Taylor Swift: Scooter Braun’s Acquisition of Back Catalog ‘My Worst Case Scenario’

“All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years,” singer says of music manager who purchased Big Machine Label Group and Swift’s masters

By DANIEL KREPS June 30, 2019

Taylor Swift turned to Tumblr Sunday to express how she felt disappointed and betrayed that her Big Machine catalog had been sold to a company owned by music manager Scooter Braun. “This is my worst case scenario,” Swift wrote.

On Sunday, Big Machine Label Group, Swift’s former label and the owner of her master recordings from her 2006 self-titled debut through 2017’s Reputation, was sold to Braun’s Ithaca Holdings as part of a $300 million deal, Billboard reported.

On Tumblr, Swift wrote that she was upset about the transaction not only because it prevented her from owning her own catalog but also because of who was purchasing the rights to her music.

“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,” Swift wrote.

“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.”

Swift then revealed why Braun acquiring her catalog is especially hurtful to her. “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,” Swift wrote.

“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. 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.”

Swift also criticized Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta for making the deal with Braun, knowing the emotional impact it would have on her. “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,” Swift wrote.

“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.”

Braun and Borchetta did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Following Swift’s Tumblr post, fans and fellow artists aligned with the singer using the #IStandWithTaylor hashtag. Halsey also voiced her support for Swift on Twitter in a lengthy statement, “She deserves to own the painstaking labor of her heart.”

Read Swift’s entire Tumblr post below: 

Taylor Swift calls sale of her music catalog her 'worst case scenario'

By Marianne Garvey, CNN June 30, 2019

(CNN)Taylor Swift called it her "worst case scenario," learning that her music catalog has been sold to a company owned by music manager Scooter Braun.

Claiming she's been bullied by Braun for years, Swift took to Tumblr on Sunday to explain how upset she is that her songs with Big Machine Label Group ended up with Braun, who manages artists such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and the Zac Brown band.

Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group from founder Scott Borchetta as part of a $300 million deal, reports Billboard. Swift had been signed to the label from her 2006 self-titled debut album through 2017's "Reputation," before moving to Universal Music Group.The sale prevents Swift from owning the first six albums in her catalog.

"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," Swift explained.

"I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past," Swift continued. "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." 

Swift said she learned Braun was the buyer when the deal was made public.

"I learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world," Swift wrote. "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.

"CNN has reached out to Braun for comment.

"This is my worst case scenario," Swift wrote. "This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 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." 

Swift signed off on a positive note, writing: "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." 

Then she plugged her new album. 

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

Signed: "Sad and grossed out, (broken heart emoji), Taylor."

Taylor Swift's Rep Says Singer Learned of Scooter Braun's Purchase from News When She Woke Up

"Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy," Taylor Swift said

By Melody Chiu and Karen Mizoguchi June 30, 2019

Taylor Swift‘s rep is doubling down on claims regarding how the singer found out about Scooter Braun’s $300 million purchase of her music catalog. 

A source close to the deal tells PEOPLE Swift, 29, was given a courtesy note on Saturday by Big Machine Label Group from founder Scott Borchetta. TMZ reported that Taylor’s father, Scott, is on the board of directors of Big Machine Label Group and “has known about the deal for at least a week.”

However, a spokesperson for the Grammy-winning artist refutes TMZ’s claim telling PEOPLE, “Scott Swift is not on the board of directors and has never been. On June 25, there was a shareholder phone call that Scott Swift did not participate in due to a very strict NDA that bound all shareholders and prohibited any discussion at all without risk of severe penalty.”

The spokesperson adds, “Her dad did not join that call because he did not want to be required to withhold any information from his own daughter. Taylor found out from the news articles when she woke up before seeing any text from Scott Borchetta and he did not call her in advance.” 

Swift herself made mention of how she found out about Braun’s purchase in a Tumblr post slamming the music manager.

“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,” she wrote.

On Sunday night, Borchetta responded to Swift’s Tumblr post, denying any bullying over the years by Braun. He also claimed that her father had a lawyer present for a shareholder meeting in which the news was shared.

A rep for Braun declined to comment to PEOPLE.

“Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, was a shareholder in Big Machine Records, LLC. We first alerted all of the shareholders on Thursday, June 20th for an official shareholder’s call scheduled for Tuesday, June 25th. On the 6/25 call the shareholders were made aware of the pending deal with Ithaca Holdings and had 3 days to go over all of the details of the proposed transaction. We then had a final call on Friday, June 28th in which the transaction passed with a majority vote and 3 of the 5 shareholders voting ‘yes’ with 92% of the shareholder’s vote,” wrote Borchetta on Big Machine’s web site.

Borchetta said he texted Swift at 9:06 p.m on Saturday to give her a heads up about the business deal.

“I guess it might somehow be possible that her dad Scott, 13 Management lawyer Jay Schaudies (who represented Scott Swift on the shareholder calls) or 13 Management executive and Big Machine LLC shareholder Frank Bell (who was on the shareholder calls) didn’t say anything to Taylor over the prior 5 days,” wrote Borchetta. “I guess it’s possible that she might not have seen my text. But, I truly doubt that she ‘woke up to the news when everyone else did.’ “

In her Tumblr post, Swift did not hold back her disdain for “manipulative” Braun, who manages stars Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, after his Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine Label Group from Borchetta, who worked with Swift from 2006 until she left Big Machine for Universal Music Group late last year.

Swift, whose new album Lover hits shelves Aug. 23, said learning that it was Braun who had ultimately purchased her masters from Borchetta was her “worst nightmare.”

“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,” she wrote. “This is my worst case scenario.”

Swift added of Borchetta, “This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 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.”

Borchetta acknowledged he was aware of issues Swift had with Bieber, but said Braun “was never anything but positive about Taylor.”

Added the label head: “Scooter has always been and will continue to be a supporter and honest custodian for Taylor and her music.”

2019.06.30 お昼