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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scooter Braun's Response to Still-Angry Taylor Swift Fans on Catalog Purchase: 'They Made the Horrible Miscalculation That I Care'
Scooter Braun has a message for Swifties, who are still angry with him over the handling of Taylor Swift's master recordings from six years ago. The music executive and former music manager made a recent appearance on Danielle Robay's Question Everything podcast, where he opened up about the hate he still receives from Swift's fan base years after the original sale of her catalog to Braun's Ithaca Holdings when he acquired her old record label Big Machine Label Group in 2019. The following year, Ithaca sold Swift's masters to Shamrock Capital for a reported $300 million, which the singer infamously criticized, leading her to rerecord her albums. More from The Hollywood Reporter Justin Bieber's 'Swag': A Silver Lining for the No. 2 Chart Debut Why Rock Music Is Thriving in the Streaming Era Laysla De Oliveira to Star in 'Cowboy,' the Debut Feature From Midland's Cameron Duddy (Exclusive) 'You know, me even talking about this now, there's gonna be … They're gonna be yelling and screaming and this, that and the other,' Braun said. 'You can't say anything right, and it is what it is. My response to that is they made the horrible miscalculation that I care. You know, I don't know those people out there. And if I met them in person and they needed my help, as a stranger, I would help them. 'I think people forget that when you have a fan base that big and 10,000 people are yelling at you, it feels like the world is ending, but that's less than 1 percent of a fan base that big,' Braun continued. 'I think most people are dealing with their own problems. I think most people are dealing with their own insecurities the same way I am, the same way every artist and every human being is. And I think it's just a more productive use of your time to not get stuck in the craziness of celebrity fodder and focus more on being kind to people.' Elsewhere in the interview, Braun said he believes 'everybody in the end won,' despite the years-long feud. 'We did very well in that sale because we bought it at a really great price and the value of the masters went up,' Braun said when asked to further explain what he meant. 'When I sold it, she had announced she was gonna do rerecords. And if you understand music, the value went up for the masters because Spotify and streamers created a longer decay than buying just CDs. People would listen to them more, so there's a longer decay, but it's still decaying. But when she rerecorded, all ships rise in a world of streaming. So people were going on and they were A/B-ing them. They were listening in to see how much they sounded like [the originals]. 'So she did incredibly well and basically had the biggest moment of her career, reinvigorating her career with each one. It was brilliant on her part, but also each time she released one, you saw a spike in the original catalog,' he added. 'So, funny enough, everyone involved in the saga, from a business standpoint … One, she's the biggest she's ever been, the biggest artist of all time. We did really well with the asset. The people who bought the asset did really well because of those spikes. The only thing that I'm sad about is, that's a great example where all ships can rise and there doesn't need to be an enemy.' Robay notes in the episode's description on YouTube that the interview with Braun was filmed in April, before it was announced in May that Swift had bought back the rights to her first six albums in the deal with Shamrock Capital. 'This was a business deal to them, but I really felt like they saw it for what was to me: My memories and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams,' Swift said of the deal back in May. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Scooter Braun on Taylor Swift buying masters: 'Everybody in the end won'
Music executive Scooter Braun broke his silence on Taylor Swift buying her master recordings, saying: "The cool part, if you actually pay attention, is everybody in the end won." The comment comes just past the halfway mark of his appearance on the "Question Everything" podcast hosted by Danielle Robay. Around the 46 minute mark, Robay brings up Braun's company Ithaca Holdings and its 2019 acquisition of the rights to Swift's first six albums from Big Machine Label Group along with the work of other artists including Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line. "If people didn't know you from your work with all these artists like [Justin] Bieber and Ariana [Grande], they definitely know you from the Swift saga," Robay said. "What happened?" Braun replied. Notorious Nashville: 2019 was year of feuds with Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun, NFL and cherry trees. In 2019, Taylor Swift told fans in a Tumblr post that she "wasn't given an opportunity to buy" the original recordings of her first six albums. She also said two of Braun's clients — Bieber and Kanye West — had bullied her online and described the sale of her catalog to Braun as her "worst case scenario." On the podcast, Braun responded to Swift's original statement, "Like when Taylor says she wasn't offered the masters, the reason I was under NDA is because we were in negotiations to sell it back to her. I choose to believe her that maybe they didn't tell her." Robay asked, "Who's they?" to which Braun answered, "Her team. Maybe her team didn't tell her, didn't understand the