Examine individual changes

'{{Short description|Dispute over ownership of song recordings}} {{good article}} {{Use American English|date=August 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} [[File:Taylor Swift.jpg|thumb|[[Taylor Swift]] (''pictured'' in 2006) signed her record deal with [[Big Machine Records]] in 2005 at age 15, giving the ownership of the masters of her first six studio albums to the label.|upright=1.2]] American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] signed a [[Recording contract|record deal]] with [[Universal Music Group]] label [[Republic Records]] in November 2018 after the expiration of her six-album recording contract with [[Big Machine Records]], a [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]-based [[independent record label]] founded by [[Scott Borchetta]].{{NoteTag|The contract, signed in 2005, states that Swift will henceforth release six [[studio album]]s under Big Machine. Therefore, following the cessation of the promotional activities for her sixth studio album, ''[[Reputation (album)|Reputation]]'' (2017), the contract officially expired in November 2018.<ref name="inews"/>}} In June 2019, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', followed by other mainstream media, reported that American media proprietor [[Scooter Braun]] had purchased Big Machine from Borchetta for an estimated US$330 million, funded by [[the Carlyle Group]], 23 Capital, [[Soros Fund Management]], and various other [[Private-equity firm|private equity firms]] in a [[leveraged buyout]]. As part of the sale, Braun became the owner of all of the [[Mastering (audio)|master recordings]], music videos and promotional artworks [[copyright]]ed by Big Machine, including those of [[Taylor Swift albums discography#Studio albums|Swift's first six studio albums]]. In a [[Tumblr]] post, Swift said she had been trying to buy the masters for years, but that Big Machine had offered unfavorable conditions. She condemned Braun's purchase, recalling him being an "incessant, manipulative bully".{{NoteTag|Swift wrote: "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."<ref name="Tumblr post"/>}} Borchetta challenged Swift's claims and said she declined an opportunity to buy the masters. Big Machine and Swift had a series of further disputes; Swift alleged that the label had blocked her from using her older material for the [[American Music Awards of 2019|2019 American Music Awards]] and the documentary ''[[Miss Americana]]'' (2020), and in April 2020, the label released ''[[Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008]]'', an unreleased work by Swift, without her approval. Swift announced she would [[Re-recording (music)|re-record]] the first six studio albums to create new masters, giving her complete ownership of her back catalog. In October 2020, Braun sold Swift's works to the Disney family's [[Investment company|investment firm]], [[Shamrock Holdings]],{{NoteTag|name=A}} for US$300 million on the condition that he would continue to earn from the masters. Swift expressed her disapproval again and turned down Shamrock's offer for an [[equity partner]]ship, reiterating she would re-record the albums. [[File:Disrupt SF TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 - Day 2 (48838717986).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Scooter Braun]] (''pictured'' in 2019) purchased Big Machine in 2019 and became the owner of the masters of Swift's first six albums, which he later sold to [[Shamrock Holdings]] in 2020.]] Swift began releasing the re-recorded music in 2021, via Republic Records. She has released two re-recorded albums so far—''[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]'', the re-recording of her 2008 album ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]],'' on April 9, 2021, followed by ''[[Red (Taylor's Version)]]'', the re-recording of her 2012 album ''[[Red (Taylor Swift album)|Red]]'', on November 12, 2021; they were met with critical acclaim and commercial success, setting multiple sales, streaming and chart records. One of their tracks, "[[All Too Well (10 Minute Version)]]", became [[List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones#Selected additional Hot 100 achievements|the longest song in history to top]] the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], giving Swift the eighth number-one song of her career. Additionally, "[[Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)]]" and "[[This Love (Taylor's Version)]]"—off of the re-recording of her fifth studio album, ''[[1989 (Taylor Swift album)|1989]]''—have also been released. The annual ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' report listed Swift as the highest paid female musician of 2021. The [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]] (IFPI) ranked her as [[Global Recording Artist of the Year|the world's best selling soloist of 2021]]. The controversy was highly publicized, drawing widespread attention and media coverage, with various musicians, publications, politicians and scholars supporting Swift's stance. It prompted a discourse on artists' rights, [[intellectual property]], [[private equity]], and [[ethics]] in the music industry, and has encouraged new artists to negotiate for greater ownership and revenue shares in their contracts with [[record label]]s. [[iHeartRadio]], the largest [[radio network]] in the United States, stated it will replace the older versions in its airplay with Swift's re-recorded tracks. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' named Swift the Greatest Pop Star of 2021 for the successful and unprecedented outcomes of her re-recording venture. ==Background== === Law === According to the [[Copyright law of the United States|U.S. copyright law]], any music recording is subject to two distinct types of ownership: one that protects the specific sound recording, known as the [[Mastering (audio)|master]],<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Kim|first=Kyle|date=November 8, 2021|title=We Compared 'Taylor's Version' Songs With the Original Taylor Swift Albums|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/we-compared-taylors-version-songs-with-the-original-taylor-swift-albums-11636383601|access-date=November 9, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115062622/https://www.wsj.com/articles/we-compared-taylors-version-songs-with-the-original-taylor-swift-albums-11636383601|url-status=live}}</ref> and the other protecting the musical work. The master is the first recording of the music, from which copies are made for sales and distribution. The owner of the master, therefore, owns all formats of the recording, such as digital versions for [[Music download|download]] or on [[Streaming media|streaming]] platforms, or physical versions available as [[Compact disc|CDs]] and [[Gramophone record|vinyl records]].<ref name="inews">{{cite news|last=Finnis|first=Alex|date=November 17, 2020|title=Taylor Swift masters: The controversy around Scooter Braun selling the rights to her old music explained|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170953/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411|archive-date=February 12, 2021|newspaper=[[i (newspaper)|i]]|accessdate=February 13, 2021}}</ref> Anyone who wishes to use or reproduce a recording must obtain a copyright license authorized by the master-owner.<ref name="Vox">{{cite web|last=Grady|first=Constance|date=July 1, 2019|title=The Taylor Swift/Scooter Braun controversy, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/1/20677241/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-controversy-explained|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211151943/https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/1/20677241/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-controversy-explained|archive-date=February 11, 2020|access-date=August 23, 2019|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> Before the emergence of digital music platforms, musicians relied on [[record label]]s to promote their music through means such as [[airplay]] or physical distributions to retailers. These labels would typically require artists to sign record deals which would give them the rights to their masters "in perpetuity".<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48801130|title=Taylor Swift v Scooter Braun: Is it personal or strictly business|first=Paul|last=Glynn|publisher=BBC|date=July 1, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213004850/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48801130|url-status=live}}</ref> On the other hand, owning the musical work is referred to as owning the [[Publishing contract|publishing rights]], which covers the lyrics of the musical work before it became a sound recording, its melodies, [[sheet music]], composition, and instrumental arrangements. Songwriters generally own the publishing rights, and are referred to as "[[Music publisher|publishers]]" of the music.<ref name=":3" /> In a [[Nightline]] interview, music industry attorney Erin M. Jacobson mentioned that when a record deal is initially made, the “standard (practice is) for the record label to own the master recordings.” She went on to say that the “exception (to that rule was) when the artists owns the recordings and licenses them to the label.” She also mentioned that the opportunity for some musical artists (like Taylor Swift) to be able to purchase their masters from their record label was the more common contract option for those artists who want independent ownership of their masters.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Faris |first1=Paula |title=Taylor Swift's $300M feud over her 'worst case scenario' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/taylor-swifts-300m-feud-worst-case-scenario-64079081 |access-date=24 June 2022 |agency=abc NEWS |date=November 2019}}</ref> === Context === In 2005, American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]] participated in an industry showcase at [[Bluebird Café]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], where she caught the attention of [[Scott Borchetta]], a [[DreamWorks Records]] executive who had an idea of establishing his own [[independent record label]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Rapkin, Mickey|date=July 27, 2017|title=Oral History of Nashville's Bluebird Cafe: Taylor Swift, Maren Morris, Dierks Bentley & More on the Legendary Venue|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/7880979/the-bluebird-cafe-taylor-swift-dierks-bentley-oral-history|url-status=live|access-date=February 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729142603/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/7880979/the-bluebird-cafe-taylor-swift-dierks-bentley-oral-history|archive-date=July 29, 2017}}</ref> Eventually, Swift signed a 13-year recording deal with Borchetta's new Nashville-based label, [[Big Machine Records]], as their first recording artist. The contract gave Big Machine the ownership of the masters to Swift's first six albums in exchange for a cash advance.<ref name="inews"/> From 2006 to 2017, Swift released six [[studio album]]s with Big Machine: ''[[Taylor Swift (album)|Taylor Swift]]'' (2006), ''[[Fearless (Taylor Swift album)|Fearless]]'' (2008), ''[[Speak Now]]'' (2010), ''[[Red (Taylor Swift album)|Red]]'' (2012), ''[[1989 (Taylor Swift album)|1989]]'' (2014), and ''[[Reputation (album)|Reputation]]'' (2017), all of which were commercially lucrative<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-explainer-853424/|title=Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta: What the Hell Happened?|first=Brittany|last=Spanos|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=July 1, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303212229/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-explainer-853424/|url-status=live}}</ref> and established Swift as one of the most successful artists ever.<ref name=":28" /> Although Big Machine owned the masters, Swift retained the publishing rights to the six albums due to her role as the main songwriter of all of the songs she had released under Big Machine. This would allow her to re-record the songs in the future if she desired, as per the artist-label agreement that stipulates the artist cannot re-record a song for a fixed period of time; Swift would not have been able to re-record her musical work had she not been a songwriter.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> According to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', Swift's management team and attorney Donald Passman proposed to [[Big Machine Label Group]]{{NoteTag|The Big Machine Label Group encompasses Big Machine Records, [[Big Machine Records#Valory Music Co.|The Valory Music Co.]], [[BMLG Records]], Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, publishing company Big Machine Music, and digital radio station Big Machine Radio.<ref>{{Cite web |title= About/FAQs|url=https://www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/faqs |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=Big Machine Label Group|date=March 2018 }}</ref>}} in August 2018 that the masters be sold back to Swift as their contract was nearing expiry; the label group responded that it would happen only if she renewed her recording contract with the label, agreeing to create more albums under their label for the next 10 years. The two parties never arrived at an agreement.<ref name=":16">{{cite magazine |last=Newman |first=Melinda |date=July 2, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift's Attorney Says Singer Never Had a Chance to 'Outright' Buy Back Her Masters From Big Machine |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-attorney-don-passman-buy-masters-big-machine/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 10, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310183936/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-attorney-don-passman-buy-masters-big-machine/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ultimately, Swift's contract with Big Machine Records expired in November 2018, after which she left Big Machine and signed a new, global contract with [[Universal Music Group]] record label [[Republic Records]]. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that to that point Swift's catalog constituted around 80 percent of Big Machine's revenue.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/taylor-swift-stands-to-make-music-business-history-as-a-free-agent-1202918336/|title=Taylor Swift Stands to Make Music Business History as a Free Agent|date=August 27, 2018|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Chris|last=Willman|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829021649/https://variety.com/2018/music/news/taylor-swift-stands-to-make-music-business-history-as-a-free-agent-1202918336/|url-status=live}}</ref> Swift revealed a negotiation as part of her Republic Records contract which affected all artists signed to Universal: any sale of the company's shares in [[Spotify]], which is the largest on-demand music streaming platform in the world, resulted in [[Equity (finance)|equity]] shares for all Universal artists on a non-recoupable basis.<ref name="RS" /> The contract with Republic Records also allowed Swift to fully own the albums distributed by the label—both the masters and the publishing rights—starting with her seventh studio album, ''[[Lover (album)|Lover]]'' (2019),<ref name="Vox" /> and as reported by ''[[Forbes]]'', offered a [[royalty payment]] of 50 percent or more compared to the estimated 10 to 15 percent Swift "likely" had been receiving from Big Machine.<ref name=":29">{{Cite magazine |last=Freeman |first=Abigail |title=Taylor Swift Is 'Free' Again, But Just How Much Is Her 'Fearless' Strategy Worth? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/abigailfreeman/2021/04/09/taylor-swift-is-free-again-but-just-how-much-is-her-fearless-strategy-worth/ |access-date=April 29, 2022|magazine=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> ==Dispute== ===Braun's acquisition=== {{Quote box|align=right|width=35%|salign=right|quote="Scooter and I have been aligned with 'big vision brings big results' from the very first time we met in 2010. Since then I have watched him build an incredible and diverse company that is a perfect complement to the Big Machine Label Group. Our artist-first spirit and combined roster of talent, executives, and assets is now a global force to be reckoned with. This is a very special day and the beginning of what is sure to be a fantastic partnership and historic run."|author=– Scott Borchetta on selling Big Machine to Scooter Braun<ref name=":27" />}} [[Scooter Braun]] is an American [[media proprietor]], [[talent manager]] and businessman known for managing the careers of music artists such as [[Justin Bieber]], [[Ariana Grande]], [[Demi Lovato]] and [[Kanye West]], all of whom are signed to his media company, [[SB Projects]].<ref name="Vox" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Acevedo|first=Angélica|title=Talent manager Scooter Braun is in a very public feud with Taylor Swift. Here are 29 of his biggest clients.|url=https://www.insider.com/list-of-artists-that-scooter-braun-manages-2019-7|access-date=February 12, 2022|agency=Insider Inc.