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Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Taylor Swift joins BFF Selena Gomez for a celebratory dinner after buying back Master Catalogue
Pop superstar Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez were spotted enjoying a dinner date in Manhattan on Saturday night. Dressed their best in chic high fashion ensembles, the longtime friends dined together at the upscale Monkey Bar in Midtown, where they were photographed deep in conversation at a private booth. The outing came just a day after Swift, announced that she had successfully bought back the rights to her original music catalogue after several years spent re-releasing her music to regain ownership of her early work. For the girls' night, Swift dressed in a black mini-skirt and black top with sequin detailing. Selena, on the other hand, rocked a brown and beige pant suit. Both wore their hair up in buns as they spent the evening catching up. Photos of the two chatting up a storm quickly went viral online, with fans having a laugh at Taylor's shocked reactions to Selena's comments. "Selena always has her gagged," a fan joked while sharing older photos of the singer sharing some inside scoop with Taylor that leaves her with her jaw hanging in surprise. "Some things really never change between Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift," said another. This is the first time that the two were spotted after their hectic schedules. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Aged 50-85 With No Life Insurance Could Get This Reassured Get Quote Undo While Selena has been busy shooting her web series 'Only Murders In The Building', Taylor has been enjoying her well-earned break after her record-breaking Eras Tour. As far as Swift's masters are concerned, her catalogue was originally acquired by music executive Scooter Braun in 2019 through the purchase of Big Machine Label Group, a deal made without Swift's consent. Braun later sold the catalogue to Shamrock Capital in 2020. Now, in a triumphant turn, the music rights were sold back to Swift for an estimate $360 million, restoring her control over the songs that launched her career. Selena was among the few close friends who showed her support on Instagram following the announcement, resharing Taylor's post with a heartfelt message: 'YES YOU DID THAT TAY!!! SO PROUD.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift's Musical Triumph Turns Into BFF Dinner Night With Selena Gomez
just scored one of the biggest wins of her career, and she's celebrating it with her longtime bestie by her side. The 'Fortnight' singer was spotted enjoying a celebratory dinner with this week, just hours after news broke that Taylor had officially regained ownership of her original masters. Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez were all smiles in a candid photo taken during their night out, with fans quick to note the joy radiating from both stars. For Swift, it's a victory that's been six years in the making. In 2019, music executive Scooter Braun acquired her original master recordings in a $300 million deal with Big Machine Label Group, a move that was made without her knowledge or consent. The shocking purchase sparked a firestorm in the music industry and led Taylor to begin re-recording her first six albums in a bold move to reclaim her work. A year later, Braun sold the masters to private equity firm Shamrock Capital. But now, in a full-circle twist, that same company has reportedly sold the music library back to its rightful owner, Taylor herself. And to celebrate, it seems she and her longtime bestie, Selena Gomez, went out for some much-needed girl time. In a photo, which was also obtained by Pop Base on X, the two are seated at a dimly lit, elegant restaurant table, complete with classic table lamps and water glasses. Selena, dressed in a neutral-toned outfit with her hair pulled back, appears calm and engaged as she rests her chin on her hand and looks at Taylor. Meanwhile, Taylor, wearing a glamorous black dress with sparkling trim, is caught mid-reaction, mouth open in what seems to be surprise or excitement. Following the bombshell announcement, Selena took to Instagram to share her love and admiration for her best friend, writing, 'SO proud!' in a supportive Instagram Stories post that quickly went viral among fans of both women. Their reunion over dinner wasn't just a celebration. It was a full-circle moment for two of Hollywood's most loyal ride-or-dies. The pair, who have been friends for over a decade, have weathered countless milestones together. But this one might be among the most personal for Taylor. The duo first met in August 2008, introduced by none other than the Jonas Brothers. Taylor was dating , and Selena was dating . 'It was hysterical,' Gomez later recalled in a 2017 interview with KISS FM UK, per PEOPLE. 'We actually dated the Jonas Brothers together! … It was the best thing we got out of those relationships.' From that moment, their friendship bloomed. Just a month after their first public hangout, Swift was front and center supporting Gomez at the premiere of "Another Cinderella Story," and their red carpet era officially began. By the time Gomez sat down with Seventeen magazine, she was already turning to Taylor for love advice. 'Every single problem I ever have is healable by Taylor Swift!' she gushed. 'She gives the most thought-out answers … because of her, I haven't lost faith [in love]. We literally talk every day.' Their bond wasn't just built on late-night phone calls and advice sessions. It translated to the stage as well. On November 22, 2011, Gomez shocked fans at Madison Square Garden when she popped up during Taylor's "Speak Now" tour to sing her hit 'Who Says.' It was one of their earliest moments performing together, and it wouldn't be the last. In August 2015, the pair proved their sisterhood was still going strong when Gomez joined Taylor on her "1989" tour stop in Los Angeles. The two strutted down the runway in coordinated black and white looks, belting out 'Good For You' like total pros. 