Last Thursday, Taylor Swift posted a lengthy message on her social media about Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, and how they’ve banned her from singing her old (pre-Lover) songs at the American Music Awards, and refused to license those Big Machine-era songs for her Netflix documentary. Taylor wrote that Braun and Borchetta were basically holding her Big Machine-era songs hostage so they could somehow get her to stop re-recording the music next year, and that the message was that she needs to “shut up.” Taylor also wrote: “Please let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work. Please ask them for help with this…”
The next morning, Big Machine issued their own carefully-worded (and legally vetted) statement where they said Taylor owes them millions of dollars and that she’s playing the victim and they can’t stop her from performing her music live. Suddenly, the Snake Fam all became lawyers with a special interest in music-industry contractual law. I get that Big Machine’s statement was carefully-worded and that they did not actually deny the bulk of Taylor’s claims. I also get that Taylor has a history of misrepresenting situations to look like the victim. And I also get that this nearly 30-year-old woman with unimaginable wealth and access to the best auditors, lawyers and advisors in the world sicced her fanbase on Borchetta, Braun and Big Machine. It got so bad that Big Machine’s Nashville offices had to close last Friday:
The feud between Taylor Swift and Big Machine has reached a scary new level. A source with knowledge of the situation tells ET that Big Machine Label Group’s headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, was forced to shut down early on Friday, at 12:30 p.m. local time, due to direct and hostile death threats being made to employees of the company.
The source believes that Taylor Swift fans are going to extremes to leak personal contact information and addresses of company employees — not just Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta. Authorities have not been notified. ET has reached out to Swift’s rep for comment.
Taylor’s silence on this is disgusting, actually. She sent her spokesperson out to contradict Machine’s statement within two hours. But Taylor won’t say sh-t to her fans who are doxxing and threatening employees of Big Machine? That’s a bad look. As for Swift’s spokesperson’s statement…
With many celebrities taking sides, Big Machine said in a statement to ET on Friday that, “At no point did we say Taylor could not perform on the AMAs or block her Netflix special. In fact, we do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere.” A spokeswoman for Swift, however, disputed that claim in a followup statement to ET, writing that Borchetta “flatly denied the request for both American Music Awards and Netflix.”
“The truth is, on October 28, 2019 at 5:17 p.m. the Vice President, Rights Management and Business Affairs from Big Machine Label Group sent Taylor Swift’s team the following: ‘Please be advised that BMLG will not agree to issue licenses for existing recordings or waivers of its re-recording restrictions in connection with these two projects: The Netflix documentary and The Alibaba ‘Double Eleven’ event.'”
“To avoid an argument over rights, Taylor performed three songs off her new album Lover at the Double Eleven event as it was clear that Big Machine Label Group felt any televised performance of catalog songs violated her agreement,” the statement continued. “In addition, yesterday Scott Borchetta, CEO and founder of Big Machine Label Group, flatly denied the request for both American Music Awards and Netflix. Please notice in Big Machine’s statement, they never actually deny either claim Taylor said last night in her post. Lastly, Big Machine is trying to deflect and make this about money by saying she owes them but, an independent, professional auditor has determined that Big Machine owes Taylor $7.9 million dollars of unpaid royalties over several years.”
A Big Machine executive, however, told ET: “Taylor can 100 percent perform all of her catalog, past and present, at the AMAs. Big Machine has no issue with her performance going out on live broadcast because it recognizes it doesn’t have the right to block her. Labels can’t block any artists from performing any songs live.”
The two sides are throwing around some really big accusations at each other, and what’s striking is that very little of this is a he said/she said situation. This isn’t “Borchetta said some sh-t to me in private.” These are legal, corporate, financial and contractual issues for which there will be a paper trail (or “receipts”) on both sides. Which means that this should be an issue with lawyers on both sides. If Taylor has the evidence that she’s being treated unfairly or illegally, then go to court. What she should stop doing is encouraging her fans to doxx and threaten people.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
What is with FANactics posting death threats to people? That’s sick.
Seems she’s taken a page from the Trump playbook. ‘My supporters will make your life miserable until you do my bidding and publicly support me in the way I want (in Ariana’s case)’.
