A new Netflix documentary aims to tell us more about the Taylor Swift we think we know — by focusing on her politics.
In Miss Americana, Taylor Swift’s career is traced from that of a young starlet to a global superstar with a political voice. Variety reports that it will reveal Swift’s evolution into a “political animal.” “It’s the story of an earnest young woman with a self-described ‘good girl’ fixation working through her last remaining fears of being shamed as she comes to embrace her claws, and her causes.”
Miss Americana is, according to the magazine, “a portrait of the birth of an activist.”
But for the woman who’s been in the spotlight since she was a teenager, her recently revealed political opinions are probably the least interesting thing about her.
Since Swift released her debut album when she was 16 years old, she has navigated megafame, sexual harassment, industry blow-ups, severe critiques, and a genre change with a measure of grace not often seen in the entertainment industry.
So why focus on her political beliefs?
Swift herself says she’s finally interested in talking politics, and she’s not afraid of suffering from Dixie Chicks syndrome. After she endorsed Phil Bredesen for Senate, she said, “This was a situation where, from a humanity perspective and from what my moral compass was telling me I needed to do, I knew I was right, and I really didn’t care about repercussions.”
In the trailer for Miss Americana, she says, “I need to be on the right side of history.”
Bredesen lost in the 2018 midterm elections, but since then, Swift has weighed in on the Equality Act, and she says when it comes to talking politics, she’s just getting started.
“I’m finding my voice in terms of politics. I took a lot of time educating myself on the political system and the branches of government that are signing off on bills that affect our day-to-day life,” she told Elle last year. “I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change.”
Swift may have just found her political voice, but her standard Democratic positions are not groundbreaking. If the documentary wants to focus on Swift’s career, it should look primarily at how she changed pop stardom and how she turned herself into a powerful brand while still maintaining a sense of authenticity. Everything about her story is fascinating — everything but the part where she starts sounding like every other celebrity.
That doesn’t necessarily mean she has to “shut up and sing.” But if music fans and casual Netflix viewers want to learn anything from Swift, it surely won’t have to do with Phil Bredesen or Hillary Clinton. In every aspect of Taylor Swift’s career, she has been unique — except for her politics.