|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319153216/https://www.insider.com/list-of-artists-that-scooter-braun-manages-2019-7|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, Braun's media [[holding company]], [[Scooter Braun#Ithaca Holdings|Ithaca Holdings]] [[Limited liability company|LLC]]., fully acquired Big Machine Label Group by purchasing it for an estimated $330&nbsp;million—an amount that has been reported by sources but never been officially disclosed by the parties.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8518119/scooter-braun-acquires-big-machine-label-group-scott-borchetta|title=Scooter Braun Acquires Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Label Group, Taylor Swift Catalog For Over $300 Million|first=Ed|last=Christman|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=June 30, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213002005/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8518119/scooter-braun-acquires-big-machine-label-group-scott-borchetta|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":27">{{Cite web |first=Tim |last=Ingham |date=June 30, 2019 |title=Big Machine Label Group (and its Taylor Swift albums) acquired by Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/big-machine-label-group-and-its-taylor-swift-albums-acquired-by-scooter-brauns-ithaca-holdings/ |access-date=April 14, 2022 |agency=[[Music Business Worldwide]]}}</ref> The acquisition encompassed all aspects of Big Machine's business, including its client roster, [[Distribution (marketing)|distribution]] deals, publishing rights and the music masters owned by the label group,<ref name=":27" /> and was financed by American [[private equity]] companies such as [[the Carlyle Group]], 23 Capital, and [[Soros Fund Management]], all of whom own a [[Stakeholder (corporate)|stake]] in Ithaca.{{NoteTag|According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', the Carlyle Group owns about one-third of Ithaca Holdings and contributed "a significant sum" for the purchase.<ref name=":17" />}} Making a joint announcement, the companies claimed that the [[buyout]] "creates one of the most powerful label, management, streaming, publishing and media companies by combining complimentary services, artists, executives and expertise".<ref name=":27" /> As part of the acquisition, the ownership of all of the masters and copyrights owned by Big Machine, including those of Swift's first six studio albums, were transferred to Braun.<ref name="Vox"/> Borchetta joined the Ithaca [[board of directors]], acquiring a [[minority interest]] in Ithaca, and remained as the President and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of Big Machine.<ref name=":27" /> === Swift's response === {{Quote box|align=right|width=35%|salign=right|quote="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 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."|author=– Taylor Swift|source=[[Tumblr]], June 30, 2019<ref name="Tumblr post">{{cite web|url=https://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/185958366550/for-years-i-asked-pleaded-for-a-chance-to-own-my|title=Taylor Swift on Tumblr|date=June 30, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212230900/https://taylorswift.tumblr.com/post/185958366550/for-years-i-asked-pleaded-for-a-chance-to-own-my|url-status=live}}</ref>}} On June 30, 2019, Big Machine announced via social media that the label group had been acquired by Braun, following which Swift denounced the acquisition on [[Tumblr]] the same day. She stated that she had tried to buy her masters for years, but was not given a chance unless she signed another contract that would require her to create six more albums under the label in exchange of the masters of the first six, which she felt was "unacceptable". While she knew that Big Machine was for sale, she said she was unaware that Braun{{mdash}}whom she described as an "incessant, manipulative bully"{{mdash}}would be the buyer: "Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it".<ref name="inews" /> She referred to Braun's involvement in the creation of Kanye West's music video for his 2016 single "[[Famous (Kanye West song)|Famous]]", which she described as "a [[revenge porn]] music video which strips [her] body naked".<ref name="Vox" /> Swift also claimed that Braun influenced [[Kim Kardashian]] to orchestrate an "illegally recorded" snippet of her phone call with West, and had "two of his clients" collude to bully her online, referring to a [[FaceTime]] screenshot of Justin Bieber, West and Braun, posted to Bieber's Instagram after Kardashian released the snippet.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cranley|first=Ellen|title=Taylor Swift said she's 'sad and grossed out' that 'bully' Scooter Braun now owns all of her past music|url=https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-sale-big-machine-2019-6|date=June 30, 2019|access-date=February 4, 2022|agency=Insider Inc.|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319153159/https://www.insider.com/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-sale-big-machine-2019-6|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=August 2, 2016|title=Justin Bieber Asks 'Taylor Swift What Up' in Pic With Kanye West|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/justin-bieber-kanye-west-taylor-swift-what-up-7460844/|access-date=February 4, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204053640/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/justin-bieber-kanye-west-taylor-swift-what-up-7460844/|url-status=live}}</ref> She accused Borchetta of betraying her loyalty for selling the masters of her catalog to Braun despite being aware of his role in bullying Swift.<ref name="RS"/> Passman argued that Borchetta never gave Swift "an opportunity to purchase her masters, or the label, outright with a check in the way he is now apparently doing for others".<ref name=":18">{{cite web |last=Cullins |first=Ashley |date=July 2, 2019 |title="She Has No Legal Recourse": Why Taylor Swift Won't Sue Scooter Braun to Get Her Masters |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/why-taylor-swift-wont-sue-scooter-braun-get-her-masters-1222082/ |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311175742/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/why-taylor-swift-wont-sue-scooter-braun-get-her-masters-1222082/ |url-status=live }}</ref> === Borchetta's reply === In response, Borchetta published a blog post titled "It's Time For Some Truth" on the Big Machine website.<ref name="RS"/> On June 25, 2019, Big Machine shareholders and Braun's Ithaca Holdings held a phone call regarding the transaction. While Swift's father Scott was one of Big Machine's minority shareholders (4 percent),<ref name="inews"/> he did not join the phone call due to a "very strict" [[non-disclosure agreement]]. A final call was held on June 28, when Scott Swift was represented by a lawyer from Swift's management company, 13 Management.<ref name="RS"/> Borchetta said he had texted Swift on June 29, thus challenging her claim that she had not been aware of Braun's transaction beforehand.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/arts/music/taylor-swift-master-recordings.html|title=Taylor Swift's Feud With Scooter Braun Spotlights Musicians' Struggles to Own Their Work|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Ben|last1=Sisario|first2=Joe|last2=Coscarelli|date=July 1, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213081048/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/arts/music/taylor-swift-master-recordings.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He denied that Swift had been hostile toward Braun, whom he described as a "good source of information".<ref name="NZHerald">{{cite web|date=July 2, 2019|title=Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun feud ramps up as texts leak and stars take sides|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-feud-ramps-up-as-texts-leak-and-stars-take-sides/U2EOIZFWJT43VTTODNLJBIPVMY/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418134609/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-feud-ramps-up-as-texts-leak-and-stars-take-sides/U2EOIZFWJT43VTTODNLJBIPVMY/|archive-date=April 18, 2021|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|accessdate=February 13, 2021}}</ref> He also posted a text message he alleged Swift had sent before signing to Republic Records; in the message, Swift said she would accept another seven-year contract with Big Machine on the condition that she took ownership of her audiovisual works. Borchetta agreed, but asked for a ten-year contract. The authenticity of the text message has not been verified as of April 2022.<ref name="RS"/> ==Further discord== On November 14, 2019, Swift accused Braun and Borchetta of preventing her from performing her older songs at the [[American Music Awards of 2019|American Music Awards (AMAs) of 2019]] and from using older material for her 2020 documentary ''[[Miss Americana]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Aniftos|first=Rania|date=November 14, 2019|title=Taylor Swift Says Scooter Braun & Scott Borchetta Won't Let Her Perform Her Old Songs at 2019 AMAs|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8543706/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-perform-old-music-amas|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115045127/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8543706/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-perform-old-music-amas|url-status=live}}</ref> Swift said Braun and Borchetta were "exercising tyrannical control" over her music, and claimed Borchetta told her team that she would be allowed to use the music only if she agreed to not re-record "copycat versions" of her songs; Swift commented, "the message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you'll be punished."<ref name=":9">{{cite news|last=Mitra|first=Riya Bhattacharjee,Elly Cosgrove,Mallika|date=November 15, 2019|title=Taylor Swift accuses Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun of 'tyrannical control,' blocking her from performing her old music at AMA|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/14/taylor-swift-accuses-scott-borchetta-and-scooter-braun-of-blocking-her-from-performing-her-old-music-at-ama.html|access-date=December 10, 2021|agency=CNBC|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210205833/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/14/taylor-swift-accuses-scott-borchetta-and-scooter-braun-of-blocking-her-from-performing-her-old-music-at-ama.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In response, Big Machine rejected Swift's claim and stated, "we have worked diligently to have a conversation about these matters with Taylor and her team to productively move forward. However, despite our persistent efforts to find a private and mutually satisfactory solution, Taylor made a unilateral decision last night to enlist her fanbase."<ref name=":9" /> Nevertheless, on November 18, Big Machine issued a statement saying they had "agreed to grant all licenses of their artists' performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms" for the AMAs; the statement did not mention Swift.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8544038/taylor-swift-amas-cleared-perform-old-songs|title=Taylor Swift Cleared by Big Machine to Perform Old Songs at AMAs|last=Cirisano|first=Tatiana|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 18, 2019|access-date=November 23, 2019|archive-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119192611/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8544038/taylor-swift-amas-cleared-perform-old-songs|url-status=live}}</ref> The statement also said that Big Machine had negotiated with the producer of the AMAs, [[Dick Clark Productions]]; to the contrary, Dick Clark Productions stated that they never agreed to issue any statement with Big Machine.<ref name="TheCut">{{cite web|url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-justin-bieber-feud-explained.html|title=Untangling the Incredibly Complicated Taylor Swift–Scooter Braun Feud|first1=Amanda|last1=Arnold|first2=Melinda|last2=Fakuade|work=[[The Cut (website)|The Cut]]|date=November 22, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128191319/https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-justin-bieber-feud-explained.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tree Paine]], Swift's publicist since 2014, released a statement the next day. Paine said Swift avoided performing her older songs at the [[Tmall|Tmall Double Eleven Gala 2020]], a [[Singles' Day|Singles Day]] event in China, and sang only three songs from ''Lover'', because "it was clear that Big Machine Label Group felt any televised performance of catalog songs violated her agreement",<ref name=":9" /> attaching a screenshot of a portion of an alleged email from Big Machine that reads: "Please be advised that [Big Machine] will not agree to issue licenses for existing recordings or [[waiver]]s of its re-recording restrictions in connection with these two projects: The [[Netflix]] documentary and The [[Alibaba Group|Alibaba]] 'Double Eleven' event."<ref>{{cite web |last=Gawley |first=Paige |date=November 16, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: A Timeline of Their Big Machine Feud |url=https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-vs-scooter-braun-a-timeline-of-their-big-machine-feud-136558 |access-date=March 6, 2022 |website=[[Entertainment Tonight]] |archive-date=March 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306061854/https://www.etonline.com/taylor-swift-vs-scooter-braun-a-timeline-of-their-big-machine-feud-136558 |url-status=live }}</ref> Paine also denied Big Machine's statement that said Swift "has admitted to contractually owing millions of dollars and multiple assets" to the label, and claimed Big Machine is attempting to deflect from the $7.9&nbsp;million of unpaid royalties that the label owes to Swift "over several years", as assessed by "an independent, professional auditor".<ref name=":9" /> Swift performed six songs at the 2019 American Music Awards on November 24, 2019, four of which were from her first six albums,{{NoteTag|Swift performed a [[Medley (music)|medley]] of "[[The Man (Taylor Swift song)|The Man]]" (2020), "[[Love Story (Taylor Swift song)|Love Story]]" (2008), "[[I Knew You Were Trouble]]" (2012), "[[Blank Space]]" (2014), "[[Shake It Off]]" (2014) with singers [[Camila Cabello]] and [[Halsey (singer)|Halsey]], and "[[Lover (Taylor Swift song)|Lover]]" (2019) featuring American ballet dancer [[Misty Copeland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=AMA 2019: 'Artist of the Decade' Taylor Swift performs career's best songs |url=https://www.wionews.com/photos/taylor-swift-let-off-amas-stage-with-star-studded-artist-of-the-decade-performance-264340/amp |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[WION]] |date=November 25, 2019 |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310192218/https://www.wionews.com/photos/taylor-swift-let-off-amas-stage-with-star-studded-artist-of-the-decade-performance-264340/amp |url-status=live }}</ref> The shirt Swift wore for "The Man" and the piano she played for "Lover" displayed the titles of the six albums.<ref name="Guardian Nov 25, 2019"/>}} and received the [[American Music Awards#Artist of the Decade|Artist of the Decade]] award.<ref name="Guardian Nov 25, 2019">{{cite web |date=November 25, 2019 |title=American Music Awards 2019: Taylor Swift takes artist of the decade in record-breaking haul |url=https://amp.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/25/taylor-swift-wins-2019-ama-artist-of-the-year |access-date=March 10, 2022 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310192132/https://amp.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/25/taylor-swift-wins-2019-ama-artist-of-the-year |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2020, Big Machine released ''[[Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008]]'', a live album of Swift's performances at a 2008 radio show for [[IHeartMedia|Clear Channel]]. Swift said she did not authorize the release, and dismissed it as "just another case of shameless greed in [[COVID-19 pandemic|the time of Coronavirus]]".<ref name="usat">{{Cite news|title=Taylor Swift Slams Big Machine's New Unauthorized Live Album as 'Shameless Greed'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/04/23/taylor-swift-big-machines-new-unapproved-album-shameless-greed/3015021001/|last=Henderson|first=Cydney|date=April 23, 2020|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-date=April 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424052859/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2020/04/23/taylor-swift-big-machines-new-unapproved-album-shameless-greed/3015021001/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Live from Clear Channel Stripped 2008'' earned only 33 units in the US and did not chart anywhere.<ref>{{cite web|last=Freidman|first=Rogan|date=April 27, 2020|title=Taylor Swift 2008 Live Album, Which the Singer Protested, is A Bust with Just 33 Copies Streamed So Far|url=https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/04/27/taylor-swift-2008-live-album-which-the-singer-protested-is-a-bust-with-just-33-copies-streamed-so-far|url-status=live|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=Showbiz411|archive-date=June 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630022058/https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/04/27/taylor-swift-2008-live-album-which-the-singer-protested-is-a-bust-with-just-33-copies-streamed-so-far}}</ref> ==Aftermath== Swift's solution to her crisis was to create new recordings of all of the musical work in her first six albums, using the publishing rights she retained, and to have the finished product sound as close to the original as possible.<ref name=":3" /> She announced in August 2019, on a special episode of ''[[CBS News Sunday Morning]]'' with American journalist [[Tracy Smith (journalist)|Tracy Smith]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Komonibo |first=Ineye |title=Making Sense of the Flying Accusations Between Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun, & Big Machine Records |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/11/8811781/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-accusations-timeline |access-date=March 10, 2022 |website=[[Refinery29]] |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428212758/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/11/8811781/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-accusations-timeline |url-status=live }}</ref> that she would "[[Re-recording (music)|re-record]]" the six albums and release them so as to own the complete rights to her music herself,<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Taylor Swift's 'Love Story (Taylor's Version)' Debuts at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs Chart: 'I'm So Grateful to the Fans'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9529564/taylor-swift-love-story-number-one-hot-country-songs/|access-date=February 23, 2021|magazine=Billboard|date=February 22, 2021|archive-date=April 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422005222/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9529564/taylor-swift-love-story-number-one-hot-country-songs|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817|title=Taylor Swift wants to re-record her old hits after ownership row|publisher=BBC|date=August 22, 2019|access-date=February 13, 2021|archive-date=August 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=America|first=Good Morning|title=Taylor Swift will re-record her old music next year after ownership dispute|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/taylor-swift-record-music-year-important-artists-work-65115745|access-date=April 24, 2021|website=Good Morning America|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112064927/https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/taylor-swift-record-music-year-important-artists-work-65115745|url-status=live}}</ref> as soon as her Big Machine contract allowed her to.{{NoteTag|Swift's recording contract with Big Machine stipulates that she shall be able to re-record a song or an album only after five years since their respective release dates. For instance, ''Fearless'' was released on November 11, 2008, and thus it had been eligible for re-recording since November 11, 2013, whereas ''Reputation'' was released on November 10, 2017, and therefore Swift will be able to re-record it only from November 10, 2022, onwards.<ref name=":28" />}} By re-recording, Swift is technically covering her own songs into new sound recordings, resulting in new masters that she fully owns, which would enable her to control the [[Copyright license|licensing]] of her songs for commercial use, known as [[Synchronization rights|synchronization]], bypassing the owners of the older masters and subsequently devaluing them.<ref name=":1" /> She also denied synchronization of her songs recorded under Big Machine, utilizing her rights as a songwriter to [[veto]] any use of her songs that had been acquired by Braun.<ref name=":29" /> ===Sale to Shamrock=== In October 2020, Braun sold the masters, videos and artworks to [[Shamrock Holdings]],{{NoteTag|Braun remains as the owner of the Big Machine Label Group. He sold only the masters of Swift's back catalog to Shamrock.<ref name=":15"/>}} an American private equity firm owned by the [[Roy E. Disney|Disney]] estate,{{NoteTag|Not to be confused with [[the Walt Disney Company]]. Shamrock is a private corporation founded by [[Roy E. Disney]] as the Disney family's [[investment firm]]. The family completely owns Shamrock and remains its sole investor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Greg|date=September 28, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121232304/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/28/business/fi-globetrotters28|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/28/business/fi-globetrotters28|archive-date=January 21, 2011|title=Roy Disney-Led Fund Buys 80% of Harlem Globetrotters|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=April 13, 2022}}</ref>|name=A}} for reportedly $300&nbsp;million.<ref name=":15">{{cite magazine|last=Halperin|first=Shirley|date=November 16, 2020|title=Scooter Braun Sells Taylor Swift's Big Machine Masters for Big Pay Day|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/scooter-braun-sells-taylor-swift-big-machine-masters-1234832080/|url-status=live|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116200243/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/scooter-braun-sells-taylor-swift-big-machine-masters-1234832080/|archive-date=November 16, 2020|access-date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> Swift stated that she attempted to negotiate with Braun, but that he offered her a chance to buy the masters back on the condition of signing an "ironclad" NDA which would only allow her to speak positively about Braun during the process; she refused to sign the NDA.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Beumont-Thomas|first1=Ben|date=November 17, 2020|title=Taylor Swift criticises Scooter Braun after $300m masters sale|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/17/taylor-swift-criticises-scooter-braun-amid-300m-masters-sale|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118003825/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/17/taylor-swift-criticises-scooter-braun-amid-300m-masters-sale|archive-date=November 18, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2020|website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Henini |first=Janine |date=March 16, 2022 |title=Women Changing the Music Industry Today: 'I Deserve the Spotlight' |url=https://people.com/music/women-changing-music-industry-today/ |access-date=March 18, 2022 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318013851/https://people.com/music/women-changing-music-industry-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She also claimed that Braun mandated Shamrock not to notify the singer regarding the sale until after it was complete,<ref>{{cite news|last=Hirwani|first=Peoni|date=September 21, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's Wildest Dreams could overthrow the original version on UK chart|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-uk-chart-b1923948.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 22, 2021|website=[[The Independent]]|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029020851/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-uk-chart-b1923948.html}}</ref> and that she further declined an offer by Shamrock to become an [[equity partner]], on the grounds that Braun and Ithaca Holdings would continue to financially benefit from her work.<ref name=":17">{{Cite news|last1=Sisario|first1=Ben|last2=Coscarelli|first2=Joe|last3=Kelly|first3=Kate|date=November 17, 2020|title=Taylor Swift Denounces Scooter Braun as Her Catalog Is Sold Again|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/arts/music/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-masters.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117003355/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/arts/music/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-masters.html|archive-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> Swift upheld her original decision and began the re-recording process in November 2020.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Taylor Swift Confirms Sale of Her Masters, Says She Is Already Re-Recording Her Catalog|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-responds-scooter-brauns-sale-of-her-catalog-saying-1234833284/|first=Chris|last=Willman|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 16, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2020|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117223216/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-responds-scooter-brauns-sale-of-her-catalog-saying-1234833284/|url-status=live}}</ref> In response, Shamrock released a statement: "We made this investment because we believe in the immense value and opportunity that comes with [Swift's] work. We fully respect and support her decision and, while we hoped to formally partner, we also knew [Swift's re-recording venture] was a possible outcome that we considered."<ref name=":17" /> === Swift's re-recordings === {{Further|Fearless (Taylor's Version)|Red (Taylor's Version)}} Swift began releasing her re-recorded music in 2021. The re-recorded albums and songs are identified by the note "(Taylor's Version)" added to all of their titles, to distinguish them from the older recordings.<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine|last=Battan|first=Carrie|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/taylor-swift-wins-with-fearless-taylors-version|title=Taylor Swift Wins with "Fearless (Taylor's Version)"|date=April 12, 2021|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=June 26, 2021|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412200235/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/taylor-swift-wins-with-fearless-taylors-version|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2021, Swift announced that she had finished re-recording her 2008 studio album ''Fearless'' and released "[[Love Story (Taylor's Version)]]", a re-recording of the album's lead single "[[Love Story (Taylor Swift song)|Love Story]]", on February 12.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56038367|title=Taylor Swift's two versions Love Story compared|first=Mark|last=Savage|publisher=BBC|date=February 12, 2021|accessdate=February 12, 2021|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213005241/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56038367|url-status=live}}</ref> She then released two other tracks of the album before the release of ''[[Fearless (Taylor's Version)]]'' on April 9. ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' received rave reviews from [[Music journalism|music critics]], who also praised Swift's move to re-record her music, viewing it as an act of preservation of artists' rights.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 9, 2021|title=Taylor Swift wisely chooses not to rewrite history on Fearless (Taylor's Version) – review|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-review-taylors-version-b1828897.html|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=The Independent|archive-date=April 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409084222/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-review-taylors-version-b1828897.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Bernstein|first1=Jonathan|date=April 9, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Carefully Reimagines Her Past on 'Fearless: Taylor's Version'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-1153454/|access-date=April 10, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=April 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409134350/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-1153454/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=April 9, 2021|title=Taylor Swift: Fearless (Taylor's Version) review – old wounds take on new resonances {{!}} Alexis Petridis' album of the week|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/09/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-review|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=the Guardian|archive-date=April 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409103004/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/09/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-review|url-status=live}}</ref> The original ''Fearless'' was charting at number 157 on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart before the impact of ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'', after which the original recording dropped 19 percent in sales and fell off the chart completely, while the re-recording debuted at number one. Ben Sisario of ''[[The New York Times]]'' opined that ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' "accomplished what appeared to be one of Swift's goals: burying the original ''Fearless''."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sisario|first=Ben|date=April 19, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's Rerecorded 'Fearless' Is the Year's Biggest Debut So Far|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-billboard-chart.html|access-date=May 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602131930/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/arts/music/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-billboard-chart.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|date=April 18, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's Re-Recorded 'Fearless' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Year's Biggest Week|url=http://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/9558306/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-tops-billboard-200|url-status=live|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418205735/https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/news/9558306/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-tops-billboard-200|archive-date=April 18, 2021|access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> On September 15, following a viral [[TikTok]] trend involving "[[Wildest Dreams (Taylor Swift song)|Wildest Dreams]]" (2015) that was gaining traction, the older recording of the song accumulated 735,000 plays on [[Spotify]], marking the highest single-day streams ever for the song on the streaming platform. The next day, it reached a new peak at 750,000 plays. On September 17, Swift posted a snippet on her TikTok account, teasing the re-recorded song's bridge as part of the said trend, captioning it "if you guys want to use my version of wildest dreams for the slow zoom trend, here she is!". She also said "felt cute might drop the whole song later", hinting at the suspected release of the song's re-recording. "[[Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)]]" was subsequently released to streaming platforms an hour after the TikTok post. Swift stated via her social media accounts that she saw "Wildest Dreams" trending on TikTok and thought fans should have "[her] version" of the song.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Legatspi|first=Althea|date=September 17, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Surprise-Releases 'Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)' for Avid TikTokers|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-1228197/|url-status=live|access-date=September 22, 2021|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=November 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114011813/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-1228197/}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=September 17, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's 'Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)' Quickly Beats the Original Song's Spotify Record for Single-Day Plays|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swifts-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-quickly-beats-the-original-songs-spotify-record-for-single-day-plays-1235067441/|url-status=live|access-date=September 22, 2021|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917183822/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swifts-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-quickly-beats-the-original-songs-spotify-record-for-single-day-plays-1235067441/}}</ref> In its first four hours of availability, "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" amassed 2,003,391 Spotify streams, easily breaking the record the older version of "Wildest Dreams" had set a few days prior.