Scooter Braun Is ‘Happy' Taylor Swift Bought Back Her Masters

Yahoo

2 days ago

After a contentious feud, Scooter Braun says that he is "happy for" Taylor Swift, now that she has the rights to her entire music catalog.
On May 30, the "Cruel Summer" singer revealed that Shamrock Capital had allowed her to buy back her music, music videos, concert films, photography, and more, with "no strings attached."
In 2019, Swift announced to the world that she was going to re-record her entire music catalog after Scooter Braun acquired her music. At the time, she called it her 'worst case scenario' and described how she had pleaded with Big Machine's Scot Borchetta for years 'for a chance' to own her work.
Instead, she revealed that she had only been given 'the opportunity to sign back up at 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,' she wrote at the time.
'Scooter has stripped me of my life's work, that I wasn't given an opportunity to buy…' she continued. 'Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.'
Braun, who has since stepped away from artist management, told The Hollywood Reporter in a brief statement on Friday that he is 'happy for her' and left it at that.
Additionally, a source told PEOPLE magazine that reports claiming that Scooter encouraged Shamrock to make the deal were false, and that the entrepreneur was not involved in the deal in any way.
'Contrary to a previous false report, there was no outside party who 'encouraged' this sale. All rightful credit for this opportunity should go to the partners at Shamrock Capital and Taylor's Nashville-based management team only,' the source revealed. 'Taylor now owns all of her music, and this moment finally happened in spite of Scooter Braun, not because of him.'
Since 2019, Swift has released 'Fearless (Taylor's Version),' 'Red (Taylor's Version),' "Speak Now (Taylor's Version),' and '1989 (Taylor's Version),' leaving many wondering what the fate would be for 'Reputation (Taylor's Version),' and the re-recording of her debut album.
Although she told fans that she has re-recorded her debut album, she had less promising news about 'Reputation (Taylor's Version),' leaving some fans to suspect that the full album may not ever be released in its entirety.
'Full transparency: I haven't even re-recorded a quarter of it. The Reputation album was so specific to that time in my life, and I kept hitting a stopping point when I tried to remake it,' she told her followers in a lengthy letter published on May 30. 'All that defiance, that longing, to be understood while feeling purposely misunderstood, that desperate hope, that shame-born snarl and mischief.'
'To be perfectly honest, it's the one album in those first 6 that I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it,' she revealed. 'Not the music, or photos, or videos. So I kept putting it off. There will be a time (if you're into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to watch.'
'I've already completely re-recorded my entire debut album, and I really love how it sounds now,' she continued. 'Those 2 albums can still have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right, if that would be something you guys would be excited about.'
'But if it happens, it won't be from a place of sadness and longing for what I wish I could have,' she added. 'It will just be a celebration now.'
In her letter, Swift admitted that she never thought that she would be able to acquire her full music catalog again.
'I almost stopped thinking it would ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away,' she wrote. 'But that's all in the past now. I've been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words.'
Further down in her letter, she thanked Shamrock Capital for giving her the chance to buy her music back with 'no strings attached' to their offer.
'All I've ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy,' she continued. 'I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me.'
'The way they've handled every interaction we've had has been honest, fair, and respectful,' she added. 'This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: my memory and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams. I am endlessly thankful. My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.'