Taylor Swift announced that he has repurchased the rights of his first six study albumsending a long and media dispute over the property of his music. “All the music that I have created now belongs to me”said the singer in a message posted on her official website.
“I was crying with joy since I discovered that this is really happening”Swift confessed, who for years fought to recover control of the master recordings of the albums that marked the beginning of his career.
A dispute that began in 2019
In its beginnings, Taylor Swift signed a record contract with Big Machine Records. Scott Borchettafounder and director of the label, offered an important advance in cash in exchange for the property of the master recordings of their first six albums to perpetuity. (This practice was common in the industry before streaming boom, when musicians needed the back of a record company to obtain radio dissemination, produce CDs and ensure its distribution).
The swift contract with Big Machine won in 2018. At the end of it, he left the label and signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group (UMG), stamps that guaranteed him greater control over his music.
But in 2019Borchetta sold Big Machine to Ithaca Holdings, the company of Scooter Braun. With that operation, Braun became control of all the master recordings of the first six Swift albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation.
The singer said that she was not previously informed about the sale and that she learned when she was publicly announced. He described the fact as an act of aggression that “stripped me of the work of my life.”
He also expressed his frustration for not having been able to present a counteroffert for his music: “I spent 10 years of my life trying hard to buy my recordings directly and then I denied that opportunity.”
Since then, the singer began an extensive process for re -record your catalog under the seal Taylor’s versionas a way of recovering their artistic legacy without depending on the owners of the original versions.
“My biggest dream come true”
In his message to fans, Swift acknowledged that for a long time it seemed “unimaginable” the possibility of having their own songs again. “I almost stopped thinking about what could happen, after 20 years that they offered it to me and then they took it away,” he wrote.
“Saying that this is my biggest dream come true is quite reserved,” he added, while thanking the public’s support. “Thank you for helping me to meet again with this art that I have dedicated my life, but I had never possessed so far.”
Until now, Taylor Swift had launched new versions of Fearless, Grid, Speak Now and 1989all with unpublished songs and technical improvements. However, Reputation and his debut album They were still pending.
“The truth is that it is the only album (reputation) that I thought could not be improved by removing it”he explained. “All that rebellion, that desire to be understood while felt misunderstood on purpose … I kept postponing it.”
Even so, he suggested the idea of throwing unpublished songs that are part of the album Reputation, If fans were interested. In parallel, he confirmed that he re -recorded his first album, Taylor Swiftand claimed to be excited about the result.
Although there is no publication date, he left open the possibility that both albums see the light “When is the right time”. He added: “But if it happens, it will not be from the sadness and longing of what I would like to have. It will simply be a celebration now”.