<ref name=":22">{{cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=September 17, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's 'Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)' Quickly Beats the Original Song's Spotify Record for Single-Day Plays|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swifts-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-quickly-beats-the-original-songs-spotify-record-for-single-day-plays-1235067441/|url-status=live|access-date=September 17, 2021|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|archive-date=September 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917183822/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swifts-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-quickly-beats-the-original-songs-spotify-record-for-single-day-plays-1235067441/}}</ref> On November 12, 2021, Swift released ''[[Red (Taylor's Version)]]'', the re-recorded issue of her 2012 album ''Red'', consisting of all 30 songs that were originally meant for the 2012 version.<ref name="Announcement">{{Cite magazine|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=June 18, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Bumps Up Release of 'Red (Taylors Version)' by a Week|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-red-shifts-release-date-taylors-version-1235077968/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111122420/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-red-shifts-release-date-taylors-version-1235077968/|archive-date=November 11, 2021|access-date=September 30, 2021|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live}}</ref> The album broke several sales, streaming, and chart records,<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Iasimone|first=Ashley|date=November 14, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Breaks Spotify Single-Day Streaming Records With 'Red (Taylor's Version)'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9659694/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-spotify-streaming-record-single-day/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115230116/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9659694/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-spotify-streaming-record-single-day/|archive-date=November 15, 2021|access-date=November 14, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|date=November 21, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Scores 10th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Red (Taylor's Version)'|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-tenth-number-one-album-billboard-200-red-taylors-version-1235000860/|access-date=November 22, 2021|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=November 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123123924/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-tenth-number-one-album-billboard-200-red-taylors-version-1235000860/|url-status=live}}</ref> and was met with widespread acclaim,<ref>{{cite web|last=Khan|first=Fawzi|date=November 13, 2021|title=10 Songs From Red (Taylor's Version) That Are Better Than The Original|url=https://screenrant.com/songs-from-taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-that-improve-better-than-original/amp/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113222733/https://screenrant.com/songs-from-taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-that-improve-better-than-original/amp/|archive-date=November 13, 2021|access-date=November 13, 2021|website=[[ScreenRant]]}}</ref> becoming her highest rated album by critics on [[Metacritic]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Red (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/red-taylors-version/taylor-swift|agency=Metacritic|access-date=December 1, 2021|archive-date=November 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113222647/https://www.metacritic.com/music/red-taylors-version/taylor-swift/critic-reviews|url-status=live}}</ref> Its closing track, "[[All Too Well (10 Minute Version)|All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]]]", scored Swift the eighth [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] number-one song of her career and garnered the ''[[Guinness World Record]]'' for the longest song of all time to top the chart.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 26, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's 10-minute 'All Too Well' is longest song to reach No.1|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/11/taylor-swifts-10-minute-all-too-well-is-longest-song-to-reach-no-1-683614|access-date=November 26, 2021|website=[[Guinness World Records]]|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129165610/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2021/11/taylor-swifts-10-minute-all-too-well-is-longest-song-to-reach-no-1-683614|url-status=live}}</ref> The song's producer [[Jack Antonoff]] stated to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' that a 10-minute-long song topping the Hot 100 teaches artists to "not listen" to what the industry has to say.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Richards|first=Will|date=December 21, 2021|title=Jack Antonoff: 'All Too Well' teaches artists to "not listen" to industry|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/jack-antonoff-taylor-swift-all-too-well-success-industry-8584/|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=Rolling Stone UK|archive-date=December 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223071301/https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/jack-antonoff-taylor-swift-all-too-well-success-industry-8584/|url-status=live}}</ref> "[[This Love (Taylor's Version)]]", another track from ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'', was released on May 6, 2022.<ref name=":30">{{cite magazine |last1=Willman |first1=Chris |date=May 5, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Debuts 'This Love (Taylor's Version),' From '1989' Redo, in Amazon's 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Trailer |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-this-love-taylors-version-1989-trailer-amazon-summer-i-turned-pretty-1235258942/ |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> ===Press investigation=== On November 16, 2020, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' journalist Shirley Halperin wrote that "some [[insider]]s speculate the value [of Swift's masters] could be as high as $450&nbsp;million once certain earn-backs are factored in".<ref name=":15" /> According to a report by ''[[Financial Times]]'' in November 2021, Braun believed that Swift was "just bluffing" about re-recording. The newspaper stated that, after purchasing Big Machine, Braun began searching for buyers for the masters of Swift's back catalog, and that he and co-investors told potential buyers that Swift would not actually re-record the albums, calling her announcement an "empty threat"; Braun also told the buyers that Swift's social media posts about the dispute would only generate more publicity, boosting streams and downloads of the albums. ''Financial Times'' further alleged that the deal between Braun and Shamrock included "a post-purchase earnout to Braun and Carlyle Group, if sales and streams hit specific targets".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nicolaou|first=Anna|date=November 11, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's battle to shake off the suits|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b36a0161-572f-48d0-9562-c8588499cbad|url-access=subscription|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205174413/https://www.ft.com/content/b36a0161-572f-48d0-9562-c8588499cbad|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 10, 2021, ''[[The New York Times]]'' published that the Carlyle Group contacted Braun and encouraged him to reach a ceasefire with Swift, such as a [[Joint venture|joint-venture]] partnership, to prevent her from re-recording, according to an undisclosed group of "four people close to the situation", three of whom said the firm was "unhappy to be dragged into the dispute in such a public way".<ref name=":11" /> ''[[Business Insider]]'' reporter Anna Silman released an investigation [[Scoop (news)|exclusive]] in March 2022. In the report, Silman said that one of Swift's many reasons to detest Braun's procurement of the masters is his poor handling of the relationship between Justin Bieber and [[Selena Gomez]], the latter being one of Swift's closest friends and vice versa.{{NoteTag|Swift and Gomez regard each other as one of their greatest friends and have expressed their admiration for each other numerous times in the media since 2008. Their friendship has been widely covered by media outlets and mainstream publications.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selena Gomez And Taylor Swift's Friendship Timeline: How Long Have They Been BFFs? |url=https://www.capitalfm.com/artists/selena-gomez/taylor-swift-friendship-timeline-justin-bieber/ |access-date=April 22, 2022 |website=[[Capital (radio network)|CapitalFM]] |date=June 11, 2021}}</ref>}} Silman further asserted that Braun controlled [[Article (publishing)|news stories]] of many publications and blogs. American rapper [[Lil Twist]] told Silman that Braun used [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid websites]] such as [[TMZ]] and [[Page six|''Page Six'']] to plant negative stories about the rapper. Silman claimed that Braun refused to speak [[Source (journalism)|on the record]], and that many others were afraid to go on record due to Braun's "rep for litigiousness". Additionally, she stated that Braun's lawyer, Marty Singer, threatened ''Business Insider'' several times over the investigation, claiming Silman is biased and has "deep ties to the Taylor Swift camp." Responding to Singer's claims of Swift being a friend of Braun in 2015, one of Swift's close friends enquired to Silman that if Braun is insinuating that they were friends, why did he not ask Swift if she "was okay with him buying her entire life's work".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Silman |first=Anna |date=March 1, 2022 |title=The many faces of Scooter Braun |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/scooter-braun-profile-manager-bieber-ariana-grande-kanye-taylor-swift-2022-2 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 1, 2022 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301163856/https://www.businessinsider.com/scooter-braun-profile-manager-bieber-ariana-grande-kanye-taylor-swift-2022-2 |url-status=live }}</ref> ==Responses== The controversy was highly publicized, drawing reactions and critiques from across the internet and mass media. Swift's re-recording venture was one of the most widely discussed and covered news topics of 2020–2021, and has been described by media outlets as one of 2021's most prominent [[Popular culture|pop-culture]] moments.<ref>Sources on the dispute's media attention # {{cite web |title=2021 was another difficult year. These 100 things made USA TODAY's entertainment team happy. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2021/12/27/good-news-2021-100-positive-things-after-another-tough-year/8666977002/ |access-date=December 28, 2021 |website=[[USA Today]] |archive-date=December 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227233855/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2021/12/27/good-news-2021-100-positive-things-after-another-tough-year/8666977002/ |url-status=live }} # {{Cite news |last=Niemietz |first=Brian |title=Top newsmakers of 2021 included leaders, losers, killers, entertainers and a GOAT |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]] |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-2021-names-in-news-new-york-daily-news-20211227-brguotn2evbcfeefplpk6mmevu-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228011827/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-2021-names-in-news-new-york-daily-news-20211227-brguotn2evbcfeefplpk6mmevu-story.html }} # {{cite news |author=Scottie Andrew and Leah Asmelash |date=December 29, 2021 |title=The pop culture moments of 2021 we couldn't forget if we tried |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/entertainment/best-pop-culture-moments-2021-cec/index.html |access-date=December 30, 2021 |agency=CNN |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229232042/https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/entertainment/best-pop-culture-moments-2021-cec/index.html |url-status=live }} # {{Cite magazine |date=December 15, 2021 |title=The 10 best pop-culture moments of 2021 |url=https://www.vogue.in/culture-and-living/content/the-10-best-pop-culture-moments-of-2021 |magazine=Vogue |access-date=December 30, 2021 |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229160644/https://www.vogue.in/culture-and-living/content/the-10-best-pop-culture-moments-of-2021 |url-status=live }} # {{Cite news |last=Ruggieri |first=Melissa |date=December 29, 2021 |title=Ye's 'Donda' rollout, Adele's triumphant return and more of 2021's biggest music moments |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/12/29/kanye-donda-adele-return-the-weeknd-super-bowl-olivia-rodrigo-debut-among-best-2021-music-moments/9028361002/ |access-date=December 30, 2021 |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229192309/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/12/29/kanye-donda-adele-return-the-weeknd-super-bowl-olivia-rodrigo-debut-among-best-2021-music-moments/9028361002/ |url-status=live }} # {{Cite news |date=December 17, 2021 |title=How Taylor Swift reclaimed 2012 to win 2021 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-12-17/taylor-swift-red-fearless-evermore |access-date=December 30, 2021 |archive-date=December 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230061136/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-12-17/taylor-swift-red-fearless-evermore |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Evening Standard]]'' called it "music's biggest feud", because "back catalogues regularly change hands behind the scenes, but almost never make headlines".<ref name=":28">{{Cite news |last=Rosseinsky |first=Katie |date=November 15, 2021|title=How Taylor Swift is changing the music industry a re-record at a time |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/taylor-swift-rerecording-albums-masters-fearless-b928211.html |access-date=April 19, 2022|newspaper=Evening Standard}}</ref> [[Hashtag]]s "#IStandWithTaylor" and "#WeStandWithTaylor" trended worldwide on [[Twitter]] following Swift's post.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10">{{cite web|title=#IStandWithTaylor: Twitter and Celebs React to Taylor Swift's Music Battle With Scooter Braun|date=November 14, 2019|first=Zach|last=Seemayer|work=Entertainment Tonight|url=https://www.etonline.com/istandwithtaylor-twitter-and-celebs-react-to-taylor-swifts-music-battle-with-scooter-braun-136383|url-status=live|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210205806/https://www.etonline.com/istandwithtaylor-twitter-and-celebs-react-to-taylor-swifts-music-battle-with-scooter-braun-136383}}</ref><ref name="Vox" /> ''Billboard'' wrote, since the controversy, acts "lined up for Team Swift or Team Braun, creating the most public battle about an artists' masters in recent memory".<ref name=":16" /> === Entertainment industry === Swift's response and social media posts sparked support from many of her contemporaries. Musicians who supported her include [[Dionne Warwick]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Dionne Warwick Doubles Down on Paying Postage for Taylor Swift's Scarf|url=https://www.etonline.com/dionne-warwick-doubles-down-on-offer-to-pay-postage-for-taylor-swifts-all-too-well-scarf-exclusive|access-date=December 6, 2021|website=Entertainment Tonight|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206081201/https://www.etonline.com/dionne-warwick-doubles-down-on-offer-to-pay-postage-for-taylor-swifts-all-too-well-scarf-exclusive|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Anne Murray]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Cooke|first=Stephen|title=From Springhill to stardom: Anne Murray story gets personal touch in Full Circle|url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/lifestyles/from-springhill-to-stardom-anne-murray-story-gets-personal-touch-in-full-circle-100667883/|url-status=live|access-date=December 8, 2021|agency=[[Saltwire Network]]|archive-date=December 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207230129/https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/lifestyles/from-springhill-to-stardom-anne-murray-story-gets-personal-touch-in-full-circle-100667883/}}</ref> [[Cher]], [[Selena Gomez]], [[Halsey (singer)|Halsey]], [[Iggy Azalea]],<ref name=":7" /> [[Sara Bareilles]], [[Lily Allen]], [[Tinashe]], [[Ella Eyre]], [[Hayley Kiyoko]], [[Camila Cabello]], [[Jordan Pruitt]],<ref name=":4" /> [[Brendon Urie]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Peppin|first=Hayley|title=Stars including Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid have come out in support of Taylor Swift after she accused Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta of blocking her from performing old songs|url=https://www.insider.com/gigi-hadid-selena-gomez-support-taylor-swift-in-feud-with-scooter-braun-2019-11|access-date=December 6, 2021|agency=Insider Inc.