Was already a fan, now a bigger one

I'm annoyed that I let it get this late before I started writing my blog post for the day. Brian and I watched the second episode of "McMillions" tonight, and then, for whatever reason, I thought that maybe the update being installed on the laptop wouldn't take very long. In fact, it took about 40 minutes for the update to upload and install. Then I typed out the next adventure of Mystic and Boysen on the computer; it's been written out for a week and edited a couple times already. And then, well, then it was time to blog.

I watched "Miss Americana," the documentary movie about Taylor Swift this evening, and it was really good! I wasn't much of a fan, or a fan at all, when she was singing the country music, but her first pop album was super great, and Sydney and I listened to it all the time for a while there, so I consider myself a fan at this point. The new album, "Lover," is really good, too.

The documentary is a deep dive into her life, and especially, her growth over the last several years, as she's chosen to become more visual in her attitudes, beliefs and opinions. But my favorite parts are where a viewer can see how songs are written and how albums are created. I love to see the creative process unfold. How she can be messing with a piano, and she'll play a chord or some notes together, and you can hear a song that you know in that. It's so cool.

It's also really easy to forget how vulnerable artists are in regards to the public perception and their value in society. It was intriguing to see that play out on a young girl who was told that being the good girl was the only way to succeed. There's a scene where the entire team is discussing Taylor finally speaking out publicly about politics, and how it could be damaging to her brand and alienate fans. I think it's telling that, in the scene, it was the men trying to stop her from speaking out, while the women not only encouraged her, but celebrated it when she did it. For me, that was the moment I was the most proud of her. She said, No, I'm going to do this; and then she did it. It's a good documentary, and it's a healthy, strong and empowering story for girls to see. Recommended.