Parents' Guide to

The Making of a Song

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Taylor Swift's promotional series highlights hard work.

TV DirecTV Reality TV 2017
The Making of a Song Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • The Making of a Song Series: Taylor Swift discussing a song with her producer.
  • The Making of a Song Series: Producing the song "Gorgeous."
  • The Making of a Song Series: Recording a song.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

THE MAKING OF A SONG is a streaming series that offers a chance for fans to watch Taylor Swift's songwriting process. Filmed by Swift herself, it shows how she goes about creating and fine-tuning the songs released on her album Reputation. Viewers get to watch her write and memorize lyrics, play guitar and piano as she works on the rhythms that will accompany them, and eventually record a full version of the song. She's also shown sharing and discussing her music with her producer. At the end of each installment, the audio of the final version of the song is played and the lyrics are visibly written out for viewers to read for themselves.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This interesting behind-the-scenes series is a fun glimpse into Swift's personal creative process as she works on the tracts that appear on her album. The Making of a Song also showcases the length of time and the amount of effort it takes for her to produce a single song -- it's not a quick process most of the time.

Swift is likable throughout, but hearing her belt out the same lyrics over and over again in an effort to get them right can be tedious for those not interested in the songwriting process. Nonetheless, fans of the singer will appreciate the look into her private world.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the creative process. What kind of work goes into writing and producing songs? Are you surprised by the work that goes into it?

  • Why do you think Taylor Swift produced The Making of a Song? Is it to highlight what her professional life is like? Or is it intended to promote her music?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate