Taylor Swift Is Never Going Out of Style

graphic by olivia lacour

Swifties were blessed with not one but two albums in 2020. Sister records Folklore, and Evermore were both musically outstanding and emotionally resonant. These albums, although more refined than their predecessors, are still filled with classic Taylor Swift staples. Bittersweet love songs, ugly-crying anthems, and empowering ballads. With her newfound sound, Swift leaves you yearning for quaint cottage life in the woods with your lover, leaving all of reality’s bullshit behind. Not to mention the six Grammy nominations that followed were well earned.

After releasing the two albums, Taylor has undertaken the task of re-recording and releasing her master tapes, originally produced under Big Machine Records. Her first six albums were sold to artist manager Scooter Braun (sound familiar? Braun discovered Justin Bieber back in 2012) by Scott Borchetta, founder of Big Machine Label Group, for $300 million. The only way Taylor could save her babies was to rerecord them, therefore owning sole ownership of the new masters.

In a Tumblr post from June 30th, 2019 Taylor wrote, “This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it.”

If someone essentially stole all your work for over sixteen years and then tried to hold it over your head, you’d be pretty pissed too. 

Taylor’s hatred for Braun goes way back. Remember the line from Kanye West’s Famous, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex,” that sparked the whole Kimye VS. Taylor rivalry? This was a feud Braun supposedly encouraged. 

The whole situation gets messier. Swift maintains no one asked her “how I might feel about the new owner of my art, the music I wrote, the videos I created, photos of me, my handwriting, my album designs.” However, in an Insta post, Braun’s wife claims Taylor had all the chances in the world to own her masters and is the real “bully” (Yael Cohen Braun’s own words). Other artists got involved, with Rihanna and Halsey siding with Taylor, while Justin and Demi Lovato defended Braun. Borchetta also tried to insist he gave Taylor a head’s up about the deal via text, but this, like Braun’s claim, hasn’t been verified.

What’s happening to Taylor is more than unfortunate, but it’s also a lesson to other artists. Fight for ownership of your work and be aware of slimy contract deals. 

But don’t fret Swifties, Taylor has always persevered, where it be musically or stardom-wise. She’ll bounce back. Get ready to hear all your favorites from Fearless and Red with a vocally mature Swift on the tracks. Love Story (Taylor’s Version) stills hit the same as it did when you were 15 years old and just had your first heartbreak.