Sparks flying in celebville
Bewildered by the Taylor Swift situation that’s exploding on social media and showing no signs of slowing down any time soon? Here’s what you need to know
IF YOU scrolled through Twitter or Instagram this week, it’s possible you saw a controversy erupting that involved Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Scooter Braun, a $300 million
(R4.2 billion) deal… and somehow, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian?
It’s a complicated situation, and one that shows no signs of slowing down. Here’s everything to know.
How did this all start?
On Sunday morning, news broke that powerful talent manager Scooter Braun had signed a $300m deal to buy the Nashville, Tennessee Big Machine Label Group, whose roster includes Florida Georgia Line and Lady Antebellum. It’s also Swift’s former home. The BMLG founder is Scott Borchetta, who is famous for signing Swift to his independent label in 2005, when she was an unknown country singer. Swift and Borchetta had a lucrative partnership until November, when she left
Big Machine to sign a deal with Universal Music Group.
How did Swift react?
In a scathing Tumblr post, Swift expressed anger and disappointment that Braun was the owner of Big Machine, and by extension, the owner of the rights to her songs from her first six albums.
“This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter.”
Who is Scooter Braun?
He’s the entertainment mogul and manager best known for discovering Bieber on Youtube years ago. He represents Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Carly Rae Jepsen, among others. He was the executive producer of former hit show Scorpion.
What is Swift’s issue?
Swift said she has been the target of Braun’s “incessant, manipulative bullying”. “Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did,” Swift wrote. “Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them.”
How did Bieber respond?
He said Swift was in the wrong because she knew that posting a public take-down would result in her fans bullying Braun.
Who was defending Swift? Pop singer Halsey said Swift “deserves to own the painstaking labour of her heart” and “It turns my guts that no matter how much power or success a woman has in this life, you are still susceptible to someone coming along and making you feel powerless out of spite”.
Martha Hunt, a long-time Swift friend, tweeted: “Taylor doesn’t deserve for someone who has constantly bullied her to own the rights to her blood, sweat and tears.” Iggy Azalea also tweeted support.
Todrick Hall, the singer, Youtube star and a former Braun client called Braun “an evil person”.
How did Borchetta respond? On Sunday, he wrote on BMLG’S website disputing Swift’s accusation that she wasn’t given a heads-up about the sale. Borchetta said he texted Swift on Saturday and told her the story would be in the Wall Street Journal the next day.
He said it was possible she missed his text and her attorneys, who learnt about the sale on a shareholder call last week, didn’t tell her. He doubted she “woke up to the news when everyone else did”.
He included an image of a legal document he said was BMLG’S final offer to Swift before she signed with Universal. “Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings, but every video, photograph, everything associated to her career. She chose to leave.”