Well, she’s a narcissist. They’re always the victim. Can’t understand why no-one loves them as much as they love themselves. And apropos to nothing, I thought her song and performance a few weeks back on SNL were terrible. My husband always asks me when any crappy pop tune is playing, “Is that Taylor Swift?”
Yep. It’s insane.
Public opinion really helps Taylor’s case.
I’m sure she has her lawyers working on resolving this.
She’s really a Darth Susan. What kind of person who always incite conflict everywhere she goes?
I knew this would happen. She has her base do her dirty work and she just sits back with her hands clean. I think record companies are slimy and unethical. I also think Taylor is having a tantrum like a 2 year old because she didn’t get her way. As Kaiser said, this is a 30 year old woman with more money and resources available to her then most. Do it the legal way, don’t inflame your base and insight a potentially dangerous situation.
Ahhhhh one of my all-time fav VSB columns! She’s acting like a spoiled ass, frankly.
Remember when Michael J Fox made a joke about Taylor years ago and her fans went after him? Calling him nasty names, making fun of his condition…and Taylor thanked them for their support on Twitter. She hasn’t changed one bit.
Taylor’s always the victim, and always the hero in her own story.
It’s immature and gross, especially when it leads to other people being hurt or threatened.
As much as I think artists should be able to hold the licensing for their work, she is taking this all to the extreme and needs to hash it out legally, not on twitter and the media. And why would she want to sing old songs at an awards show when she’s promoting her new album?
Because it’s an artist of the decade award
That was when I stopped liking her. Prior to that I was kind of indifferent to her, but Michael J. Fox’s comment was so innocuous and she thanked her fans for having her back. It was gross.
In this situation, I can give her the benefit of the doubt in appealing to the public – that she probably just wanted her fans to tweet that they should let her use her old songs. I have more trouble with her keeping quiet when some fans take it too far. She encouraged them to act, so she needs to speak up when this stuff happens.
I feel for those employees.
That’s it.
I think it’s pretty clear from her actions that Taylor doesn’t have the upper hand legally. It seems like she’s been bullying the new owners trying to get her songs back early and calling on her fans to dox their employees is really disgusting.
Honestly that’s terrifying, could you imagine being at your desk, just like – at your job and someone starts threatening your life over some ridiculous popstar?? We have to stop this culture.
And the fact that Taylor has said NOTHING on this is absolutely vile.
It seems to me that Big Machine and such have the legal right to proceed as they are but are ethically wrong.
Otherwise, why would Swift go the social media route this hard?
That’s a great point. It feels wrong, but it’s totally legal (and it’s probably what EVERY artist agrees to). How many artists are/have been in this exact situation? It’s unethical, but is THIS the way to change that in the industry? I don’t think it’s effective, or right. Those poor employees.
*tinfoil hat on* I have feeling she sicced her fans on them BECAUSE she’s not an advantage legally because if she was, why act like this? why not take them to court and be done? Me thinks if she can’t win a court of law then she’s trying for the court of public opinion.
Not exactly…she was to perform a medley of her hits on the AMAs & that was denied by Big Machine because that counts as a rerecording of her hits before November 2020. She needs permission to do so. Yes, she can go to court to get permission but it won’t happen in time, so she put in on Tumblr because that’s Swift…
I guess I’m supposed to feel bad that her contract doesn’t allow her to perform her old hits on a tape delay until next year but I don’t.
Especially when her response to “no” is essentially a temper tantrum that’s resulting in receptionists and data entry clerks being doxxed.
Maybe if she hadn’t been such an unprofessional, lying/misrepresenting ass earlier this year, there would have been some measure of goodwill to work with.
She’s basically given them no reason to do her a single favor, which is what giving her permission to perform outside of her contract terms would have been.
I don’t like Swift’s Tumblr post & her silence in response to her fans doxxing employees but I also dislike Big Machine’s statements as well. You can be against both.
I apologize for not stating it clearly enough but no, I don’t like either of them.
But admittedly I have far more disdain for Taylor Swift and her brand of delicate lily whiteness than I do for record execs behaving like record execs.
