry for speaking out against George W. Bush and the Iraq War, as part of the reason for her long period of silence.
5
Her Sexual Assault Gave Her Her Political Voice
In the doc, it's revealed that Swift's alleged sexual assault incident inspired her to no longer be silent about the things that she deemed important. Her bravery in speaking out and pursuing legal action against a radio DJ who allegedly groped her gave her the confidence to speak out against Blackburn, too, becoming the impetus for the new, unfiltered Taylor Swift.
Miss Americana reveals a new side of Taylor Swift, and it's one that fans have been hoping to meet for a long time.
