Taylor Swift’s battle over her old music with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun just took a dramatic turn. In a lengthy statement posted to Twitter, the “Lover” singer revealed the former Big Machine Records head and his new business partner are trying to stop her from singing songs from her catalogue in a retrospective performance at the upcoming 2019 American Music Awards, as well as stopping her from using her recordings in an upcoming documentary about her career.
Swift shared the surprising allegations Thursday in posts on her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter along with the caption: “Don’t know what else to do.”
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“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. 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,” she wrote.
Don’t know what else to do pic.twitter.com/1uBrXwviTS
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 14, 2019
“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’ll be punished.
“This is WRONG. 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.
“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 AMAs, 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,” she ended her note.
Typically performing songs when the master recordings are owned by someone else does not require permission, but Swift claimed Braun and Borchetta are claiming the AMAs performance is considered “re-recording them” before she is allowed to next year.
Braun and Borchetta and Big Machine Records have not responded to the allegations as of press time. Swift is expected to be awarded with the Artist of the Decade award AMAs, held on Nov. 24 on ABC.
