The masters for Taylor Swift’s first six records have been sold for a second time, but the pop icon isn’t going to let that stand in her way.
The issue of Taylor Swift‘s masters has been an ongoing saga, and today, things just got even more complicated. According to Variety, music mogul Scooter Braun has sold the masters of Swift’s first six records to a private equity company.
This marks the second time that they have been sold, once more denying Taylor Swift the opportunity to buy back and own the rights to her own music. In response, the singer has taken to social media to publish two letters and outline her plan for the future.
Braun came into the possession of Swift’s masters in 2019 after his company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired the singer’s old record label, Big Machine Label Group. The deal included Swift’s entire back catalogue, from her 2006 self-titled debut to 2017’s Reputation. Now, Braun has sold the masters on to the private equity company, Shamrock Holdings, reportedly for around a massive $400 million.
Braun and Swift have long been at odds, with the singer last year penning an essay in which she described the “incessant, manipulative bullying” he had subjected her to “for years”.
Imagine thinking you can silence Taylor Swift.
— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) November 17, 2020
Now, in response to the sale, Swift has taken to social media to release two letters: one updating her fans on the situation and the other addressed to Shamrock Holdings.
In the letters, Swift claims that for the past year she has been “actively trying to regain ownership” of the masters. However, she alleges that Braun wanted her to “sign an ironclad NDA stating I would never say another word about [him] unless it was positive” before she could even get the chance to bid – a type of NDA, Swift describes, resembles those used to silence assault accusers.
scooter clearly hasn’t listened to taylor’s discography if he thinks that taylor swift, who at 19 wrote an album titled speak now, would ever sign a silencing nda. you chose the wrong woman to mess with. pic.twitter.com/UyR5nzfdZU
— etain! (@getawaydancing) November 17, 2020
Whilst Swift claims that she was hopeful there may have been a chance for a partnership with Shamrock, learning that Braun would still be profiting off the masters for years to come was a “non-starter”.
Swift continued on to confirm that she will be re-recording all her old material – an undertaking that she has already begun.
“This is my only way of regaining the sense of pride I once had when hearing songs from my first six albums and also allowing my fans to listen to those albums without feelings of guilt for benefiting Scooter,” Swift described.
✨ RETWEET IF YOU’RE GOING TO BUY AND STREAM TAYLOR SWIFT’S NEW RE-RECORDINGS OF HER OLDER CATALOG WHEN SHE RELEASES THEM ✨
— Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) November 16, 2020
You can read Taylor Swift’s letters in full below.
Been getting a lot of questions about the recent sale of my old masters. I hope this clears things up. pic.twitter.com/sscKXp2ibD
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 16, 2020
Next Up: Taylor Swift ‘folklore’ Album Review
