Taylor Swift: The Music Industry’s Agent of Change
Source: CNN, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” Cover Photo
The good old days: it’s 2008 and I'm driving with my mom, my blonde curls blowing in the wind, belting my heart out to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. I am not embarrassed to admit I peaked at that moment, filled with pure bliss. I constantly wish that I could hear that song again for the first time… and thanks to Taylor Swift (and the failings of the music industry), 2021 has brought me exactly that.
Taylor’s decision to re-record her first six albums is not out of nostalgia, but rather the outcome of a long-outstanding feud with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun. As a 15-year-old, Taylor signed a record deal with Big Machine Records (BMR), not fully comprehending the contract’s terms. Although Taylor owns her music’s creative elements, she doesn't own the official recording/masters so she can’t license it to third parties. BMR gave Taylor the opportunity to sign a new record deal allowing her to earn her old album’s masters by producing new ones, but she had concerns that Scott, the CEO, would sell the company, so she instead contracted with Universal Music Group in 2018. As she predicted, Scott ended up selling his company to none other than Scooter, a celebrity manager involved in many of Taylor’s public feuds (stemming from the Kanye VMA incident) leading to an epic social media fight. Since then, Taylor has publicly denounced Scooter’s ownership of her recordings and has been waiting until the day (November 2020 to be precise) when her former contracts allow her to re-record all of her old albums.
We must remember that Taylor is a multi-millionaire music giant, so it would be naive to not consider the monetary aspects of her decision. Taylor has frequently refused offers to license her songs to stop Scooter from profiting off her work, but, since she will receive 100% of the profits of her re-recordings, she could earn millions licensing for advertisements and movies. Regardless of each new album’s success, Taylor still receives royalties from her original music since she owns the creative elements so she really has nothing to lose.
Source: Getty Images, “Fearless” Tour 2009
So, will these re-recordings prove successful? In reality, lots of others have tried and have subsequently run into major issues. Artists’ voices naturally mature and they may change stylistic elements of the song, taking away the original essence that made it a hit. But, this is Taylor Swift. Taylor’s massive, loyal fanbase does not have to be asked twice to listen to the re-recordings, especially because they don’t even have to pay to stream the new versions. Additionally, many young fans will finally get to listen to these old songs as if they’re new releases, including getting to experience the social media frenzy her fans produce on Twitter and TikTok. Taylor is clear that she is not replicating her old albums but is instead making her old work relevant to her present-day experiences, creating a love-letter to who she was then, and even releasing never-before-published songs from her “vault.”
In facing Scooter and taking back control of her art, Taylor has sought to empower other young musicians to do the same. Unfortunately, other artists lack the privilege to fight these battles because they don’t have the financial backing, full creative ownership, or even their fans’ support. Even if this does not immediately become standard operating procedure, Taylor’s re-recordings will have long-lasting impacts on the sometimes oppressive, toxic culture of the music industry. While the industry is run by Boomers, Gen X and Millennials, Gen Z is growing up and, as audience members, we will soon play a crucial role in how companies conduct business. Gen Z is composed of critical consumers who will not support companies with poor values, so do not doubt our ability to recognize when BMR’s version is used in an advertisement instead of Taylor’s (and our subsequent choice to boycott that product). This change might not be immediate, but I am certain that Taylor’s efforts are the start of a major cultural shift in the industry that has been long-awaited in terms of fairness, equal access to opportunities, and inclusivity and acceptance. All this to say, please stream “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) [Feat. Maren Morris]” now and let us eagerly await the April 9th release of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” (just over a week… we got this).
Source: Hartford Courant, “Reputation” Meet and Greet
Sources
Bonner, Mehera, and Starr Bowenbank. “Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun's Drama, Explained.” Cosmopolitan, 3 Dec. 2020, www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a29807801/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-scott-borchetta-tyrannical-control-amas-netflix-doc/.
Bonner, Mehera. “An Investigation Into Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun's Drama for Those of You Who Are Confused.” Cosmopolitan, 1 July 2019, www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a28241555/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-fight-explanation/.
Button, Kate. “Pop Cultured: The Significance of Taylor Swift's Re-Recordings.” The Daily Utah Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2021, dailyutahchronicle.com/2021/03/10/pop-cultured-the-significance-of-taylor-swifts-re-recordings/.
Carras, Christi. “Taylor Swift Mines Her Vault of Demos for Never-Released Song with Maren Morris.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-03-26/taylor-swift-you-all-over-me-from-the-vault.
Kupelian, Katya. “Taylor Swift Is the World's Highest-Paid Celebrity. Here's How She Makes and Spends Her $360 Million.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 16 Oct. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-singer-millionaire-makes-spends-money-wealth-2019-4.
Leni. “What Does It Mean To Own Your Masters? Guide For Music Artists.” Amuse, 15 Oct. 2020, www.amuse.io/content/owning-your-masters?cn-reloaded=1.
Li, Shirley. “Taylor Swift Misses the Old Taylor Swift, Too.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 13 Feb. 2021, www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/02/taylor-swift-love-story-rerecording/618019/.
Owsinski, Bobby. “For Taylor Swift, Maybe Re-Recording Her Old Hits Might Not Be The Right Move.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 13 Feb. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2021/02/14/for-taylor-swift-maybe-re-recording-her-old-hits-might-not-be-the-right-move/?sh=3ee05d79710e.
Pallotta, Frank. “Why Taylor Swift Is Rerecording Her Songs.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Feb. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/02/11/media/taylor-swift-fearless-rerecord/index.html.
Schwartz, Drew. “Why Taylor Swift's Plan to Re-Record Her Old Music Is Actually Going to Work.” VICE, 7 Dec. 2020, www.vice.com/en/article/k7a7ka/why-taylor-swift-re-recording-her-old-music-scooter-braun-explained.