'After nearly 8 years of friendship,' Gomez wrote on Instagram, 'I just can't wait to tell our kids we ACTUALLY got to perform in front of thousands of insanely beautiful people together. TWICE!' In Gomez's WSJ Magazine cover story, the longtime besties opened up about their nearly two-decade bond, offering a rare glimpse into the love, loyalty, and mutual respect that has kept them close through it all. 'There has always been this quality of sisterhood, and I don't say that in a basic way,' Swift shared. 'I knew from when I met her I would always have her back.' The Grammy-winning artist added that while she's learned to forgive people who've wronged her over the years, 'I don't know if I can forgive someone who hurts her.' Gomez echoed the sentiment, noting that their friendship has only grown stronger through the hard times. 'She has showed up for me in ways that I would have never expected,' she said, recalling times Swift flew in to support her during difficult family moments and personal struggles. 'It's been proven year after year and in every moment of my life that she is one of my best friends in the world.' From romantic ups and downs to sold-out arenas and award show cameos, the duo has never let distance, fame, or time weaken their connection. And with their recent dinner outing following Taylor's major career win, it's clear that after more than 15 years, these two are still each other's biggest cheerleaders.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Taylor Swift locked in her billionaire status before buying rights to early albums for $464m
NEW YORK - Taylor Swift has gained control of all of her life's work, in what she called her 'greatest dream come true'. A growing fortune may have helped her realise that years-long goal. The American pop superstar announced on May 30 that she had acquired the rights to her first six albums, a culmination of a lengthy battle to own her entire catalogue. She did not disclose the terms, but Billboard reported that she paid around US$360 million (S$464 million). 'To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually to be pretty reserved about it,' she wrote. '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.' Swift, 35, has seen a personal windfall equal to that figure in just the past 19 months alone. Her net worth currently stands at US$1.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, up about US$300 million from October 2023, when she was in the middle of her blockbuster Eras Tour that made her a billionaire for the first time. While she has framed her fight to reclaim her earlier work as a deeply personal pursuit, she also now stands to profit from licensing her songs in the future. 'She's in the 1 per cent of artistes who have the leverage to work out deals her own way,' said Ralph Jaccodine, a professor of music business and management at Boston's Berklee College of Music. 'She can license them and all the money comes back to her. She can give them away. She can do whatever she wants with her copyrights.' While Swift wrote the songs on her first six albums - Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014) and Reputation (2017) - her former record label Big Machine Label Group owned the actual recordings that made her famous. It sold those to American record executive Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings LLC in June 2019, as part of a larger deal. After Swift spoke out about her lack of approval of the deal, Ithaca Holdings sold those rights to American private equity firm Shamrock Capital for about US$300 million in 2020. That prompted Swift to announce that she would re-record her earlier work – the source of the now-ubiquitous 'Taylor's Version' albums – in an effort to undercut the originals' popularity and value. In a letter on her website on May 30, the singer said she now controls all of her work, including photography, album art, videos and unreleased songs. Her recordings are among the most valuable assets in the music business. 'I'm extremely heartened by the conversations this saga has reignited within my industry among artistes and fans,' she wrote. 'Every time a new artiste tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen.' 'We are thrilled with this outcome and so happy for Taylor,' Shamrock posted on its Linkedin page. 'I am happy for her,' Braun said in a separate statement. At a time when many artistes don't own the masters of their work and can't fully leverage their recordings, Swift is one of the rare few who stands to gain from the ongoing popularity of her chart-topping hits. In addition to the first six albums, she owns the the master recordings of five new albums made since 2018 and four re-recorded albums. The bulk of Swift's fortune comes from the value of her catalogue, and profits from ticket sales and merchandise. Bloomberg estimated in October 2023 that the latter was worth US$370 million, and that was before she completed the Eras Tour. Touring is especially profitable for musicians since their cut of gross ticket sales is much higher than from streams or album sales, and they also receive revenue from merchandise sales. During the 21 months of the Eras Tour, Swift sold more than US$2 billion worth of tickets, and roughly 10 million people attended her shows. She also received an estimated US$130 million before taxes from the concert film she executive produced, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2024). BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Taylor Swift finally owns all her music. It shouldn't have been this hard.