I’m a journalist and cover court proceedings – it would NOT be difficult to get an emergency injunction. She could go to court tomorrow if she wanted to. The “court would take too long” argument is not true.
Oh I agree. I think this is one of the many situations where what’s legal isn’t what’s fair or right, and I don’t blame her for wanting to take it public. That said, it sounds kind things are getting way out of hand and she should try to get her fans to cool it
From what I understand with the AMA performance is that there is a tape delay which technically means its a recording (and technically not a live performance) – Big Machine Group are using that technicality to say she needs their permission to perform her old hits. That’s legally within their rights but its also a petty move on their part – they are not only trying to exert control over her but looking for a pay day as she (or the broadcaster) would have to pay them (BMG) a licence fee for it.
Yeah this is really messed up. I get why she wants to get this drama out in the public, but she should’ve highlighted productive things to do and told her fans not to bother lower level regular people. If there are people making so many death threats that they had to close early then that’s way over the line and I do think she has a responsibility to tell her fans not to harass or threaten anyone, especially regular people (I’m less concerned for the mega rich CEO types – I’m sure they’ve got security etc, but it’s crap that their regular employees are getting threats for something that’s not even their call). I was enjoying the drama a lot, but if someone gets actually hurt or normal people are being harassed then that’s not fun anymore.
I do believe Taylor and any artist should own their own work. That said, my god her stans are honestly the worst, beliebers and kpop fans got nothing on them. I’ve seen comments on Scooter’s ig photo of his friend who passed away saying it was his fault and that his children would be next. This is vile.
Artists should then fight to have it written in contracts that they own their music. If they cant because record companies hold the power then you know what, that’s how it freaking works if you want to be an artist with them. Shop around to other companies or put your music on YouTube or sound cloud or some other platform where record companies arent involved
Taylor is the first to scream about being bullied but she has never had a problem being the bully going all the way back to when she basically called Camilla Belle a whore in one of her songs. Not sure why she never gets called out by anybody beside Kim Kardashian
She never gets called out because nobody wants death threats. This is so on brand for her.
1. Play the victim
2. Sic the fans on whoever she feels has wronged her
3. When her fans go too far, say nothing
4. Play the innocent wide eyed blonde princess
5. Walk away clean
6. Rinse and repeat
I wouldn’t call her out in public either. History shows nothing will happen to her.
Part of her power &privilege has been years of conservative/NotThatKindofGirl support. The Camilla Belle stunt is how girls/women are actively encoraged to treat each other in the name of ‘self-respect’ (& every other good thing) under patriarchy. It’s fair for her to be able to use her old songs, but others being threatened over it is ridiculous.
What Taylor is too privileged to realize is that siccing her fans on Big Machine affects the safety of more people than Scott and Scooter. If she believes she has a legal case, she should take this to court and stop encouraging her fans to threaten people – many of whom are just trying to work and fulfill their jobs. Taylor is a multimillionaire with plenty of smart lawyers at her disposal. This is not the route she should go and the court of public opinion is taking notes.
Swift wanted to perform a medley of her past hits on the AMAs…that’s what being lost in this. Big Machine said no unless Swift agreed to not rerecord her hits next November. Yes, she can absolutely take it to court & the AMAs broadcast will happen before a decision gets handed down. So Swift loses on performing a medley because that’s a rerecording of her hits before November 2020. Now let’s get to Swift’s Tumblr post. It was irresponsible & she shouldn’t have encouraged her fans to go after Big Machine employees, Borchetta or Braun. She needs to make a statement since this gotten out of hand because of her fans. However, Borchetta & Big Machine is also out of line here. Interesting enough, Scooter Braun is not in agreement with Big Machine & has been trying to talking to Swift by himself. He feels Borchetta has made a mess of this with his statements & maybe if he’d stop trying to gaslight Swift, she’d be more willing to talk. Probably not but that’s his take.
No, that’s not getting lost. It was discussed a great deal in the first posts about this. The courts are slow but can move fast in situations like this – she could ask for an emergency injunction etc. The tumblr post was not her only option.
Seems like it is getting lost because it’s Swift. I understand why people don’t like her but it’s not that simple to obtain a temporary injunction that quickly. She can’t perform the medley of hits, not without Big Machine’s permission.
