ZDF airs two-part documentary "Becoming Taylor Swift" about the rise of the US singer

The focus of the first episode is Swift's time in Nashville, where, according to the documentary, she received her first record deal at the age of 15. The film traces how the then young musician gained a foothold in the US country stronghold and later worked her way to the top of pop music. Swift herself had already emphasised in an interview in 2009: „Ich schreibe nur über das, was mich selbst gerade bewegt." This self-referential view of her own experiences forms, according to the documentary, a key to her later fanbase.

Break with Kanye West and new beginning 2017

A central turning point in Swift's career is marked, according to the documentary, by her public feud with rapper Kanye West and his then-wife Kim Kardashian in 2016. "Becoming Taylor Swift" treats this conflict as a decisive break that initiated Swift's artistic reorientation. After a year away from the spotlight, the singer returned in 2017 with the album "Reputation". The dispute over the rights to her first six albums, which music producer Scooter Braun acquired from her former label and which Swift described as "der schlimmste Albtraum", is also part of the narrative.

The second episode, titled "Return and Rebellion", picks up with the start of the "Eras Tour" in 2023 and treats Swift's songs "Look What You Made Me Do" (2017) and "The Man" (2019) as a musical "settling of scores". In this phase, according to ZDF, Swift began to take a public stance, including on issues of equality in the music industry. Journalist Zing Tsjeng, who appears as an interview partner in the documentary, places this step in a larger context. „Ich glaube, es gibt für eine Frau keinen besseren Konter als Erfolg. Gerade in der Musikbranche, die nach wie vor von Männern dominiert wird", Tsjeng is quoted as saying in the documentary.

Significance for young fans

Tsjeng also emphasises in the documentary that Swift serves a previously underrepresented target group. „Junge Frauen und Mädchen, die jemanden suchen, der ihre Gefühle widerspiegelt – mit Songs, die sich anfühlen, als wären sie über ihr Leben geschrieben worden", the journalist states. The documentary also draws on reactions from long-time fans to support this thesis. One long-time "Swiftie" has her say with the words: „Ich war so dankbar, Taylor zu haben. Ihre CD gab mir Kraft." Another says: „Ihre Stimme gab mir das Gefühl, nicht alleine zu sein."

Further documentaries and broadcast schedule

The documentary also refers to other film and media milestones in the Swift universe: the Netflix documentary "Miss Americana" from 2020, as well as a six-part documentary series about the "Eras Tour" that appeared on Disney+ at the end of 2025. In addition, the production recalls that Swift gave numerous interviews last year about her new album "The Life of a Showgirl", appeared on late-night shows, and spoke for two hours on the podcast of her partner Travis Kelce. A long video interview with the "New York Times" about her songwriting is also placed in context. Since the end of her major "Eras Tour", a year and a half has now passed; the 36-year-old evidently did not shy away from interviews last year.

Broadcast schedule in Germany: Both parts of the documentary will be available on the ZDF streaming portal from Monday, 8 June. The first episode "Fame and Rivals" airs on ZDF in the night to Friday, 12 June, at 00:45. Both episodes follow on Friday, 18 June, at 11:15 on ZDFinfo. The article is based on a report from the dpa news channel.

For context, the documentary also places Swift's success within a discussion about female self-empowerment in the entertainment industry. Tsjeng formulates a thought in the documentary that points beyond the individual case: „Es gebe für eine Frau keinen besseren Konter als kommerziellen Erfolg", the journalist says. The production thus frames Swift's career not only as a personal success story, but also as an example of an artist who carves her own path in a male-dominated industry.