|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319153200/https://www.insider.com/gigi-hadid-selena-gomez-support-taylor-swift-in-feud-with-scooter-braun-2019-11|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kelsea Ballerini]], [[JoJo (singer)|Jojo]],<ref name=":8">{{Cite magazine|last=Huff|first=Lauren|date=July 2, 2019|title=Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Who's on whose side?|url=https://ew.com/music/2019/07/02/taylor-swift-vs-scooter-braun-whos-on-whose-side/|url-status=live|access-date=December 6, 2021|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206085347/https://ew.com/music/2019/07/02/taylor-swift-vs-scooter-braun-whos-on-whose-side/}}</ref> [[Azealia Banks]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Sanchez|first=Chelsey|date=November 15, 2019|title=Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, and More Support Taylor Swift Amid Music Battle|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a29810854/celebrities-support-taylor-swift-amas/|access-date=December 6, 2021|magazine=Harper's Bazaar|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206084143/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a29810854/celebrities-support-taylor-swift-amas/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[The Regrettes]], [[Echosmith]],<ref name=":5">{{Cite magazine|last=Rowley|first=Glenn|date=November 15, 2019|title=Camila Cabello, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez & More Celebs Support Taylor Swift in Scooter/Scott Dispute|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-dispute-celebs-support-8543753/|access-date=December 6, 2021|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206091615/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-dispute-celebs-support-8543753/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Haim (band)|Haim]], [[Jack Antonoff]], [[Alessia Cara]], [[Allie X]], [[Hrvy]], [[Gretchen Peters]], [[Iza (singer)|Iza]], [[Katy Perry]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|last=Rosa|first=Christopher|date=July 1, 2019|title=Every Celebrity Connected to the Taylor Swift–Scooter Braun Drama|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/celebrities-connected-to-the-taylor-swift-scooter-braun-drama|url-status=live|access-date=December 6, 2021|magazine=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206084133/https://www.glamour.com/story/celebrities-connected-to-the-taylor-swift-scooter-braun-drama}}</ref> and [[Anita Baker]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Chan |first=Anna |date=September 5, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Celebrates Anita Baker Getting Her Masters Back: 'What a Beautiful Moment' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-celebrates-anita-baker-getting-her-masters-back-9625158/ |access-date=March 6, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=March 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306062246/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-celebrates-anita-baker-getting-her-masters-back-9625158/ |url-status=live }}</ref> who agreed with Swift that artists should rightfully own their music. American musician [[Sky Ferreira]] supported Swift and told about her own battle over her masters, "I signed contracts when I was 15 & I'm still paying the consequences for it. Every contract I have ever signed has always been set up to take advantage of me/my work in some way [...] The [[entertainment industry]] is filled with under qualified bullies & morons with way too much power for their own good."<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 1, 2019 |title=Sky Ferreira Expresses Support for Taylor Swift Amid Scooter Braun's Acquisition of Swift's Masters |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sky-ferreira/sky-ferreira-expresses-support-for-taylor-swift-am/ |access-date=April 19, 2022 |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref> When questioned about his stance, English singer-songwriter [[Ed Sheeran]] said "I have been speaking directly to [Swift], like I always do."<ref name=":10" /> American singer [[Kelly Clarkson]], in a tweet, urged Swift to re-record the albums.<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Adam |date=April 10, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift fans bombard Kelly Clarkson with praise over unearthed 're-record albums' tweet |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-kelly-clarkson-twitter-b1829586.html |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=The Independent |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311182232/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-kelly-clarkson-twitter-b1829586.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Various other singers unfollowed Braun on their social media accounts.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Mariah |date=July 1, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun and the Power of the Unfollow |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/style/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-instagram.html |access-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-date=November 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111090038/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/style/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-instagram.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Twersky |first=Carolyn |date=July 7, 2019 |title=Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and More Celebrities Have Unfollowed Scooter Braun Following Taylor Swift Drama |url=https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/music/a28261668/celebrities-who-have-unfollowed-scooter-braun/ |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=[[Seventeen (American magazine)|Seventeen]] |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507001351/https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/music/a28261668/celebrities-who-have-unfollowed-scooter-braun/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other than musicians, [[Cara Delevingne]], [[Heidi Montag]], [[Sara Sampaio]],<ref name=":7" /> [[Martha Hunt]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Gigi Hadid]], [[Antoni Porowski]], [[Bobby Berk]], [[Ruby Rose]], [[Jameela Jamil]], [[Joseph Kahn (director)|Joseph Khan]],<ref name=":4">{{cite news|last=Woodward|first=Ellie|title=Here Are All The Celebs Who've Spoken Out in Support Of Taylor Swift After She Exposed Scott Borchetta And Scooter Braun Again|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/celebs-taylor-swift-scott-borchetta-scooter-braun-drama|access-date=December 6, 2021|agency=BuzzFeed|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206081203/https://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/celebs-taylor-swift-scott-borchetta-scooter-braun-drama|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mike Birbiglia]],<ref name=":5" /> and [[Mamrie Hart]] supported Swift via social media posts.<ref name=":7" /> A few musicians supported Braun, including Australian singer-songwriter [[Sia]],<ref name=":8" /> American singer [[Ty Dolla Sign]], and Braun's clients Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato. Lovato and Sia said they believe Braun is a "good man" and that his actions were not personal.<ref name="Vox" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Halperin|first=Shirley|date=May 11, 2019|title=Demi Lovato Signs With Scooter Braun for Management|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/demi-lovato-signs-scooter-braun-manager-1203212073/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512194924/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/demi-lovato-signs-scooter-braun-manager-1203212073/|archive-date=May 12, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2021|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> American entertainer [[Todrick Hall]], who was formerly a client of Braun, supported Swift and accused Braun of [[homophobia]]; Hall engaged in a back-and-forth argument with Lovato on [[Twitter]]. In an Instagram post, Bieber apologized to Swift for the FaceTime screenshot (with Braun and West) he posted in 2016 with a caption targeting her; however, Bieber defended Braun, saying Braun has supported Swift since she let Bieber be the [[opening act]] of her [[Fearless Tour]] and added "years have passed, we haven't crossed paths and gotten to communicate our differences, hurts or frustrations. So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on Scooter isn't fair." Bieber's wife [[Hailey Bieber|Hailey]] called him a "gentleman" under the post, which prompted Delevingne to criticize the Biebers for what she considered as insincere amity. [[Ariana Grande]], also a client of Braun, posted an Instagram story congratulating Braun on purchasing Big Machine but deleted it after Swift posted her statement.<ref name=":7" /> [[David Geffen]], a [[music executive]] whom Braun has often described as a mentor, supported Braun but said "only time will tell who made the wise decision".<ref name="NYT" /> === Politicians === {{multiple image | image1 = Elizabeth Warren, official portrait, 114th Congress (cropped)(2).jpg | alt1 = Woman in a blue coat and spectacles | width1 = 160 | image2 = Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Official Portrait.jpg | alt2 = Woman in a red lipstick standing in front the US flag | width2 = 160 | footer = US [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politicians [[Elizabeth Warren]] (''pictured'' left) and [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] (right) criticized the "predatory" purchases of [[Creative industries|creative business]]es by [[private equity group]]s for harming the [[US economy]]. | align = right | total_width = 300 | footer_align = left | direction = | caption1 = | caption2 = }} On November 19, 2019, US senator [[Elizabeth Warren]], who was one of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates in the [[2020 United States presidential election]], stated on Twitter that Swift is "one of many" whose work has been threatened by private equity firms, who keep "gobbling up more and more of [[Economy of the United States|our economy]], costing jobs and crushing entire industries." Holding private equity firms accountable was a large part of Warren's presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nyren|first=Erin|date=November 16, 2019|title=Elizabeth Warren Backs Taylor Swift in Big Machine Battle, Slams Private Equity Firms|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/taylor-swift-elizabeth-warren-private-equity-1203407247/|access-date=February 4, 2022|magazine=Variety|archive-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204071034/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/taylor-swift-elizabeth-warren-private-equity-1203407247/|url-status=live}}</ref> US representative [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] also sided with Swift. She tweeted: "Private equity groups' predatory practices actively hurt millions of Americans. Their [[leveraged buyouts]] have destroyed the lives of retail workers across the country, scrapping 1+ million jobs. Now they're holding [Swift's] own music hostage. They need to be reigned in."<ref>{{cite news|last=Frias|first=Lauren|title=AOC defends singer Taylor Swift and condemns private equity firms|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-defends-singer-taylor-swift-and-condemns-private-equity-firms-2019-11|access-date=February 4, 2022|agency=Business Insider|archive-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204071032/https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-defends-singer-taylor-swift-and-condemns-private-equity-firms-2019-11|url-status=live}}</ref> American businessman [[Glenn Youngkin]] was the former co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, the major sponsor in Braun's acquisition of Big Machine and Swift's masters. Youngkin contested in the [[2021 Virginia gubernatorial election]] as the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for the office of the [[Governor of Virginia]]. On October 6, 2021, ahead of the election, then-[[incumbent]] governor and Democratic candidate [[Terry McAuliffe]] launched a series of negative advertisements on [[Facebook]], Instagram, and [[Google Search]], tying Youngkin to Braun's purchase of Swift's masters. The ad included the slogan "#WeStandWithTaylor", a hashtag used by Swift's fans during the fallout of the dispute, and asked her supporters to vote for McAuliffe.<ref name=":21">{{Cite news|last1=Paviour|first1=Ben|last2=Squires|first2=Acacia|date=October 5, 2021|title=How Taylor Swift and her master recordings play into the Virginia race for governor|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043424679/how-taylor-swift-and-her-masters-are-playing-into-the-virginia-race-for-governor|access-date=October 6, 2021|archive-date=November 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114002932/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043424679/how-taylor-swift-and-her-masters-are-playing-into-the-virginia-race-for-governor|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|date=October 6, 2021|title=Why Taylor Swift's Masters Are Playing a Role in Virginia Race for Governor|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/politics/9640908/taylor-swift-masters-virginia-governor-race|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 6, 2021|archive-date=October 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211012022346/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/politics/9640908/taylor-swift-masters-virginia-governor-race|url-status=live}}</ref> Youngkin's spokesperson, Christian Martinez, dismissed the advertisements as "pathetic" and stated "McAuliffe has reached the stage of desperation in his campaign where he's rolling out the most baseless attacks to see what sticks". Additionally, [[NPR]] highlighted a July 2021 report by ''[[Associated Press]]'' that claimed McAuliffe himself had invested a minimum of $690,000 in Carlyle between 2007 and 2016. McAuliffe's spokesperson, Renzo Olivari, confirmed that McAuliffe was a "passive" Carlyle investor by 2019, at the time of the sale of the masters, and as of November 2021, owns less than $5,000 in Carlyle [[stock]].<ref name=":21" /> [[Jared Polis]], the 43rd [[Governor of Colorado]], mentioned Swift's re-recording venture as a highlight of 2021 in his annual gubernatorial address to [[Colorado|the state]] on January 14, 2022, and sang the chorus of "[[22 (Taylor's Version)]]" in reference to the new year of 2022.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 14, 2022|title=Polis sings Taylor Swift song at 'State of the State' address in Denver|url=https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/video-polis-sings-taylor-swift-song-at-state-of-the-state-address-in-denver/article_f4e11f5c-74c8-11ec-bcdd-0f4e339ea04c.amp.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=Outtherecolorado.com|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114183500/https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/video-polis-sings-taylor-swift-song-at-state-of-the-state-address-in-denver/article_f4e11f5c-74c8-11ec-bcdd-0f4e339ea04c.amp.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=January 13, 2022|title=The 7 biggest lines from Gov. Jared Polis' 2022 State of the State address – and why they're so notable|url=https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/13/jared-polis-state-of-state-2022-colorado/|url-status=live|access-date=January 14, 2022|website=[[The Colorado Sun]]|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114000033/https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/13/jared-polis-state-of-state-2022-colorado/}}</ref> ===Contemporary critics=== Publications highlighted her public opposition to the acquisition of her masters as trailblazing: while the issue of master ownership and the conflicts between record labels and artists such as [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[the Beatles]], [[Janet Jackson]], and [[Def Leppard]] have been prevalent, Swift was one of the few to make it public.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="NYT"/><ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swifts-music-ownership-controversy-with-scooter-braun-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters/|title=Taylor Swift's Music Ownership Controversy With Scooter Braun: What It Means and Why It Matters|first=Sam|last=Sodomsky|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=July 1, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212163712/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swifts-music-ownership-controversy-with-scooter-braun-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/23/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-amas-old-music-masters|title=Why Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun's bad blood may reshape the industry|first=Dominic|last=Rushe|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 23, 2019|accessdate=February 13, 2021|archive-date=February 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212201905/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/23/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-amas-old-music-masters|url-status=live}}</ref> ==== On the dispute ==== ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' critics described the masters dispute as one of the 50 "most important moments" of the music industry in the 2010s: "While Braun and Borchetta vehemently contest [Swift's claims], the actual facts of the situation may not matter – as Swift is using every tool she's got, including pleading directly to a zealous fanbase for help, to establish herself as a self-made artist who calls her own shots."