The world woke to a wildfire this morning. If you’re feeling a little out of touch with what the heck went down in the US just hours ago, here’s your download.
In a nutshell, media mogul Scooter Braun’s holding company, Itchaca Holdings LLC. announced on Sunday they reached a ‘finalised contract’ with record label Big Machine Label Group – Taylor Swift’s former record label.
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Genuinely grateful for my new partner @scott.borchetta and the entire @bigmachinelabelgroup team. We together at Ithaca are going to do amazing things and our hope is to give every artist the tools they need to succeed in all arenas. Thank you again for the trust Scott. Let’s get it!
Essentially, the deal between Itchaca Holdings LLC. and Big Machine Label Group means Taylor Swift’s entire back catalogue of music, including six of Swift’s recent albums (worth a cool $300 million), are now in Braun’s hands. She’s now with Universal Media Group, as of November last year.
Swift took to Tumblr to express her shock and disappointment over the deal, saying she’s ‘sad and grossed out’ over the buy out for a myriad of reasons, including that Braun routinely bullied and manipulated her. Swift also pointed to the Kimye Snapchat saga, saying that Braun rallied clients to bully Swift to eventually take her down.
Swifty also pointed out that she didn’t receive any prior warning about the final takeover – informed of the news, along with the rest of the world, via the media.
“I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world. All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.”
“Like when Kim Kardashian orchestrated an illegally recorded snippet of a phone call to be leaked and then Scooter got his two clients together to bully me online about it.”
“Or when his client, Kanye West, organized a revenge porn music video which strips my body naked. Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy.”
“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in.”
“I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past.”
Bieber’s Half Assed Apology
Bieber, one of Braun’s most notable clients, has flocked to Braun’s defence via his latest Insta post. Bieber made a half assed apology to Swift whilst he vigorously defended Braun, saying ‘Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you.!’
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Hey Taylor. First of all i would like to apologize for posting that hurtful instagram post, at the time i thought it was funny but looking back it was distasteful and insensitive.. I have to be honest though it was my caption and post that I screenshoted of scooter and Kanye that said “taylor swift what up” he didnt have anything to do with it and it wasnt even a part of the conversation in all actuality he was the person who told me not to joke like that.. Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you.! As the years have passed we haven’t crossed paths and gotten to communicate our differences, hurts or frustrations. So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn’t fair. What were you trying to accomplish by posting that blog? seems to me like it was to get sympathy u also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully scooter. Anyway, One thing i know is both scooter and i love you. I feel like the only way to resolve conflict is through communication. So banter back and fourth online i dont believe solves anything. I’m sure Scooter and i would love to talk to you and resolve any conflict, pain or or any feelings that need to be addressed. Neither scooter or i have anything negative to say about you we truly want the best for you. I usually don’t rebuttal things like this but when you try and deface someone i loves character thats crossing a line..
For the few times Bieber expressed remorse for weighing in on Braun and Swift’s tense relationship, he doubled down on Swift for taking to social media about it. Bieber also brutally undermined Swift’s claims, deeming her Tumblr post a plea for ‘sympathy’.
“So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn’t fair. What were you trying to accomplish by posting that blog? Seems to me like it was to get sympathy, you also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully scooter.”
Hailey Baldwin also chucked in her two cents’ worth and the world has quickly flocked to Swifty’s defence.
Justin Bieber: cheats on women, defends a woman abuser, calls a woman a bully for standing up for herself
Hailey Baldwin’s delusional ass: pic.twitter.com/o1ieVmzmMC
— Gaga’s Hooker (fan account) (@mvstraw_) June 30, 2019
Considering Bieber’s past, fans and celebs aren’t really tolerating his ‘moral’ stance on the situation. Everyone’s slamming Bieber for his half assed, back-handed apology and the situation has fast transformed into an issue about Bieber’s prior cheating scandal on Swifty’s bestie, Selena Gomez.
fuck justin bieber lives pic.twitter.com/q9Vf2zKntp
— . (@knightcoles) June 30, 2019
Justin Bieber, his wife and the people praising him for posting the worst apology #WeStandWithTaylorpic.twitter.com/vgrzr955py
— 🏹 (@luckybIoom) June 30, 2019
#WeStandWithTaylor is now trending on Twitter and it’s clear that Swifty has a whole army at her defence. The saga has fast become a battle of ownership, loyalty and female agency. Arguably, it’s also about an individual’s right to call out immoral behaviour where it’s needed.
They’re already turning things against Taylor and this is exactly what happens when a girl decides to speak the fuck up if a powerful men is involved, of course, that’s exactly why a lot of girls don’t ever raise their voice. #WeStandWithTaylor
— Fernanda 🦋 (@heythereswiftie) June 30, 2019
yo it doesn’t matter if you don’t like taylor swift for whatever reason, literally no one deserves to have THEIR words and THEIR voice owned by someone else who does not have their best intentions at heart. #WeStandWithTaylor
— 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕞𝕚 (@sammicolwell) June 30, 2019
Taylor did not post that for ‘sympathy’, she posted it as she knows she is one of the biggest artists in the world and that if it can happen to her it can happen to ANYONE so she’s using her voice for the small artists that don’t get heard #WeStandwithtaylor
— Zoe aka delicate stan #1 (@delicatestan1) June 30, 2019
For reasons that are honestly beyond me, Taylor Swift routinely finds herself in the midst of international tension. But look, did Bieber really think he could instigate a battle without Swifty’s loyal army of defenders slamming his every word? He ought to be wiser, Swifty’s fans have displayed time and time again they’ll flock to her defence every damn time.
Sources: @sammicolwell, @heythereswiftie, @delicatestan1, @luckybIoom, @knightcoles, @mvstraw_, @justinbieber, @scooterbraun, Facebook, Tumblr.