Injunctions can be issued based on the deadline – some same day. So no, she didn’t need to trot out her rabid fan base to threaten employees.
She made the statement so it DID get out of hand with her stans. It’s been what – two days since she put out this statement and the fans started doxxing and she’s silent still? She knows what they’ll do when she says something like “tell them how YOU feel.” She’s not stupid and she’s only 30 – her memory probably works fine and she’s seen what they’ve done in the past.
She is awful.
As others have said, there’s a matter of legality vs ethics. Scooter/Big Machine may be in the right legally, which is why Taylor is going this route, because ethically she should have the right to perform her songs at the AMAs.
That said, she is absolutely in the wrong with how this is playing out, and she knew it would play out this way, and she wanted it to. I think Perez Hilton asked on twitter if it was okay to share Scooter’s home address. WTF? No, that’s not okay. I see people keep mentioning how its not right to attack the BMG employees, but its not okay to threaten anyone with bodily harm, even Scooter and Scott. Her fans are unhinged and this was a bad move on her part.
Yes, thank you. People have posted death threats under Scooter’s memorial ig for his friend. Wtf? This is not ok, and I hate that it’s not being called out more in the media.
They should call the FBI to investigate this. How much you want to bet some of her fans are gun loving NRA nuts? If something happens, that’s blood on her hands. What will she say then?
“If Taylor has the evidence that she’s being treated unfairly or illegally, then go to court. What she should stop doing is encouraging her fans to doxx and threaten people. ”
The bottom line. Cannot feel sorry for her. If she handled this like an adult and not a middle school bully, literally everyone would be on her side.
That’s exactly it. All she had to do was file an injunction and then state to the fans that she was doing this because it doesn’t seem right or fair that she’s unable to perform a medley of her past hits.
Leave out the plea to her fans, use the court system, and state accurately what the issue is and there would be little to criticize and yet here we are
She signed a sales contract and took the money, right? That’s on her. Inciting violence is disgusting.
How many artists end up in similar situations; or are in them right now? And yet Taylor is still the biggest victim. Is it morally right? No. But this is NOT the way to change the industry. It’s straight up gross that she hasn’t addressed this.
She still has fans? By the looks of it none in their right mind.
Personally I hope that they never ever ever ever allow her to perform the songs now.Since she wants to remain silent when innocent people lives are being threatened.She can play a medley of her new stuff.
Aside from all the financial issues and possible legal action, isn’t there also some legal action that can be taken against her for encouraging her fans to take these actions? There have been death threats because TS aimed her most insane fans at the employees of Big Machine. How can that be legal?
They can be investigated by the FBI.
What I cannot understand is this, her father bought into Big Machine because Taylor decided that she wanted to get into music and a guaranteed production deal came with the buy in.
So is this again another case of more money than sense. How did they not think of her masters when she moved away from Big Machine. For a image where everything about Taylor is ‘shrewd businesswoman’, this is a epic fail.
She doesn’t have a case, clearly, that’s why she’s doing that on public. I want to remind that this woman legally threatened her fans over a fan stuff on etsy. So entire Big Machine would’ve been already in a courtroom if she could do that.
I have always disliked her. She is shady as hell. She said nothing for years when white supremacists called her Aryan Queen, then got herself a black friend to her squad. Uses serious causes to her favour, like Becoming a last minute feminist after years of bullying other women or a gay advocate to sell her album. Shady and vindictive.
How many times does she get to play the victim and have people fall for it?
She should count her blessings for being a well-connected, wealthy, attractive white woman because otherwise she’d have wrecked her prospects with the way she digs her own hole on issues like this. My sympathy for Scooter Braun and his associates is limited, but the lower level employees are not to blame for any of this and don’t deserve it. I’m honestly wondering just how long before an incident like this winds up in court and sets precedent for the instigator to pay out damages.
But if she does perform the songs, she would have to pay them right? I’m just trying to understand all this
Taylor Swift can sing any song she wants on the AMA’s – Big Machine’s statement clearly says they cannot legally stop her. There is no issue with the time delay etc, that’s just something someone made up.
