Fearless

Taylor delivers a ten minute TED talk on the shortcomings of the modern music industry and the ways young, usually female, artists are exploited

A slideshow of the correspondence between Taylor’s team and Sc*tt/Sc**ter playing recordings of crying babies in the background

A Taylor Swift tribute, with the biggest artists of today and the past singing a medley of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits and then flipping off the camera as “screw you big machine” flashes on the screen

Guys - It’s been announced recently that the American Music Awards will be honoring me with the Artist of the Decade Award at this year’s ceremony. I’ve been planning to perform a medley of my hits throughout the decade on the show. Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year. Additionally - and this isn’t the way I had planned on telling you this news - Netflix has created a documentary about my life for the past few years. Scott and Scooter have declined the use of my older music or performance footage for this project, even though there is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film.

Scott Borchetta told my team that they’ll allow me to use my music only if I do these things: If I agree to not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year (which is something I’m both legally allowed to do and looking forward to) and also told my team that I need to stop talking about him and Scooter Braun.

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. The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished.

This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help.

Please let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really 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. I’m especially asking for help from The Carlyle Group, who 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. Right now my performance at the AMA’s, the Netflix documentary and any other recorded events I am planning to play until November of 2020 are a question mark.

I love you guys and I thought you should know what’s been going on.

Lately I have been seeing so much hateful words spread about people I know and others I don’t. I want to break that cycle today and spread some LOVE around Tumblr.

I’m going to start my cycle of love with @proundauntnyc. One day we followed each other on Tumblr, started reblogging each other’s posts, then chatting a little and then we finally got to meet at Rep Tour Chicago and then again at Rep Tour St. Louis. She is the nicest person I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know! I’m so thankful she’s my friend. You should follow her for extra glittery and pretty posts 😊

Now, I’m nominating 5 random people I follow on Tumblr to do share a story of a friendship, a family member or just something that brings them join!