Taylor Swift engaged singer? While “The Eras Tour” will stop in Paris on May 9, 10, 11 and 12, the documentary Miss Americana, directed by Lana Wilson in 2020, is worth watching. Not so much for the devilishly hagiographic nature of the film as for the pivotal moments in the star's awareness of the world around him.
This young woman born in 1989 who succeeds in everything – she was crowned in 2023, for the fourth time, at the top of the world ranking of artists – talks about how she forced herself to “become the one that everyone wanted [that she either] (…) a nice girl who smiles, says thank you and does not impose her opinion”.
A first incident shakes up this flawless course. When she arrived on stage to receive the award for “Best Music Video for a Female Artist” at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West snatched the microphone from her hands: “Taylor, I'm very happy for you, I'll let you finish after, but Beyoncé made one of the best music videos of all time! »
“Being on the right side of history”
This is the start of a long feud with the rapper, who is also controversial for his anti-Semitic remarks. When, in 2016, he sang “I have a feeling that me and Taylor could always make love/I made that bitch famous,” once again she cashes in. But prefers to disappear from the radar for a year.
Very supported by her mother, Taylor Swift works hard, establishing herself masterfully in the music industry. A trauma will change its course. In 2013, the American singer with a model figure was attacked by a radio host who put his hand under her skirt. Fired, the latter sued him.
In court in Denver (Colorado), in 2017, “the first thing they asked me was why I didn’t shout or react faster,” says the star. Seven witnesses and a photo prove his innocence. “We don’t feel victory when we win, because the process is dehumanizing,” she confides on camera. Since then, the young woman has defended the cause of all victims of sexual assault.
Taylor Swift realizes that her voice carries beyond her songs and finally allows herself to say loud and clear what she thinks. “I have to be on the right side of history,” she said, deciding, during the 2018 midterm elections, to openly fight against Marsha Blackburn, the Republican candidate from Tennessee (where the singer lives and vote). This wants to call into question the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which “protects us from mistreatment and harassment”, protests the artist.
Those around him urged him not to directly attack Donald Trump, then President of the United States. She resists them, convinced, she says, that we should “not elect a racist and homophobic candidate.” At 28, the pop star supports Democrat Phil Bredesen in the senatorial elections. His support will not be enough: Marsha Blackburn wins the election.
Never mind, Taylor Swift's political awareness will never leave her: she encourages her 112 million followers to vote. Today, “Miss Americana” – named after the musical wave from country music, where she began – supports the Democratic camp more than ever, to the point of seriously worrying Donald Trump’s supporters.
