After a year from the purchase, Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun sold Taylor Swift’s master rights for the first six albums. Does that mean he’s no longer a walking piñata that gets beaten up by daily by the Hollywood folk singer? Just when you thought it was safe from spiders, the black widow strikes again..
Taylor said, “Scooter’s team wanted me to sign an ironclad NDA stating I would never say another word about Scooter Braun unless it was positive, before we could even look at the financial records of BMLG (which is always the first step in a purchase of this nature),” she wrote. “So, I would have to sign a document that would silence me forever before I could even have a chance to bid on my own work.”
Swift said she received a letter that private equity company Shamrock Holdings had bought all of her music, videos and album art from Braun. “This was the second time my music had been sold without my knowledge. The letter told me that they wanted to reach out before the sale to let me know, but that Scooter Braun had required that they make no contact with me or my team, or the deal would be off,” Swift wrote.
Swift learned that “under their terms Scooter Braun will continue to profit off my old musical catalog for many years.” She added, “I was hopeful and open to the possibility of a partnership with Shamrock, but Scooter’s participation is a non-starter for me.”
Regardless, Taylor plans to re-record her old catalogue.
Taylor Swift is always filled with a surprise. First she released a country album, then a pop album, moved to electronic pop and now? She surprised fans with a Folk album. Without warning, she dropped a 16 track album in just 24 hours notice. If you like sappy tracks sung by a superstar then this could be for you. The album got raving reviews from journalists that digested 16 introspective melancholic folk songs within 24 hours (to be fair, a private link to the songs was sent out a week ago).
The album is produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner along with Jack Antonoff. To give it that indie credibility, Swift got Bon Iver to sing on the track ‘exile’. Now we’re talking. She even grabbed the title “Mirrorball” for one her tracks from either folk rock artist Neil Young or Sarah McLachlan.
It won’t be the last surprise from Taylor. Now with touring off the table for 1 to 2 years anything is possible. More writing, more time to think, and more time to release albums. Did I hear Justin Bieber is already started writing for his next album? I think I did….
If it’s not revisiting old drama with Kardashians then Taylor Swift is attacking Bieber manager Scooter Braun for buying her masters. She had a chance to buy her masters, but shot down the offer. Her former label Big Machine has released a collection of previously released live recordings. This is typical in business, but Taylor doesn’t like it. Why? I don’t know. She gets paid and will cash the check.
She accused Scooter Braun of “shameless greed in the time of coronavirus”. She also attacked the financial backers 23 Capital including the Soros family and the Carlyle Group.
I’ll be honest, it’s hard to have sympathy for showbiz people who want to gyp the people who gambled on them when they were nobodies. Especially showbiz people worth hundreds of millions of dollars. You want to keep all your rights? Bankroll your own expenses from the get-go, instead of chasing investor money.
On the heels of receiving Billboard’s “Woman Of The Decade” award, Taylor said in her speech that she was held back by “toxic male privilege” in the music industry.
“Women in music are not allowed to coast,” she observed. “We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling, standard.” “I’ve seen a lot,” she added.
Taking credit for her own success she ads other people didn’t see it that way- “critics had speculated that “a male producer or co-writer” was the real reason for her success; or that a “savvy record label” was responsible for making her a star. “It wasn’t,” she said pointedly.
She also brought up Scooter Braun in her speech telling how she was blindsided with the sale of her masters. Both Scott Borchetta and Braun claim she was aware that her masters were for sale, yet she passed on the purchase.
Taylor Swift is blocking sync uses of her previous recordings under Big Machine. Since Scooter Braun owns the masters, Taylor Swift won’t give the green light. Swift also said she plans on re-recording the older songs at the end of next year.
Swift said today, “The reason I’m re-recording my music next year is because I do want my music to live on. I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials. But I only want that if I own it.”
Big Machine Label boss Scott Borchetta said, “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.”
Borchetta also said Swift has “admitted to contractually owing millions of dollars and multiple assets to our company”.