Taylor Swift slams sale of her masters, reveals she started re-recording her old music
Look what Scooter Braun made Taylor Swift do: start re-recording her old songs.
Swift spoke out this week after Braun, the music manager she has slammed for alleged "incessant, manipulative bullying," sold the master rights to her first six albums to an investment fund. In a statement, Swift said she had been attempting to negotiate with Braun to regain ownership over the master recordings herself, but she says she was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement that "would silence me forever" by stating that she could "never say another word about" Braun "unless it was positive."
The masters were ultimately sold to Shamrock Holdings, the "second time my music had been sold without my knowledge," Swift wrote. She said she was unhappy to learn that Braun will continue to profit off her songs under this deal, and she attached a letter written to Shamrock Holdings in which she says she "cannot currently entertain being partners with" them as a result.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Swift previously spoke out after Braun gained control of her masters upon purchasing her old label, Big Machine Label Group, in 2019, saying she didn't learn about the sale until it was announced publicly and that Braun "stripped me of my life's work, that I wasn't given an opportunity to buy." She also accused Braun of years of "incessant, manipulative bullying."
But Swift also revealed this week that she has officially started to re-record these older songs. In her letter to Shamrock Holdings shared on social media, she said that while doing so will "diminish the value of my old masters," it will help her to regain "the sense of pride I once had when hearing songs from my first six albums" and allow her fans "to listen to those albums without feelings of guilt for benefiting Scooter."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Magical Christmas markets in the Black Forest
The Week Recommends Snow, twinkling lights, glühwein and song: the charm of traditional festive markets in south-west Germany
By Jaymi McCann Published
-
Argos in Cappadocia: a magical hotel befitting its fairytale location
The Week Recommends Each of the unique rooms are carved out of the ancient caves
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
Is Elon Musk about to disrupt British politics?
Today's big question Mar-a-Lago talks between billionaire and Nigel Farage prompt calls for change on how political parties are funded
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift ties Beyoncé record at MTV awards
Speed Read The pop star's acceptance speeches encouraged fans to register to vote and commemorated the victims of 9/11
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift shows canceled over attack threat
Speed Read Three upcoming concerts in Vienna were called off due to an apparent terrorist plot targeting large-scale events
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published