negotiations." In 2020, Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Capital, which sold them back to the superstar in May. Swift shared a letter on her website saying, "I will be forever grateful to everyone at Shamrock Capital for being the first people to ever offer this to me... I am endlessly thankful. My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead." Taylor Swift's fight to own her music changed recording contracts in ways good and bad Braun explained why, from a business standpoint, he believes everyone came out ahead — despite the controversy. Swift's decision to rerecord her first six albums led to surges in streaming for both the original versions and the newly released "Taylor's Versions." "She's the biggest she's ever been, the biggest artist of all time," he said referencing the global success of her Eras Tour. Braun told Robay he wished one thing had gone differently. "The only thing that I really regret is it's easy to have a monster, if you never meet them," he said. "Taylor and I have only met three times in our life, and I think at that point we hadn't seen each other in two, three years. I was managing people she wasn't a fan of, and she probably saw my name come up and thought, 'I don't like those people so I don't like him.'" The music mogul first met Swift in 2010 when Bieber opened for her on the "Fearless" tour. Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Scooter Braun sparks ridicule as he claims feud with Taylor Swift boosted her career
Music mogul Scooter Braun has provoked a bitter backlash from Taylor Swift's fans by suggesting his highly publicised feud with her helped to boost her astronomical career Scooter Braun has raised eyebrows with a claim that his infamous feud with Taylor Swift helped improve her career. The 44-year-old music producer and the 35-year-old Wildest Dreams singer clashed in 2019 when he bought her old record label, Big Machine Label Group. The deal included the master recordings of Taylor's first six records, leading her to bitterly lash out at the businessman. She then went on to re-record her albums and re-release them to huge financial reward. This year, Taylor successfully bought back the rights to her own music after re-releasing four of the six albums in question, leading her to hint she may no longer re-record her debut and Reputation albums. Having enjoyed renewed success for the four albums she re-recorded, Scooter is now hinting that the feud that provoked the re-release of the records helped Taylor achieve a degree of success she would not otherwise have reached. Fans of the star, however, have made it clear they do not agree with Scooter's theory - and they have ruthlessly mocked him for his comment. While Taylor's fans have bitterly reacted to Scooter's comments, he has praised the Lavender Haze singer while sharing his opinions. Scooter appeared on Danielle Robay's Question Everything podcast, where they discussed his history with the chart-topping star. Discussing her re-recorded albums, he said: "She did incredibly well and basically had the biggest moment of her career, reinvigorating her career with each one. It was previously reported that Scooter bought the Big Machine Records and Taylor's masters in 2019 for $300 million (£220 million). He later sold the records to an investment firm called Shamrock Holdings for $405 million (£300 million) - and then Swift herself reacquired the music in May for a reported $360 million (£268 million). Scooter gushed: "It was brilliant on her part. But also, each time she released one, you saw a spike in the original catalog." He continued: "Funny enough, everyone involved in the saga, from a business standpoint, won. "She's the biggest she's ever been, biggest artist of all time. We did really well with the asset. The people who bought the asset did really well because of those spikes. "I wish kids and people out there understood that, like, there are scenarios in life where there doesn't need to be an oppressor and oppressed, there are scenarios in life where it's a misunderstanding, yet everyone can succeed." His comments sparked a backlash among Taylor's fans, however, who took to social media to pan the businessman. One wrote on X: "She lives rent free in his little head." And another typed: "Man takes credit for woman's success a tale as old as time." And a third wrote: "Is he obsessed or is he obsessed?" Scooter is famous for helping discover Canadian pop star Justin Bieber - and the two famously parted ways, on a business level, in 2023. Earlier this month, Justin released his seventh studio album - which was his first since he ended his partnership with Scooter. The businessman took to social media to praise the 31-year-old singer, however, writing ia Instagram Stories: 'Been having a beautiful start to the weekend and been getting a lot of texts about how I feel about Justin's new album. "So I will just leave this here. This is without a doubt, the most authentically Justin Bieber album to date. It's beautiful, raw, and truly him. And that matters.' He continued: 'I've had the privilege of witnessing his growth for almost two decades. Along every journey, there comes a time when an artist fully steps into their own — and that's what he's done here. He's poured his soul into this project, and you can feel it in every single run. 'The way he chose to release it is just as intentional as the music itself — and I'm happy to see him do it this way. I have played no roll in this one, but as someone who's always believed in him, I'm incredibly proud and impressed and genuinely enjoying the music."