Taylor clearly wants to license the old songs so she can lip sync or use as a backing track.
Doing a medley is super exerting, especially if you have dancing and other choreography.
If she could do it all live, she would in a second. She clearly can’t and that’s why she needs permission from Big Machine to use the recordings of her old songs.
She is way too immature to present herself as a strong businesswoman.
Now this is an aspect I hadn’t thought of.
Really insightful. Thank you!
Huh, I haven’t thought about it, well if it’s true, Taylor may be finally caught to be a bad signer, please BM, don’t give her permission to licence, I want this disaster to go public.
This is an interesting perspective and I think probably does play a factor in here.
She cannot sing live. I still remember her duet with Stevie Nicks. How she butchered that on live tv.
The more I think about this this morning, the angrier I get. How privileged it is to sic your fan base on these people and never consider the consequences. She’s clued in. She knows what’s going on. And she hasn’t called off the attack. This is Trump-level bullsh!t bully behavior. She is literally acting like Trump.
Ugh. So disgusting.
And her mama (who she worships) isn’t even telling her that this is wrong. That says all I need to know about her folks.
I was a Taylor fan back in high school and college and I’ve wanted so badly to like her as years have gone on but I just can’t. This is a dangerous game she’s playing here, and it’s like she couldn’t care less.
It’s so messed up I was talking to someone at work who said, “well how do we know people are actually being threatened or doxxed? Big Machine could be making it up.”
I find that hard to believe.
She’s a bully always has been and always will be. The fact that grown ass women look up to this woman-child is ridiculous and that moms prefer their daughters to Stan her rather than more “sexual” singers is amusing. “My kids listen to her because she doesn’t sing about sex and she’s such a good role model “. HAHAHA
Meanwhile I’ve actively put work into explaining to my daughter why I find Swifty problematic and a terrible influence for young girls and women.
Girls can be sexual people. Most will grow into sexual beings. There is no shame in that.
But there ought to be shame in bullying, in denigrating someone for not crushing on you in return, for liking someone else instead of you. There should be shame in talking smack about women and girls who are into different things, who enjoy their life, etc.
And that’s just her lyrics.
She is 30 or near to it and both her songs, her personal life, and her business dealings are chockabock full of petty, high school shenanigans.
I want my daughter to be confident, caring, kind, secure in self and sexuality, and have a strong sense of bodily autonomy.
Some parents just hear songs about sex. To me those songs are often about prioritizing your sexual pleasure and interests and not being made to feel ashamed.
👏👏👏💡This. 💯
I actually know one of those people doxxing the staff. She posted Scott’s personal phone number and info on twitter and Instagram. After the platforms removed it she gleefully posted all the mentions fans sent (with screenshots of the private info) all over her social media. That’s just girls supporting girls, according to her…
And Snake Swift won’t thank her for that. It’s more of a see you later, sucker, when the police come after that person for cyberstalking or whatever charges.
I’m sitting here trying desperately to feel outrage but I just want to do a cartwheel to be honest. A powerful female is using her weight to wreak havoc on guys that didn’t play by her rules. I know it’s not that simple and I know her motives are petty and mercenary.
But.
When I think of every man who has threatened the financial security of his partner, every guy who has made his daughter’s chastity transactional, every guy who has decimated the careers of non-compliant women well God forgive me I just want to fistbump the snake queen. Mind you I am intentionally omitting the unforgivable aspects of her actions from this narrative. For now.
I’ll see myself out.
Encouraging others to threaten employees is a big no from me. I don’t care how much the big bad company is treating her. That’s what the courts are for. She is not a powerful female. She is a manipulative —–.
Truly powerful people don’t need to leverage obsequious fans to accomplish things.
Both of you are incorrect about Swift being powerful. Of course she is and of course she is abusing that power. You conflate my post with a defense. It is not.
“When I think of every man who has threatened the financial security of his partner, every guy who has made his daughter’s chastity transactional, every guy who has decimated the careers of non-compliant women well God forgive me I just want to fistbump the snake queen. ”
I can’t think of the ridiculous mindset you have to drag other people’s legitimate issues on this and compare them to Swift. Please step away from the keyboard now.