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/lists/the-50-most-important-music-moments-of-the-decade-912772/|title=The 50 Most Important Music Moments of the Decade|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=November 25, 2019|access-date=October 10, 2020|archive-date=September 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926033012/https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/lists/the-50-most-important-music-moments-of-the-decade-912772/|url-status=live}}</ref> Dominic Rushe of ''[[The Guardian]]'' said Swift's masters dispute hinted at a change in the digital music era, where artists are more informed of their ownership and would not rely on record labels for marketing as heavily as in the past.<ref name="guardian" /> Recognizing the visibility she brings to "one of the music industry's longest standing issues", ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' journalist Sam Sodomsky said Swift "is also so huge—not just an artist but a brand—that she can enact change by wielding the leverage of the reliability of her success", and that when she makes a statement, it is "financially lucrative for the industry to listen".<ref name="Pitchfork" /> ''The Evening Standard''{{'s}} Katie Rosseinsky wrote, "it is not just another celebrity feud, this could have wide-reaching repercussions for the music industry."<ref name=":28" /> ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' and [[MarketWatch]] felt Swift's criticisms were targeting private equity firms, highlighting her mention of the Carlyle Group in her social media posts.<ref name=":12">{{cite web|title=Taylor Swift sics fans on Scooter Braun, The Carlyle Group|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-swifties-have-been-activated-and-theyre-going-afte-1839876702/amp|url-status=live|access-date=December 10, 2021|website=The A. V. Club|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210134249/https://www.avclub.com/the-swifties-have-been-activated-and-theyre-going-afte-1839876702/amp}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' said, "at a time of public outrage over [[corporate greed]] and a heightened awareness of gender-based power dynamics, the 29-year-old Ms. Swift was able to turn a commercial dispute into a cause célèbre."<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Kate |last2=Coscarelli |first2=Joe |last3=Sisario |first3=Ben |date=November 24, 2019 |title=How Taylor Swift Dragged Private Equity into Her Fight Over Music Rights |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/business/taylor-swift-carlyle-scooter-braun.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 10, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210134302/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/business/taylor-swift-carlyle-scooter-braun.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Meera Jagannathan of MarketWatch described the Carlyle Group as a "powerful and politically connected" firm based in [[Washington, D.C.]], whose investments constitute a global portfolio of 272 companies, including [[Supreme (brand)|Supreme]], [[Dunkin' Brands]], and many [[Aerospace manufacturer|aerospace]] and [[Arms industry|defense]] companies.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|last=Jagannathan|first=Meera|title=Taylor Swift is squaring off with private-equity giant Carlyle Group – here's how the combatants stack up|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-taylor-swift-goes-up-against-private-equity-giant-carlyle-group-heres-how-the-two-stack-up-2019-11-15|access-date=December 10, 2021|website=MarketWatch|archive-date=December 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210134302/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/as-taylor-swift-goes-up-against-private-equity-giant-carlyle-group-heres-how-the-two-stack-up-2019-11-15|url-status=live}}</ref> ==== On the re-recordings ==== Chris Willman of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that Swift's highly publicized move to re-record her back catalog would inspire other artists to "further deputize or weaponize fans in their own business disputes", unlike the comparatively less successful attempts by contemporary artists to own their music.<ref name=":31">{{Cite magazine|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=April 20, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' Debuts Huge: What It Means for Replicating Oldies, Weaponizing Fans|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-fearless-lessons-1234955475/|url-status=live|magazine=Variety|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421003048/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-fearless-lessons-1234955475/|archive-date=April 21, 2021|access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic]]'' writer Spencer Kornhaber wrote that the re-recordings have been "a dazzling victory lap" that seems to be inspiring other artists, disproving industry observers who had doubted Swift's move to re-record.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Kornhaber|first=Spencer|date=November 14, 2021|title=On 'SNL,' Taylor Swift Stopped Time|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/11/snl-taylor-swift-all-too-well-red/620706/|access-date=December 5, 2021|magazine=The Atlantic|archive-date=November 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120060025/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/11/snl-taylor-swift-all-too-well-red/620706/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]''{{'s}} Fawzia Khan and ''[[The New Yorker]]''{{'s}} Carrie Battan hailed the "(Taylor's Version)" tag attached to the re-recorded music as genius re-branding of Swift's back catalog.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Khan|first=Fawzia|date=June 18, 2021|title=The Might Of Taylor Swift|url=https://elle.in/article/the-might-of-taylor-swift/|url-status=live|magazine=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|access-date=June 26, 2021|archive-date=October 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009150406/https://elle.in/article/the-might-of-taylor-swift/}}</ref> Charlotte Richards, writing for ''[[Money Marketing]]'', said the situation helps understand "dangerous investing", such as Braun's.<ref>{{cite web|last=Richards|first=Charlotte|date=July 14, 2021|title=How Taylor Swift can help clients understand dangerous investing|url=https://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/opinion/leader-how-taylor-swift-can-help-clients-understand-dangerous-investing/|url-status=live|access-date=July 16, 2021|website=[[Money Marketing]]|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016094942/https://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/opinion/leader-how-taylor-swift-can-help-clients-understand-dangerous-investing/}}</ref> ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'' reporter Lydia Burgham dubbed Swift's move to re-record an "ultimate middle finger to the [[bureaucracy]] of the music industry", while revealing how "even someone of Swift's star power cannot hold on to the rights to her recorded work."<ref>{{cite web|title=Red (Taylor's version) review: Why Red is Taylor Swift's magnum opus|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/red-taylors-version-review-why-red-is-taylor-swifts-magnum-opus/76IGAQWYNVPFQ3PGGYFNRVGPM4/|access-date=November 13, 2021|website=NZ Herald|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112214455/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/red-taylors-version-review-why-red-is-taylor-swifts-magnum-opus/76IGAQWYNVPFQ3PGGYFNRVGPM4/|url-status=live}}</ref> With the success of ''Red (Taylor's Version)'', Hannah Towey of ''[[Insider (news website)|Business Insider]]'' said "the ''Taylor's Version'' era is already sending shockwaves throughout the industry."<ref name=":14" /> {{Blockquote|text=Unlike most artists when faced with this kind of injustice, Swift actually had the ability to stand up for herself, and in doing so, invoke meaningful dialogue and inspire change within the notoriously slow-moving music industry [...] Re-recording a back catalogue of six full albums and respective secret bonus tracks, then developing a hugely successful campaign to drive loyal fans towards the new versions of their beloved albums—and away from the original master recordings, prompting a dip in streams that will be mimicked in the rights holders' income statement—is something only very, very few artists can do. Taylor Swift is, indeed, amongst that handful.|author=Eilish Gilligan|title=''Taylor Swift's Re-Recordings Expose The Music Industry's Chokehold On Intellectual Property''|source=[[Refinery29]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Gilligan |first=Eilish |title=Taylor Swift's Re-Recordings Expose The Music Industry's Chokehold On Intellectual Property |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/11/10750409/taylor-swift-taylors-version |access-date=March 6, 2022 |website=Refinery29 |archive-date=March 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306060202/https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2021/11/10750409/taylor-swift-taylors-version |url-status=live }}</ref>}} As per ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' journalist Neil Shah, in case of usage of her back catalog in mass media, such as for commercials and movies, Swift can shut out Shamrock and Braun by directly lending the concerned song to the third party, authorizing the copyright license herself.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Shah|first=Neil|date=April 9, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Releases New 'Fearless' Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524|url-access=limited|access-date=October 8, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=October 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111731/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524|url-status=live}}</ref> Kate Dwyer of ''[[Marie Claire]]'' said the re-recorded albums free Swift from the sexist [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid]] scrutiny of her private life that overshadowed her past works, by re-introducing listeners and critics to the same songs but without "as much gender bias", and that the audiences who "didn't believe she was a [[Feminism|feminist]] before (for whatever, sexist reason) can't deny the feminist undertones of becoming the industry spokesperson for artists' rights."<ref>{{cite web|last=Dwyer|first=Kate|date=April 14, 2021|title=Why 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' Hits Different in 2021|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36111298/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-2021-essay/|url-status=live|access-date=October 8, 2021|website=[[Marie Claire]]|archive-date=October 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111737/https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a36111298/taylor-swift-fearless-taylors-version-2021-essay/}}</ref> === Scholars === Various lawyers, authors, and [[law firm]]s have published their analyses and comments on the controversy. The majority stated the dispute lacks legal grounds and that a [[lawsuit]] is not possible, but opined that Swift's moves will bring about systemic changes in the music industry and artist-label relationships.<ref name=":18" /><ref name=":19" /><ref name=":20" /> ==== Legal status ==== Susan H. Hilderley, music attorney at [[University of California]]'s [[UCLA School of Law|Los Angeles School of Law]], told ''[[The Washington Post]]'' that Swift not owning her masters is "nothing out of the ordinary". Hilderley noted Swift was an unknown artist when she signed her record deal and that signing off the masters to the record label is the "kind of terms" usually followed in artist-label agreements.<ref name=":19">{{Cite news|last=Andrews|first=Travis M.|date=August 22, 2019|title=Analysis {{!}} Can Taylor Swift really rerecord her entire music catalogue?|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/08/22/can-taylor-swift-really-rerecord-her-entire-music-catalogue/|access-date=February 12, 2022|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819094119/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/08/22/can-taylor-swift-really-rerecord-her-entire-music-catalogue/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a similar response, Erin Jacobson, a music attorney specializing in artist-label negotiations, said on [[CBC News]] that "the structure of a label owning the master has been in place for such a long time that a lot of people are just used to that". Jacobson affirmed that Swift has no legal recourse on the contract but can effect change in the music industry and benefit all artists.<ref name=":20">{{cite news |last=Sumanac-Johnson |first=Deana |date=July 5, 2019 |title=Masters matter: Taylor Swift's feud shows why ownership can be crucial to musicians |url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5199774 |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=CBC News |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311183733/https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5199774 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' consulted music lawyers Howard King and Derek Crownover regarding the controversy; King said Swift would not sue Braun or the label because of the "personal" nature of the dispute—her predicament being not the sale itself but that Braun is the buyer—having no legal recourse. In agreement, Crownover said: "from the satellite view, I don't see any legal ramifications that could come of this, unless there were restrictions on the sale of the masters to third parties."<ref name=":18" /> James Jeffries-Chung of [[Norton Rose Fulbright]] asserted Shamrock cannot prevent Swift from re-recording her music by any legal measure since she is the publisher of her songs and that all they can hope is "listeners may be less interested in hearing modern takes of songs they enjoyed a decade ago and stick with the originals."<ref>{{cite web|title=Canada: Stuff Of Folklore: The Sale Of Taylor Swift's Masters|first=James|last=Jeffries-Chung|url=https://www.mondaq.com/canada/copyright/1018832/stuff-of-folklore-the-sale-of-taylor-swift39s-masters|date=December 23, 2020|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=Mondaq|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205075940/https://www.mondaq.com/canada/copyright/1018832/stuff-of-folklore-the-sale-of-taylor-swift39s-masters|url-status=live}}</ref> ==== Industrial implications ==== {{Blockquote|text=Any time Taylor brings attention to an issue, it gets magnified [...] She has a very loud megaphone and she's not afraid to use it. She's had great success in effectuating change.|author=James Sammataro, music attorney|source=''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''<ref name=":18" /> }} Meredith Rose, senior policy counsel at [[Public Knowledge]], wrote in her [[American Bar Association]] post that "if Swift—who is, without exaggeration, one of the biggest powerhouse pop stars of an entire generation—can't get her own masters back, who could? Turns out, almost nobody."<ref name=":14">{{cite web|last=Towey|first=Hannah|date=November 16, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's rerecorded 'Red' album broke 2 Spotify records in 1 day – here's why it's a big deal for the music industry|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/taylor-swifts-rerecorded-red-album-broke-2-spotify-records-in-1-day-heres-why-its-a-big-deal-for-the-music-industry/amp_articleshow/87726174.cms|access-date=February 12, 2022|website=[[Business Insider]]|archive-date=February 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212103306/https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/taylor-swifts-rerecorded-red-album-broke-2-spotify-records-in-1-day-heres-why-its-a-big-deal-for-the-music-industry/amp_articleshow/87726174.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Tonya Butler, professor and chair of the Music Business Management Department at [[Berklee College of Music]], also a former entertainment attorney and record company executive, "regardless of the reasons why [Swift is] re-recording, whether it's spite or good business, the fact she is bringing to attention the re-recording restriction agreement alone makes the whole controversy valuable."<ref name=":3" /> McBrayer's Peter J. Rosene stated that each "Taylor's Version" album lowers the value of the master of its respective original held by Shamrock and predicted that the sales of the re-recordings "might, in fact, outperform the original albums."<ref>{{cite web|first=Peter J.