Taylor Swift did not want to do this.
Really, she insists on Twitter, she did not.
But the superstar says she was given no choice late Thursday except to take to her social media page and explain what the heck is going on between her and producers Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun.
As you may recall, Swift previously blasted Braun — who is close friends with Justin Bieber and who is a major power player in the music industry — after his company, Big Machine Label Group, purchased Swift’s former record label.
Why was/is this an issue for Swift?
Because she says Braun now controls all six studio albums she has recorded and, as a result, basically owns her entire music catalog.
What does this mean in a practical sense?
In her Twitter post, which is titled “Don’t know what else to do,” Swift explains:
She claims that Borchetta and Braun are blocking her from performing her old songs on TV at the 2019 American Music Awards… where she is scheduled to receive the Artist of the Decade Award and where she had been planning to perform a medley of her hit tracks.
Here is how Swift opened her lengthy message:
Guys – It’s been announced recently that the American Music Awards will be honoring 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 on 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.
She had A LOT more to say on the topic, too:
Additionally – and 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.
The main issue at stake here is that Taylor alleges Big Machine executives are not letting her make any money off songs from any of her albums.
Why? Because they own the rights.
Is this true? We can’t say for certain.
TMZ reports that Swift owes this company $7 million and that Braun has offered to sit down and try to work something out with Swift.
But the singer has refused.
“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,” Swift went on to write.
She added:
“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’ll be punished.”
Swift went on and on in her post, going strongly on the attack.
“This is WRONG,” Swift told her fans.
“Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help.”
This is what she’s asking:
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.
Swift, whose feud with Braun was ugly even before this latest development, concluded as follows:
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.