New York Post
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Country singer Conner Smith cancels shows as he faces misdemeanor in fatal Nashville crash
In the wake of a tragic accident that left a 77-year-old woman dead, rising country music star Conner Smith has been issued a misdemeanor citation for failure to yield, resulting in a fatality. The 24-year-old artist, who was behind the wheel during the deadly Nashville crash in June, took to social media to break his silence as he grieved and mourned the loss of Dorothy Dobbins. Advertisement 'Four weeks ago, I was involved in a tragic vehicle accident that resulted in the loss of a life,' Smith penned in an Instagram post on July 11. 'Not a day has gone by that I haven't grieved, prayed, and mourned for Ms. Dobbins and her family.' The 'Creek Will Rise' singer leaned on his faith as he expressed the emotional toll of the accident. 'My heart is broken in a way I've never experienced, and I still struggle to fully process the weight of it all,' he wrote. 'I ask that you continue to lift the Dobbins family up in prayer by name, asking for God's peace to surround them each day.' 3 Country music singer Conner Smith took to social media after the Nashville car crash he was in last month, which killed Dorothy Dobbins. Getty Images for Big Machine Label Group Advertisement In the aftermath of the accident, Smith made the decision to cancel multiple shows in Ohio. He explained that he needed time to grieve and focus on his emotional well-being. While he pointed out that performing has often served as a source of healing for him, he acknowledged that this moment required him to take a step back. 'Out of respect for everyone involved and to give space for grieving, I made the decision to step away from shows these past few weeks. I have always found that making music and playing shows is a place of healing for me – but for this moment, it was important for me to take time away. 3 'My heart is broken in a way I've never experienced, and I still struggle to fully process the weight of it all,' Smith wrote. 'I ask that you continue to lift the Dobbins family up in prayer by name.' Getty Images for Big Machine Label Group Advertisement Smith, who has been open about his faith and how it's shaped his response to the tragedy, continued to reflect on how God's presence has helped him through this difficult time. 'I'm thankful to serve a God who is near to the brokenhearted, and I have leaned on Him every step of the way,' Smith wrote. 'Through tragedy, I have learned that God is more faithful than I could have ever known before.' The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) issued Smith a misdemeanor citation Thursday for failure to yield, resulting in a fatality. 3 Smith cancelled his shows in Ohio to grieve and focus on his emotional well-being following the crash. Getty Images for Stagecoach Advertisement Smith's attorney released a statement to Fox News Digital, expressing the country singer's deep gratitude for the MNPD's careful investigation. The statement additionally highlighted Smith's ongoing commitment to supporting Dobbins' family while working to prevent future tragedies. 'Conner is incredibly grateful to the MNPD for their time and efforts to carefully investigate this tragic accident and has continued to cooperate at all times,' the statement read. 'His thoughts remain with Ms. Dobbins' family, and he remains committed to honoring her memory with compassion by supporting efforts to improve pedestrian safety and help prevent future tragedies.' Last month, Smith struck and killed Dobbins, who was crossing the street near her home when the incident occurred. He was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck when he hit the elderly woman as she was crossing the street in downtown Nashville, according to a press release shared by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department at the time. Dobbins was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died.
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Country singer Conner Smith fatally hits woman with truck, police say
Country singer Conner Smith allegedly struck and killed a woman who was walking in a crosswalk in Nashville, authorities say. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said Smith, 24, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck on Sunday when a 77-year-old woman was crossing in the crosswalk. Police said the woman was struck around 7:30 p.m. The woman, identified as Dorothy Dobbins, was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died. "The preliminary contributing factor for this crash appears to be Smith failing to yield the right of way to the pedestrian," Nashville police said in a statement. Police said Smith showed no signs of impairment and that there are no current charges as the investigation continues. Conner Smith performs during Big Machine Label Group x CMA Fest 2025 at Lainey Wilson's Bell Bottoms Up on June 07, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. Terry Wyatt / Getty Images In a statement to CBS News, Smith's attorney, Worrick G. Robinson, confirmed the incident and said Smith "continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation." "On June 8th, Conner Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed the life of Ms. Dorothy Dobbins," Robinson said. "His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time." This crash occurred on the final day of CMA Fest, a four-day festival that celebrates country music. Smith made an appearance at the event in Nashville the day prior. Smith, a rising country music star, was born and raised in Nashville. He is signed to Big Machine Label Group's The Valory Music Co. In 2024, Smith was nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Smith also opened for country singer Luke Bryan on tour last year.
