News November 15, 2019

Taylor Swift calls out Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, pleads with fans

Geordie Gray

Taylor Swift has taken to Twitter to call out music moguls Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta.

The multi-Grammy winner has said the pair have barred her from performing a medley of her own songs at the American Music Awards, and are allegedly jeopardising the future of a Netflix documentary in the works about her life.

Taylor Swift is set to be honoured at the American Music Awards next year. However, the musician said Borchetta and Braun have refused to allow Swift to perform her songs from her back-catalogue on television because “they claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year.”

Scooter Braun

It has also been revealed that over the past few years, Netflix has been working on a documentary on Taylor Swift. However, Scott and Scooter have allegedly blackballed the streaming service from using old performance footage and old music for the project.

Swift has called upon her fans to ask them to back her in this tumultuous time, encouraging them to let Braun and Borchetta know how they feel about the situation.

The feud between Swift, Braun and Borchetta became public knowledge back in June. Swift shared an open letter revealing that Braun’s Ithaca Holdings LLC had acquired US record label Big Machine Records for $300 million. The acquisition meant that Swift’s entire back-catalogue was now in the hands of Braun, an outcome that Swift described as a “worst case scenario”.

Read the letter in its entirety below

Guys — It’s been announced recently that the American Music Awards will be honouring me with the Artist of the Decade Award at this year’s ceremony. I’ve been planning to perform a medley of my hits throughout the decade of the show. Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year.

Additionally — an this isn’t the way I had planned on telling you this news— Netflix has created a documentary about my life for the past few years. Scott and Scooter have declined the use of my older music or performance footage for this project, even though there is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film.

Scott Borchetta told my team that they’ll allow me to use my music only if I do these things: If I agree to not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year (which is something I’m both legally allowed to do and looking forward to) and also told my team that I need to stop talking about him and Scooter Braun.

I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate. The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you will be punished. This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of these songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I am asking for your help.

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 – I’m hoping that maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote. I’m especially asking for help from The Carlyle Group, who put up money for the sale of my music to these two men.

I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it. I’ve tried to work this out privately through my team but have not been able to resolve anything. Right now my performance at the AMA’s, the Netflix documentary and any other recorded events I am planning to play until November of 2020 are a question mark.

I love you guys and I thought you should know what’s been going on.

Taylor