|last=Rosene|date=December 13, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Knows Perils of Music Copyright Law "All Too Well"|url=https://www.mcbrayerfirm.com/blogs-intellectual-property-blog,taylor-swift-music-copyright-law|access-date=February 5, 2022|publisher=McBrayer|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205075913/https://www.mcbrayerfirm.com/blogs-intellectual-property-blog,taylor-swift-music-copyright-law|url-status=live}}</ref> American author [[Steve Stoute]] said "you build it; we make you think that you own it; you act like you own it; but at the end of the day, we own it." He opined that Swift's dilemma is a painful illustration of the fundamental issue with the music business that has been following a "[[sharecropping]]" model.<ref name="NYT" /> Sonal Lalwani of [[National Law University, Jodhpur|National Law University]] felt that [[John Locke]]'s [[labor theory of property]] applies to Swift,{{NoteTag|[[John Locke]]'s [[labor theory of property]] states: "If a party creates something valuable, then such party should have the right to exploit that value by excluding others from using it."<ref name="IIPRD"/>}} who sells her songs and albums using her name as a brand—"a truly scarce product that nobody can reproduce." According to professor R. Polk Wagner of the [[University of Pennsylvania Law School]], Swift associating her lyrics with a range of [[goods and services]] through [[trademark]] applications represents her understanding that "she is bigger than the music". He added "it's more of a branding right, thinking of Taylor Swift as a [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]]."<ref name="IIPRD">{{cite web|last=Lalwani|first=Sonal|date=February 27, 2021|title=Taylor Swift and Her "Love Story" With IPR|url=https://www.iiprd.com/taylor-swift-and-her-love-story-with-ipr/|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=IIPRD|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205075911/https://www.iiprd.com/taylor-swift-and-her-love-story-with-ipr/|url-status=live}}</ref> Doug McMahon of Irish firm McCann Fitzgerald [[Limited liability partnership|LLP]] opined that Swift's situation demonstrates how "the bundle of related copyrights that exist in a piece of music can give rise to complex disputes" and upheld her move to re-record as a "relatively novel solution", in regards to the copyright legislations in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mac Ardle|first1=Aoife Mac|last2=McMahon|first2=Doug|date=April 20, 2021|title=Copyright Issues (Taylor's Version): Who Owns Intellectual Property in Music?|url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1fee55b4-2575-4978-87eb-bb38d8838e62|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=Lexology.com|publisher=McCann Fitzgerald|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205080931/https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1fee55b4-2575-4978-87eb-bb38d8838e62|url-status=live}}</ref> ==Legacy== === Financial impact === The re-recordings were widely successful.<ref name=":33" /> Swift was the highest paid female musician of 2021, owing to ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and ''Red (Taylor's Version)'', ahead of artists who released brand new albums that year.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=January 14, 2022|title=Nine of the 10 Highest-Paid Musicians of 2021 Were Men|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/highest-paid-musicians-2021-bruce-springsteen-jay-z-taylor-swift-1281654/taylor-swift-80-million-1282542/|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=January 14, 2021|archive-date=January 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114144925/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/highest-paid-musicians-2021-bruce-springsteen-jay-z-taylor-swift-1281654/taylor-swift-80-million-1282542|url-status=live}}</ref> [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]] (IFPI) reported that Swift was [[Global Recording Artist of the Year|the world's best selling soloist and female artist of 2021]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 24, 2022|title=BTS named Global Recording Artist of the Year by IFPI for second straight year|url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bts-named-global-recording-artist-of-the-year-by-ifpi-for-second-straight-year/|access-date=February 24, 2022|agency=[[Music Business Worldwide]]|archive-date=February 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224193421/https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bts-named-global-recording-artist-of-the-year-by-ifpi-for-second-straight-year/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Forbes'' estimated her 2021 earnings to be US$52,000,000,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Voytko |first=Lisette |title=The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/02/09/the-highest-paid-entertainers-2022/ |url-status=live |magazine=Forbes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210003834/https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/02/09/the-highest-paid-entertainers-2022/ |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> and opined that Swift "recreating her catalog also sets [her] up for a potentially massive payday"; the magazine predicts her as one of the world's top-earning musicians of 2022 as well, owing to the "lucrative record deal, a tentative post-pandemic tour and a willingness to resume licensing her songs for use in commercials, film and television."<ref name=":29" /> Her publication rights over her first six albums were valued at $200&nbsp;million in 2022.<ref>{{cite news|date=June 14, 2022|title=Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift And The Other Richest Self-Made Women Under 40|magazine=[[Forbes]]|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/gigizamora/2022/06/14/kylie-jenner-taylor-swift-and-the-other-richest-self-made-women-under-40/?sh=32f4992b5e74|url-status=live|access-date=June 14, 2022}}</ref> === Synchronization === {{Quote box | quote = Every week, we get a dozen [[Synchronization rights|synch requests]] to use "[[Shake It Off]]" in some advertisement or "[[Blank Space]]" in some movie trailer, and we say no to every single one of them. And the reason I'm rerecording my music next year is because I do want my music to live on. I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials. But I only want that if I own it. | author = Swift to ''Billboard'' in 2019 | source = ''[[Forbes]]''<ref name=":29" /> }} A [[cover version]] of "[[Look What You Made Me Do]]" (2017), the [[lead single]] of ''Reputation'', was featured in the opening credits of an episode of the British [[Spy fiction|spy thriller]] television series ''[[Killing Eve]]'' on May 24, 2020. The artist credited as the performer of the cover, Jack Leopards & the Dolphin Club, had no documented existence before the song's release. It was fronted by an unnamed male vocalist, speculated by some media outlets to be Swift's brother [[Austin Swift|Austin]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift's (Apparent) Remake of 'Look What You Made Me Do' with Brother Austin Fires Up Fandom |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-brother-austin-look-what-you-made-me-do-killing-eve-1234615703/ |url-status=live |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526064452/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/taylor-swift-brother-austin-look-what-you-made-me-do-killing-eve-1234615703/ |archive-date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref> and was produced by [[Jack Antonoff]] and Nils Sjöberg, the latter being a [[pseudonym]] of Swift.<ref>{{cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff Team for Mysterious "Look What You Made Me Do" Cover on Killing Eve |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-and-jack-antonoff-team-for-mysterious-look-what-you-made-me-do-cover-on-killing-eve/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528205312/https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-and-jack-antonoff-team-for-mysterious-look-what-you-made-me-do-cover-on-killing-eve/ |archive-date=May 28, 2020 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]}}</ref> Because Swift could not re-record ''Reputation'' at the time the episode aired, some believed that the cover version was Swift's way of bypassing the potential issues that would arise with Big Machine over licensing the copyright to ''Killing Eve.'' A copyright license is mandatory for using a song in a visual work; otherwise, the owner of the copyright is allowed to fine or press charges against the party who used the song unlicensed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sakzewski |first=Emily |date=May 26, 2020 |title=What Taylor Swift's mysterious Killing Eve cover could mean in her feud with Scooter Braun |website=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/what-taylor-swift-killing-eve-cover-means-for-scooter-braun-feud/12286020 |url-status=live |access-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526183728/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-26/what-taylor-swift-killing-eve-cover-means-for-scooter-braun-feud/12286020 |archive-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Richards |first=Will |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift fans think new 'Killing Eve' cover is her getting back at Scooter Braun |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-posts-mysterious-cover-used-on-killing-eve-2675401 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603184445/https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-posts-mysterious-cover-used-on-killing-eve-2675401 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref> Swift's re-recorded tracks were used in visual works before their official release or announcement. "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" appeared in an advertisement produced by American actor [[Ryan Reynolds]] for the dating app [[Match.com]].<ref name=":29" /> "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" was extensively used in the trailers for the 2021 animated film ''[[Spirit Untamed]]'', posted on March 12, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fernández |first1=Alexia |date=March 12, 2021 |title=Spirit Untamed First Look! Hear Taylor Swift's Re-Recorded 'Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)' in Trailer |url=https://people.com/movies/spirit-untamed-first-look-hear-taylor-swifts-re-recorded-wildest-dreams-taylors-version-in-trailer/ |access-date=March 12, 2021 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> The chorus of "[[Bad Blood (Taylor Swift song)|Bad Blood]]" (2015) was featured in a teaser trailer for the upcoming animated comedy film, ''[[DC League of Super-Pets]]'' (2022), posted on November 24, 2021; Swift's fans asserted that it is "Bad Blood (Taylor's Version)", but Swift or her label have not commented yet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fans are convinced a snippet of "Bad Blood (Taylor's Version)" features in the Super-Pets trailer |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/fans-believe-snippet-of-bad-blood-taylors-version-is-in-super-pets-trailer |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=The Line of Best Fit |language=en}}</ref> The trailer for [[Amazon Prime Video]] series ''[[The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)|The Summer I Turned Pretty]]'' (2022), posted on May 5, 2022, made use of parts of "This Love (Taylor's Version)".<ref name=":30" /> === Fan activity === Journalists and media outlets credited Swift's fans, known commonly as "Swifties", with aiding Swift in magnifying the publicity surrounding the controversy following her social media posts and the success of her re-recording efforts.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":32" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kornhaber |first=Spencer |date=2019-11-18 |title=Taylor Swift Is Waging Reputational Warfare |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/11/taylor-swift-vs-scooter-braun-reputation-warfare/602197/ |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> Whereas, Braun claimed that Swift "weaponized" her fanbase by making the dispute public.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bowenbank |first=Starr |date=2022-04-29 |title=Scooter Braun Talks Taylor Swift Re-Recording Music, Says He Disagrees With Artists 'Weaponizing a Fanbase' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/scooter-braun-taylor-swift-masters-weaponizing-fanbase-1235064853/ |access-date=2022-05-09 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> On June 30, 2019, following the news that Braun had acquired Big Machine—and along with it Swift's back catalog—many of Braun's friends congratulated him on their social media accounts; American entrepreneur [[David Grutman]] captioned a screenshot of the news headline with "WHEN YOUR FRIEND BUYS TAYLOR SWIFT" in his [[Instagram story]], which Braun re-posted to his account. The story and its re-post were quickly deleted after Swift's fans claimed those as further proof for Braun's intent to bully Swift.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jeff|last=Nelson |title=Scooter Braun Deletes Friend's Post About Buying Taylor Swift Following Her Bullying Accusations |url=https://people.com/music/scooter-braun-brag-buys-taylor-swift-big-machine-deal-deleted-instagram/ |access-date=2022-05-23 |website=People|date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> On November 22, 2019, Braun posted on Instagram claiming he received [[death threat]]s from Swift's fans, and wanted to have a conversation with Swift regarding their dispute.<ref name="TheCut" /> He wrote, "I am certain there is no situation ever worth jeopardising anyone's safety."<ref name=":28" /> Big Machine Label Group's headquarters in Nashville was reportedly shut down early on November 14, 2019, due to "direct and hostile death threats" made to the company's employees.<ref>{{cite web|last=Calvario|first=Liz|date=November 15, 2019|title=Big Machine Employees Receive Death Threats Amid Taylor Swift Feud|url=https://www.etonline.com/big-machine-records-offices-shut-down-due-to-threats-amid-taylor-swift-feud-136467|access-date=February 12, 2022|website=[[Entertainment Tonight]]|archive-date=February 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212110207/https://www.etonline.com/big-machine-records-offices-shut-down-due-to-threats-amid-taylor-swift-feud-136467|url-status=live}}</ref> An online petition launched by a fan on [[Change.org]], calling Braun, Borchetta and the Carlyle Group "to stop holding Swift's art hostage", garnered 35,000 plaintiffs in its first three hours. Michael Jones, managing director of campaigns in Change.org, described the petition as "one the fastest-growing petitions on the platform this month".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandle |first=Lars |date=2019-11-14 |title=Taylor Swift Fans Launch Online Petition Against Scooter Braun, Scott Borchetta |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/taylor-swift-fans-launch-online-petition-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-1255045/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Furthermore, the fans mined information about the Carlyle Group and claimed it has ties to [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|the civil war in Yemen]]. Subsequently, publications such as ''The New York Times'' confirmed that Carlyle owns the aerospace manufacturer Wesco Aircraft Holdings, which supplies parts for building Saudi Arabian [[combat aircraft]] that are used to [[Famine in Yemen (2016–present)#Saudi Arabian-led intervention|bomb people in Yemen]].<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" /> Following the release of ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'', fans blocked the tracks of ''Fearless'' (2008) on their digital music platforms, such as [[Spotify]], to prevent accidentally streaming it—in order to make the older recordings "disappear".<ref>{{cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=April 8, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Fans Share Notes on How to Make the Old 'Fearless' Disappear|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-fans-fearless-big-machine-disappear-1234947206/|access-date=October 6, 2021|magazine=Variety|archive-date=October 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007004119/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/taylor-swift-fans-fearless-big-machine-disappear-1234947206/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite news|date=April 9, 2021|title=Taylor Swift fans share tips on how to make old 'Fearless' album disappear|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-fearless-fans-b1829051.html|access-date=October 6, 2021|newspaper=The Independent|archive-date=October 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007032152/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/taylor-swift-fearless-fans-b1829051.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On an episode (May 12, 2022) of ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'', in his opening [[monologue]], host [[Jimmy Fallon]] summarized several fan speculations about the next re-recorded album from Swift, theorizing it is either ''Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'' or ''1989 (Taylor's Version)'' or both at the same time.