ISLAMABAD: Taylor Swift took to Tumblr on June 30th, to give her statement regarding the recent buy-out of her previous label ‘Big Machine Records’ by Scooter Braun.
Wall Street Journal reported about the $300 million deal that talent manager Scooter Braun made with Big Machine Records owner Scott Borchetta. This deal would eventually mean that Scooter Braun will be the owner of the catalogs of multiple celebrities including Taylor Swift, Bebe Rexha, Sheryl Crow and Lady Antebellum.
It was also revealed that Scott Borchetta will remain, president of the record, while further proceedings to continue with regards to Universal Records, which actually distributes the Big Machine Records’ music.
Soon after this news was released, Taylor Swift took to Tumblr to address this situation, with a screenshot of Justin Bieber’s post with Kanye West and Scooter Braun, with the caption ‘Taylor Swift what up’.
“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead, I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past.”
Further expressing her views about Scooter Braun, she stated:
“I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world. All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.”
She expressed her disappointment saying that this is what happens when you sign a contract at age 15.
“Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”
Scooter Braun is the talent manager of famous celebrities like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Carly Rae Jepson, Kanye West, Hillary Duff etc. He’s been notorious for allegedly feeding off of his clients.
It’s been claimed by multiple sources in the past that Braun forced Justin Bieber to go on a concert while he was struggling with his mental health. The same is now with Ariana Grande’s recent tour ‘The Sweetener World Tour’.
Justin Bieber’s response:
Soon after Taylor Swift’s post on Tumblr, Justin Bieber took to Instagram to confront the issue.
“I would like to apologize for posting that hurtful Instagram post, at the time I thought it was funny but looking back it was distasteful and insensitive.”
However, Bieber defended his manager, Scooter Braun, saying: “Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you.”
With reference to Taylor’s emotions about Braun, Bieber had a very different opinion: “For you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn’t fair. What were you trying to accomplish by posting that blog? seems to me like it was to get sympathy u also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully scooter.”
Scott Borchetta’s response:
Scott Brochetta took to his Big Machine Records website and addressed the claims that were made after swifties started bashing him for being an ungrateful and backstabbing friend.
“Out of courtesy, I personally texted Taylor at 9:06 pm, Saturday, June 29th to inform her prior to the story breaking on the morning of Sunday, June 30th so she could hear it directly from me.”
He claimed that Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, knew about this buy-out five days prior to the actual agreement because he is a shareholder.
“Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings, but every video, photograph, everything associated to her career. She chose to leave.”
Further, he expressed his support of Scooter Braun, stating: “Scooter was never anything but positive about Taylor. He called me directly about Manchester to see if Taylor would participate (she declined).”
Hashtag- WeStandWithTaylor:
Shortly after this debacle, the hashtag #WeStandWithTaylor began trending on twitter, and many celebrities came forward to express their support of Swift.
“For a man who has done nothing but hurt her to be able to claim ownership of them is absolutely disgusting.” –Courtney Pochin tweeted.
Katy Perry signed a change.org petition calling for Swift to be allowed to re-release all six albums under her new label, which could conceivably result in the regaining control of her music.
Alessia Cara wrote: “stop stealing from women who work hard,”
Iggy Azalea wrote: “They really do people crazy dirty on ownership of their intellectual property in the biz.”
Cara Delavigne responded to Justin Bieber’s post, saying:
“I am not sure you actually understand what an apology is. This issue that Taylor Swift is talking out is about far more than a picture and you know that.”
Halsey also jumped to support Taylor, saying that she was the reason that she decided to write her own music.
Many artists unfollowed Scooter Braun including Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello, and Adele.
Ariana Grande removed her story congratulating Braun over him acquiring Big Machine Records.
Taylor’s friend, Todrick Hall, and Braun’s client, Demi Lovato, also got into a back-and-forth banter on twitter where both were siding with their opponents and close friends.
Analysis:
While I have been a fan of Taylor Swift’s for a very long time, I do have some reservations when it comes to how this debacle was confronted.
Taylor Swift signed the contract with Big Machine Records when she was fifteen, but her parents were there with her, looking through the contract. Her father was a shareholder in the company.
Swift was given the option of owning her music one album at a time if she continued to produce more albums, but she consciously refused.
In my opinion, there’s a difference between what’s ethically right, and what’s lawfully right.
While yes, I do think that she should have the right to own her own music and that someone who has never participated in the process of production, should not have any right to control the artistic creation of another person, that is strictly speaking from an ethical and emotional perspective.
On the other hand, Taylor Swift did sign the contract which led to the label owning the records, and she did deliberately forego the opportunity to own her music, so strictly speaking from a legal perspective, there was no injustice that happened.
What I fail to understand is how posting an emotional rant about how grossed out you are, would help with the fact that you did have knowledge of the legalities of it all, and there was no injustice that occurred during the buy-out.
Taylor Swift announced on November 19th, 2018, that she’ll be leaving Big Machine Records after working with them for fourteen years. She expressed her gratitude towards the record label, and expressed her excitement over finally owning her own music, stating:
“It’s also incredibly exciting to know that I’ll own all of my master recordings that I make from now on,”
Taylor Swift’s seventh studio album, ‘Lover’ will be released via Republic Records on 23rd August 2019, on all buying and streaming platforms. This will be her first album that she would have the right to legally own.
The album features two hit singles ‘Me!’ and ‘You Need to Calm Down’.
Taylor Swift has previously advocated for artist’s rights using social media. She wrote an open-letter to Apple in 2015, withholding her music from the streaming service, because they didn’t pay the artists in the first three-month trial period. (With input from different wire services and monitoring desk)
