this is not a dress rehearsal

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. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums. 

Some fun facts about today’s news: 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. 

Like when Kim Kardashian orchestrated an illegally recorded snippet of a phone call to be leaked and then Scooter got his two clients together to bully me online about it. (See photo) Or when his client, Kanye West, organized a revenge porn music video which strips my body naked. 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.

This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it. 

When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever. 

Thankfully, I am now signed to a label that believes I should own anything I create. Thankfully, I left my past in Scott’s hands and not my future. And hopefully, young artists or kids with musical dreams will read this and learn about how to better protect themselves in a negotiation. You deserve to own the art you make.

I will always be proud of my past work. But for a healthier option, Lover will be out August 23. 

Sad and grossed out,

💔

FLYING

THERE’S NOT A STAR IN HEAVEN THAT WE CAN’T REACH

Pride Spotlight: The ArQuives

Today we’re taking a small break from NYC Pride to talk about what supporting the LGBTQIA+ community looks like elsewhere. The ArQuives is a Toronto-based non-profit organization that collects historical material from the Canadian gay liberation movement and LGBTQ2+  communities in Canada today. We got the chance to talk to Executive Director Raegan Swanson (she/her) to find out a bit more about the work The ArQuives does.

When it comes to Pride, we sometimes forget the history of the gay liberation movement. How does The Arquives keep these stories alive for the Canadian community?

The ArQuives has been a trusted repository for LGBTQ2+ history in Canada for over 45 years. We have been collecting stories since we started as a small filing cabinet in The Body Politic offices. Since the stories of LGBTQ2+ communities are not a part of our dominant historical narrative, it can be difficult for LGBTQ2+ folks to find out about their history and the history of Pride. For years, as a volunteer-run organization, we were unable to spend much time actively collecting histories, and our collections were limited to what people were able to bring to us. Now that we have staff, we are trying to be more deliberate at making sure the underrepresented histories are making their way into our collection. We are an independent organization, so the only reason we exist is that the community supports us.

How is The ArQuives making an impact for the LGBTQ2+ community and its history?

The stories and history of the LGBTQ2+ community have rarely been recorded by traditional western archives such as governments, universities, and churches. If they were recorded, it was usually from a governmental perspective. For example, there are police reports, but they don’t tell the stories of those who were targeted by the police. This is why community archives have become so important. The ArQuives is committed to making sure folks from Canada and around the world can search and see exhibits. That’s why we have put our database online, and have also been adding new digital exhibits every year. We are trying to make sure that LGBTQ2+ people can have access to their own history.

How can people continue to support the LGBTQ2+ community and your organization?

We rely on community support to keep The ArQuives going. Community members can support us in 3 different ways. You can donate LGBTQ2+ material to our collection—this helps to ensure that the records better represent different communities. You can also make a monetary donation to help us provide programming and ensure our collections are accessible to the public. And finally, if you are in Toronto, you can also assist by volunteering. We take volunteers to assist with archival processing, social media, yard work, and fundraising, amongst others.

Thank you to The ArQuives for all your work! Tumblr, how will you support LGBTQIA+ organizations? Use #Tumblr Pride to share.

Seriously can we just ADDRESS THIS because I’m CACKLING?? Is it a statement??? Are her arms just warm?? There’s no need to decide. what a 2000’s icon™️