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |date=2022-05-13 |title=Jimmy Fallon Excitedly Dissects Clues to Decipher Which Album Taylor Swift Will Release Next: Watch |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/jimmy-fallon-next-taylor-swift-taylors-version-album-release-video-1235070562/ |access-date=2022-05-15 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> === Recognition === At the 2019 [[Billboard Women in Music|''Billboard'' Women in Music]] event, Swift was conferred the inaugural "[[Billboard Women in Music#Woman of the Decade Award|Woman of the Decade]]" Award for the 2010s. In her acceptance speech, Swift addressed Braun for the first time publicly, criticizing his "toxic male privilege" and the "unregulated world of private equity coming in and buying [artists'] music as if it's real estate—as if it's an app or a shoe line." She claimed that none of the investors "bothered to contact me or my team directly—to perform their due diligence on their investment; on their investment in me. To ask how I might feel about the new owner of my art, the music I wrote, the videos I created, photos of me, my handwriting, my [[Album cover|album designs]]."<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Blasts Scooter Braun During Billboard Woman of the Decade Speech |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-blasts-scooter-braun-during-billboard-woman-of-the-decade-speechandnbsp/amp/ |access-date=2022-05-23 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> On November 17, 2021, [[iHeartRadio]] announced that its radio stations will only play the "Taylor's Version" songs from now on, and has replaced the older recordings with the re-recorded tracks, with plans to replace the rest of the older recordings with the re-recorded tracks as they are officially released.<ref>{{cite news |title=You'll Only Hear Taylor Swift's 'Taylor's Version' Albums On iHeartRadio |agency=iHeartRadio |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-11-15-youll-only-hear-taylor-swifts-taylors-version-albums-on-iheartradio/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116230223/https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-11-15-youll-only-hear-taylor-swifts-taylors-version-albums-on-iheartradio/ |archive-date=November 16, 2021}}</ref> In December 2021, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' recognized Swift as "The Greatest Pop Star of 2021", saying she "rewrote industry rules and had one of the most impactful years of her storied pop career without even releasing an entirely new album." The magazine stated that the "unequivocal success" of ''Fearless (Taylor's Version)'' and ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' prove the widespread acceptance of the recordings, which replaced the older versions as "the ones listeners will be digesting and caring about moving forward."<ref name=":33">{{Cite magazine|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=December 16, 2021|title=Billboard's Greatest Pop Stars of 2021: No. 1 – Taylor Swift|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-greatest-pop-star-2021-1235011392/|access-date=December 16, 2021|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=December 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216181830/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-greatest-pop-star-2021-1235011392/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[The Recording Academy]] said the "Taylor's Versions" are a music trend that defined 2021.<ref>{{cite web|date=December 29, 2021|title=8 Trends That Defined Pop in 2021|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/pop-trends-2021-olivia-rodrigo-taylor-swift-bts-lil-nas-x-adele-kanye-west|access-date=January 1, 2022|website=GRAMMY.com|archive-date=December 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231222851/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/pop-trends-2021-olivia-rodrigo-taylor-swift-bts-lil-nas-x-adele-kanye-west|url-status=live}}</ref> Swift and her comment on her re-recording venture were featured in "2021, in 6 minutes", a [[video montage]] by [[Vox (website)|''Vox'']] summarizing the major world events of the year.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 29, 2021 |title=2021, in 6 minutes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTTvilkyTLY |access-date=December 29, 2021 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |via=[[YouTube]] |archive-date=December 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229131333/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTTvilkyTLY |url-status=live }}</ref> === Influencing peers === In May 2021, American singer-songwriter [[Olivia Rodrigo]] stated that she negotiated with her record label to own her music's masters herself, after observing Swift's battle.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ahlgrim|first=Callie|date=May 8, 2021|title=Olivia Rodrigo has full control of her masters because she paid attention to Taylor Swift's battle over her own music|url=https://www.insider.com/olivia-rodrigo-owns-master-recordings-taylor-swift-battle-2021-5|url-status=live|access-date=May 8, 2021|website=[[Insider Inc.]]|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115081100/https://www.insider.com/olivia-rodrigo-owns-master-recordings-taylor-swift-battle-2021-5}}</ref> American singer [[Joe Jonas]] said that he wishes to re-record the [[Jonas Brothers]]' back catalog just like Swift.<ref>{{cite web|last=Garner|first=Glenn|date=June 5, 2021|title=Joe Jonas Wants to Re-Record the Jonas Brothers' Debut Album: 'Like What Taylor Swift Did'|url=https://people.com/music/joe-jonas-brothers-re-record-debut-album-like-taylor-swift/|url-status=live|access-date=June 6, 2021|website=[[PEOPLE.com]]|archive-date=July 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709121754/https://people.com/music/joe-jonas-brothers-re-record-debut-album-like-taylor-swift/}}</ref> Canadian musician [[Bryan Adams]] stated he re-recorded his back catalog following a disagreement with his record label, and thanked Swift for inspiring him to do so.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brodksy |first=Rachel |date=March 11, 2022 |title=We've Got A File On You: Bryan Adams |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2179256/weve-got-a-file-on-you-bryan-adams/interviews/weve-got-a-file-on-you/ |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=Stereogum |archive-date=March 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311173732/https://www.stereogum.com/2179256/weve-got-a-file-on-you-bryan-adams/interviews/weve-got-a-file-on-you/ |url-status=live }}</ref> American rock band [[The Departed (band)|the Departed]] credited her with inspiring them to re-record,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dearmore |first=Kelly |date=March 9, 2022|title=Cody Canada Takes Ownership of His Art and Musical Past Thanks to Taylor Swift |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/cody-canada-will-be-playing-all-his-hits-this-week-in-dallas-thanks-to-taylor-swift-sort-of-13561415 |access-date=March 12, 2022|newspaper=Dallas Observer }}</ref> while American rapper [[Snoop Dogg]] cited Swift's re-recordings and stated he wanted to [[Remaster|re-master]] his debut album, ''[[Doggystyle]]'' (1993), but could not bring himself to do it because he was unable to replicate the "feeling".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 22, 2022|title=Snoop Dogg says he has considered re-recording his albums like Taylor Swift |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/snoop-dogg-says-he-has-considered-re-recording-his-albums-like-taylor-swift-3210592 |access-date=April 22, 2022|magazine=[[NME]]}}</ref> American singer-songwriter [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]] announced her intention to re-record [[Ashanti (album)|her self-titled debut album]] to gain its masters, and told [[Metro (magazine)|''Metro'']] that she felt "empowered" by Swift; Ashanti further stated "I think Taylor is amazing for what she's done and to be able to be a female in this very male-dominated industry, to accomplish that is amazing. Owning your property and getting a chance to have ownership of your creativity is so so important. Male, female, singer, rapper, whatever, I hope this is a lesson for artists to get in there and own."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ashanti says Taylor Swift helped her feel 'empowered' in her decision to re-record debut album |url=https://goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/ashanti-taylor-swift-helped-feel-empowered-decision-record-84668761 |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=ABC News}}</ref> Indonesian singer-songwriter [[Niki (singer)|Niki]] stated Swift inspired her to re-record and "reimagine" her original songs that she had deleted from YouTube after signing to her record label and that these re-recorded tracks will be a part of her second studio album, ''Nicole'' (2022).<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1531636641508786176|user=nikizefanya|title="Nicole" - my sophomore album - out this August.|author=Niki Zefanya}}</ref> === Systemic changes === {{Blockquote|text=Swift is one of few artists with the power and profile to create change in the music world—when she acts, the industry listens. In reclaiming her masters, and drawing attention to the saga surrounding it, she has made a dramatic statement about the importance of artists owning their work and refusing to let others capitalise on their creativity. Sure, she's a [[multi-millionaire]] but in using her platform in this way, she's galvanising other, less established artists to fight for a better deal.|author=Katie Rosseinsky, ''How Taylor Swift is changing the music industry one re-record at a time''|source=''[[Evening Standard]]''<ref name=":28" />}} On November 12, 2021, ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported that [[Universal Music Group]], the parent company of Swift's current label, has doubled the amount of time that restricts artists from re-recording their works in their recording deals hereafter. The very same day, ''Red (Taylor's Version)'' broke a chain of streaming records. The newspaper said this represents "shifting power dynamics in the music business", as artists have started to demand better revenue shares and ownership of the masters to their music, incentivized by Swift's situation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Steele |first=Anne |date=November 12, 2021 |title=As Taylor Swift Rerecorded Her 'Red' Album, Universal Reworked Contracts |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-taylor-swift-rerecorded-her-red-album-universal-reworked-contracts-11636741201 |url-status=live |access-date=November 20, 2021 |website=The Wall Street Journal |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117184257/https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-taylor-swift-rerecorded-her-red-album-universal-reworked-contracts-11636741201 }}</ref> [[Weverse]] said "the recording industry had been watching [Swift's] rerecording project closely to see where it might go and has recently begun to react" and pointed out that musicians have started to demand the rights to their masters "more and more often" following the controversy.<ref>{{cite news |title=[NoW] Taylor Swift's Ten-Minute Song |url=https://magazine.weverse.io/bridge/en/277 |url-status=live |access-date=December 10, 2021 |agency=Weverse |archive-date=March 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319153233/https://magazine.weverse.io/article/view;jsessionid=0ED2C0E5CA9ABEE9B4287E1F66417396?lang=en&num=277 }}</ref> === Musical inspiration === Songs from each of Swift's 2020 albums, "[[My Tears Ricochet]]" and "[[Mad Woman]]" from ''[[Folklore (Taylor Swift album)|Folklore]]'',<ref name=":23">{{cite magazine |last1=Suskind |first1=Alex |title=Taylor Swift broke all her rules with Folklore – and gave herself a much-needed escape |url=https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-entertainers-of-the-year-2020/ |access-date=March 30, 2021 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=March 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312063543/https://ew.com/music/taylor-swift-entertainers-of-the-year-2020/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":25">{{cite magazine |last1=Gallagher |first1=Alex |title=Taylor Swift wrote early 'My Tears Ricochet' lyrics after watching 'Marriage Story' |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/taylor-swift-my-tears-ricochet-marriage-story-2834832 |access-date=March 30, 2021 |magazine=[[NME]] |date=December 9, 2020 |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122004239/https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/taylor-swift-my-tears-ricochet-marriage-story-2834832 |url-status=live }}</ref> and "It's Time to Go" from ''[[Evermore (Taylor Swift album)|Evermore]]'', were underscored by critics for their references to the dispute, Borchetta, and Braun.<ref name=":24">{{Cite magazine|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=January 7, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Drops Deluxe Edition of 'Evermore' on Streaming, With Lyric Videos For Bonus Tracks|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9508098/taylor-swift-deluxe-streaming-edition-evermore-lyric-videos/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107130924/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9508098/taylor-swift-deluxe-streaming-edition-evermore-lyric-videos/|archive-date=January 7, 2021|access-date=January 7, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}</ref><ref name=":26">{{cite web|last=Norwin|first=Alyssa|date=January 7, 2021|title=Taylor Swift Sings About A 'Crook Who Got Caught' On New Song & Fans Think It's Karlie Kloss|url=https://hollywoodlife.com/2021/01/07/taylor-swift-its-time-to-go-song-lyrics-karlie-kloss/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107144305/https://hollywoodlife.com/2021/01/07/taylor-swift-its-time-to-go-song-lyrics-karlie-kloss/|archive-date=January 7, 2021|access-date=January 7, 2021|website=[[Hollywood Life]]}}</ref> "My Tears Ricochet" is about how Swift felt betrayed by Borchetta and uses a funeral metaphor,<ref name=":25" /> while "Mad Woman" is about the "gaslighting" Swift experienced at the hands of Braun.<ref name=":23" /> "It's Time to Go" is said to have been inspired by Swift's exit from Big Machine.<ref name=":26" /> ===Academic attention=== The controversy has also been a topic of study and research in [[higher education]]al institutions. On October 4, 2021, [[Rafael Landívar University]] in [[Guatemala]] hosted a conference on the topic "International Copyright Protection: Analyzing Taylor Swift's Case".<ref>{{cite web |date=October 4, 2021 |title=¡No nos detenemos! Acompáñanos en nuestra conferencia sobre protección internacional de los derechos de autor. Esta vez estará con nosotros la Licda. Irene Castelló para analizar el caso Taylor Swift y cómo proteger las creaciones musicales. ¡No te los pierdas este lunes a las 11&nbsp;am! |url=https://www.facebook.com/url.aed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106165651/https://www.facebook.com/url.aed/ |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |website=[[Facebook]] |publisher=URL, Asociación de Estudiantes de Derecho y Crimfor - AED |language=es}}</ref> In January 2022, a [[Academic term|spring semester]] course focusing on Swift's career and its cultural impact was launched at [[New York University]]'s [[New York University Tisch School of the Arts|Tisch School of the Arts]], with "copyright and ownership" as one of the topics covered by the [[syllabus]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=February 2, 2022 |title=Taylor Swift Course Launched at New York University's Clive Davis Institute |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-course-nyu-clive-davis-institute-1235170200/ |url-status=live |magazine=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203232545/https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-course-nyu-clive-davis-institute-1235170200/ |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> [[Queen's University at Kingston]] offers a fall semester course, titled "Taylor Swift's Literary Legacy (Taylor’s Version)", focusing on her [[Political sociology|sociopolitical]] impact on contemporary culture; its syllabus specified that readings include select songs from Swift's nine studio albums, with the use of re-recorded versions wherever possible.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cultural Studies: Theory into Practice {{!}} Department of English |url=https://www.queensu.ca/english/undergraduate/courses/engl-294 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509060657/https://www.queensu.ca/english/undergraduate/courses/engl-294 |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |access-date=2022-05-09 |website=[[Queen's University at Kingston]]}}</ref> == See also == * [[Taylor Swift sexual assault trial]] * [[Britney Spears conservatorship dispute]] * [[Kesha v. Dr. Luke]] ==Footnotes== {{NoteFoot}} ==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{Taylor Swift}} [[Category:Music controversies]] [[Category:Taylor Swift|Masters controversy]]'