Taylor Swift finally owns all her music. It shouldn't have been this hard. | Opinion Music labels can either continue their exploitative practices that turn artists away, or they can lurch toward progress as artists fight back. Show Caption Hide Caption Taylor Swift masters: Singer owns her music catalog Taylor Swift announced on Instagram and her website she owns her music catalog. After years of seemingly endless battles, Taylor Swift has won the war. On May 30, Swift announced that she now owns the master recordings of her first six albums. 'All of the music I've ever made… now belongs… to me,' Swift wrote in a heartfelt letter to fans. Swift's fight for ownership began in June 2019, when her master recordings were shuffled from Big Machine Label Group to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings and later sold to Shamrock Capital in 2020, much to Swift's displeasure. This inspired her to rerecord her earlier albums to regain some sense of ownership over what was rightfully hers, topping the charts and breaking streaming records in the process. She began in 2021 with 'Fearless (Taylor's Version)' and "Red (Taylor's Version).' In 2023, she released 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)' and '1989 (Taylor's Version),' each topping the Billboard 200 chart. Dave Hause: Taylor Swift, rerecording albums to own her masters, is infinitely more punk rock than I am Though the principle of the rerecordings is admirable, the execution sometimes left a lot to be desired. Sometimes the youthful intensity and emotional context of the originals just couldn't be replicated, especially in the latter two. The rerecord of her 2017 album 'Reputation,' which fans have been clamoring for online, may have found the same fate given the fanfare surrounding the original. Though Swift's purchase of her masters from Shamrock may not cure the capitalistic and exploitative nature of the music industry ‒ labels even started including rerecording provisions in artists' contracts to stop them from following Swift's path ‒ it serves as a reminder that artists deserve compensation and ownership of the art they create. The music industry has a long history of screwing over artists. At almost every avenue, artists are last to reap the benefits of their work. Streaming platforms and labels take most of the revenue, leaving artists, especially smaller ones, with fractions of pennies per stream. Touring has devolved into a battle to just break even for artists who aren't megastars, with many artists canceling shows and tours altogether to avoid the financial risk. Matters worsen when considering how a certain company has monopolized the industry. Opinion: Katy Perry really went to space. It's the most Katy Perry thing she's done yet. With the news of Taylor Swift's masters purchase and the bounty of artists who have spoken out against the mistreatment they face, major labels stand at a crossroads: They can either continue their exploitative practices that turn artists away, or they can lurch toward progress as artists fight back. Olivia Rodrigo made ownership of her masters a precondition of signing with Geffen Records in 2020. Zara Larsson bought back her catalog in 2022. Chappell Roan and Bad Bunny have attested to having some of the best deals in modern music. Many artists still don't own the rights to their work, which prevents them from fully receiving the deserved fruits of their labor. 'If you don't own your masters, your master owns you,' Prince told Rolling Stone in 1996. Artists deserve to be treated with dignity. It's time for the music industry to catch up. Kofi Mframa is a columnist and digital producer for USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network. He's currently listening to the original version of "1989."
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Taylor Swift buys back early albums after yearslong crusade
SUPERSTAR singer-songwriter Taylor Swift re-acquired the rights to her first six albums, ending a long campaign to gain control of the music from her early years. The deal announced on her website Friday marks the end of a battle between Swift, her former record label Big Machine Label Group, music manager Scooter Braun and the private equity firm Shamrock Capital, which had acquired the albums. After losing control of the master recordings of her earlier work, the singer re-recorded some of the songs in an effort to undercut the originals' popularity. 'To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually to be pretty reserved about it,' she wrote in the statement. '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.' While Swift wrote the songs on her first six albums, Big Machine owned the actual recordings that made her famous. The label sold those to Braun's Ithaca Holdings LLC in June 2019, as part of a larger deal. After Swift spoke out about her lack of approval of the deal, Ithaca Holdings sold those rights to Shamrock for about $300 million. 'We are thrilled with this outcome and so happy for Taylor!,' Shamrock posted on its Linkedin page. 'I am happy for her,' Braun said in a separate statement Friday. Swift's re-recordings, dubbed 'Taylor's Version,' were massively successful and gave her fans the choice to side with her in a battle over the rights to her songs. She didn't share how much she paid to obtain ownership in this new deal. The singer said she now controls all of her life's work, including photography, album art, videos and unreleased songs. 'I'm extremely heartened by the conversations this saga has reignited within my industry among artists and fans,' she wrote. 'Every time a new artist tells me they negotiated to own their master recordings in their record contract because of this fight, I'm reminded of how important it was for all of this to happen.' –BLOOMBERG
