Taylor Swift is once again speaking out against Big Machine Label Group founder Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, alleging that they both are refusing to allow her to perform her old songs when she appears at the American Music Awards to receive the Artist of the Decade Award on Nov. 24.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday to explain “what’s been going on,” Swift writes that she originally planned to perform a medley of her hits on stage, but Borchetta and Braun “claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year.”
Don’t know what else to do pic.twitter.com/1uBrXwviTS
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 14, 2019
She also reveals that Netflix is currently creating a documentary about her life, but Borchetta and Braun have also declined the use of her older music and performance footage for the project. “There is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film,” she notes.
She then shared that Borchetta informed her team that she can use her music only if she agrees to “not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year” and to “stop talking about him and Scooter Braun.”
Following the news that Braun’s Ithaca Holdings had acquired Big Machine Label Group earlier this year, and with it the entire catalog Swift released through Borchetta’s label, the singer-songwriter took to Tumblr to share why she was upset with the deal and directly addressed Braun and Borchetta. Swift referred to the deal as her “worst-case scenario” and notes that she learned of the deal “as it was announced to the world,” and that the news immediately brought her back to “the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at [Braun’s] hands for years.”
Borchetta responded to Swift’s fighting words in his own post, titled “So, it’s time for some truth…,” in which he wrote that her father, Scott Swift, is a shareholder in Big Machine and was notified of a call with shareholders taking place June 25, saying that all shareholders were notified of the pending deal with Ithaca. Borchetta also argued that Swift and her attorney Don Passman went over the document in great detail and talked through the deal together, where he alleges she rejected the deal in favor of moving her business to Universal Music Group.
“Scott Borchetta never gave Taylor Swift an opportunity to purchase her masters, or the label, outright with a check in the way he is now apparently doing for others,” Passman told The Hollywood Reporter about that aspect of the dispute. Swift’s rep also denied Borchetta’s claim, telling People the singer learned of the news when she woke up to news articles.
Determined to own her music, Swift revealed that she would, in fact, re-record her back catalog of songs in an interview with Tracy Smith on CBS Sunday Morning.
“I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate,” Swift writes. “The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished.”
Swift calls her new quarrel with Borchetta and Braun “wrong,” because Swift reiterates that neither Borchetta or Braun had any role in writing her songs nor helped in creating the relationship she shares with her fans.
To rectify the situation, Swift pleads that her fans share their thoughts and feelings with Borchetta and Braun. “Scooter also manages several artists who I believe care about other artists and their work. Please ask them for help with this — I’m hoping that maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote.” Among the artists, Braun manages are Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato. According to msn entertainment.
Apart from her fans and the public, Swift also asked for assistance from The Carlyle Group, who she says “put up money for the sale of my music to these two men.”
“I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it. I’ve tried to work this out privately through my team but have not been able to resolve anything.”
Swift also admits that due to the circumstances, her performance at the American Music Awards, Netflix documentary and other performances she plans to have until November of 2020 “are a question mark.” “I love you guys and I thought you should know what’s been going on.”
The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, a division of Valence Media, the parent company of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