Moni I can totally see where you are coming from. You even said what she did was wrong, it’s just kind of nice to see a woman abuse power to hurt men rather than thE reverse all day everyday for all time lol
Don’t get me wrong all abuse of power should be stopped but I know what you mean to be semi amused by the reverse scenario in a dark humour non condoning way
BMG is doing her dirty, of that I am pretty certain. HOWEVER, encouraging her fans to go after people over this is so beyond the pale. You let your lawyers handle it, not your fans. And if they are going over the line, you reel them in. Silence is encouragement.
This is why I couldn’t believe how many people were sticking up for TS. If she has the receipts, then show them and go to court. Sending her rabid fanbase to harass these people is irresponsible and childish. All of this is because she made bad (but common) business deal. I just can’t bring myself to empathize with a rich, white, privileged person who is throwing a tantrum because she can’t get her way.
This wouldn’t be decided in court before the AMA broadcast date.
That’s not true – they could file for an emergency injunction today and be in court tomorrow. I’m a journalist and I cover court proceedings, this would not be difficult for someone with Taylor’s resources.
On top of that, the legal process could’ve began weeks ago when BMG first denied Taylor’s request.
They could get a TRO or they could settle, which is what they did this afternoon. They announced a settlement allowing her to sing her old songs live and for limited playback on certain forums.
This is where Taylor loses me. Is what Big Machine and the lot are doing legal. Yes, probably. In the bigger picture, is it unfair/wrong? Yeah, sure. Are they treating Swift differently than they would treat a Justin Bieber or Shawn Mendes. I wouldn’t doubt it after their gaslighting statement. HOWEVER, Taylor Swift knows exactly what her fans are capable of and what they will do. So this is why she calls them up. No doubt, she knows and doesn’t care who is hurt in the process. Once again, TS plays the underdog. And that’s a terrible thing to do, which is why I no longer care about the situation, except to hope that other female artists are able to become producers and owners of their catalog and hold the power someone like Scooter does, so that someone like Scooter loses his own power.
I truly hope someone with some real influence calls her out for this. This is heinous and she should be ashamed of herself. Scooter and Scoot are trash, but so is Taylor. She’s shown time and time again that she’s a garbage person.
I’ve said this all along. This is what attorneys are for. They meet and try to come to terms (mediation). I totally do not agree with her siccing her little preteen girls on company employees (people who are there to earn a paycheck). The fact that she didn’t say anything to make it stop is enough for me. 30 year old woman using fans to do her dirty work.
Imagine the revolution she could lead against shady record companies if she could ever grow past her high school mean girl mentality. Became famous at 14 = has the maturity of a 14 year old but with a lot of power, fame and money. She’s far from stupid, though. And she knows exactly what her stans will do when she says shit like “Tell them how YOU feel.” I believe her claims, but this is why I can’t get behind her.
Taylor Swift is the artist of the DECADE? That’s where this lunacy starts. Taylor Swift is the millennial Debbie Gibson.
And I hope she paid the members of Earth Wind and Fire for performing their song. Plus damages for butchering it.
Classic narcissist behaviour – always the victim…all about her
If Travis Scott can get arrested for inciting a riot by inviting fans to stage how can she not be charged with inciting violence by turning her fans on them when she knows how crazy they are
unpopular opinion here, I think she had every right to speak out against them trying to pull shady shit behind the scenes. She created everything that have their paws on, she put a lot of blood sweat in tears into creating the content they now find themselves the legal keepers of..Her normal mo may be to be the victim, but in return arent they doing the same thing back at her? Trying to make out like the all powerful TS screwed them out of money and that they werent trying to keep her from performing her her songs, when in actuality they were..The artists standing with her have probably been in the same position and like what was said before it may be legal but its morally wrong…I dont agree with letting the army jump on them as they have and make anyone feel threatened, and I dont feel like thats the reaction she was looking for as it makes her look bad. I guess what Im saying is, I believe in her core argument. Hopefully the issue getting spotlighted here might change.
Requesting her fans to intervene in this issue is completely unprofessional. She knew EXACTLY what she was doing. She’s a vindictive, bitter and crazy chick masquerading as a pop princess.